St. Thomas Aquinas reflected on the meaning of leaving everything behind in order to follow Jesus, in the following excerpt from his commentary on the Gospel of St. Matthew.  Here, he examines how James and John responded and shows what the Christian must do.  In the course of this, he solves an apparent knot in the Gospels:

"They left their nets, boat, and father.  This signifies that we should leave all our worldly business behind for the sake of Christ, for which the net is a sign.  2 Timothy 2, 4: 'No one fighting for God enmeshes himself in worldly business', whether with riches or possessions, for which the boat is a sign.  Matthew 19, 20: 'If you wish to be perfect, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, and come, follow me.'  The 'father' signifies carnal love.  Psalm 44, 11: 'Forget your people and your father's house.'  The name 'Zebedee' is interpreted, 'turbulent stream', which, in the spiritual sense, signifies the world.  But the question is this: It seems that these two sons sinned when they left behind their poor, elderly father because children were held to provide for their parents.  So, generally speaking, is it lawful for someone to leave their parents in their last necessity in order to enter religion?  The answer is that a counsel never trumps a commandment.  The commandment is, 'Honor your father and mother' (Exodus 20, 12).  Therefore, if a father is in no way able to live without the help of his child, the child should not enter religion.  But this was not the case with Zebedee because he was able to take care of himself and had the necessities of life.   

"There is also a question regarding the literal sense.  Matthew seems here to contradict John and Luke.  In John 1, 28, John says that these men were called near the Jordan.  Matthew says that they were called near the Sea of Galilee.  Also, in Luke 5, 10, Luke says that Jesus called Peter and Andrew and James and John at the same time, although no mention is made of the last two but it is believed that they were called there as well.  Again, it was said that they were called together, but here it says that they were called separately.  The answer is that the call of the Apostles was three-fold.  At first they were called only to familiarity with Christ.  This is described in John 1, during the first year of Christ's preaching.  This is not negated by what is said afterwards, that his 'disciples' went with him to Cana in Galilee (cf. John 2, 2).  According to Augustine, they were not yet 'disciples', but would be in the future.  It is the same case if we should say that 'the Apostle Paul' was born in Tarsus in Cilicia, when he would not yet have been an 'apostle'.  Or, John might be calling all those who believed in Christ, 'disciples'.  Then, secondly, they were called to discipleship, and this is described in Luke 5.  Then, thirdly, their call was to adhere completely to Christ, and this is what is described here.  According to Augustine, it is clear that in Luke 5, 11, the words, 'And having brought their ships to land" mean that they had a boat and were taking care of it as though they meant to return to it.  But here, Matthew says that they left behind 'their nets and their father', showing that this was the ultimate following."

St. Jerome (d. 420) wrote short biographies of the Apostles and of many early Christians in his book, "On the Illustrious Men".  Here is a translation of the biographies of St. Peter and St. Paul, as taken from his book:

"Simon Peter, the son of John, of the province of Galilee, of the town of Bethsaida, the Prince of the Apostles, the brother of Andrew the Apostle, went to Rome in the second year of the Emperor Claudius after having been bishop of the Church at Antioch and preaching to those of the circumcision who were of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, in order to fight against Simon Magus.  He held the sacerdotal throne there for twenty-five year up to the last year of Nero, his fourteenth year.  Asserting that he was unworthy to be crucified in the same manner as his Lord, he was crucified with his feet raised up and his head towards the earth, and was crowned with martyrdom.  He wrote two epistles, which are called 'Catholic', of which the second is denied to be his by many because it is different in style from the first.  But the Gospel according to Mark is said to be his because Mark was his disciple and interpreter.  A book of his acts, one of a gospel, one of his preaching, one of his revelations, and one of his judgments, are repudiated as among the apocryphal writings.  He is buried in Rome on Vatican Hill near the Triumphal Way, and he is celebrated with veneration throughout the whole world."

"Paul the Apostle, formerly called Saul, was outside the number of the Twelve Apostles.  He was of the tribe of Benjamin from the town of Giscalis in Judea, but when this town was captured by the Romans, he moved with his parents to Tarsus in Cilicia.  For the sake of his studies of the law, he was sent by them to Jerusalem to be taught by the most learned Gamaliel, whom Luke mentions.  He was present at the death of the martyr Stephen and received letters from the high priest of the temple for the persecution of those who believed in Christ, and went to Damascus.  Moved to the Faith by a revelation which is described in the Acts of the Apostles, he was transformed from a persecutor into a 'chosen vessel'.  and when Sergius Paulus, the proconsul of Cyprus, first believed his teaching of the Faith of Christ, he took the name 'Paul' because he had 'conquered' him.  He joined himself to Barnabas and they went to many cities.  Returning to Jerusalem, he was ordained Apostle to the Gentiles by Peter, James, and John.  And because the course of his work is written of so fully in the Acts of the Apostles, let me say only this: Twenty-five years after the Passion of The Lord, that is, in the second year of Nero and when Festus, who succeeded Felix, was procurator in Judea, he was sent in chains to Rome, where he spent the winter under house arrest and disputed daily with the Jews about the coming of Christ.  After his first acquittal, which was confirmed by the rule of Nero, who was not yet bursting forth with terrible crimes, as the histories say of him, the Gospel of Christ was preached by Paul, who had been freed by Nero, even to the western regions.  He writes of this in his second letter to  Timothy, which he dictated when he was suffering in chains: 'In my first trial, no one stood up for me, but everyone deserted me; may it not be reputed against them.  But The Lord stood up for me and consoled me so that his preaching may be completed through me and that all nations may hear it.  And I have been freed from the mouth of the lion' (2 Timothy 4, 16-17).  Very clearly, the 'lion' signifies the cruelty of Nero.  He continues right after this: 'The Lord freed me from every evil and will save me in his heavenly kingdom.'  That is, he knew then that his martyrdom impended.  Earlier in the same letter, he had said: 'Already I am offered up, and the time of my dissolution is at hand' (2 Timothy 4, 6).  He was beheaded for the sake of Christ in Rome in the fourth year of Nero, on the same day as Peter suffered, and he was buried on the Ostian Way, in the thirty-seventh year after the Passion of The Lord.  He wrote nine letters to seven churches: one to the Romans, two to the Corinthians, one to the Galatians, one to the Ephesians, one to the Philippians, one to the Colossians, and two to the Thessalonians.  Besides this, he wrote to his disciples: twice to Timothy, once to Titus, and once to Philemon.  The Epistle sent to the Hebrews is not believed to be his because of a different style and vocabulary.  According to Tertullian, Barnabas wrote it; according to others, Luke or Clement, afterward Bishop of Rome, whom they said was ordered to stylize Paul's own words.  Another idea is that Paul wrote to the Hebrews, but because of their hatred for him, his name was omitted from the beginning of the salutation.  He wrote in Hebrew to the Hebrews.  That is, he wrote in his most clear Hebrew so that that which was written might be eloquently translated into Greek, and this is the reason why it seems to differ in comparison to the other epistles.  Some read a 'Letter to the Laodiceans', but this is rejected by everyone."

