20
Lectio 1 LECTURE I Enarratis mysteriis passionis Christi, hic Evangelista manifestat eius resurrectionem, et primo manifestat quomodo resurrectio Christi manifestata est mulieribus; secundo quomodo manifestata est discipulis, ibi cum ergo sero esset die illo et cetera. Manifestata est resurrectio Christi mulieribus quodam ordine. Primo quantum ad monumenti apertionem; secundo quantum ad Angeli apparitionem, ibi abierunt ergo iterum etc.; tertio quantum ad Christi visionem, ibi haec cum dixisset, conversa est retrorsum, et vidit Iesum. Circa primum primo ponitur mulieris visio; secundo rei visae denuntiatio, ibi cucurrit ergo etc.; tertio rei denuntiatae inquisitio, ibi exiit ergo Petrus et cetera. 2470 Having related the mysteries of the passion of Christ, the Evangelist now speaks of the resurrection. First, he says the resurrection was made known to certain women; secondly, to the disciples (v 19). The revelation of Christ's resurrection to the women went in stages: first, there is the open tomb; secondly, the appearance of the angel (v 11); thirdly, the sight of Christ (v 14). In regard to the first, he first mentions the sight of the open tomb; secondly, this news is reported to the disciples (v 2); and thirdly, they see for themselves (v 3). Circa primum quatuor consideranda occurrunt. Primo scilicet visionis tempus, quia una sabbati, scilicet prima feria. Nam apud Iudaeos dies sabbati solemnior habebatur, et ideo ab eo omnis alius dies denominabatur: unde dicebant prima sabbati, secunda sabbati et cetera. Unde et Matth. XXVIII, v. 1, dicit prima sabbati. Sed Ioannes dicit: una sabbati, propter mysterium, quia in hac die, in qua resurrectio facta est, inchoavit quasi quaedam nova creatura; Ps. CIII, 30: emitte spiritum tuum, et creabuntur, et renovabis faciem terrae; Gal. VI, 15: in Christo Iesu neque circumcisio aliquid valet neque praeputium, sed nova creatura. Moyses autem in principio Gen. de prima die non dicit factus est dies primus, sed unus. Ideo Evangelista ad ipsam renovationem insinuandam utitur verbo Moysi. Item quia in hac die inchoabatur dies aeternitatis, quae est una non habens interpolationem noctis; quia sol qui eam facit, non occidit. Apoc. XXI, 23: civitas illa non eget sole neque luna ut luceant in ea: nam claritas Dei illuminabit illam, et lucerna eius est agnus; Zach. ult., 7: erit dies una, quae nota est domino, non dies neque nox: et in tempore vesperi erit lux. 2471 Four things can be noted about the first. First, the time: it was one day of the sabbath, that is, the first day of the week. The Jews considered the sabbath as a very sacred day, and all the other days were described in reference to the sabbath. Thus they spoke of the first day of the sabbath, the second day of the sabbath, and so on. Matthew [28:1] speaks of the "first day of the sabbath". But John speaks of "one day of the sabbath" because he is referring to a mystery, for this day of the resurrection was the beginning of a new creation: "When you send forth your Spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the ground" (Ps 104:30); "For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation" (Gal 6:15). In Genesis (1:5), when Moses is speaking of the first day of creation he says "one day." "God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day." And so the Evangelist uses these words of Moses because he wants to express a newness. And also because this day begins the day of eternity, which is one day, no night interrupting it, because the sun which makes this day will never set. "And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb" (Rev 21:23); "There will be one day, which is known to the Lord, not day and night, for at evening time there will be light" [Zech 14:7]. Secundo ponitur persona videns, quia Maria Magdalene venit mane, cum adhuc tenebrae essent, ad monumentum. Sed hic est dubium: quia in Mc. XVI, 1, dicitur: Maria Magdalene et Iacobi et Salome; et Matth. ult. connumeratur etiam alia Maria. Responsio. Dicendum secundum Augustinum, quod Maria Magdalena ferventior et devotior erat ad Christum aliis mulieribus: unde Lc. VII, 47, dicitur: dimissa sunt ei peccata multa, quoniam dilexit multum. Et ideo eam Evangelista specialius nominat. Et inde est quod prius ei apparuit dominus, Mc. ult. Sap. VI, 14: praeoccupat eos qui se concupiscunt, ut illis se prior ostendat. 2472 Secondly, the person who saw the tomb is given, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark. A question arises here because Mark (16:1) makes mention of Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome; and Matthew (28:1) also mentions "the other Mary." According to Augustine the resolution is that Mary Magdalene was more ardent and more devoted to Christ than the other women. [2] Thus we read that "Her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much" (Lk 7:47). And for this reason the Evangelist mentions her by name. This is also the reason why the Lord appeared to her first, "He appeared first to Mary Magdalene" (Mk 16:9); "She [Wisdom] hastens to make herself known to those who desire her" (Wis 6:14). Tertio ponitur hora, seu qualitas temporis, quia mane, cum adhuc tenebrae essent; Lc. XXIII, 55 s. dicitur, quod mulieres quae cum Iesu venerunt de Galilaea viderunt monumentum, et quemadmodum positum erat corpus Iesu, et revertentes paraverunt aromata et unguenta, et sabbato quidem siluerunt secundum mandatum. Et ideo statim transacto sabbato ante lucem primae sabbati venit ad monumentum: nam nimius ardor amoris eam sollicitabat; Cant. VIII, 6: lampades eius lampades ignis atque flammarum, scilicet caritatis. 2473 Thirdly, the time is given, early, while it was still dark. Luke (23:55) tells us that the women who had come with Christ from Galilee saw his tomb and how his body was laid, and they prepared spices and ointments for it. They rested on the sabbath according to the commandment. As soon as the sabbath was over, on the first day of the week, before daylight, she [Mary Magdalene] came to the tomb, incited by her exceedingly great love: "Its flashes," the flashes of love, "are flashes of fire" (Song 8:6). Sed hic est quaestio litteralis: quia, ut dicitur Mc. ult., 2, valde mane orto iam sole, quid igitur dicit Evangelista cum adhuc tenebrae essent? Responsio. Dicendum quod hoc quod dicit Marcus intelligitur de aurora: unde orto iam sole, non quod supra terram appareret, sed appropinquaret ad nostras regiones. 2474 The question arises why Mark says "very early, after the sun had risen" [Mk 16:2], while the Evangelist says, while it was still dark. The answer is that what Mark says should be understood as referring to the breaking of the day, so that the sun had risen, but had not yet appeared in the sky. Quarto quid videt: quia vidit revolutum lapidem, quod erat signum vel quod aliquis Christum abstulerit, vel quod resurrexerit. Et, sicut dicitur Matth. ult., v. 2, Angelus domini descendit de caelo: quod non est intelligendum quod ante lapis esset revolutus quam Christus resurgeret, sed post. Nam Christus exivit de clauso utero virginis nondum gloriosum corpus habens, non est ergo mirum si cum corpore glorioso exivit de sepulcro. Nam lapis est revolutus, ut, videntes ibi Christum non esse, facilius crederent eius resurrectionem. 2475 Fourthly, we are told what Mary saw, she saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. This was a sign that either someone had taken Christ away, or that he had arisen. When Matthew (28:2) says that "an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone," we should not think the stone was rolled away before Christ arose, but only after. For since Christ came forth from the closed womb of the Virgin even though his body was not glorified, it is not surprising if he passed through the tomb with his glorified body. The stone was taken away so that people could see that Christ was not there, and more easily believe in his resurrection. Consequenter cum dicit cucurrit ergo ad Simonem Petrum, ponitur rei visae denuntiatio. Ex nimio enim amore non distulit nuntiare discipulis quod vidit; sed cucurrit, et venit ad Simonem Petrum, et alium discipulum quem diligebat Iesus. IV Reg. VII, 9: haec dies boni nuntii est: si tacuerimus, et noluerimus nuntiare usque ad mane, sceleris arguemur. Sic qui audit verba Dei, debet festinus aliis dicere. Apoc. ult., 17: qui audit dicat, veni. Sed ad illos venit qui praecipui erant, et Christum ferventius diligebant, ut aut secum quaererent, aut secum dolerent. 2476 Next the Evangelist mentions that this was reported. Because of Mary's exceeding love she could not delay telling what she had seen to the disciples, so she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved: "This day is a day of good news; if we are silent and wait until the morning light, punishment will overtake us" (2 Kgs 7:9). And so one who hears the words of God should tell it to others without delay: "Let him who hears say, 'Come'" (Rev 22:17). Mary came to those who were the more important, and who loved Christ more ardently, so that they might either look for Jesus with her or share her sorrow. Et dicit eis tulerunt dominum de monumento. Viso enim sepulcro vacuo, nondum habens in corde quod Christus resurrexerit, dicit et nescimus ubi posuerunt eum. Ubi dat intelligere quod non sola fuerit ad monumentum, et quod adhuc de resurrectione dubitaret. Et ideo Evangelista non sine causa dixit cum adhuc tenebrae essent, per qualitatem temporis, qualitatem mentis, in qua dubitationis tenebrae erant, designans. Ps. LXXXI, 5: nescierunt neque intellexerunt: in tenebris ambulant. Sed attende, quod in Graecis codicibus habetur dominum meum, ad designandum propensiorem caritatem, et famulatus affectum; Ps. LXXII, 25: quid mihi est in caelo, et a te quid volui super terram? Defecit caro mea et cor meum: Deus cordis mei, et pars mea Deus in aeternum. She said to them, They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him. Mary saw the empty tomb, and not yet having it in her heart that Christ had risen, she said, and we do not know where they have laid him. We can see from this that Mary had not been alone at the tomb, and that she still had doubts about the resurrection. So it was not without reason that the Evangelist wrote that it was still dark, for this indicated the condition of their minds, in which there was the darkness of doubt: "They have neither knowledge nor understanding, they walk about in darkness" (Ps 82:5). Note that in the Greek manuscripts it reads, my Lord, which shows the impetus of her love and her affectionate devotion: "Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing upon earth that I desire besides you.... God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever" (Ps 73:25). Consequenter cum dicit exiit ergo Petrus et ille alius discipulus, ponitur denuntiatae rei inquisitio: et primo ponitur quaerentium studium ad inquirendum; et hoc per exitum, dum dicit exiit ergo Petrus et alius discipulus. Qui enim scrutari vult mysteria Christi, debet exire quodammodo a se, et a carnali consuetudine. Cant. III, 11: egredimini et videte, filiae Sion, regem Salomonem. 2477 The Evangelist next shows how this was investigated. First, he indicates the eagerness with which Peter and John acted, for they left the place where they were, Peter then came out with the other disciple. Those who want to look into the mysteries of Christ have in a sense to come out from themselves and from their carnal way of living: "Come out, O daughters of Zion, and behold King Solomon" [Song 3:11]. Secundo ponitur inquisitionis ordo seu modus. Et primo quantum ad cursum, quia currebant duo simul, qui prae ceteris Christum diligebant. Ps. CXVIII, 32: viam mandatorum tuorum cucurri; 1 Cor. IX, 25: sic currite ut comprehendatis. 2478 Secondly, we see the details of their search. First, it is said that they ran, they both ran, they who loved Christ more than the others: "I will run in the way of your commandments" (Ps 119:32); "So run that you may obtain it," the prize (1 Cor 9:25). Secundo quantum ad adventum, quia et ille alius discipulus praecucurrit citius Petro, ubi primo ponitur quomodo Ioannes praevenit; secundo quomodo Petrus eum sequitur, ibi venit ergo Simon Petrus sequens eum. 2479 Secondly, we see how the disciples arrived, the other disciple outran Peter. John arrived first, and Peter followed. Sed nota, quod non sine causa Evangelista etiam particularia diligenter narrat. Nam istis duobus discipulis, populus duplex, Iudaeorum scilicet et gentilium designatur. Quia licet Iudaei prius habuerint cognitionem unius veri Dei, tamen quantum ad statum mundi, populus gentium est antiquior: quia ex gentilibus processerunt etiam Iudaei. Gen. XII, 1: egredere de terra tua et de cognatione tua. Isti simul currebant, vel decursum huius mundi: Iudaei per litteram legis, gentiles per legem naturae; vel simul currunt naturali desiderio ad beatitudinem et veritatis cognitionem, quam omnes homines natura scire desiderant. Sed ille alius discipulus, scilicet minor, praecucurrit citius Petro: quia gentiles ad cognitionem veritatis tardius venerunt quam Iudaei, quia quondam Deus erat tantum in Iudaea notus, unde dicunt Ps. CXLVII, 20: non fecit taliter omni nationi. 2480 It is not without reason that the Evangelist is careful to tell us the smallest details. For these two disciples signify two peoples, the Jews [by John] and the Gentiles [by Peter]. Although the Jews were the first to have knowledge of the one true God, the Gentiles were an older people, because even the Jews originated from the Gentiles: "Go from your country and your kindred" (Gen 12:1). These two people were both running over the course of this world: the Jews using the written law, the Gentiles using the law of nature. Or, they were both running by their natural desire for happiness and for a knowledge of the truth, which all men desire to know by their very nature. But the other disciple, that is, the younger one, outran Peter, because the Gentiles came to a knowledge of the truth more slowly than the Jews, since formerly God was known only in Judea. So the Psalm says, "He has not dealt thus with any other nation" (Ps 147:20). Et venit prior ad monumentum: quia prius consideravit mysteria Christi, et prius Iudaeis de Christo facta est promissio. Rom. IX, 4: quorum est adoptio filiorum et gloria et testamentum et legislatio et obsequium et promissa; quorum patres, ex quibus est Christus secundum carnem et cetera. The other disciple reached the tomb first, because he [John, the younger, representing the Jews] was the first to look upon the mysteries of Christ, and the promise was first made to the Jews: "They are the Israelites, and to them belong the... promises; to them belong the patriarchs, and of their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ" (Rom 9:4). Et cum se inclinasset, vidit linteamina posita, non tamen introivit. Et cum se inclinasset, scilicet sub iugo legis, Ex. XXIV, 7: omnia quaecumque praecepit dominus faciemus. Vidit linteamina posita, scilicet figuras quasdam omnium mysteriorum, II Cor. c. III, 14: usque in hodiernum diem idipsum velamen in lectione veteris testamenti manet non revelatum. Non tamen introivit: quia non pervenit ad veritatis cognitionem dum in mortuum credere noluit. Et hoc dicitur Lc. c. XV, 25 ss. de fratre maiore, qui audiens symphoniam et tripudia fratri revertenti facta, noluit intrare: cum tamen introitum promittat David, dicens Ps. XLII, 4: introibo ad altare Dei. And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. And stooping, under the yoke of the law, "All that the Lord has spoken we will do" (Ex 24:7), he saw the linen cloths lying there, that is, the figures or foreshadowings of all the mysteries, "But their minds were hardened; for to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains uplifted" (2 Cor 3:14). But he did not go in, for as long as he was unwilling to believe in the one who was dead he had not yet come to the knowledge of the truth. Another who did not go in was the brother of the prodigal son, for when he heard the celebrations, the music and the dancing, he "refused to go in" (Lk 15:28). Nevertheless, David promised that they would enter: "I will go to the altar of God" (Ps 43:4). Hic agitur de perventione Petri. Et secundum litteram, quod simul currebant, signum erat ferventis devotionis; sed Ioannes citius pervenit, quia iunior erat sene Petro. Sed secundum mysterium, Petrus Ioannem sequitur: quia gentiles ad Christum conversi, non erant congregandi in aliam Ecclesiam ab Ecclesia Iudaeorum, sed inserendi in praecedentem olivam et Ecclesiam: Rom. XI. Et ideo apostolus, I Thess. II, 14, commendans eos, dicit: vos autem, fratres, facti estis imitatores Ecclesiarum quae sunt in Iudaea in Christo Iesu. 2481 Now the Evangelist recounts the arrival of Peter. As for the literal meaning, the fact that they ran together was a sign of their passionate devotion. John arrived first because he was a younger man than Peter. But considering the mystical sense, Peter follows John because the Gentiles who were converted to Christ were not joined to another church different from the church of the Jews, but were grafted on to the already existing olive tree and church. The Apostle praises them saying, "For you brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus which are in Judea" (1 Thess 2:14). Tertio ponitur ordo inquisitionis quantum ad eorum ingressum, quia introivit in monumentum, et primo ponitur quomodo Petrus intravit primo; secundo quomodo Ioannes, ibi tunc ergo introivit in monumentum. 