The Patriarch Abraham and his wife Sarah represent the fullness of marriage.  Throughout their long lives, their love for each other continues to burn brightly, and in their son Isaac, God blesses their love.  The Prophets of the Old Testament saw this intimate union of a man and woman as the image of the union between God and his people, the Daughter Zion.  John the Baptist knew The Lord Jesus as the Bridegroom of the Church.  The Lord spoke of himself in those terms.  In his little book, "On the Four-fold Marriage", Pope Innocent III (d. 1216) wrote of the sanctity of marriage:

"The Sacred Scriptures teach us that there are four types of marriage according to the four modes of theological understanding: the historical, the allegorical, the moral, and the anagogic.  The first occurs between a man and a woman according to the law; the second is between Christ and his Holy Church; the third is between God and the just soul; and the fourth is between the Word and human nature.  Concerning the first type of marriage, the first man prophesied, upon his waking: 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother, and cling to his wife, and the two shall be in one flesh' (Genesis 2, 24).  Concerning the second type of marriage, the angel says to John, in the Book of Revelation: 'Come, and I will show you the Bride, the spouse of the Lamb' (Revelation 21, 9).  Concerning the third type of marriage, The Lord says through the Prophet Hosea: 'I will espouse you to myself in justice, in judgment, in mercy, and with mercy' (Hosea 2, 19).  Concerning the fourth type of marriage, the Bride says, in the Song of Songs: Go forth, daughter of Zion, and see King Solomon with the diamond crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his betrothal' (Song of Songs 3, 11).  As though to say, Daughter of Zion -- the weak Jews, or carnal men -- Go forth -- from the darkness of unfaithfulness and ignorance -- And see -- with the eyes of the heart, not the eyes of the flesh -- And see -- believe in -- King Solomon -- Christ, the true peacemaker -- who makes both peoples one (cf. Ephesians 2, 14) -- With the diamond crown with which his mother crowned him -- in the singular grace by which the Virgin Mary conceived him without the urging of the flesh, the heat of carnal desire, the taint of sin, but instead holy, pure, and without stain."

The Lord Jesus tells his followers that those who listen to his words and act on them will be like a house built on a solid rock foundation which fierce storms will not be able to sweep away.  Persecutions against the Church were unleashed by the enemies of Christ within a few years of his Resurrection.  Many Christians lay down their lives for the sake of The Lord in the first three centuries after he had walked the earth.  The great scripture scholar Origen (d. 254), who worked mainly in Alexandria, Egypt, wrote a moving exhortation to those suffering under the persecution of Emperor Maximinus:

"Some time ago, you made a sacred promise in the bonds of religion with these words: 'We shall serve The Lord, for he is our God.'  If, then, someone breaks a covenant with men and as a result he is disgraceful and unsuitable for salvation, what of those who, through their denial, make void the covenant they made with God and return to Satan, whom they had renounced when they were baptized?  The words spoken by Heli to his sons must be spoken to such as these: 'If a man sins against a man, they will pray for him, but if a man should sin against God, who will pray for him?' (1 Kings 2, 25).

"A large crowd is called together to see your combat when you are called to martyrdom, or, as we should say, many thousands of men crowd together to see the illustrious athletes.  When you contend, you are able to say, no less than Paul: 'We are made a spectacle to the world, to the angels, and to men' (1 Corinthians 4, 9).  Therefore, the whole world, all the angels, at the right and at the left, all men, and those who stand on one side of God or the other, hear your combat for the Christian religion.  And either the angels shall rejoice in heaven over you, and 'the rivers shall clap their hands' (Psalm 97, 8) because of you, 'and all the mountains will exalt and all the trees of the field will clap their hands' (Isaiah 55, 12); or, God forbid! -- the powers of hell which delight in what is wicked will rejoice."

Throughout his public life, The Lord Jesus warned his followers against false prophets, warnings which the Apostles frequently repeated, as we know from their letters.  Of particular concern was the arrival of "the man of perdition" of whom St. Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians, and the Antichrist (with whom he is identified) of St. John's first Epistle.  From information gathered by the Fathers from the writings of the Apostles, a fairly detailed picture of the Antichrist emerged.  The following is taken from a very short work on this subject by the Frenchman Adso (d. 992), abbot of Montier-en-Der Abbey, one of the abbeys established during the great Cluniac reform of religious life.  He wrote this essay for the reigning queen of France.

"[The Antichrist] will be contrary to Christ in all things, and he will do all things contrary to Christ.  Christ came as a lowly one.  The Antichrist will come in his pride.  Christ came to lift up the lowly and to forgive sinners.  The Antichrist will cast down the lowly, glorify sinners, ever exalt the wicked to their vices, teach those things which are contrary to the virtues, destroy the law of the Gospel, bring back into the world the worship of demons, seek his own glory, and will name himself the almighty God.  The Antichrist has many ministers of wickedness, of which many have preceded him into the world.  Of this number were Antiochus [Epiphanes], Nero, and Domitian.  We know that there are many Antichrists in our own time.  Whoever lives against justice, fights against the rule of order, and blasphemes that which is good, is an Antichrist, a minister of Satan, whether he be a layman, religious, or monk . . . . Kings and princes will be the first to be converted to him and then, because of them, the rest of the people will be converted also.  He will first go through the places where Christ the Lord walked and destroy that which The Lord shined upon.  Then he will send his messengers and preachers through the whole world.  His preaching and power will hold from sea to sea, from east to west, and from north to south.  He will perform many signs, great wonders, and unheard of things.  He will make fire come fearfully from the sky, trees suddenly blossom and then dry up, the sea suddenly turbulent and then tranquil . . . and other innumerable and stupendous things.  He will even raise the dead in the sight of men.  As a result, even the elect would be led into error, if it were possible."