2482 Thirdly, we see the order in which they entered, Peter first, and then John. Dicit ergo, quod Petrus introivit in monumentum: et quidem, secundum litteram, Ioannes, qui primo pervenit, non intravit propter reverentiam Petri, cui priorem ingressum servabat. Sed secundum mysterium, signatur quod populus Iudaeorum, qui primo mysteria incarnationis audivit, posterius ad fidem convertitur quam populus gentium. Rom. IX, 30: gentes quae non sectabantur iustitiam, apprehenderunt iustitiam (...). Israel vero sectando legem iustitiae, in legem iustitiae non pervenit. Et vidit, scilicet Petrus, posita linteamina. Ioannes vidit sola linteamina quae Petrus similiter vidit: quia non reprobamus vetus testamentum, nam aperuit eis sensum, ut intelligerent Scripturas. Sed adhuc ulterius vidit sudarium quod fuerat super caput eius. I Cor. XI, 3: caput Christi Deus. Videre ergo sudarium quod fuerat super caput Iesu, est habere fidem divinitatis Christi, quam Iudaei acceptare noluerunt. Quod quidem sudarium describitur et separatum ab aliis, et involutum, et in unum locum: quia divinitas Christi occulta est, et separata ab omni creatura: est super omnia Deus benedictus in saecula, amen; Is. XLV, 15: vere tu es Deus absconditus. Involutum vidit quasi in modum circuli: quia lintei quando involvuntur nec initium nec finis in eis aspicitur: celsitudo divinitatis est, quae nec coepit esse nec desinit. Hebr. ult., 8: Iesus Christus heri et hodie, ipse et in saecula; Ps. ci, 28: tu autem idem ipse es, et anni tui non deficient. Sed in unum locum viderunt, quia Deus non habitat ubi est scissura mentium; sed illi eius merentur gratiam qui sunt unum per caritatem. Ps. LXXV, 3: in pace factus est locus eius; I Cor. XIV, 33: non est Deus dissensionis, sed pacis. 2483 The Evangelist says that Peter entered the tomb. According to the literal meaning, although John arrived first, he did not enter because of his respect for Peter. But considering the mystical interpretation, this signifies that the Jewish people, who were the first to hear of the mysteries of the incarnation, would be converted to the faith after the Gentiles: "That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness have attained it... but that Israel who pursued the righteousness which is based in law did not succeed in fulfilling that law" (Rom 9:30). John saw only the linen cloths. He, Peter, also saw the linen cloths because we [Gentiles] do not reject the Old Testament, for as Luke says, "Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures" (Lk 24:45). But in addition Peter saw the napkin which had been on his head: "The head of Christ is God" (1 Cor 11:3). Thus to see the napkin which had been on the head of Jesus is to have faith in the divinity of Christ, which the Jews refused to accept. This napkin is described as not lying with the linen cloths, and rolled up, having a place by itself, because the divinity of Christ is covered over, and it is apart from every creature because of its excellence: "God who is over all be blessed for ever" (Rom 9:5); "Truly, you art a God who hides yourself" (Is 45:15). He saw the napkin rolled up, to form a circle. And when linen is rolled this way one can not see its beginning or end, for the eminence of the divinity neither begins nor ends: "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever" (Heb 13:8); "You are the same, and your years have no end" (Ps 102:27). The napkin was in one place, a place by itself, because God does not dwell where minds are divided; those who merit his grace are those who are one in charity: "His place is in peace" [Ps 76:2]; "For God is not a God of confusion but of peace" (1 Cor 14:33). Vel aliter. Per sudarium quo laborantium sudor detergi solet, intelligi potest labor Dei, qui etsi quietus semper permaneat, tamen se laborare denuntiat, dum duras hominum pravitates portat. Is. I, 14: facta sunt mihi molesta, laboravi sustinens. Et praecipue hunc laborem pertulit Christus in humanitate assumpta. Thren. III, 30: dabit percutienti se maxillam, saturabitur opprobriis. Hoc igitur sudarium longe seorsum invenitur, quia ipsa redemptoris nostri passio longe est a nostra passione disiuncta. Nam per linteamina, quae ita se habent ad membra sicut sudarium ad caput, intelliguntur passiones sanctorum, a quibus sudarium seorsum, scilicet passio Christi: quoniam ipse sine culpa pertulit, quod nos cum culpa toleramus. I Petr. III, 18: Christus, mortuus est, iustus pro iniustis. Ipse sponte morti succumbere voluit. Supra X, 18: nemo tollit a me animam meam: sed ego pono eam a meipso; Eph. V, v. 2: dilexit nos, et tradidit semetipsum pro nobis. Sed sancti ad mortem vadunt inviti. Infra ult., 18: alius te cinget, et ducet quo tu non vis. 2484 Or, in another interpretation, the napkin, which workers use to wipe the sweat off their faces can be understood to indicate the labor of God. For while God always remains tranquil, he presents himself as laboring and burdened when he endures the stubborn depravity of mankind: "They have become a burden to me, I am weary of bearing them" (Is 1:14). Christ took on this burden in a special way when he took on a human nature: "Let him give his cheek to the smiter, and be filled with insults" (Lam 3:30). This napkin is found separate and apart from the other cloths because the sufferings of our Redeemer are far apart and separate from our sufferings. The other linen cloths, which are related to the members of the body as the napkin is to the head, indicate the sufferings of the saints, which are separate from the napkin, that is, the sufferings of Christ, for Christ suffered without fault what we suffer because of our faults: "For Christ also died... the righteous for the unrighteous" (1 Pet 3:18). He went to his death willingly ‑"No one takes it [my life] from me, but I lay it down of my own accord" (10:18); "Christ loved us and gave himself up for us" (Eph 5:2) ‑ while the saints go to their death reluctantly, "Another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go" (21:18). Sed quare Evangelista sic diligenter omnia narrat? Ad quod dicendum, secundum Chrysostomum, ut excluderet falsam opinionem a Iudaeis divulgatam, quod corpus Christi furtim sublatum esset, ut habetur Matth. ult., 13. Nam si hoc modo aliqui transtulissent illud: non utique eum denudassent, praecipue cum oportuisset eos festinanter hoc facere propter praesentiam custodum: neque etiam fuissent ita solliciti ut levarent sudarium, et involverent, et seorsum in unum locum ponerent, sed ea simpliciter ut contigisset, suscepto corpore, dimisissent. Huius etiam rei causa permisit quod sepultus fuit cum myrrha et aloe quae conglutinant corpori linteamina, ita quod non potuissent tam cito a corpore separari. 2485 Why was the Evangelist so careful to mention all these details? Chrysostom says this was done to counter the false rumor spread by the Jews that the body of Christ had been secretly taken away, as we see from Matthew (28:13). [3] For if Christ's body had been stolen away as they said, the disciples would surely not have removed the wrappings, especially since they had to work fast because the guards were near. Nor would they be so careful to lift off the napkin and roll it up and place it in a separate place. They would simply have taken the body as they found it. This was why he allowed himself to be buried with myrrh and aloes: they glue the cloths to the body so that they cannot be quickly removed. Consequenter cum dicit tunc ergo introivit et ille discipulus qui venerat primus ad monumentum, agit de introitu Ioannis: non enim foris remansit sed post Petrum intravit, quia in fine mundi ad receptionis fidem etiam Iudaei colligentur. Rom. c. XI, 25: ex parte caecitas contigit in Israel donec plenitudo gentium subintraret, et sic omnis Israel salvus fieret; Is. X, 22: reliquiae salvae fient. 2486 When the Evangelist says, Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, he tells of John's entrance. John did not remain outside but entered after Peter, because when the world is ending, the Jews will also be gathered into the faith: "A hardening has come upon part of Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles come in, and so all Israel will be saved" (Rom 11:25); "A remnant will be saved" [Is 10:21]. Vel aliter, secundum mysterium, per istos duos discipulos duo genera hominum designantur: scilicet vacantes contemplationi veritatis, et hi signantur per Ioannem; et insistentes obedientiae mandatorum, qui signantur per Petrum: unde Simon obediens interpretatur. Contingit autem plerumque quod prius perveniat ad cognitionem mysteriorum Christi contemplativus, sua docilitate, sed non intrat: quia quandoque praecedit intellectus, et sequitur tardus aut nullus affectus. Sed activus instantia fervoris et sedulitate, etsi tardius intelligat, Ps. CXVIII, 104: a mandatis tuis intellexi, tamen citius intrat: ita ut qui fuerunt posteriores in perveniendo, fiant priores in cognoscendo. Matth. XX, 16: erunt primi novissimi, et novissimi primi. 2487 Or, another interpretation, in the mystical sense. These two disciples stand for two kinds of people: John represents those who are devoted to the contemplation of truth, and Peter stands for those whose main interest is to carry out the commandments. In fact, "Simon" means "obedient." Now it very often happens that contemplatives, because they are docile, are the first to become acquainted with a knowledge of the mysteries of Christ ‑ but they do not enter, for sometimes there is knowledge, but little or no love follows. While those in the active life, because of their continuing fervor and earnestness, even though they are slower to understand, enter into them more quickly, so that those who are later to arrive, are the first to penetrate the divine mysteries: "So the last will be first, and the first last" (Mt 20:16). Consequenter cum dicit et vidit, et credidit, ponitur effectus inquisitionis et in primo aspectu posset talem sensum habere, quod vidit illa scilicet et credidit quod Christus resurrexerit. Sed, secundum Augustinum, hoc non potest stare; quia sequitur nondum enim sciebant Scripturam et cetera. Ideo dicendum, quod vidit vacuum monumentum, et credidit his quae dixerat mulier, scilicet quod aliqui dominum asportassent; et tunc, sequitur nondum enim sciebant Scripturam, quia nondum eis erat apertus sensus, ut intelligerent Scripturas; Lc. ult. 2488 Next when he says, he saw and believed, we see the effect of the investigation. At first glance it seems to mean that he saw the situation and believed that Christ had arisen. But according to Augustine this is not correct, because the next thing the Evangelist says is, for as yet they did not know the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. [4] Therefore, one must say that he saw the empty tomb and believed what the woman had said, which is that someone had taken the Lord. Then we read, for as yet they did not know the scripture, because the meaning of the Scripture was not yet opened to them so they could understand it (Lk 24:45). Sed nonne Christus passionem et resurrectionem eius praedixit? Matth. XX, 19: et tertia die resurget. Respondeo. Dicendum, quod quadam consuetudine audiendi ab eo parabolas, multa quae eis aperte dicebat, non intelligebant, et aliquid aliud eum significare credebant. But certainly Christ had foretold his passion and resurrection? "I will rise on the third day" [Mt 20:19]. I answer that we should say that in keeping with the way they heard his parables, they failed here also to understand many things which he had said plainly, thinking that he meant something else. Vel, secundum Chrysostomum, vidit linteamina posita sic ordinata, quod non fuisset factum, si corpus furtim fuisset sublatum, et credidit, scilicet vera fide, quod Christus a morte resurrexerit. Et tunc hoc quod sequitur nondum enim sciebant Scripturam, refertur ad hoc quod dicit vidit, et credidit, quasi diceret: antequam videret non sciebat Scripturam, quia oportebat eum a mortuis resurgere. Sed quando vidit, credidit quod a mortuis resurrexisset. 2489 Or, according to Chrysostom's understanding, he saw the linen cloths so folded and arranged which would not have been the case if the body had been furtively snatched away; and believed, with a true faith, that Christ had risen from the dead. [5] What follows, for as yet they did not know the scripture, refers to the statement, he saw and believed. It was like saying: before he saw these things he did not understand the scripture that he must rise from the dead; but when he saw he believed that he had risen from the dead.
Lectio 2 LECTURE 2 Posito quomodo Maria Magdalena venit ad aspiciendam sepulcri apertionem, hic Evangelista ostendit quomodo pervenit ad Angelorum visionem, et primo ponitur devotio; secundo insinuatur Angelorum visio, ibi vidit duos Angelos etc.; tertio describitur Angelorum allocutio, ibi dicunt ei illi et cetera. Devotio autem mulieris, quae meruit Angelorum visionem, commendatur ex tribus. 2490 Having told how Mary Magdalene came to the opened tomb, the Evangelist now tells how she came to see the angels: first, we see her devotion; secondly, she sees the angels (v 12); thirdly, we have her conversation with them (v 13). Her devotion, which made her fit to see the angels, is praised for three things. Primo quidem ex eius constantia, quam commendabilem reddidit, primo, discipulorum recessus: quia abierunt ergo iterum discipuli, nondum scientes Scripturam, quia oporteret eum a mortuis resurgere, ad semetipsos, idest ubi habitabant, et unde ad monumentum cucurrerant. Adhuc enim ex timore dispersi non simul manebant. Zach. c. XIII, 7: percutiam pastorem, et dispergentur oves gregis; Thren. IV, 1: dispersi sunt lapides sanctuarii in capite omnium platearum. Secundo, constans eius mora: quia Maria stabat ad monumentum foris, plorans. Nam discipulis recedentibus, infirmiorem sexum fortior et ferventior in eodem loco figebat affectus. 2491 First, it was constant, and it deserves praise, especially considering that the disciples left, the disciples went back, not yet understanding the scripture "that he must rise from the dead," back to their homes, where they were staying and from where they had run to the tomb. Their fear was so great that they did not stay together: I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter" [Zech 13:7]; "The holy stones lie scattered at the head of every street" (Lam 4:1). Further, she stood there, lingering near the tomb, Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. The disciples had left, but a stronger and more burning affection fixed the weaker sex to the spot. Sed hic est quaestio, quia Mc. ult., 8, dicitur quod mulieres egressae sunt de monumento: ergo fuerunt intus. Ut quid ergo tunc dicit Ioannes stabat foris? Responsio. Dicendum, quod monumentum Christi erat excisum in lapide, et circa ipsum erat clausura horti, sicut supra habitum est. Quandoque ergo monumentum vocant Evangelistae solum locum ubi corpus reconditum fuit, quandoque totum illud quod clausum erat. Cum ergo dicitur quod ingressae sunt monumentum, intelligendum de tota clausura horti; sed hoc quod dicitur stabat foris, intelligendum est de illo saxei sepulcri loco, sed tamen intra illud spatium quod iam ingressae fuerant, ubi stabat propter amoris constantiam, quae mentem eius accenderat. I Cor. XV, 58: stabiles estote et immobiles, abundantes in opere domini semper; Ps. CXXI, v. 2: stantes erant pedes nostri. 2492 A question arises here, because Mark (16:5‑8) says that the women "went out and fled from the tomb." Therefore, they must have been within it. Why then does John say that Mary stood outside ? We should say to answer this that the tomb of Christ was hewn out of rock and surrounded by a garden, as was stated before. Sometimes, therefore, the Evangelists calls only the place where the body of Christ had been laid the tomb, and at other times the entire enclosure is called the tomb. Thus when the women are said to enter into the tomb [as in Mark 16:5], this should be understood to mean the entire enclosure. But when it says here that Mary stood outside, the Evangelist is referring to the tomb hewn out of rock. But this rock‑hewn tomb was within the enclosure they had already entered. Mary was standing here because of the unwavering love which had inflamed her heart "Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord" (1 Cor 15:58); "Our feet have been standing within your gates" (Ps 122:2). Secundo commendatur eius devotio ex lacrymarum affluentia, quia plorans. Thren. I, 2: plorans ploravit in nocte. Est autem duplex lacrymarum gemitus: scilicet compunctionis ad peccata abluenda, Ps. VI, 7: lacrymis meis stratum meum rigavi; et devotionis ad caelestia desideranda, Ps. CXXV, 6: euntes ibant, et flebant mittentes semina sua, idest properantes ad caelestia. Sed Maria Magdalena lacrymis quidem compunctionis abundavit tempore suae conversionis, quando quae fuerat in civitate peccatrix, amando veritatem lavit lacrymis maculas criminis. Lc. VII, 47: dimissa sunt ei peccata multa, quoniam dilexit multum. Abundavit etiam lacrymis devotionis in Christi passione et resurrectione, ut habetur hic. 2493 Secondly, Mary's devotion is admired because it issued in tears, for she stood there weeping: "She weeps bitterly in the night" (Lam 1:2). There are two kinds of tears: tears of compunction, to wash away sins ‑ "Every night I flood my bed with tears" (Ps 6:7) ‑ and tears of devotion, from a desire for heavenly things ‑ "He goes forth," hastening towards heavenly things, "weeping, bearing the seed for sowing" (Ps 126:6). Mary Magdalene had copious tears of compunction at the time of her conversion, when she had been the village sinner. Then, in her love for the truth, she washed the stains of her sins with her tears: "Her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much" (Lk 7:47). She also shed abundant tears of devotion over the passion and resurrection of Christ, as we see here. Tertio commendatur eius devotio ex inquisitionis diligentia. Unde dicit dum ergo fleret, inclinavit se et prospexit in monumentum. Fletus enim iste ex desiderio amoris proveniebat. Natura enim amoris est quod velit dilectum praesentem habere, et si hoc non potest in re, saltem eius praesentiam habet in cognitione. Matth. VI, 21: ubi est thesaurus tuus, ibi est et cor tuum. Amare ergo flebat Maria, quia oculi qui dominum quaesierant et non invenerant, lacrymis vacabant, amplius dolens quod ablatus fuit de monumento: quoniam magistri tanti, cuius vita subtracta fuerat, memoria remanebat. Et ideo quia eum habere non poterat, volens saltem videre locum ubi positus fuerat, inclinavit se, et prospexit in monumentum. In quo datur intelligi quod in mortem Christi debemus prospicere cum humilitate cordis. Matth. XI, 25: abscondisti haec a sapientibus et prudentibus, et revelasti ea parvulis. Et prospexit, ut daret exemplum continue oculis mentis mortem Christi prospicere: quia amanti semel aspexisse non sufficit, cuius vis amoris intentionem multiplicat inquisitionis. Hebr. XII, 2: aspicientes in auctorem fidei et consummatorem Iesum, qui proposito sibi gaudio, sustinuit crucem confusione contempta. Inclinavit autem se, et prospexit, quia caritas Christi eam urgebat. II Cor. V, 14: caritas Christi urget nos. Vel potius, secundum Augustinum, divino instinctu in animo eius factum est ut perspiceret, et altius aliquid videret, scilicet Angelos; Rom. VIII, 14: qui spiritu Dei aguntur, hi sunt filii Dei. 2494 Thirdly, her devotion is admired because of her earnest search for Christ, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. This weeping of Mary came from the desire of love. For it is the nature of love to want its beloved present; and if the beloved cannot be really present, it at least wants to think of the beloved: "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Mt 6:21). Mary shed these bitter tears because the eyes which had sought her Lord and did not find him were now freed for tears, and she grieved the more because he had been taken from the tomb. The life of such a Teacher had been destroyed, but his memory remained. Since Mary could not have him present, she wanted at least to look at the place where he had been buried, so she stooped to look into the tomb. We learn from this that we should look at the death of Christ with a humble heart: "You have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes" (Mt 11:25). She stooped to look, giving us the example to look continually on the death of Christ with the eyes of our mind, for one look is not enough for one who loves, for the force of love increases the desire to explore: "Looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame" (Heb 12:2). She stooped to look, pressed down by the love of Christ: "The love of Christ presses us" [2 Cor 5:14]. Or again, according to Augustine, by a divine impulse in her soul she was made to look about, and saw something greater, the angels: "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God" (Rom 8:14). [6] Consequenter cum dicit et vidit duos Angelos in albis sedentes, agit Evangelista de Angelorum visione: circa quam quatuor tangit Evangelista. 2495 Next the Evangelist describes the sight of the angels (v 12). He mentions four things. Primo quid vidit, quia duos Angelos: ut ostendat quod omnes Angelorum ordines tam assistentium quam ministrantium Christo obsequebantur. Hebr. I, 6: adorent eum omnes Angeli eius. 2496 First, what Mary saw, which was that she saw two angels, which goes to show that all orders of angels, both those "assisting" and those "ministering," were in service to Christ: "Let all God's angels worship him" (Heb 6:1). Sed circa hoc est quaestio: quia Matth. v. 2 ss. et Mc. ult., 5 dicitur, quod Maria et aliae mulieres viderunt unum Angelum existentem in latere monumenti, hic autem dicitur quod duos et intus. Sed utrumque verum est: quia illud praecessit quod narrant Matthaeus et Marcus, quando scilicet primo venerunt, et credentes eum sublatum, redierunt ad discipulos; et istud, quod narrat Ioannes, contigit in reditu, quando rediit cum discipulis, et eis recedentibus ipsa remansit. A question arises here because Matthew (28:2) and Mark (16:5) say that Mary and the other women saw one angel on the right side of the tomb, while here we have two angels and they are inside. Each one is correct, for Matthew and Mark tell what occurred first, when the women first came, and believing that Christ was taken, returned to the disciples. But John recounts what happened after Mary returned with the disciples and remained after they had left. Secundo describit habitum, quia in albis: per quod claritas resurrectionis et gloria Christi resurgentis demonstratur. Apoc. c. III, 4: ambulabunt mecum in albis. Et eiusdem XIX, 14, dicitur quod exercitus qui est in caelo sequebatur eum in veste alba, idest gloriosa. 2497 Secondly, he mentions their raiment, in white. This shows the splendor of the resurrection and the glory of the risen Christ: "They shall walk with me in white" (Rev 3:4). Indeed, we read that the armies of heaven followed him and were clothed in white, that is, raised to heavenly glory (Rev 19:14). Tertio describit situm, quia sedentes: per quod quies et potestas Christi designatur, qui iam ab omnibus tribulationibus requiescens regnat in carne immortali, sedens ad dexteram patris. Ps. CIX, 1: sede a dextris meis; Is. IX, 7: super solium David et super regnum eius sedebit. 2498 Thirdly, we see that they were sitting. This indicates the calmness and power of Christ, who being now at rest from all afflictions, reigns in immortal flesh and sitting at the right hand of the Father: "Sit at my right hand" (Ps 110:1); he will sit "upon the throne of David, and over his kingdom" (Is 9:7). Quarto describit ordinem, unum ad caput, et unum ad pedes: quod potest referri ad tria. Primo quidem ad duo testamenta: Angelus enim Graece, Latine dicitur nuntius. Christum autem annuntiaverant testamenta, quia dicitur Matth. XXI, 9: turba quae praeibat et quae sequebatur, clamabat: hosanna filio David. Sic ergo Angelus sedens ad caput, signat vetus testamentum, et, qui ad pedes, novum. 2499 Fourthly, we see how they were positioned, one at the head and one at the feet. We can refer this to three things. First, to the two Testaments. The word "angel" in Greek means "messenger," and both Testaments brought messages about Christ: "And the crowds that went before him and that followed him shouted, 'Hosanna to the Son of David!'" (Mt 21:9). So the angel sitting at the head signifies the Old Testament, and the angel at the feet the New Testament. Secundo ad praedicatores. In Christo enim est duplex natura, divina scilicet, et humana. Caput autem Christi est Deus, ut dicitur I Cor. XI, 3, pedes vero humanitas; Ps. CXXXI, v. 7: adorabimus in loco ubi steterunt pedes eius. Qui ergo annuntiat divinitatem Christi, sicut est illud: in principio erat verbum, sedet ad caput; qui vero humanitatem annuntiat, sicut illud: verbum caro factum est, sedet ad pedes. Secondly, we can relate this to those who preach Christ. There are two natures in Christ, the divine and the human: the head of Christ is God (1 Cor 11:3), and the feet of Christ are his human nature: "We will adore in the place where his feet stood" [Ps 132:7]. So, those who preach the divinity of Christ ‑ as in "In the beginning was the Word" (1:1) ‑ are sitting at the head; those who preach his humanity ‑ as in "And the Word became flesh" (1:14) ‑ are sitting at the feet. Tertio potest referri ad tempus Annuntiationis; et sic sed et unus ad caput, et unus ad pedes: quia ab initio usque ad finem mundi mysteria Christi significabant esse annuntianda. I Cor. II, 26: mortem domini annuntiabitis donec veniat. Thirdly, we can refer this to the time when the mysteries of Christ are announced. Then one angel sits at the head and the other at the feet because they signified that the mysteries of Christ would be announced from the head or beginning of the world to its end: "You proclaim the Lord's death until he comes" (1 Cor 11:26). Consequenter cum dicit dicunt ei: mulier, quid ploras? Agitur de Angelorum allocutione, et primo ponit Angelorum interrogationem; secundo mulieris responsionem. 2500 Next, the Evangelist gives the greeting of the angels (20:13): first their question; and then Mary's answer. Circa primum sciendum est, quod Angeli scientes mulierem adhuc dubitare, quasi a remotis incipientes causam fletus exquirunt. Unde dicit: dicunt illi, scilicet Angeli, quid ploras? Quasi dicerent: plorare noli, supervacuum enim est, quia ad vesperum, scilicet passionis, demorabitur fletus, et ad matutinum, resurrectionis, laetitia; Ier. XXXI, 16: quiescat vox tua a ploratu, et oculi tui a lacrymis, quia est merces operi tuo. Ubi notandum, secundum Gregorium, quod ipsa sacra eloquia quae in nobis lacrymas amoris excitant, easdem lacrymas consolantur, dum nobis redemptoris nostri spem repromittunt. Ps. XCIII, 19: secundum multitudinem dolorum meorum, consolationes tuae laetificaverunt animam meam. 2501 Concerning the first, the angels knew that Mary was uncertain about the resurrection and so as if beginning anew they asked her the reason for her tears: they, the angels, said to her, Woman, why are you weeping? This was like saying: Do not cry for there is no need for it, because "Weeping may tarry for the night," of the passion, "but joy comes with the morning," of the resurrection (Ps 30:5); "Keep your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears; for your work shall be rewarded" (Jer 31:16). In this regard we can recall to mind that Gregory said that the very same sacred words which excite our tears of love console those same tears when they promise us hope in our Redeemer: "When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul" (Ps 94:19). [7] Sed mulier quasi nescientes eos interrogasse putans, non Angelos, sed homines esse putat, et causam fletus sui exponit, et dicit eis: tulerunt dominum meum, idest corpus domini mei, a toto partem significans: sicut confitemur dominum Iesum Christum filium Dei sepultum, cum eius sola sepulta sit caro, quia divinitas carnem non deseruit. Et nescio ubi posuerunt eum. Hoc enim erat ei causa desolationis, quia nesciebat quo iret, et eum ad consolationem sui doloris inveniret. 2502 Mary thought that they were questioning her because of their ignorance, and regarded them not as angels but as men; so she gave the reason for her tears: They have taken the Lord, that is, the body of my Lord. Here she was referring to a part by mentioning the whole, just like we profess that the Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God was buried, although only his flesh was buried, because his divinity was never separated from his flesh. And I do not know where they have laid him. This was the reason for her desolation: she did not know where to go to find him to soothe her sorrow. Sed numquid ad consolationem amantis est habere aliquid quod fuit amici? Et quidem, secundum Augustinum, IV confessionum, magis pertinet ad dolorem. Unde ipse dicit, quod fugiebat omnia loca in quibus conversatus fuerat cum amico suo. Et tamen Chrysostomus dicit, quod est ad consolationem. Sed utrumque est verum. In omnibus enim quae habent admixtionem gaudii et tristitiae, spes rei desideratae est delectabilis, Rom. c. XII, 12: spe gaudentes, in tribulatione patientes, est etiam et tristabilis, quia spes quae differtur affligit animam: sed non secundum eamdem rationem. Nam inquantum per spem repraesentatur res amata ut possibilis consequi, causat gaudium; inquantum autem separat actu, absens contristatur. Et sic est in isto loco: quia res amici inquantum repraesentat amicum, amanti delectabilis est; inquantum vero subtractionem amici ad memoriam reducit, tristitiam infert. 2503 Is it a consolation for one who loves to have something that belonged to the beloved? According to Augustine, in his Confessions, this would be more a cause of sorrow. For this reason he said that he fled from all the places where he had formerly spent time with his friend. [8] Still, Chrysostom says that this would be a cause of consolation. [9] Each of these is true. In all cases where there is a mixture of joy and sadness, the hope for the thing desired brings pleasure ‑ "Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation" (Rom 12:12) ‑ and also brings sorrow ‑ "Hope deferred makes the heart sick" (Prv 13:12). But hope does not cause these from the same point of view. Hope causes joy because it regards the thing loved as able to be obtained; but insofar as this thing is actually absent it produces sorrow. It is like that here: something belonging to a friend, because it stands for the friend, is pleasant to the lover; while inasmuch as it recalls the absence of the one loved it produces sadness.