St. Augustine, in his book, "The Manual of Faith, Hope, and Love", speaks of the God's marvelous providence for those who walk "the road that leads to life":

"Because of their wicked pride some angels forsook God and were cast down into the deepest darkness of this sphere from their celestial dwelling place on high, but the remaining number of angels remained with God in eternal beatitude and sanctity.  These angels were not generated by one fallen and damned angel so that his original evil bound them by the chains of a vile succession so that he might draw them all to deserved punishments, as is the case with men [affected by original sin].  But when he who became the devil was raised up in his pride with his wicked comrades, and in his pride was prostrated with them, the rest of the angels adhered to The Lord in holy obedience, receiving that which the wicked ones did not have -- certain knowledge by which they were forever assured of their stability, never to fall.

"Therefore, it was pleasing to God, the Creator and Governor of all things, that because the whole multitude of angels did not perish in their rejection of him, those who fell should remain forever in their perdition, but that those who persisted with God during that rebellion should rejoice in their most certain knowledge of their ever-happy future.  But his other rational creature -- mankind -- which had perished in sins, both original and personal, as well as in their punishments, would be repaired by him and would make whole again the number of the angelic company which had been lessened by the diabolical ruin.  For this is the promise made to the risen saints, that they would be equal to the angels (cf. Luke 20, 36).  In this way, the heavenly Jerusalem, our holy mother, the city of God, shall not be defrauded of  the multitude of her citizens, nor shall she perhaps rule over a greater number."

That is, the exact number of places in heaven lost by the fallen angels will be taken by the risen saints, who will number neither more nor less than the fallen angels.

The Lord Jesus called St. John the Baptist, "the greatest man born of woman."  The Lord preferred this man to all others as his personal herald.  St. Thomas Aquinas (d. 1274), in his commentary on the Gospel of St. Matthew, considers why The Lord chose for his presence to be announced to the world by John:

"Why did Christ wish for his testimony when he had the testimony of his own works?  There are three reasons for this.  First, we are led into the knowledge of spiritual matters by those things that are similar to us.  John 1, 7: 'He came to give testimony to the light.'  And why?  'That all might believe through him.'  Second, because of the wickedness of the Jews, for not only did Christ give testimony for himself, as the Jews said, 'You give testimony for yourself' (John 3, 26), but also another witnessed to him: 'You sent to John and he testified to the truth' (John 5, 33).  Third, to show the equality of Christ to the Father, for as the Father had messengers -- the prophets -- so did Christ.  Luke 1, 76: 'You, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High.  You shall go before the face of The Lord to prepare his ways.'

"Baptizing was John's special office.  He was the first to baptize, and his baptism was a preparation for the baptism of Christ.  If Christ had added a new rite immediately [in the work of his public life], men would have been scandalized.  Therefore, John went before him to prepare men for his baptism.  John 1, 31: 'That he be made manifest to Israel.'  

"Notice that John did this in his thirtieth year, in which age David was made king, and Joseph undertook the governance of the kingdom of Egypt.  We understand through this that no one should take up an office before the perfect age."

Commenting on the verse in which Jesus asks, "Whom do you say that I am?  And Peter said, The Christ of God", (Luke 9, 20), St. Ambrose of Milan (d. 397) takes the opportunity to urge his readers to put true faith in The Lord's identity.  The following comes from his commentary on the Gospel of St. Luke:

"Believe as Peter believed, that you may be blessed and may merit to hear the words, 'Flesh and blood have not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven' (Matthew 16, 17).  For flesh and blood are not able to reveal anything except that which is earthly, but he who speaks of the mysteries of faith by the spirit does not do so by the teaching office of flesh and blood, but is established in divine inspiration.  Do not depend on the flesh, lest you draw out commandments of flesh and blood, and you yourself become merely flesh and blood.  For, he who adheres to the flesh is flesh.  But, 'He who adheres to God is one spirit' (1 Corinthians 6, 17).  And The Lord said, 'My spirit shall not remain in these men forever, for they are flesh' (Genesis 6, 3)."



St. Ambrose also throws light on the matter of the opinions of the crowds as to the identity of The Lord Jesus, and the distinctions between him and the men they thought he was:

"It is fitting that he did not wish the crowds to consider him to be anyone except Elijah, Jeremiah, or John the Baptist.  Was he Elijah?  After all, Elijah was caught up to heaven.  But Christ was not Elijah, for Elijah was caught up, but Christ came down.  Elijah, I say, was snatched up, but Christ did not consider it robbery for him to be equal to God.  Elijah was avenged by the fires he called for, but Christ chose rather to heal his persecutors.  Why did they think he was Jeremiah?  Because Jeremiah was sanctified in the womb?  But he was not Jeremiah.  Jeremiah was sanctified, but Christ sanctifies.  The sanctification of Jeremiah began from within a human body, but Christ was holy from the Holy One.  Why did the people think that he was John the Baptist?  Because John felt the presence of The Lord while still in his mother's womb?  But Christ was not John.  John adored in the womb, but Christ was the One adored.  John baptized with water, but Christ baptized with the Holy Spirit.  John urged repentance, but Christ forgave sins."  