Lectio 3 LECTURE 3 Hic ponitur quomodo mulier ista pervenit ad Christi visionem, et primo agitur de Christi visione; secundo de eius a muliere cognitione, ibi dixit ei Iesus, noli me tangere et cetera. Circa primum primo ponit Christi visionem; secundo eius allocutionem, ibi dicit ei Iesus: mulier, quid ploras? 2504 Now the Evangelist shows how Mary came to see Christ: first, he tells how she saw Christ; secondly, how he was recognized by her. Concerning the first, we see her seeing Christ; and then what Christ said to her. Dicit ergo quantum ad primum haec cum dixisset, scilicet Maria Magdalena ad Angelum, conversa est retrorsum. Sed quaerit Chrysostomus: mulier quae loquebatur cum Angelis, quos saltem venerandos viros putabat, quare non expectabat eorum responsum de hoc quod dixit, sed retrorsum convertitur? Responsio. Dicendum, quod cum mulier Angelis respondisset, Christus advenit, cui Angeli reverentiam exhibentes assurrexerunt, quod videns mulier admirans respexit retro, ut sciret ad quid assurrexissent. Unde et Lucas ult., 4 Angelos stantes visos esse commemorat. 2505 Firstly, then, Saying this, that is, when Mary said this to the angels, she turned round. Chrysostom wonders why Mary, who was speaking to the angels, whom she considered to be at least men deserving of respect, turned around before they had a chance to answer her. [11] The answer is that while Mary was responding to the angels' question Christ arrived and the angels stood out of reverence. When Mary saw this, she was puzzled and turned around to see what had made them stand up. Thus in Luke (24:4) mention is made that the two angels were seen standing. Et sic retrorsum ad aspiciendum conversa, vidit Iesum stantem, et non sciebat quia Iesus est: videbat enim eum in specie non gloriosum, quem Angeli gloriosum videntes honorabant. Ostenditur etiam per hoc, quod si aliquis Christum videre desiderat, oportet quod ad eum convertatur. Zach. I, 3: convertimini ad me, ait dominus exercituum, et convertar ad vos. Illi ad eum videndum perveniunt qui se totaliter in eum, per amorem convertunt. Sap. VI, 14: praeoccupat eos qui se concupiscunt. Having turned around, Mary saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus, for he did not appear glorious to her, although the angels saw him as glorious and were honoring him. We see from this that if anyone desires to see Christ, they must turn round to him: "Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you" (Zech 1:3). Those come to the point of seeing him who entirely turn themselves to him by love: "She [Wisdom] hastens to make herself known to those who desire her" (Wis 6:14). Mystice autem per hoc signatur quod haec mulier per infidelitatem ad Christum verterat dorsum: sed quando animum eius ad cognoscendum convertit, retrorsum conversa est. Mystically, this signifies that at one time Mary had turned her back to Christ by her disbelief, but when she turned her soul to knowing him, she turned round to him. Sed quare eum non agnoscebat, cum idem ipse esset? Dicendum, quod hoc erat vel quia quem mortuum viderat, resurrexisse non credebat, vel quia tenebantur oculi eius ne eum agnosceret, ut dicitur de duobus discipulis euntibus in Emaus, Lc. ult., 31. 2506 Why didn't Mary recognize Christ, since he was the same person as before? We should say that it was either because she did not believe that the one she had seen dead had risen, or else her eyes were held so that she would not recognize him, like the two disciples on their way to Emmaus (Lk 24:16). Allocutio Christi ponitur cum dicit dicit ei Iesus: mulier, quid ploras? Primo ponitur Christi interrogatio; secundo mulieris responsio. 2507 The words of Christ are now given: Woman, why are you weeping? First we see Christ's question; then Mary's answer. Circa primum sciendum est, quod mulier ista paulatim proficit: nam Angeli causam ploratus exquirunt, sed Christus quid quaerat, interrogat. Nam ploratus ex desiderio inquisitionis causabatur. Quem quaerit enim interrogat ut augeatur desiderium, quatenus cum nominaret quem quaereret, in amorem eius ardentius aestuaret, et sic semper quaereret. Ps. CIV, 4: quaerite faciem eius semper; Prov. IV, 18: iustorum semita quasi lux splendens procedit et crescit usque ad perfectum diem. 2508 Concerning the first, note that Mary was advancing step by step: for the angels asked her why she was weeping, but Christ asked her whom she was looking for, for her weeping was caused by the desire which led her to look. Christ asked her whom she was looking for in order to increase this desire, for when she spoke of the one she was seeking, her love burned more intensely, and so she would continue to seek him: "Seek his presence continually" (Ps 105:4); "But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day" (Prv 4:18). Consequenter cum dicit illa existimans quia hortulanus esset, dixit ei etc., ponitur responsio mulieris: et ponitur primo opinio quam de interrogante habebat; secundo ponuntur verba responsionis. 2509 When the Evangelist says, Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, we see Mary's answer: first, whom she thought was questioning her; then her response. Opinabatur autem illa quod hortulanus esset. Sciebat enim quod exterriti custodes propter terraemotum et aspectum Angelorum, iam fugerant, et nullum circa loca illa occupari nisi eum qui eorum cultor esset. Et ut Gregorius dicit, haec mulier errando non erravit, dum Christum hortulanum credidit: quia in eius pectore per amoris sui vim semina virtutis plantabat. Eccli. XXIV, v. 42: dixi: rigabo hortum meum plantationum et inebriabo prati mei fructum. 2510 Mary thought the gardener was speaking to her, because she knew that the guards had already fled, frightened by the earthquake and the sight of the angels, and that the only one who would be there would be the one taking care of it, the gardener. As Gregory says: "This woman, in erring did not err, when she thought that Christ was a gardener, for he planted the seeds of virtue in her heart by the strength of his love." [12] "I will water my orchard and drench my garden plot" (Sir 24:31). Et dixit ei, domine, si tu sustulisti eum, dicito mihi: dominum enim vocat ut benevolentiam captet. Sed cum iste de novo venisset, nec ei dixerat quem quaerebat, quare dixit si tu sustulisti eum? Quem eum? Sed dicendum, quod vis amoris hoc agere solet in amato, ut quod ipse semper cogitat, nullum alium credat ignorare. Unde Lc. ult., v. 17, cum quaereret dominus, qui sunt hi sermones quos confertis ad invicem? Dixerunt: tu solus peregrinus es in Ierusalem? et cetera. 2511 Mary said to Jesus, Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me. She calls him Sir in order to gain his good‑will. But since this "gardener" had just arrived, and Mary had not told him whom she was looking for, why does she say, if you have carried him away? Who was him ? We should say that the force of love usually causes the lover to think that no one would be ignorant of the one who is always in his thoughts. For example, we read in Luke that our Lord asked [on the road to Emmaus] "What is this conversation which your are holding with each other as your walk?" And one of the disciples answered, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days" (Lk 24:17). Sed quid dicit si tu sustulisti eum, dicito mihi ubi posuisti eum; et ego eum tollam? Mirabilis mulieris audacia, quam mortui non terret aspectus; et cuius valetudo ad grave mortui funus tollendum plus intentat quam possit. Sed hoc est quod dicitur I Cor. XIII, 7: caritas omnia sperat. Ideo autem eum accipere volebat, ne Iudaei in corpus saevirent exanime; et ideo volebat in alium locum incognitum illud transportare. 2512 When Mary says, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away, she shows a wonderful courage which would not be driven off by the sight of a dead person, and she would have tried to carry the body away even though it was beyond her strength. But this is what 1 Corinthians (13:7) says, "Love hopes all things." She wanted to take him so the Jews would not violate the dead body and to carry it to another secret grave. Consequenter cum dicit dicit ei Iesus, Maria etc., agit de recognitione Christi a muliere. Et primo ponitur vocatio, cum dicit Maria, quam supra alloquens mulierem quasi nomine communi vocaverat. Sed hic proprio nomine vocatur Maria, ut designet specialem notitiam quam habet ad sanctos. Ps. CXLVI, 4: qui numerat multitudinem stellarum et omnibus eis nomina vocat; Ex. XXXIII, 12: novi te ex nomine: et ut ostendat quod licet quadam generali motione omnes res moveantur a Deo, specialiter tamen ad hominis iustificationem necessaria est gratia specialis. 2513 Next the Evangelist shows Mary recognizing Christ. The Evangelist uses the name Mary, while before he had used the general word "woman," (v 13;15). He calls her by her own name to show that she was well known to the saints ‑ "He determines the number of the stars, he gives to them their names" (Ps 147:4); "I know you by name" (Ex 33:12) ‑ and to indicate that although all things are moved by God with a general motion, yet a special grace is needed for a person's justification. Effectus vocationis ponitur cum dicit conversa illa dicit ei, Rabboni, quod dicitur magister. The effect of her being called by Christ was that she turned and said to him in Hebrew, Rabboni! (which means Teacher). Sed numquid non respiciebat ad Christum qui eam vocaverat? Respondeo. Dicendum, secundum Augustinum, quod hoc referendum est ad interiorem dispositionem mentis: nam prius, cum corpore conversa fuit, putavit Christum esse quod non erat, scilicet hortulanum; nunc autem corde convertitur, dum quod erat agnovit. 2514 Wasn't Mary always looking at Christ when he was speaking to her? According to Augustine, this present turning refers to her interior state of mind: before, although she was facing Christ, she thought he was someone else, the gardener; but now her heart was turned and she recognized him for what he was. [13] Vel dicendum, quod, ut dictum est, credebat eum esse aliquem alium hominem. Unde dum sibi loqueretur, sollicita de eo quod gerebat in corde, non eum respicit, sed circumquaque, si aliquod signum videret sepulti. Or, one could say that, as was said, she thought he was someone else, and so while she was talking to him she did not look at him but was concerned with the Christ she carried in her heart, and was looking about for some trace of him. Et ideo Christus revocans eam, ex proprio nomine vocavit dicens Maria, quasi dicat: quo respicis? Recognosce eum a quo recognosceris. Et ideo statim, vocata ex nomine, recognovit auctorem, dicens Rabboni, quod dicitur magister: sic enim eum consueverat vocare. In quo datur intelligi, quod vocatio Christi est causa iustificationis nostrae et confessionis verae. Christ called her by her own name, Mary: This was like saying: Where are you looking? Recognize him who has recognized you. As soon as she heard her name she recognized him, and said, Rabboni, which means Teacher, for this was what she used to call him. We can understand from this that the cause of our justification and of our profession of faith is to have been called by Christ. Consequenter cum dicit dicit ei Iesus: noli me tangere, ostendit Evangelista quomodo Maria instruitur a Christo, et primo ponit unam instructionem prohibitivam; secundo aliam affirmativam, ibi vade autem ad fratres meos. Circa primum duo facit. 2515 Next, the Evangelist shows Mary receiving instructions from Christ: one of them is negative, the other positive, go to my brethren. Primo ponit prohibitionem; secundo assignat eius rationem. Admonet quidem Christus Mariam ne eum tangat, dicens noli me tangere. Et si non legatur hic quod mulier vellet eum tangere, datur ex hoc intelligi, secundum Gregorium quod Maria ad pedes prostrata amplecti voluit eius vestigia quem recognovit. Sed subditur pro ratione nondum enim ascendi ad patrem meum, per quod videtur quod dominus post resurrectionem noluit tangi ab hominibus antequam ascenderet: cuius contrarium habetur Lc. ult., 39: palpate et videte quoniam spiritus carnem et ossa non habet. Et si dicas eum a discipulis se tangi voluisse, non autem a mulieribus; hoc non potest stare, quia Matth. ult., 9, dicitur de Magdalena et aliis mulieribus quia accesserunt et tenuerunt pedes eius. Intelligendum est ergo, secundum litteram, quod mulier haec bis vidit Angelos in hoc itinere. Primo quidem simul cum aliis mulieribus vidit unum Angelum sedentem super lapidem, ut dicitur Matth. XXVIII, 2 et Mc. c. XVI, 5. Secundo vero in reditu vidit duos Angelos intus in monumento, sicut dicit Ioannes. Similiter etiam in hoc eodem itinere bis vidit Christum. Primo quidem in horto, quando aestimavit eum hortulanum, ut supra habitum est; secundo in via, quando currebat cum aliis annuntiare discipulis quae viderat, ut magis firmarentur in fide resurrectionis: et tunc accesserunt et tenuerunt pedes eius, ut dicunt Matthaeus et Marcus. 2516 He does two things about the first: he states the prohibition, and then gives the reason for it. Christ warns Mary not to touch him, saying, Do not hold me. Even though we do not read here that Mary wanted to touch Christ, Gregory says we can see from this that Mary fell at the feet of Christ and wanted to grasp the one she had recognized. [14] He adds the reason, for I have not yet ascended to my Father. It seems from this that after his resurrection, Christ did not want to be touched before he ascended. But the opposite is found in Luke (24:39): "Handle me, and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones." It is no answer to say that Christ wanted to be touched by his disciples, but not by the women, for we see in Matthew (28:9), that Mary Magdalene and other women came to him and did grasp him by his feet. Therefore, we should understand, according to the letter of the text, that Mary saw angels at two times: the first time was with the other women, when she saw one angel sitting on the stone, as Matthew (28:2) says, and Mark (16:5); the second time was when she returned and saw two angels inside the tomb, as John (20:12) says. Similarly, she also saw Christ two times: first in the garden, when she thought he was the gardener, as we just saw; secondly, she saw him when she was running with the other women to tell the disciples what they had seen (in order to strengthen them in their faith in the resurrection). It was this second time that they approached and held Christ's feet, as Matthew (28:9) and Mark (16:9) say. Est autem duplex ratio mystica quare tangi noluit. Una, quia haec mulier significabat Ecclesiam gentium, quae Christum non erat tactura per fidem, nisi cum ascendisset ad patrem. Ps. VII, 8: synagoga populorum circumdabit te: propter hanc in altum regredere. Alia ratio est, quia secundum Augustinum I de Trinitate cap. IX, tactus facit quasi finem cognitionis. Quando enim videmus rem, utcumque eam cognoscimus; sed per tactum consummatam cognitionem de ea habemus. Mulier autem haec aliquam fidem habebat de Christo sicut de sancto viro, unde et magistrum eum vocabat: necdum ad hoc pervenerat ut cognosceret eum aequalem patri et unum cum Deo. Et ideo dicit noli me tangere idest, non constituas finem tuae notionis in eo quod credis de me, nondum enim ascendi ad patrem meum, scilicet in corde tuo, quia non credis me esse unum cum eo; quod tamen postea credidit. Nam in eius intimis sensibus quodammodo Christus ascendit ad patrem, qui sic in ea profecerat ut patri cognoscat aequalem. 2517 There are two mystical reasons why Christ did not want to be touched. First, because this particular woman signified the Church of the Gentiles, which was not to touch Christ by faith until he had ascended to the Father: "A congregation of people will surround you; for their sakes return on high" [Ps 7:8]. The other reason is given by Augustine in his work on The Trinity. [15] It is that touch is the last stage of knowledge: when we see something, we know it to a certain extent, but when we touch it our knowledge is complete. Now this particular woman had some faith in Christ, which was that he was a holy man; and this was why she called him Teacher. But she had not yet reached the point of believing that he was equal to the Father and one with God. Thus Christ says, Do not hold me, that is, do not allow what you now believe of me to be the limit of your faith, for I have not yet ascended to my Father, that is, in your heart, because you do not believe that I am one with him - yet she did believe this later. In a way Christ did ascend to the Father within her when she had advanced in the faith to the point of believing that he was equal to the Father. Vel dicendum, secundum Chrysostomum, quod haec mulier videns Christum surrexisse, credidit quod esset in eadem qualitate in qua fuerat prius, habens mortalem vitam: unde et volebat cum eo esse sicut ante passionem, et prae gaudio nihil magnum excogitabat; quamvis caro Christi multo melior facta fuerit resurgendo. Et ideo ab hac intelligentia eam revocare volens, dicit noli me tangere; quasi dicat: non putes me de cetero habere vitam mortalem et vobiscum eo modo conversari quo primo. II Cor. V, v. 16: et si novimus secundum carnem Christum, sed iam nunc non novimus. Et hoc est quod subdit nondum enim ascendi ad patrem meum. Et tunc non est monitionis ratio, sed tacitae quaestionis responsio, quasi dicat: etsi videas me hic manentem, non est propter hoc quod non habeam gloriosam carnem; sed quia nondum ascendi ad patrem meum. Voluit enim priusquam ascenderet, fidem resurrectionis et suae divinitatis firmare in cordibus apostolorum. 2518 Or, we could say, with Chrysostom, that after this woman saw that Christ had arisen, she thought he was in the same state as he was before, having a life subject to death. [16] She wanted to be with him as she was before his passion, and in her joy thought there was nothing extraordinary about him, although Christ's flesh had become much better by arising. To correct this impression Christ said, Do not hold me. It was like saying: Do not think that I have a mortal life, and can associate with you as before: "Even though we once regarded Christ from a human point of view, we regard him thus no longer" (2 Cor 5:16). This is what he adds when he says, for I have not yet ascended to my Father. Accordingly, this statement does not give the reason for his prohibition, but an answer to an implicit question. It was like saying: Although you see me remaining here, it is not because my flesh is not glorified but because I have not yet ascended to my Father. For before he ascended he wanted to strengthen in the hearts of the apostles their faith in his resurrection and in his divinity. Deinde ponit instructionem affirmativam, dicens vade autem ad fratres meos scilicet apostolos, qui sunt fratres per conformitatem naturae, Hebr. II, 17: debuit per omnia fratribus assimilari, et per adoptionem gratiae, quia eius patris sunt filii adoptivi, cuius ipse est filius naturalis. 2519 After this he gives his positive directions, go to my brethren, that is the apostles, because they are his brethren by his having the same nature: "He had to be made like his brethren in every respect" (Heb 2:17); and they are his brethren by being adopted through grace, because they are the adopted children of his Father, of whom he is the natural Son. Ubi notandum est triplex privilegium, quod Magdalenae est collatum. Primo quidem propheticum, per hoc quod meruit Angelos videre: propheta enim est medius inter Angelos et populum. Secundo Angelorum fastigium, per hoc quod vidit Christum, in quem desiderant Angeli prospicere. Tertio officium apostolicum, immo facta est apostolorum apostola, per hoc quod ei committitur ut resurrectionem dominicam discipulis annuntiet: ut sicut mulier viro primo nuntiavit verba mortis, ita et mulier primo nuntiaret verba vitae. Notice the three privileges given to Mary Magdalene. First, she had the privilege of being a prophet because she was worthy enough to see the angels, for a prophet is an intermediary between angels and the people. Secondly, she had the dignity or rank of an angel insofar as she looked upon Christ, on whom the angels desire to look. Thirdly, she had the office of an apostle; indeed, she was an apostle to the apostles insofar as it was her task to announce our Lord's resurrection to the disciples. Thus, just as it was a woman who was the fist to announce the words of death, so it was a woman who would be the first to announce the words of life. Et dic eis: ascendo ad patrem meum et patrem vestrum. Supra XIV, v. 5: vado ad eum qui me misit; Eph. IV, v. 10: qui descendit ipse et qui ascendit super omnes caelos. Sed ex hoc Arius sumit sui erroris fulcimentum: quia per hoc quod dicit patrem meum et patrem vestrum, concludere voluit quod eodem modo Deus sit pater filii, sicut est noster pater; et Deus filii sicut Deus noster. Sed contra hoc dicendum quod haec verba qua intentione dicantur apparet ex circumstantiis loquendi. Dicit enim supra vade ad fratres meos etc.: hos autem fratres habet Christus secundum quod homo, et secundum hoc Christus est subiectus patri, sicut creatura creatori: nam ipsum corpus Christi creatura quaedam est. 2520 And say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father. "I go to the Father" (14:12); "He who descended is he who also ascended far above all the heavens" (Eph 4:10). Arius based his error on these words, my Father and your Father. He took it to mean that God is the Father of the Son in the same way that he is our Father, and that he is the God of the Son in the same way that he is our God. The answer to this is that the meaning of these words must be gathered from the circumstances in which they were spoken. Christ said before, go to my brethren. But Christ had these brethren insofar he had a human nature, and in his human nature he is subject to the Father as a creature to the Creator, for the body of Christ is something created. Vel aliter, secundum Augustinum, Christus hic loquitur de se secundum utramque naturam: quia quod dicit ascendo ad patrem meum et patrem vestrum, pertinet ad divinam naturam, secundum quam habet patrem Deum connaturalem cui est aequalis. Et sic intelligendum est aliter meum, et aliter vestrum: natura meum, gratia vestrum, quasi, hoc quod estis filii adoptivi per gratiam, per me habetis. Gal. IV, v. 4: misit Deus filium suum (...) ut adoptionem filiorum Dei reciperemus; Rom. VIII, 29: quos praescivit conformes fieri imaginis filii sui, ut sit ipse primogenitus in multis fratribus. Quod addit Deum meum et Deum vestrum, refertur ad humanam naturam, secundum quam habet Deum gubernatorem. Et sic dicit Deum meum, sub quo ego homo sum, et Deum vestrum, inter quos et ipsum mediator sum: quia per ipsum habemus Deum nobis placatum, et sic Deum nostrum. Rom. V, v. 1: iustificati igitur ex fide, pacem habeamus per dominum nostrum Iesum Christum per quem habemus accessum in gratiam in qua stamus, et gloriamur in spe gloriae filiorum Dei; II Cor. V, 19: Deus erat in Christo mundum reconcilians sibi. 2521 Or, according to Augustine, Christ is speaking of himself and referring to each of his natures. [17] I am ascending to my Father and your Father refers to his divine nature, and from this point of view he has as Father God, to whom he is equal and like in nature. Thus, the meaning is my Father by nature, and your Father by grace. It is saying in effect: the fact that you are adopted children by grace is due to me: "God sent forth his Son... so that we might receive adoption as sons" (Gal 4:4); "For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first‑born among many brethren" (Rom 8:29). When he adds, to my God and your God, he is referring to his human nature. From this point of view God rules him; thus he says, my God, under whom I am a man. And your God, and between him and you I am the mediator: for God is our God because through Christ we are pleasing to him: "Having then been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained access by faith to this grace in which we stand; and we exult in the hope of the glory of the children of God" [Rom 5:1]; "God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself" (2 Cor 5:19). Promptitudo obedientiae Mariae ponitur cum dicit venit Maria Magdalene annuntians, quia vidi dominum, et haec dixit mihi. Venit, de loco ubi erat horti spatium ante lapidem monumenti, annuntians discipulis. I Cor. XI, 23: ego enim accepi a domino quod et tradidi vobis; Is. XXI, 10: quae audivi a domino Deo exercituum, domus Israel, annuntiavi vobis. 2522 Mary was quick to obey, as we see from Mary Magdalene went and said to the disciples etc. "For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you" (1 Cor 11:23); "What I have heard from the Lord of hosts, the God is Israel, I announce to you" (Is 21:10).
Lectio 4 LECTURE 4 Positis apparitionibus Christi factis mulieribus, in parte ista agit Evangelista de apparitionibus factis apostolis, et primo de apparitione qua simul omnibus in Ierusalem apparuit, excepto Thoma; secundo de ea quae facta est, Thoma praesente, ibi et post dies octo etc.; tertio de ea quae facta est quibusdam specialiter iuxta mare, XXI capitulo postea manifestavit se et cetera. Circa primum duo ponuntur. Primo domini apparitio; secundo discipulorum dubitatio, ibi Thomas autem et cetera. Circa primum tria ponuntur. Primo domini apparitio; secundo officii iniunctio, ibi dixit eis, pax vobis etc.; tertio spiritualis muneris collatio, ibi haec cum dixisset, insufflavit et cetera. Circa primum tria facit. Primo ponit apparitionis circumstantias; secundo apparitionis continentiam, ibi venit Iesus etc.; tertio apparitionis consequentia, ibi gavisi sunt discipuli viso domino. 2523 Having described how Christ appeared to the holy women, the Evangelist now tells of his appearance to the apostles: first, his appearance at Jerusalem before all except Thomas; secondly, his appearance when Thomas was present (v 26); thirdly, the events near the Sea of Tiberias (ch 21). Three things are done regarding the first: first, we see our Lord appear; secondly, we see a duty imposed on the apostles, I send you; thirdly, our Lord gives them a spiritual gift, Receive the Holy Spirit. He does three things about the first: he mentions the circumstances of Christ's appearance; secondly, the details of the appearance, (v 19); thirdly, the result of this, the disciples were glad. Describit ergo apparitionem dominicam discipulis a quatuor circumstantiis. Primo quidem ex horae descriptione, quia cum sero esset; secundo ex diei designatione, quia die illa; tertio ex loci conditione, quia cum fores essent clausae; quarto ex discipulorum dispositione, quia erant congregati propter metum Iudaeorum. The Evangelist mentions four circumstances in our Lord's appearance to the disciples. First, he mentions the time of day, on the evening; secondly, what day it was, of that day, thirdly, the condition of the place, the doors being shut; and fourthly, the state of the disciples, where the disciples were gathered together for fear of the Jews. Fuit ergo hora apparitionis serotina: cuius duplex est ratio litteralis. Una, quia voluit simul apparere omnibus; et ideo praestolatus est usque in sero, ut qui dispersi erant de die, simul convenirent in sero: nam de nocte simul erant. Alia ratio est quia dominus eis apparuit ut confortaret eos. Illam ergo elegit horam qua magis stupentes confortatione indigebant: haec est sero. Ps. XLV, 2: adiutor in tribulationibus quae invenerunt nos nimis. 2524 The time of our Lord's appearance was in the evening; and there were two literal reasons for this. First, he wanted to appear when they were all together; consequently, he waited until evening, so that those who had been at various places during the day would be found together in the evening, when they gathered together. Secondly, our Lord appeared to strengthen and comfort them. And so he chose a time when they would be more afraid and in need of comfort and strength; this was in the evening: "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (Ps 46:1). Est etiam ratio mystica, quia scilicet dominus in fine mundi apparebit fidelibus, quando media nocte clamor fiet: ecce sponsus venit, redditurus eis mercedem suam; Matth. XX, 8: cum sero factum esset, dixit dominus vineae procuratori suo: voca operarios, et redde eis mercedem. There is also a mystical reason: for at the end of the world our Lord will appear to the faithful in the middle of the night when the cry is heard that the bridegroom is coming to reward them. "And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to the steward, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages' (Mt 20:8). Dies apparitionis fuit ipsamet dies resurrectionis, quia die illa una sabbatorum, scilicet dies dominica, de qua dictum est (supra hoc cap.) una autem sabbati. Quare autem dicatur una sabbatorum, iam dictum est. 2525 The day Christ appeared was the very day on which he arose, for it was the evening of that day, the first day of the week, Sunday. We saw this day mentioned in (20:1). Potest autem ex Evangeliis colligi, dominum quinquies isto die apparuisse. Bis scilicet mulieribus, semel Magdalenae soli, de qua immediate supra, et iterum simul cum aliis mulieribus revertentibus; et tunc accesserunt, et tenuerunt pedes eius. Tertio vero apparuit duobus discipulis ipso die euntibus in Emaus, Lc. ult., 13. Quarto autem Simoni Petro. Sed quando et quomodo et ubi, non exprimitur, nisi tantum quod apparuit. Lc. ult., v. 34: surrexit dominus vere, et apparuit Simoni. Quinto apparuit omnibus simul congregatis de sero, ut habetur hic. From the Gospels we can see that our Lord appeared five times on that day: Once to Magdalene alone (which we just considered v 14), and again to her when she was returning to the disciples with the other women, when they approached and held our Lord's feet [Mt 28:9]. The third time was to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Lk 24:13). The fourth time was to Simon Peter; but how, when or where he appeared we do not know, but just that he appeared: "The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon" (Lk 24:34). The fifth time was when he appeared to all the disciples together in the evening, as John mentions here (v 19). Et ideo cantatur: haec dies quam fecit dominus: exultemus et laetemur in ea: Ps. CXVII, 24. Per hoc autem datur intelligi, quod in die communis resurrectionis apparebit manifeste omnibus mulieribus, peccatoribus, peregrinis, apostolis, et apostolicis viris: quia videbit eum omnis oculus, et qui eum pupugerunt: Apoc. I, 7. This is the reason why we sing: "This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it" (Ps 118:24). We can also understand from these events that on the day of the general resurrection Christ will appear openly to all women, sinners, pilgrims, apostles and apostolic men, because "Every eye will see him, every one who pierced him" (Rev 1:7). Conditio autem loci describitur per clausuram, dubia et timida; quia fores essent clausae: ad litteram propter tarditatem, quia nox erat, et propter metum Iudaeorum. Sed ex parte Christi, clausurae causa fuit ut manifestaret eis virtutem suae potestatis intrando ad eos ianuis clausis. 