In Matthew 6, 24-34, The Lord Jesus explains how our preoccupations with this world distract us from the love and service of almighty God, and from enjoying his company in prayer.  Richard of the Abbey of St. Victor in Paris (d. 1173) wrote about the conditions necessary for true prayer, which is the language of the love of God, in his spiritual explanation of the Song of Songs.  The book called The Song of Songs is a dialogue between a bride and her groom, once thought to be the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon.  In the tradition of the Fathers, this song is understood as sung by the Christian soul and God, and by the Church and her Lord.  Later writers sometimes also interpreted this book as a song between the Blessed Virgin Mary and God.  Richard uses the nuptial language of the book to write of the Christian soul (the Bride) ardently seeking God (the Groom):

" 'In my bed by night, I sought him whom my soul loves' (Song of Songs 3, 1).  The soul who seeks God and longs to attain the love of God and fuller knowledge of him should seek him 'in bed', that is, in the quiet of the mind.  The mind ought to be free and to be quiet from business and unquiet earthly distractions.  Unless the mind is free from exterior cares, employments, and love, the soul will not be able to seek God, or merit to find him.  Therefore, God must be sought 'in bed', in the quiet of the mind.  And he must be sought 'by night', that is, through adverse temptations and sufferings, and in the struggle between the virtues and vices.  Indeed, it is necessary for the soul to suffer through many adverse temptations, to be hindered by many obstacles, and to be wearied with grave struggles before she perfectly corrects her ways to obtain purity of heart and may merit to see God . . . . The peace and tranquility of the mind is the 'bed' in which the Bride rests.  In this bed she seeks her beloved by night when the desires of the flesh are asleep and she has gained victory after her fight and sufferings, and rest is granted her.  For she labors during the day, at night she ceases from her labor, and at night she rests."

Here follows the second part of St. Bede's commentary on the Our Father, which is taken from his commentary on the Gospel of St. Matthew:

" 'Forgive us our debts, as we forgive those who owe debts to us.'  We are advantageously taught that we who are sinners are commanded to pray for our sins.  He who teaches us to pray for our debts and sins promises us paternal mercy and applies to us the forgiveness to follow.  He constrains us by a certain binding to seek forgiveness from no one else but God, to whom we are debtors, just as we forgive those who owe debts to us.  If we break faith with this arrangement, none of our prayers will bear fruit.  

" 'And lead us not into temptation.'  God does not himself lead us into temptation, but he allows the man who abandons his help to be led into it.  We are not praying hear that we not be tempted, but that we not be brought into temptation.  That is, it is one thing to be brought into temptation; it is another thing to be tempted.  No one can be proven worthy without temptation, and so a man should not pray that he not be tried by fire, or be touched by fire: rather, he prays that he not be burned by it.

" 'But deliver us from evil.'  That is, that we may stand safe and secure from all the workings of the devil and of the world, although it cannot be hoped that we be entirely freed from the fear of temptation, for this happiness is begun here in this present world but it will only be completed in the future."

Of the many commentaries on the Our Father among the Fathers of the Church and the holy teachers who followed them, one of the richest and most succinct is that of  the English monk St. Bede (d. 735).  In his commentary on the Gospel of St. Matthew, he writes:

" 'Our Father, who are in heaven'.  That is, among the saints and the just, to whom it is said, 'The temple of God, which you are, is holy.'

" 'May your name by sanctified.'  We might ask, How may the name of The Lord be sanctified by men, since it is always holy?  The name of The Lord is holy in this world inasmuch as we who are sanctified in baptism, persevere in his name.  And this is our daily work: that we who sin every day beg for sanctification.

" 'May your kingdom come.'  Now, when does God not reign? Or, when does his kingdom begin, which always was and shall never cease to be?  We here pray for our kingdom, promised to us by God and obtained for us by the Passion of Christ, so that we who first served in this world may reign afterwards with Christ our King: 'Come, blessed of my Father, into the kingdom prepared for you.'

" 'May your will be done, as in heaven so on earth.'  That is, as your will is done in heaven among the angels, so may it be done on earth among men, so that no wretchedness may impede your will that they attain beatitude with you.  Or: Just as the just do your will, so may sinners be converted to you.  We can also understand 'heaven and earth' as 'soul and body'.  That is, just as we delight in the law of The Lord in our heart according to the interior man, so may the body not resist this delight because of any earthly pleasures.  

" 'Give us this day our daily bread.'  Either this daily bread is that which is necessary for everyone in this life, or it is the Sacrament of the Body of Christ, which we do receive daily."

The rest of the commentary will appear in tomorrow's article.

Prayer implies a relationship between God and man that is not simply a matter of man telling God his needs and God providing for them.  Thus, Baldwin of Canterbury (d. 1190) explains:

"God knows and is known by hearing and in being heard.  Now, he is heard through obedience, so that if he is obeyed, he hears prayers, requests, supplications, vows, and desires.  Man says to God, 'Pay heed to my words with your ears, O Lord' (Psalm 5, 2).  And God says to us, 'Incline your ears to the words of my mouth' (Psalm 77, 1).  For he hears the one who hears him, and does not hear the one who does not hear him.  Thus, it is written, 'The prayer of the man who turns away his ears from hearing the law shall be as an abomination' (Proverbs 28, 9)."

The practice and even obligation of keeping a fast arises for Christians from the fact that our Lord kept a fast at various times in his life -- not only following the Jewish law, but on occasions such as the forty days before the beginning of his public life.  In a sermon for Ash Wednesday, Pope Innocent III (d. 1216) explains the origin of fasting, and lists the goods that come from Christian fasting: 

"Fasting is a commandment given from God.  He gave the commandment to fast to Adam.  He gave this commandment in the beginning, and he gave it in paradise: 'You may not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; on whatsoever day you eat of it, you shall die the death' (Genesis 2, 17).  The first commandment which God gave to man was to abstain from food.  As long as man kept this commandment, he would certainly have continued to live.  When man transgressed this commandment, he was mortally ruined.  It can be understood from the contrary to this that fasting is a good act.  Every living thing that does not humble itself on the day of fasting will be destroyed from the people (cf. Leviticus 23, 29). 

"The good of fasting is shown in very many ways.  It is written that fasting is valuable in appeasing God and obtaining his forgiveness; in avoiding his punishment and in rooting out wickedness; in retaining purity and repelling ignorance; and in gaining victory and obtaining grace."