2526 The place is described as having the doors shut. The literal reason for this being that it was late, during the night, and also for fear of the Jews. From Christ's point of view the doors were shut so he could show them his power by entering through closed doors. Sciendum est autem circa hoc, quod secundum quosdam intrare ianuis clausis est de proprietate corporis gloriosi, quod dicunt per quamdam conditionem sibi inhaerentem posse esse cum alio corpore simul in eodem loco, inquantum est gloriosum: et hoc factum esse et fieri posse sine miraculo. Sed hoc non potest stare: quia quod corpus humanum non glorificatum, non possit simul cum alio corpore esse, inest sibi ex natura. Oportet ergo quod si corpus glorificatum dicatur habere in se proprietatem aliquam inhaerentem, quod possit simul cum alio corpore esse in eodem loco, quod excludatur ab eo illa proprietas qua nunc impeditur ne simul cum alio possit esse. Haec autem proprietas nullo modo est separabilis vel destructibilis a corpore, cum non sit mathematica corpulentia ut ipsi dicunt, sed ipsae dimensiones corporis quanti, quibus proprie accidit situs. Unde philosophus arguit contra ponentes ideas et materias. Et quod dato etiam quod vacuum esset totum spatium super terram, adhuc corpus sensibile non posset esse simul cum illis, propter dimensiones quantitatis. Per nullam autem proprietatem corporis gloriosi possent removeri dimensiones a corpore, natura corporis remanente. Et ideo dicendum est, quod hoc miraculose Christus fecit virtute suae divinitatis; et quandocumque in sanctis simile contingeret, miraculosum esset, et per novum miraculum fit. Et hoc expresse dicunt Augustinus et Gregorius. Dicit enim Augustinus: quaeris quomodo per ostia clausa intrare potuit? Si comprehendis modum, non est miraculum. Ubi deficit ratio, ibi est fidei aedificatio: et subdit: ille quippe non eis apertis intrare potuit, quo nascente virginitas matris inviolata permansit. Sicut ergo ortus eius ex virgine matre virtute suae divinitatis miraculosus fuit, sic introitus iste. 2527 Regarding this point, some say that to enter through closed doors is a property of the glorified body. They say that due to some inherent property in a glorified body, it can be simultaneously present in the same place as another body. Thus, this is accomplished without a miracle. But this position cannot stand, for the fact that a non‑glorified human body cannot be simultaneously in the same place as another body is due to its very nature. Consequently, if the glorified body has an inherent ability to be in a place occupied at the same time by another body, it must be because it lacks the property which now prevents this in the case of a non‑glorified body. But this latter property cannot be separated or destroyed from a body, since it is not a mathematical bulk, as they say, but the very dimensions of the quantified body through which it has a local position. Thus the Philosopher, when he argues against those who posit ideas and matter, asserts that even on the assumption that the entire region above the earth is a vacuum, no sense‑perceptible body could exist there in the same place as another body because of their quantitative dimensions. [19] Now no property of a glorified body can remove the dimensions from a body and have it still remain a body. Thus we should say that Christ did this miraculously, by the power of his divinity, and that whenever something similar happens with the saints, it is miraculous and requires a new miracle. Augustine and Gregory teach this explicitly. Augustine says: "Do you want to know how Christ could enter through closed doors? If you understood how, it would not be a miracle. Where reason falls, faith instructs." [20] And he adds: "He was able to enter with the doors shut, who was born without his mother's virginity being taken away." [21] So, just as Christ's leaving the womb of his virgin mother was a miracle of his divine power, so was his entering through closed doors. Mystice autem per hoc datur intelligi quod Christus nobis apparet quando fores, idest sensus exteriores, sunt clausi in oratione, Matth. VI, 6: tu autem cum oraveris, intra in cubiculum, et in fine mundi, quando quae paratae erunt, intrabunt ad nuptias, et postea claudetur ianua, ut habetur Matth. XXV, 10. 2528 In the mystical interpretation we can understand that Christ appears to us when our doors, that is, our external senses, are closed in prayer: "But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door" (Mt 6:6). It is also a reminder that at the end of the world those who are prepared will be admitted to the marriage feast, and then the door will be shut (Mt 25:10). Dispositio discipulorum describitur imitanda, quia congregati erant: quod quidem non vacat a mysterio. Christus enim ad congregatos venit, spiritus sanctus ad congregatos descendit: quia Christus et spiritus sanctus non nisi in caritate congregatis adsunt. Matth. XVIII, 20: ubicumque fuerint duo vel tres congregati in nomine meo, ibi sum in medio eorum. 2529 We should imitate the conduct of the apostles, for they are described as gathered together. This too is not without its mystery: for Christ came when they were united together, and the Holy Spirit descended on them when they were united together, because Christ and the Holy Spirit are present only to those who are united in charity: "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Mt 18:20). Hic ponitur ipsa apparitio Christi quantum ad tria. Primo quantum ad Christi praesentiam quam exhibuit; secundo quantum ad salutationem quam eis protulit; tertio quantum ad sui certam manifestationem, quam eis ostendit. 2530 Now three things are mentioned about the appearance of Christ: the way he showed himself; the greeting he gave them; and the way he gave them definite evidence of his real presence. Praesentiam autem suam exhibuit eis Christus absque omni dubio, quia venit, et stetit in medio discipulorum. Venit quidem personaliter ipse idem, sicut eis promiserat supra XIV, 28: vado, et venio ad vos. Sed stetit in medio, ut omnes certitudinaliter agnoscerent. Unde arguuntur Iudaei qui eum non cognoverunt. Supra I, 26: medium autem vestrum stetit quem vos nescitis. Item stetit in medio discipulorum, ut ostendat conformitatem humanae naturae quam habet ad eos. Eccli. l, 13: circa illum corona fratrum, quasi plantatio cedri in monte Libano. Item stetit in medio, per condescensionem, quia inter eos conversatus est sicut unus ex eis. Eccli. XXXII, 1: rectorem te posuerunt? Noli extolli, esto in illis quasi unus ex ipsis; Lc. XXII, 27: ego autem in medio vestrum sum sicut qui ministrat. Item ad designandum quod nos debemus esse in medio virtutis. Is. XXX, 21: haec est via: ambulate in ea, neque declinetis ad dexteram neque ad sinistram. Qui enim excedit in plus, divertit ad dexteram; qui autem deficit in minus, vadit ad sinistram. 2531 Christ showed that he was present with them beyond any doubt because Jesus came and stood among them. Jesus came, personally, as he had promised: "I go away, and I will come to you" (14:28). And he stood among them, so that each one could recognize him with certainty. Thus the Jews who did not know him are blamed "Among you stands one whom you do not know" (1:26). Again, Jesus stood among them, the disciples, to show that he was human like them: "with a garland of brethren around him, he was like a young cedar on Lebanon" (Sir 50:12). Again, he stood among them, lowering himself, for he lived among them as one of them: "If they make you master of the feast, do not exalt yourself; be among them as one of them" (Sir 32:1); "I am among you as one who serves" (Lk 22:27). Also, he wanted to show that we ought to stand among the virtues: "This is the way, walk in it; do not turn asde to the right or to the left" [Is 30:21]. One who goes beyond the middle road of virtue goes to the right; one who falls short of the middle road goes to the left. Salutationis autem verba eis protulit, dicens pax vobis. Sed haec fuit necessaria: erat enim eorum pax multipliciter perturbata, et quantum ad Deum, contra quem quidam peccaverunt negando, quidam fugiendo Matth. XXVI, 31: omnes vos scandalum patiemini in me in ista nocte, scriptum est enim: percutiam pastorem, et dispergentur oves gregis. Et contra hoc proposuit eis pacem reconciliationis ad Deum; Rom. V, 10: reconciliati sumus Deo per mortem filii eius: hanc enim per passionem fecit. Item quantum ad seipsos: quia tristes erant, et in fide dubii; et hanc etiam pacem factam proposuit. Ps. CXVIII, 165: pax multa diligentibus legem tuam. Item quantum ad exteriores: quia a Iudaeis persecutiones patiebantur; et contra hoc dicit eis pax vobis, contra Iudaeorum scilicet persecutiones. Supra XIV, 27: pacem meam do vobis, pacem relinquo vobis. 2532 He greets them with the words, Peace be with you. It was necessary to say this because their peace was disturbed in many ways. Their peace with God was troubled; they had sinned against him, some by denying him, others by running away: "You will all fall away because of me this night; for it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered'" (Mt 26:31). To cure this Jesus offers them the peace of reconciliation with God: "We were reconciled to God by the death of his Son" (Rom 5:10), which he accomplished by his suffering. Their peace with themselves was disturbed because they were depressed and hesitant in their faith. And he offers his peace to cure this: "Great peace have those who love your law" (Ps 119:165). Their peace with others was disturbed because they were being persecuted by the Jews. And to this he says, Peace be with you, to counter the persecution of the Jews: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you" (14:27). Certam autem sui manifestationem ostendit eis per manus et latus, unde sequitur haec cum dixisset, ostendit eis manus et latus, quia in eis specialiter remanserunt signa passionis suae. Lc. ult., 39: videte manus meas et pedes meos, quia ego ipse sum. Sic et in gloria se ostendet; supra c. XIV, 23: si quis diligit me, sermonem meum servabit, et infra: manifestabo ei meipsum. 2533 Jesus gives them sure proof that it is really himself by showing them his hands and side. When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side, because in them the marks of his passion remained in a special way: "See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself" (Lk 24:39). And when in glory he will show himself in the same way: "If a man loves me, he will keep my word" (14:23), "and I will manifest myself to him" (14:21). Hic ponitur apparitionis effectus, qui est gaudium in cordibus discipulorum de visione domini, quam promiserat eis supra c. XVI, 22: iterum autem videbo vos, et gaudebit cor vestrum. Sed hoc gaudium implebitur in patria, scilicet bonis, ex aperta visione Dei. Is. ult., 14: videbitis, et gaudebit cor vestrum, et ossa vestra quasi herba germinabunt. 2534 Now the effect of his appearance is mentioned: this was the joy in the hearts of the disciples when they saw the Lord, as he had promised: "I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice" (16:22). This joy will be complete for the good in their native land, when they have the clear vision of God: "You shall see and your heart shall rejoice; and your bones shall flourish like the grass" (Is 66:14). Iniungit apostolis officium, et primo praemittit pacis vinculum; secundo iniungit officium, ibi sicut misit me pater. 2535 Now he charges the apostles with their ministry: first, he grants them the bond of peace; secondly, he charges them, as the Father has sent me. Dixit ergo eis iterum, pax vobis. Hoc dixit eis contra perturbationem duplicem: nam contra perturbationem praesentem a Iudaeis, dixit eis primo pax vobis; sed contra conturbationem factam a gentibus, dixit eis iterum, pax vobis. Supra XVI, 33: in mundo pressuram habebitis, in me autem pacem. Nam ad gentes mittendi erant. 2536 Jesus said to them again, Peace be with you. He said this to counter a twofold anxiety. The first time he said, Peace be with you, was to combat the anxiety caused by the Jews; but when he said the second time, Peace be with you, this was to deal with the anxiety to come from the Gentiles: "In me you may have peace... in the world you have tribulation" (16:33). He said this because they were about to be sent to the Gentiles. Et ideo statim subditur iniunctio officii: sicut misit me pater, et ego mitto vos: in quo ostendit se mediatorem inter Deum et homines. I Tim. II, 5: mediator Dei et hominum homo Christus Iesus et cetera. Hoc erat ad consolationem discipulorum, qui cognoscentes auctoritatem Christi, sciebant eum mittere ipsos auctoritate divina. Item considerantes dignitatem propriam, scilicet quod habebant officium proprium apostolorum: apostolus enim idem est quod missus. Dicit ergo sicut misit me pater, et ego mitto vos, idest, sicut pater diligens me misit in mundum ad passionem tolerandam pro salute fidelium, supra III, 17: non enim misit Deus filium suum in mundum ut iudicet mundum, sed ut salvetur mundus per ipsum, ita ego diligens vos, mitto vos ad tribulationes sustinendas pro nomine meo. Matth. c. X, 16: ecce ego mitto vos sicut oves in medio luporum. 2537 Accordingly, Jesus immediately enjoins them, As the Father has sent me, even so I send you. This shows that he is the intermediary between us and God: "There is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Tim 2:5). This was a source of strength for the disciples: for they recognized the authority of Christ, and knew that he was sending them by divine authority. They were also strengthened because they recognized their own dignity, the dignity of being apostles; for an apostle is one who is sent. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you: that is, as the Father, who loves me, sent me into the world to suffer for the salvation of the faithful ‑ "For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him" (3:17) ‑ so I, who love you, send you to undergo suffering for my name ‑ "I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves" (Mt 10:16). Secundo datur eis idoneitas officii per dationem spiritus sancti. II Cor. III, v. 6: qui et idoneos nos fecit ministros novi testamenti non littera, sed spiritu. Unde sequitur haec cum dixisset, insufflavit et cetera. Et circa hanc dationem primo praemittit dationis signum, quod est insufflatio; unde dicit insufflavit. Simile habetur Gen. II, v. 7: inspiravit in faciem eius spiraculum vitae, quod primus homo depravavit, scilicet vitae naturalis: sed hoc Christus reparavit, dando spiritum sanctum. Non est intelligendum quod huiusmodi flatus Christi fuerit spiritus sanctus, sed signum eius. Unde Augustinus dicit IV de Trinitate: flatus ille corporeus substantia spiritus sancti non fuit, sed demonstratio per congruam significationem non tantum a patre sed etiam a filio procedere spiritum sanctum. 2538 Jesus makes them adequate for their task by giving them the Holy Spirit, "God, who has qualified us to be ministers of a new covenant, not in a written code but in the Spirit" (2 Cor 3:6). In this giving of the Spirit, he first grants them a sign of this gift, which is, that he breathed on them. We see something like this in Genesis (2:7), when God "breathed into his nostrils the breath of life," of natural life, which the first man corrupted, but Christ repaired this by giving the Holy Spirit. We should not suppose that this breath of Christ was the Holy Spirit; it was a sign of the Spirit. So Augustine says, in The Trinity: "This bodily breath was not the substance of the Holy Spirit, but a fitting sign that the Holy Spirit proceeds not just from the Father but also from the Son." [22] Notandum autem, quod super Christum spiritus sanctus missus est primo quidem in columbae specie in Baptismo, supra III, et in specie nubis in transfiguratione; Matth. XVII, 5. Cuius ratio est, quia gratia Christi, quae datur per spiritum sanctum, derivanda erat ad nos per propagationem gratiae in sacramentis: et sic descendit in specie columbae in Baptismo, quae est animal fecundum; et per doctrinam, et sic descendit in nube lucida. Unde et ibi ostenditur doctor; unde dicit: ipsum audite. Super apostolos autem primo descendit in flatu, ad designandam propagationem gratiae in sacramentis, cuius ipsi ministri erant; unde dicit quorum remiseritis peccata, remittuntur eis. Matth. ult., 19: euntes ergo baptizate eos in nomine patris et filii et spiritus sancti. Secundo vero in igneis linguis ad significandam propagationem gratiae per doctrinam. Unde dicit Act. II, 4, quod postquam repleti sunt spiritu sancto, statim coeperunt loqui. 2539 Notice that the Holy Spirit was sent over Christ, first, in the appearance of a dove, at his baptism (1:32), and then in the appearance of a cloud, at his transfiguration (Mt 17:5). The reason for this is that the grace of Christ, which is given by the Holy Spirit, was to be distributed to us by being proliferated through the sacraments. Consequently, at Christ's baptism the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove, which is an animal known for its proliferation. And since the grace of Christ comes through teaching, the Spirit descended in a luminous cloud, and Christ is seen to be a Teacher, "Listen to him" (Mt 17:5). The Spirit descended over the apostles the first time through a breath to indicate the proliferation of grace through the sacraments, whose ministers they were. Thus Christ said, "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Mt 28:19). The second time the Spirit descended on them in tongues of fire to indicate the proliferation of grace through teaching; and so we read in Acts (2:4) that right after they were filled with the Holy Spirit they began to speak. Secundo ponit dationis verba, dicens accipite spiritum sanctum. Sed numquid hic acceperunt spiritum sanctum? Videtur quod non: quia cum nondum ascendisset in altum, non debuit dona dare hominibus. Et quidem, secundum Chrysostomum, quidam dicunt, quod Christus non dedit eis hic spiritum sanctum; sed praeparavit eos ad dationem futuram in Pentecoste. Et moventur ad hoc, quia Daniel. X, 8 dicitur, quod non potuit sustinere visionem Angeli: unde isti nisi praeparati non potuissent sustinere spiritus sancti adventum. Sed tamen ipse Chrysostomus dicit: spiritus sanctus datus fuit discipulis non communiter ad omnia: sed ad aliquem effectum, scilicet ad dimittendum peccata, sicut Matth. X, 8, ad faciendum miracula. Augustinus autem et Gregorius dicunt, quod spiritus sanctus habet duo praecepta dilectionis, scilicet Dei et proximi: et ideo primo datus fuit in terra ad designandum praeceptum dilectionis proximi; secundo de caelo ad designandum praeceptum dilectionis Dei. 2540 We see the words used when the Spirit was given, Receive the Holy Spirit. But did they receive the Holy Spirit then? It seems not, for since Christ had not yet ascended, it was not fitting that he give gifts to us. Indeed, according to Chrysostom, there were some who said that Christ did not give them the Holy Spirit at that time, but prepared them for the future giving of the Spirit at Pentecost. [23] They were brought to this opinion because Daniel (10:8) could not endure his sight of an angel, and so these disciples could not have endured the coming of the Holy Spirit unless they had been prepared. But Chrysostom himself says that the Holy Spirit was given to the disciples, not for all tasks in general, but for a specific task, that is, to forgive sin. Augustine and Gregory say that the Holy Spirit has two precepts of love: love of God and of neighbor. [24] Therefore, the Holy Spirit was given the first time on earth to indicate the precept of the love of neighbor; and the Spirit was given the second time from heaven to indicate the precept of the love of God. Tertio ponitur dationis fructus quorum remiseritis peccata, remittuntur eis: quod conveniens effectus est spiritus sancti, scilicet remissio peccatorum: nam ipse caritas est, et per eum nobis datur caritas. Rom. c. V, 5: caritas Dei diffusa est in cordibus nostris per spiritum sanctum, qui datus est nobis. Remissio autem peccatorum non fit nisi per caritatem. Quia: universa delicta operit caritas; I Petr. IV, 8: caritas operit multitudinem peccatorum. 2541 Thirdly, we see the fruit of the gift, If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven. This forgiving of sins is a fitting effect of the Holy Spirit. This is so because the Holy Spirit is charity, love, and through the Holy Spirit love is given to us: "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us" (Rom 5:5). Now it is only through love that sins are forgiven, for "Love covers all offenses" (Prv 10:12); "Love covers a multitude of sins" (1 Pet 4:8). Hic ergo primo quaeritur de hoc quod dicit quorum remiseritis peccata, cum solus Deus peccata remittat. Ad hoc aliqui dicunt, quod solus Deus remittit culpam; sed sacerdos absolvit tantum a reatu poenae, et denuntiat eum absolutum a macula culpae. Sed hoc non est verum: nam sacramentum poenitentiae cum sit sacramentum novae legis, confert gratiam, sicut et in Baptismo confertur. Sed in Baptismo sacerdos baptizat instrumentaliter, et tamen confert gratiam: ergo similiter in sacramento poenitentiae sacramentaliter et ministerialiter absolvit a poena et culpa, inquantum dat sacramentum in quo peccata dimittuntur. Quod autem dicitur, quod solus Deus peccata dimittit, verum est auctoritate. Sic etiam solus Deus baptizat; sed sacerdos ministerio, ut dictum est. 2542 We can ask here why we read, If you forgive the sins of any, for only God forgives sins? Some say that only God forgives the sin, while the priest absolves only from the debt of punishment, and pronounces the person free from the stain of sin. This is not true: for the sacrament of Penance, since it is a sacrament of the New Law, gives grace, as does Baptism. Now in the sacrament of Baptism, the priest baptizes as an instrument, and yet he confers grace. It is similar in the sacrament of Penance, the priest absolves from the sin and the punishment as a minister and sacramentally, insofar as he administers the sacrament in which sins are forgiven. The statement that God alone forgives sins authoritatively is true. So also, only God baptizes, but the priest is the minister, as was said. Item quaeritur de hoc quod dicit accipite spiritum sanctum: quorum remiseritis peccata, remittuntur eis. Videtur ergo quod qui non habet spiritum sanctum, non possit peccata dimittere. Ad quod dicendum, quod si remissio peccatorum esset proprium opus sacerdotis, idest quod ex sua virtute hoc faceret, non utique posset sanctificare nisi sanctus. Remissio autem peccatorum est proprium opus Dei, qui propria virtute et auctoritate peccata dimittit, sacerdotis autem non nisi est sicut instrumenti. Sicut ergo dominus per servum et ministrum suum, sive sit bonus sive malus, potest facere voluntatem suam ad exequendum aliqua: ita et dominus per ministros, etiam si mali sint, potest sacramenta conferre, in quibus datur gratia. 2543 Another question arises from the statements, Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven. It seems from this that one who does not have the Holy Spirit cannot forgive sins. We should say about this that if the forgiveness of sins was the personal work of the priest, that is, that he did this by his own power, he could not sanctify anyone unless he himself were holy. But the forgiveness of sins is the personal work of God, who forgives sins by his own power and authority. The priest is only the instrument. Therefore, just as a master, through his servant and minister, whether good or bad, can accomplish what he wills, so our Lord, through his ministers, even if they are evil, can confer the sacraments, in which grace is given. Item quaeritur de hoc quod dicitur quorum remiseritis peccata, remittuntur eis. Ad quod dicendum est quod, sicut dictum est, sacerdos in sacramentis agit sicut minister Dei. I Cor. IV, 1: sic nos existimet homo ut ministros Christi et dispensatores mysteriorum Dei. Eodem ergo modo quo Deus remittit et retinet peccata, simul et sacerdos. Remittit autem Deus peccata largiendo gratiam; sed dicitur retinere non largiendo eam propter impedimentum ex parte recipientis: sic et minister remittit peccata, inquantum impendit sacramentum Ecclesiae; et retinet inquantum aliquos indignos ostendit sacramentorum receptione. 2544 Again, there is a question about, If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven. We should say, as we already did, that in the sacraments the priest acts as a minister: "This is how one should regard us, as servants [ministers] of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God" (1 Cor 4:1). Thus, in the same way that God forgives and retains sins, so also does the priest. Now God forgives sins by giving grace, and he is said to retain by not giving grace because of some obstacle in the one who is to receive it. So also the minister forgives sins, insofar as he dispenses a sacrament of the Church, and he retains insofar as he accounts someone unworthy to receive the sacrament.
Lectio 5 LECTURE 5 Posita salvatoris apparitione, hic agit Evangelista de discipuli dubitatione, et primo ponitur discipuli absentia; secundo ponitur sibi facta denuntiatio, ibi dixerunt ergo ei alii discipuli vidimus dominum; tertio obstinata eius dubitatio, ibi ille autem dixit et cetera. 2545 After describing our Savior's appearance, the Evangelist now mentions the doubt of one of the disciples. First, we see that this disciple was absent; secondly, he is told about our Lord's appearance; and thirdly, we see his stubborn doubt. Absens autem discipulus describitur primo ex nomine, quia Thomas, qui interpretatur abyssus, sive geminus. In abysso autem duo sunt: scilicet profunditas et obscuritas. Abyssus ergo Thomas propter obscuritatem infidelitatis, quam habet ex se. Item abyssus ex profunditate miserationis, quam habet a Christo: unde de hoc dicitur in Ps. XLI, 8: abyssus profunditatis, scilicet Christus, abyssum obscuritatis, scilicet Thomam, invocat miserando; et abyssus obstinationis, scilicet Thomas, abyssum profunditatis, scilicet Christum, invocat confitendo. 2546 The disciple who was absent is first identified by his name, Thomas, which means a "twin" or an "abyss." An abyss has both depth and darkness. And Thomas was an abyss on account of the darkness of his disbelief, of which he was the cause. Again, there is an abyss ‑ the depths of Christ's compassion—which he had for Thomas. We read: "Abyss calls to abyss" [Ps 42:7]. That is, the depths of Christ's compassion calls to the depths of darkness [of disbelief] in Thomas, and Thomas' abyss of unwillingness [to believe] calls out, when he professes the faith, to the depths of Christ. Secundo ex dignitate, quia unus ex duodecim: non quod tunc duodecim essent, quia iam Iudas interierat, Matth. XXVII, 5, sed dicitur unus de duodecim, quia erat electus ad eam dignitatem quam Deus sacraverat duodenario numero; Lc. VI, 13: elegit duodecim, quos apostolos nominavit. Et hunc numerum Deus voluit semper esse integrum. Secondly, the dignity of the disciple is mentioned, for he was one of the twelve. There were not actually twelve at that time, for Judas had died (Mt 25:5), but he was called one of the twelve because he had been called to that elevated rank which our Lord had set apart as twelve in number: "He called his disciples, and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles" (Lk 6:13). And God wanted this number to always remain unchanged. Tertio ex interpretatione qui dicitur Didymus. Thomas enim est nomen Syrum vel Hebraeum, et habet duas interpretationes, scilicet geminus et abyssus. Geminus autem Latine, Graece dicitur Didymus: et ideo quia Ioannes in Graeco scripsit Evangelium, posuit Didymus. Dicitur autem geminus, quia forte fuit de tribu Beniamin, in qua aliqui vocabantur gemini; vel etiam omnes. Vel potest hoc referri ad eius dubitationem: quia qui certus est, firmatus est in unam partem, sed qui dubitat, accipit unam partem cum formidine alterius. Thirdly, he is described by the meaning of his name, Thomas, called Didymus. Thomas is a Syrian or a Hebrew name and has two meanings: twin and abyss. The English word "twin" is "Didymus" in Greek. Because John wrote his Gospel in Greek, he used the word Didymus. Perhaps he was called the Twin because he was from the tribe of Benjamin, in which some or all were twins. Or, this name could be taken from his doubting, for one who is certain holds firmly to one side, but one who doubts accepts one opinion but fears another might be true. Iste ergo Thomas non erat cum eis, scilicet discipulis, quando venit Iesus: tardius enim rediit quam alii qui de die dispersi erant, et sic amisit solatium dominicae visionis, pacis eulogium, et sancti spiritus afflatum. Instruimur autem per hoc a societate separari non debere. Hebr. X, 25: non deserentes collectionem nostram, sicut est consuetudinis quibusdam. Sed, ut Gregorius dicit, non hoc casu, sed divina gestum est voluntate, ut electus discipulus tunc deesset; sed divinae pietatis dispensatione, ut scilicet discipulus dubitans, dum in magistro suo vulnera palparet carnis, in nobis vulnera sanaret infidelitatis. 