St .Paul, writing in his second letter to the Corinthians, tells his readers that, "Now is the acceptable time, now is the time of salvation."  He is urging them forward in their faith so that it may not be received "in vain".  The Dominican St. Albert the Great (d. 1280), in his homily on this text, emphasizes this urgency:

"We should perform good works now because of the shortness of the time.  When someone has something to do and he has a lot of time in which to do it, it is no surprise if he should sleep for a long time.  But if a traveler has a long journey to make and he does not have enough time, and he is wise, and he wishes to come to a good lodging before the gates close, he rushes upon his journey early in the morning.  So, if we were to live for a long time, and we knew this, then it would be small wonder if some should tarry in sin for a long time, and put off doing well.  But we have a long journey to make -- to heaven.  3 Kings 9, 7: 'You have yet a great way to go.'  And there is not enough time, for, 'the days of a man are short' (Job 14, 5).  Thus, we must start the journey quickly.  We start the journey for heaven when we leave our sins behind us and begin to perform good works.  1 Corinthians 7, 29: 'Therefore I say this to you, brothers: the time is short.'  It is a wonder that sinners promise themselves a long life more than the good do, when it ought to be the other way around.  If anyone has a fruit-bearing tree in his garden, and another tree that does not bear fruit, he would cut down the latter sooner than the former.  The wicked whom God permits to dwell in this world for many years ought to fear, for God is waiting for their fruit, and if they do not bear any, they will be quickly uprooted.  Luke 13, 7, on the fig tree: 'Behold, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I have not found it.  Cut it down.  Why should it take up the land?'  We, who are terrible sinners, have only a little time, and we are not free from danger, so we should not delay to do well.  Galatians 6, 10: 'While we have time, let us do good for all.' "

In one of his Gospel homilies, St. Pope Gregory the Great (d. 604) wrote very movingly of the woman whom St. Luke describes as entering the house of Simon the Pharisee, where The Lord was dining, and washing his feet with her tears:

"When I consider Mary the penitent, I find it easier to weep than than say anything.  Whose breast is so stony that it does not soften at the example of the tears of this penitent?  She thought about what she had done, and did not moderate what she would do.  She went unto those enjoying their dinners, she went unbidden, and she offered her tears amongst the delicious food.  Learn by what sorrow she burned so that she did not blush to weep in the midst of delicacies.  We believe that this sinful woman of whom Luke writes here was named 'Mary' by John, and that this Mary was the one from whom seven demons were cast out, as Mark witnesses.  Now, what do the seven demons signify, but all vices?  For as 'seven days' is understood to signify all of time, so the number seven is rightly understood to signify 'all things' [universitas].  Mary had 'seven demons': she was filled with every vice.  But behold, she looked upon the sins of her shame, she hurried to be washed at the Font of mercy, and was not ashamed before the diners.  She believed that her outward shame was nothing compared to the shame she felt heavily within herself.  Brothers, what do we wonder at more, that Mary came, or that The Lord received her?  Or should I say that he 'drew' her, rather than 'received' her?  Let me better say that he both drew and received her, for without doubt, he who drew her interiorly through mercy also received her exteriorly with gentleness.  But now let us run through the text of the holy Gospel to see how she came to be healed:

" 'She brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and standing behind the feet of Jesus, she began to wash his feet with her tears and to wipe the, dry with the hair of her head, and she kissed his feet, and anointed them with ointment.'  Brothers, it is clear that the eager woman had employed the ointment for herself, for the scent of her body, for her previous unlawful actions.  What before she had employed shamefully for herself, she now praiseworthily offered to God.  Before, she had coveted earthly goods with her eyes, but now she wept, wearing them away in repentance.  Before, she had employed her hair to bring out the beauty of her face, but now she wiped dry her tears with her hair.  Before, she had spoken with a proud mouth, but now, kissing the feet of The Lord, she fixed her mouth onto the bottoms of the Redeemer's feet.  As many pleasures as she had known in herself, so many sacrifices did he find from her.  She turned the number of her sins into the number of her virtues so that whatever of hers had offended God in her sins, she offered him totally in repentance."

The question of whether a Christian is permitted to swear an oath was hotly debated for many centuries.  The Lord's words in Matthew 5, 33-37, seem to preclude this altogether.  The English translation used at Mass is written this way: "I say to you, do not swear at all; not by heaven, for it is God's throne, nor by the earth, for it is his footstool, nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.  Do not swear by your head . . . Let your 'Yes' mean 'Yes,' and your 'No' mean 'No.'  Anything more is from the evil one."  However, a better English translation of the text might be: 'Do not swear at all either by heaven . . . or the earth . . . or by Jerusalem.'  Let us take into account what St. Jerome (d. 430) said on this issue in his commentary on the Gospel of Matthew:

"He who swears, worships or loves that by which he swears.  In the law, it is commanded that we swear only by The Lord our God (Deuteronomy 6, 13-14).  But the Jews swore by the angels, the city of Jerusalem, the temple, and the elements, and they venerated physical creatures with the honor and worship due to God.  Consider that the Savior, here, did not forbid swearing itself, but only swearing by heaven, earth, Jerusalem, and one's own head.  [Permitting oaths] was a concession in the law granted [to the Jews] as to little children, as in the case of the concession granted to them to sacrifice victims to God, lest they offer sacrifices to idols.  Thus, they were permitted to swear oaths by God, which they rightly should not do, but it was better for them to do this than to swear by demons." 

The Lord's Sermon on the Mount shows the fulfillment of the law.  In its course, Jesus gives examples of this fulfillment: first, by the fulfillment of the fifth commandment, regarding murder; and then by the six commandment, regarding adultery.  In his commentary on The Sermon on the Mount, St. Augustine of Hippo makes an important distinction when it comes to defining the sin of lust:

"It is a lesser righteousness to not commit adultery in the joining of the flesh, but the greater righteousness of the kingdom of God is not to commit adultery in the heart.  He who does not commit adultery in his heart much more easily guards his heart lest he commit adultery in his flesh.  He who gave the first commandment, confirmed the second, for he did not come to destroy the law but to fulfill it.  It must be reasonably considered that he did not say that everyone who strongly desires a woman commits adultery in his heart, but that he who looks at a woman in order to lust after her, does so.  That is, he who turns to a woman with this end and intention in mind -- to lust after her.  Lust is not simply arousal for fleshly delight, but is a full consent to pleasure so that the unlawful desire is not restrained, but would be satisfied if the opportunity presented itself. "

In his Gospel, St. Matthew recollects how Jesus spoke of the necessity for a person to reconcile with his brother before offering sacrifice in the temple.  Though not a particularly "holy writer", Peter Abelard (d. 1142), French theologian and philosopher, did contribute some insightful treatises on religious subjects at a certain point in his life.  In his little work on the Our Father, he wrote strikingly of those who pray without forgiving:

" 'Forgive us our debts, as we forgive those who owe debts to us.'  How this prayer must be feared, my brothers, how ruinous it is!  For it confers more loss than gain, more injury than advantage.  There are some who, hardened by long and great hatred, or through terrible malice, wish very strongly to strike or slay with their own hands those who have made themselves their debtors through some injury.  They wish neither to receive satisfaction through the entreaties of men nor to make peace out of the fear of God.  Concerning these, it is written, in Deuteronomy 32, 32: 'Their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are most bitter.  Their vines are the gall of dragons and the incurable venom of asps.'  In secret those who are such come together to the church and pray before God and his altar, saying, 'Forgive us our sins.'  O miserable stupidity!  O wretched presumption, to provoke the wrath of God against themselves by their prayers!  A man nurses his wrath against a man, and he seeks mercy from God?"

One of the great difficulties for the Jews in accepting The Lord Jesus as their Messiah was that he seemed to openly break the laws of Moses.  St. Matthew provides the words of Jesus himself on this matter, in the course of the Sermon on the Mount.  St. Jerome (d. 430), the greatest of western biblical scholars, adds his elucidations to the words of The Lord in his commentary on the Gospel of St. Matthew:

" 'Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.  I have come not to abolish, but to fulfill.'  He said this either because he fulfilled what was prophesied of him by others, or because he fulfilled the law, which before was rude and imperfect on account of the weakness of the law's hearers, by his preaching on doing away with anger, dispensing with the law of retaliation, and on the lust hidden in the mind.  

" 'Until heaven and earth pass away.'  We are promised a new heaven and a new earth, which would be made by God.  If the new heaven and earth are to be created, the old heaven and earth must pass away.  

" 'Neither a single iota nor a single apex shall depart from the law until all [the law] is fulfilled.'  This figure of speech shows that even that which is considered least in the law is full of spiritual mysteries, and that everything in the law is recapitulated in the Gospel."

The "iota" is the smallest of Greek letters, corresponding with the English letter "i"; the "apex" is merely the tip of a Greek letter.  

St. Jerome refers to an important element in the understanding of the Scriptures, when he speaks of the "recapitulation" of the old law in the new.  This recapitulation shows how the old law is fulfilled by the new: the Apostles, in their gospels and epistles, show how the sacrificial lamb of Isaiah is the Lamb of God, how Christ is the new Adam, how the old sacrifices of the temple are figures for the new Sacrifice which truly forgives sins, and so on.  Indeed, there was a saying among the Fathers of the Church that, "The New Testament is hidden in the Old, and the Old Testament is unveiled by the New."

St. Thomas Aquinas (d. 1274) took up the question of why St. John the Apostle referred to himself as "the disciple whom Jesus loved", in his commentary on John's Gospel:

"Jesus did not love John to the exclusion of others, for he had said earlier [to all the Apostles], in John 15, 9: 'As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you.'  But he did love him with a particular love beyond that of his love for the others, and for three reasons.  First, for his penetrating understanding, for teachers love their understanding students.  Proverbs 14, 35: 'The wise minister is received by the king.'  Second, on account of the purity of his chastity, for he was a virgin.  Proverbs 22, 11: 'He who loves purity of heart, has the king as his friend because of the grace of his words.'  Third, because of the tenderness of his age, for we feel more sympathetic towards youths and those who are weak, and we show them signs of intimacy.  So also did Christ in the case of John's youth.  Hosea 11, 1: 'When Israel was a child, I loved him.'  Here we understand that God especially loves those who serve him from a young age."

Psalm 34 (Psalm 33 in the venerable Douay translation) is a short prayer, full of beautiful phrases with deep meaning.  In his commentary, St. Jerome (d. 420) considers this psalm as about prayer.  The verses used for the psalm at Mass are presented below, with St. Jerome's commentary on them.  The translation of the psalm verses follows the Latin version which Jerome uses, and which differs slightly from the modern English version.  The antiphon is treated last.

" 'I will bless The Lord at all times.'  That is, in prosperous and in adverse times.  David did this, and now the Church does it.  'His praise shall ever be in my mouth.'  I will always praise God with mouth, heart, and intent mind.

" 'Glorify The Lord with me.'  Praise The Lord, the Father.  'Let us together extol his name.'  As though the Prophet [David] were to say: As I love him, so you should do, likewise.  'Let us together extol his name.'  The Name which the Father gave to his Son, which is above every name.

" 'Approach The Lord.'  Believe in him.  'Approach The Lord', not in terms of place, but in your faith and good works.  'And be enlightened."  That is, understand with your mind.  Unless you believe, you will not understand.  'And your faces may not blush with shame.'  That is, in the judgment on the last day, when the wicked will be ashamed in their condemnation.  

" 'When the poor one called out.'  Christ the Lord, who was made poor for us, called out to his Father during his Passion.  The Church calls out now.  'And from all his distress he saved him.'  Raising him from the dead.  

" 'The angel of The Lord encamped around those who fear him, to deliver them.'  That is, the Angel of great counsel which he gave to them.  It is beyond doubt that those who fear The Lord are protected by angels.  As The Lord himself teaches in the Gospel [Matthew 18, 10]: 'Amen, amen, I say to you that their angels daily behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.  Therefore, those who fear God with purity of heart will be surrounded as with a wall by an angelic guard.

" 'Taste and see that The Lord is sweet.'  When a person begins to fear and begins to keep the commandments, he will know that The Lord is sweet, for he is the Living Bread that gives fullness to this world.  Blessed is he who trusts in him, and not in uncertain riches."

The priest addresses the congregation at Mass four times with the words, "The Lord be with you."  That is, Almighty God desires to be with us through the priest, and the priest expresses this in these words.  But in what ways does The Lord desire to be with us?  In his commentary on the Mass, St. Albert the Great (d. 1280) gives his considered answer:

"We say that the Lord wishes to be with us through the priest in five ways: in our conformity to his will, in his works of power, in the showing of his power, in the participation in sacramental grace, and in the conquering of our enemies.  

"Of the first of these, it is written: Not as I will, but as you will (Matthew 26, 29).  Let your will be done, not mine (Luke 22, 42).  This conformity is four-fold.  The first is conformity to the matter that is willed – when we will that which God wills.  Not what I will, but what you will (Mark 14, 36).  The second is in the form of the willing: that from the same charity as that by which God wills what he wills, we might will what we will.  May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6. 10).  The third is in the end of the will, that we might will what we will for the same end as that for which God wills what he wills – that is, for his glory.  Let them see your good works and give glory to your Father, who is in heaven (Matthew V. 16).  Whether you eat or drink or whatever else you do, do all things for the glory of God (I Corinthians 10, 31).  The fourth is conformity in the efficient cause, that I may will that which God wills me to will, as when he gave a commandment, he willed that I will to obey the commandment.  Similarly, when he gave me a counsel, he willed for me to will to follow his counsel.  And when he made me a father, he willed for me to will that I care for my children, and so on.  This is the will of God: your sanctification, that you might abstain from fornication, that each of you might know to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor – not in the passion of lust, as the pagans do, who do not know God (I Thessalonians 4, 3).  Thus, the Lord willed to be with us in our conformity with his will, for the will cannot wander in God.

"The second way in which he is with us is in his works of power.  Behold, I am with you all days, even to the end of the world (Matthew 27, 20).  You have worked all our works for us (Isaiah 26, 12).

"The third way in which he is with us is in the showing of his divinity and power.  In Judges 6, 12-13, the angel first says to Gideon: The Lord be with you, O most valiant of men!  Gideon responded: If God is with us, why have all these things come upon us?  The angel said: Go in your strength, and you shall deliver Israel from the hand of Midian.  And so it came to pass.

"The fourth way in which the Lord is with us is in our participation in sacramental grace.  The Lord is with you.  Blessed are you among women (Luke 1, 28).  This is said in reference to the divine participation by which Mary had God with her in her heart.  

"The fifth way in which he is with us is in battle.  O Judah and Jerusalem!  Do not fear, do not be frightened!  Tomorrow you shall go out against them, and the Lord shall be with you (2 Chronicles 20, 17)."

In Mark 12, 38-44, we read of how Jesus reacted to the widow who put her two pennies in the temple treasury.  Often times, the sight of a homeless person, especially one who obviously suffers from a physical or mental disability, causes revulsion and even contempt in one who does not suffer similarly.  Such must have been true in the present case, when this woman, still clad in her garments of widowhood, stood in line with people who were richly dressed.  Her two pennies seemed pointless and ridiculous to those who witnessed her giving of them, but The Lord, who sees and knows the hearts of those who are rich with love, spoke up for her.  St. Ambrose, bishop of Milan (d. 397), spoke of the Lord's words in his little work on the subject of the Christian widow:

  "Generosity is not defined by the accumulation of possessions, but by the disposition of liberality.  Indeed, that widow, of whom The Lord said: 'This widow has put in more than everyone', was put forward as a model for all by the voice of The Lord.  In this, The Lord, in his characteristic manner, teaches all that no one should be restrained by shame at his poverty from making a contribution for assistance.  Nor should the rich flatter themselves that they seem to give more than the poor.  Money from a little man is richer than a treasure from the greatest man.  We should consider that it is not a matter of how much should be given as much as how much would be left over.  No one gives more than she who keeps nothing for herself."

On the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ, we Christians celebrate the enormity of the love of our Savior for us.  Indeed, it was the Son of God's love for us that drove him, as it were, to undertake the hard labor of our redemption.  The ninth century archbishop and monk Rabanus Maurus wrote a short and moving meditation on the Passion of The Lord in which he marvels at the length, width, height, and depth of the Lord's love for us:

"Attend and see how great the love, how stupendous the love of God, so that he wished to be made man for the sake of man, and in order to exalt men, he who is the Most High humbled himself.  And even as man abhors and flees shame, suffering, and sorrow, so God chose these and clung to them, laying aside joy, and bearing the Cross, shame, and mockery.  See, then, and consider how deep the depths of his love . . . See how great the heights, how glorious the majesty from which he came, and how humble and vile the lowliness to which he came.  From the height of heaven to the lowest parts of the earth, from a throne of glory to a place of misery, from the delights of the angels to the troubles of men, from the bosom of the Father to the womb of a poor little Mother!"

The Book of Tobit has for its subject the providence of God, working for the good of his handmaids and servants.  Specifically, Tobiah and Sarah are brought together for marriage, according to God's providential design.  In his essay, "On the Good of Marriage", St. Augustine reflects that matrimony has its origin in the very nature of the human person, as created by Almighty God at the beginning of the world:

"Because each man is a part of the human race, and humanity is social by nature, the virtue of friendship is man's first great and natural good.  Because of this, God willed to make all men from one so that they might be bound not only by similitude of kind, but also by the bond of blood-relation.  Therefore, the first natural tie of human society was that of a man and a woman.  God did not create them as individual persons, joining them as strangers to one another, but he created the one out of the other.  The power of this joining together is signified in the side of the one from whom the other was taken (Genesis 2, 21-22).  They are joined to each other, walk together side by side, and look together to where they are walking.  A consequence of this is the connection of society in their children."

The creation of the human race was not accomplished fully until Adam and Eve were created out of one another, to be joined in marriage and oriented for children by God.  Thus, the nature of marriage as between a man and a woman comes from the social nature of the human person.  

In the third chapter of the Book of Tobit, we are introduced to the unfortunate Sarah,  widowed seven times.  In his commentary on this book, St. Bede explains:

" 'Sara, the daughter of Raguel, of a city of the Medes, was given to seven husbands, and a demon killed them as soon as they went into her.'  This denounces, in figure, the crowd of the nations, all of whose teachers knew only the life of this world, which is denoted by "seven days", but knew nothing, and so did not teach, of eternal life. Therefore, they were seized by the devil, inasmuch as they were delivered up to idolatry, until the coming of our Lord, the True Spouse, who joined himself to his Bride through faith after overcoming the enemy.  [This is signified when] Tobiah took Sara as his wife after the demon had been bound, by the command and assistance of the archangel.  Not unfittingly, the divinity of our Savior is signified [by the archangel], just as his humanity is signified by Tobiah.  

The seven previous husbands, then, represent the philosophers and teachers of the ancients who, however learned in the matters of this world, were ignorant of spiritual matters and so were unworthy of Sara, who signifies the people of God awaiting his advent.  This marriage of Christ and humanity, accomplished in the Lord's Incarnation and consummated in his Passion, is to be celebrated in heaven by the angels and saints together, at the wedding feast of the Lamb.

The first readings at Mass during the current week are taken from the Book of Tobit.  This book contains the very charming story of a just man exiled in Assyria who falls into misfortune, of a virtuous woman persecuted by the devil, and how God works in their lives to bring about good for both of them.  The English monk St. Bede (d. 735) wrote a commentary on this book in which he states:

"If understood in the spiritual sense, [this book] contains within it the greatest mysteries of Christ and the Church.  Indeed, "Tobit" signifies the people of Israel who serve The Lord with right faith and just works, when all the nations have been given over to idolatry."   

One of the just works Tobit performs is that of burying the dead bodies of his countrymen.  However:

" 'Wearied with burying the dead, Tobit went into his own house and cast himself down by the wall and slept . . . and he was made blind' (Tobit 2, 10-11).  "Tobit" signifies "the blinded one", for, "blindness has, in part, befallen Israel" (Romans 11, 25).  He was wearied with burying the dead and was blinded, but he who tirelessly persists in good deeds is never deprived of the light of faith.  He who neglects to keep watch, to stand in the faith, to act manfully, and to be strengthened, becomes worn out spiritually, and lies down and sleeps.  This agrees well with what the Apostle [Paul] says: "Rise, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will enlighten you' (Ephesians 5, 14)." 

And so Israel began by doing well, as in the days of the Patriarchs, but then wearied of acting justly and went "to sleep", in terms of the spirit.  The danger of falling "asleep" in this way exists for the Church, the New Israel, as well as for the individual Christian, if the means of nourishment and strengthening -- the Sacraments and prayer -- are forgotten.

In Mark 12, 1-12, Jesus tells the parable of the farm owner and his tenants.  The parable is a familiar one: the owner lets out his farm to unscrupulous men who beat and kill the servants sent to collect the rent.  Finally, they kill the Farmer's oldest son, in the foolish belief that lack of an heir will result in their inheriting the farm for themselves.  It is clear that the farmer in this parable is God the Father and that his son is The Lord Jesus.  But who are the servants?  Rabanus Maurus (d. 856), a Frankish Benedictine monk who became the Archbishop of Mainz, made the following comments:

" 'He [the owner] sent his servants to the farmers in order to receive their fruit, and when his servants had been seized, the farmers beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.'  It is understood that the first servants whom he sent out were the lawgiver Moses, and Aaron, the first priest of God.  It is written of them, 'He sent Moses, his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen' (Psalm 104, 26).  For forty continuous years they sought, from those laborers, some fruit of the law which God had given, but they struck them down with the whip of their tongue and sent them away empty-handed.  'They angered Moses in their camps, and Aaron, the holy one of The Lord.  Moses was troubled because of them, and they exasperated his spirit' (Psalm 105, 16 and 32)."

Rabanus Maurus identifies another servant as King David, and the rest as the various prophets.  

We might ask why these servants, and then, at last, the son, went to their certain harm at the hands of these violent men.  The answer is almost too simple for us: they went because they were ordered to do so by the one who was their master, and in the final case, by the one who was his father. 

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ was introduced throughout the Church by Pope Urban IV, in 1264.  Devotion to the Blessed Sacrament was well-developed by that time.  Archbishop Baldwin of Canterbury, who died in 1190, wrote a tract, "On the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist", which begins with these words: 

"The Sacrament of the Body and Blood of the Lord is worthy, on account of its dignity and reverence, to be touched, confected, perceived, and dispensed in a befitting manner by those who are worthy.  Great and inestimable is the dignity of this Sacrament, and who may be worthy of it?  It is great above every manner of our understanding, above every measure of our capacity to understand.  It is as great as the price of the world, a Price without price, a priceless Price, a Price which cannot be estimated in any way.  The Apostle [Paul] writes, in 1 Timothy 3, 16:  'Great is the Sacrament of holiness which was manifested in the flesh, justified in the spirit, appeared to the angels, preached to the nations, believed in by the world, assumed into glory.' "  

The word translated here as "price" is the Latin word pretium, which has the meaning not only of "price", but also of "wages" and "reward".  The Lord Jesus offered up his Body and Blood as the price of our redemption, that we may enjoy the reward of his sweet company throughout eternity, foreshadowed by our reception of him in Holy Communion, here on earth. 

A few years ago, the bishops in the United States moved the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, the feast of Corpus Christi, to the Sunday after Trinity Sunday.  About eight hundred years ago, before the feast was instituted, St. Albert the Great wrote his commentary on the Holy Mass.  Reflecting on the reality of the Body and Blood of our Lord, present on the altar, he wrote:

"He is eaten in mystery, yet remains eternal.  The Lord himself says of this: Do this in memory of me (Luke 22, 19).  As many times as you shall eat this bread, and drink the chalice of the Lord, you shall announce the death of the Lord until he comes (1 Corinthians 11, 26).  Thus, we use the chalice as a grave; the paten as the stone set at the mouth of the tomb; the pall and corporal for the linen that was wrapped around the Body of the Lord by the pious duty of blessed Joseph [of Arimithea].  The following verse considers these things: 'The altar has the work of the Cross; the chalice, that of the tomb; the paten, that of the stone; and the white cloth, that of the burial linen.' "  

St. Albert quotes a verse from a poem on the Mass by Hildebert, archbishop of Tours, who died in the year 1133.

The Sacred Host and Precious Blood on the altar give meaning, as well as existence, to everything there, and everything on the altar -- including the altar -- shows the Presence and the meaning of this Body and Blood.  In fact, even the steps leading up to the altar represent Golgotha, the Mount of Sacrifice.  We become the repositories of this Body and Blood in Holy Communion, and so we ought all the more to show The Lord's Presence and meaning in all of our thoughts, words, and deeds.