2547 Thomas... was not with them, the disciples, when Jesus came, for he returned later than the others who had scattered during the day, and so he had missed the comfort of seeing the Lord, the conferring of peace and the breath giving the Holy Spirit. This teaches us not to become separated from one's companions, "not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some" (Heb 10:25). As Gregory says, it was not by accident that this chosen disciple was missing, but by God's will. [26] It was in the plans of the divine pity that by feeling the wounds in the flesh of his Teacher, the doubting disciple should heal in us the wounds of disbelief. Unde in hoc apparent potissima signa altissimae pietatis Dei. Et primo in hoc quod intantum diligit genus humanum, quod aliquando permittit aliquas tribulationes fieri electis suis, ut inde aliquod bonum humano generi proveniat. Propter hoc enim apostolos, prophetas et sanctos martyres permisit affligi. Oseae VI, 5: propter hoc dolavi in prophetis, occidi eos in verbis oris mei; II Cor. I, 6: sive tribulamur pro vestra exhortatione et salute, sive consolamur pro vestra consolatione, quae operatur tolerantiam earumdem passionum quas et nos patimur. Sed, quod adhuc mirabilius est, permittit aliquem sanctum labi in peccatum propter instructionem: ut quid enim permisit aliquos sanctos et iustos viros graviter peccasse (sicut quod David adulter fuit et homicida) nisi quod ex hoc instructi cautiores simus et humiliores? Ut qui existimat stare, videat ne cadat; et qui cecidit, adiiciat ut resurgat. Unde Ambrosius dixit Theodosio imperatori: secutus es errantem, sequi studeas poenitentem. Et ideo dicit Gregorius, quod plus profuit nobis Thomae infidelitas ad fidem, quam fides credentium discipulorum. Here we have the strongest signs of God's profound pity. First, in this: that he loves the human race so much that he sometimes allows tribulations to afflict his elect, so that from these some good can accrue to the human race. This was the reason he allowed the apostles, the prophets and the holy martyrs to be afflicted: "Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets, I have slain them by the words of my mouth" (Hos 6:5); "If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted it is for your comfort which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer" (2 Cor 1:6). Even more remarkable is that God allows some saint to fall into sin in order to teach us. Why did God allow some saints and holy men to sin gravely (as David did by adultery and murder) if not to teach us to be more careful and humble? It is so that one who thinks he is standing firm will take care not to fall, and so that one who has fallen will make the effort to rise. Thus, Ambrose said to the Emperor Theodosius: "The one you followed by sinning, try now to follow by repenting." [27] And Gregory says that the disbelief of Thomas was of more benefit to our faith than the faith of the disciples who did believe. [28] Consequenter cum dicit dixerunt ergo ei alii discipuli, vidimus dominum, ponit denuntiationem. Quia statim non venit Thomas, dixerunt autem ei alii discipuli: vidimus dominum. Et hoc est ex ordinatione divina, ut quod unus accipit a Deo, communicet aliis. I Petr. IV, 10: unusquisque gratiam quam accepit, in alterutrum illam administrantes; et Is. XXII, 10: quae audivi a domino exercituum Deo Israel, annuntiavi vobis; Gen. XXXII, 30: vidi dominum, et salva facta est anima mea. 2548 Thomas is told about our Lord's appearance. Because he had not been with the others, the other disciples told him, We have seen the Lord. This was by the divine plan, which is that what one receives from God should be shared with others: "As each has received a gift, employ it for one another" (1 Pet 4:10); "I have seen the Lord, and I have been saved" [Gen 32:30]. Consequenter cum dicit ille autem dixit eis etc., ponitur obstinata Thomae dubitatio. Et quidem satis fuisset excusabilis, quod non statim credidit: quia, ut dicitur Eccli. XIX, 4: qui cito credit, levis est corde. Sed multum investigare, praesertim ubi de secretis Dei agitur, grossities mentis est. Prov. XXV, 27: sicut qui mel multum comedit, non est ei bonum; sic qui perscrutator est maiestatis, opprimetur a gloria: Eccli. III, v. 22: altiora te ne quaesieris, et fortiora te ne scrutatus fueris. Sed quae praecepit Deus tibi, illa cogita semper, et in pluribus operibus eius ne fueris curiosus. 2549 When Thomas said, Unless I see the print of the nails.... we see how stubborn he was in doubting. It would have been justifiable if he had not immediately believed, for we read, "One who trusts others too quickly is light‑minded" (Sir 19:4). But to overdo one's search, especially about the secrets of God, shows a coarseness of mind: "As it is not good to eat much honey, so one who searches into the majesty [of God] is overwhelmed by its glory" [Prv 25:27]; "Seek not what is too difficult for you, nor investigate what is beyond your power. Reflect upon what has been assigned to you, for you do not need what is hidden" (Sir 3:22). Circa Thomam considerandum est, quod durus fuit ad credendum, et irrationabilis ad petendum. Durus quidem, quia noluit credere nisi sensibili argumento; et non tamen unius sensus, sed duorum, scilicet visus, quia nisi videro in manibus eius fixuram clavorum, et tactus, et mittam manum meam in latus eius, non credam. Irrationabilis vero fuit, quia petebat vulnera videre ad comprobationem fidei; cum maius videret, scilicet totius hominis resuscitati reparationem. Et licet hoc Thomas propter sui dubietatem diceret, tamen hoc divinitus factum est propter nostram utilitatem et aedificationem. Certum est enim quod qui se totum hominem reparavit resurgendo, potuit etiam vulnerum cicatrices extergere; sed servatae sunt propter nostram utilitatem. 2550 Thomas was difficult to convince and unreasonable in his demands. He was difficult because he refused to believe without some sensible facts, not just from one sense but from two, sight ‑ unless I see in his hands the print of the nails ‑ and touch ‑ and place my hand in his side. He was unreasonable because he insisted on seeing the wounds before believing, although he would be seeing something greater, that is, the entire person risen and restored. And although Thomas said these things because of his own doubts, this was arranged by God for our benefit and progress. It is certain that Christ, who arose as a complete person, could have healed the marks of his wounds; but he kept them for our benefit.
Lectio 6 LECTURE 6 Hic agitur de secunda apparitione dominica, qua apparuit omnibus discipulis praesente Thoma, et primo ponit Christi apparitionem; secundo discipuli confirmationem, ibi deinde dixit Thomae etc.; tertio eorum quae dicta sunt in Evangelio, recapitulationem, ibi multa quidem et alia signa fecit Iesus et cetera. Circa primum tria facit. Primo describit apparitionis tempus; secundo manifestat personas quibus apparuit; tertio modum apparitionis ostendit. 2551 Now the Evangelist presents our Lord's second appearance. It was to all the disciples, including Thomas. First, he mentions Christ appearing; secondly, we see that Thomas is now convinced; thirdly, the Evangelist comments on what he has included in his gospel (30). He does three things about the first: the time of Christ's appearance is mentioned; then to whom he appeared; and thirdly, the way he came (v 26). Tempus quidem, quia post dies octo, scilicet a die resurrectionis dominicae, in cuius sero facta fuit prima apparitio. Cuius quidem una ratio litteralis est, ut ostenderet etiam Evangelista quod licet Christus pluries apparuisset discipulis, non tamen continue conversatus est cum eis, cum non ad eumdem vivendi modum surrexerit, sicut nec nos ad eamdem vitam resurgemus. Iob XIV, v. 14: cunctis diebus quibus nunc milito, expecto donec veniat immutatio mea. Secundo ut Thomas interim audiens a discipulis apparitionem praecedentem, accendatur ad maius desiderium, et fidelior fieret ad credendum. Alia ratio mystica est, quia huiusmodi apparitio illam designat qua nobis apparebit in gloria; I Io. III, 2: cum apparuerit, similes ei erimus, quoniam videbimus eum sicuti est. Quae quidem apparitio erit in octava aetate resurgentium. 2552 The time was eight days later, that is, from the day of our Lord's resurrection, on the evening of which he first appeared. One literal reason for mentioning the time was so that the Evangelist could show that although Christ had appeared frequently to the disciples, he did not remain with them continually, since he had not arisen to the same kind of life, just as we will not rise to the same kind of life: "All the days of my service I would wait, till my release should come" [Job 14:14]. A reason for the delay was so that Thomas, hearing about our Lord's first appearance from the disciples, would develop a stronger desire and become more disposed to believe. A mystical reason for our Lord's appearance after eight days is that this indicates how he will appear to us in glory [as immortal, etc.]: "When he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is" (1 Jn 3:2). He will appear to us in the eighth age, which is the age of those who have risen from the dead. Quibus autem apparuit ostendit subdens iterum erant discipuli eius intus, et Thomas cum eis. Ubi notandum, quod Thomas solus hac apparitione indigebat; non tamen ei singulariter dominus apparuit, sed in congregatione existenti, ad designandum quod singularitates non sunt multum Deo acceptae, sed hi qui in communitate caritatis existunt. Matth. XVIII, 20: ubi fuerint duo vel tres congregati in nomine meo, ibi sum in medio eorum. Similiter etiam hi quibus nunc apparet non sunt collecti simul in unum; sic nec in ipsa apparitione simul omnes fuerunt; sed in futura simul omnes erunt, ita quod nullus deerit. Matth. XXIV, 28: ubi fuerit corpus, illic congregabuntur et aquilae. Et infra: mittet Angelos suos cum tuba et voce magna, et congregabunt electos eius a quatuor ventis, a summis caelorum usque ad terminos eorum. 2553 The Evangelist shows to whom he appeared when he says, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. We should note that Thomas was the only one who needed this appearance of Christ, but even so our Lord did not appear to him alone, but to the group. This shows that it is not very pleasing to God to exist in isolation, but it is to live in a unity of charity with others: "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Mt 18:20). Those to whom Christ appears [in this life] are not all gathered into one group, and this present assembly of the disciples did not include every such one. But in the future all will be gathered together, and no one absent: "Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together" (Mt 24:28); "He will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other" (Mt 24:31). Modum autem apparendi ostendit dicens venit Iesus ianuis clausis, et stetit in medio, et dixit eis, pax vobis: quod supra est expositum. Nihilominus tamen ponit circa hoc tria: nam primo ponit modum veniendi, quia ianuis clausis; quod miraculose factum est, ut dicit Augustinus, ex virtute qua super mare siccis pedibus ambulavit. Secundo modum standi, quia in medio, ut ab omnibus videretur, et decebat ut in medio staret. Tertio modum loquendi, quia pax vobis, scilicet reconciliationis, quam annuntiavit factam ad Deum. Rom. V, 10: reconciliati sumus Deo per mortem filii eius; Col. I, 20: pacificans per sanguinem crucis eius sive quae in caelis sive quae in terris sunt. Item aeternitatis et immortalitatis futuram, quam promisit eis habendam. Ps. CXLVII, v. 14: qui posuit fines tuos pacem. Item caritatis et unitatis, quam praecepit eis servandam. Mc. IX, 49: pacem habete inter vos. 2554 He shows the way Christ appeared by saying, The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said, Peace be with you. This was explained before. The Evangelist notes three things here. First, how Christ came, the doors were shut. As Augustine says, this was done miraculously, by the same power which enabled him to walk on the water. [30] Secondly, where he stood, among them, so he could be seen by all, as was fitting. Thirdly, we see what he said, Peace be with you, that is, the peace coming from reconciliation, reconciliation with God, which Jesus said had now been accomplished: "We were reconciled to God by the death of his Son" (Rom 5:10); "making peace by the blood of his cross" (Col 1:20). Jesus also announced to them the future peace of eternity and immortality, which he had promised them: "He makes peace in your borders" (Ps 147:14); and also the peace of charity and unity, which he commanded them to maintain: "Be at peace with one another" (Mk 9:49). Hic ponitur confirmatio et revocatio discipuli dubitantis: in quo apparet secundum signum divinae pietatis, quod electis suis in casu cito subvenit, licet cadant. Cadunt enim electi aliquando, sicut et reprobi, sed differenter: quia reprobi franguntur; electis vero cito dominus supponit manum suam, ut resurgant. Ps. XXXVI, 24: cum ceciderit iustus, non collidetur, quia dominus supponit manum suam. Item: si dicebam, motus est pes meus, misericordia tua, domine, adiuvabat me. Et ideo statim supponit Thomae lapso manum, ita ut cum diceret nisi videro non credam, revocat dicens infer digitum tuum huc. Et circa hoc tria ponuntur. Primo cicatricum exhibitio; secundo Thomae confessio, ibi respondit Thomas etc.; tertio tarditatis eius reprehensio, ibi quia vidisti me, Thoma, credidisti. 2555 Now the Evangelist shows how the doubting disciple was rescued and persuaded. Here we see a second sign of God's pity, which is that he quickly comes to help his elect even though they fall. Indeed, the elect fall at times, just like the reprobate. But there is a difference: the reprobate are crushed, but the Lord quickly puts his hand under the elect so they can rise up: "When a just person falls he will not be crushed, for the Lord will put his hand under him" [Ps 37:27]; "When I thought, 'My foot slips,' your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up" (Ps 94:18). And so our Lord quickly puts his hand under the fallen Thomas so that when Thomas said, Unless I see... I will not believe, our Lord rescues him, saying, Put your finger here. Three things are mentioned here: first, our Lord shows his wounds; secondly, we see Thomas' profession; and thirdly, his slowness to believe is reproved. Notandum autem circa primum, quod Thomas petiit conditiones ut crederet, scilicet videre et palpare cicatrices, ut dictum est: et si hoc sibi fieret, promisit se crediturum. Et ideo dominus, cum haec diceret, praesentia suae divinitatis assistens, servatis illis conditionibus revocat eum. Unde primo exhibet conditionem; secundo petit promissi solutionem, ibi noli esse incredulus, sed fidelis. 2556 Regarding the first, note that Thomas laid down his own conditions for believing, which were that he see and feel Christ's wounds, as was said. If these conditions were met, he promised to believe. So our Lord, helping him by the presence of his divinity, rescued him by meeting these conditions. First, we see the conditions being met; secondly Thomas is asked to keep his promise (v 27). Conditio fuit palpare cicatrices, et ideo dicit infer digitum tuum. Sed hic oritur dubitatio: quia in corporibus glorificatis nullus potest esse defectus, cicatrices autem sunt defectus quidam: quomodo ergo fuerunt in corpore Christi? Ad hoc respondet Augustinus in libro de symbolo, sic dicens: posset autem de corpore suscitato et glorificato omnem maculam cuiuslibet cicatricis in suo corpore abstergere; sed sciebat quare cicatrices in suo corpore servaret. Primo quidem ut demonstraret Thomae non credenti, nisi tangeret et videret; deinde vero ad exprobrandum infidelibus et peccatoribus in iudicio. Non ut eis dicat sicut Thomae: quia vidisti me, credidisti: sed ut convincens eos dicat: ecce hominem quem crucifixistis, videte vulnera quae infixistis, agnoscite latus quod pupugistis: quoniam et propter vos apertum est, nec tamen intrare voluistis. 2557 One condition was that he feel the wounds, so Christ said, Put your finger here. A problem arises here because there can be no defects in a glorified body, and wounds are defects. How then can there be wounds in the body of Christ? Augustine answers this in this book, On the Creed, when he says: "Christ could have removed all traces of his wounds from his risen and glorified body, but he had reasons for retaining them. First, to show them to Thomas, who would not believe unless he touched and saw. Again, he will use them to rebuke unbelievers and sinners at the judgment. He will not say to them, as he did to Thomas, 'Because you have seen me, you have believed,' but rather, to convict them, 'Behold the man you have crucified, the wounds you have inflicted. Look at the side you have pierced. It was opened for your sake, and you refused to enter.'" [31] Iuxta hoc etiam quaeritur, utrum in corporibus martyrum remaneant vestigia vulnerum? Sed ad hoc similiter respondet Augustinus, XXII de civitate Dei, quod remanebunt quidem, non ad turpitudinem, sed ad immensum decorem, sic dicens: non hoc in eis deformitas, sed dignitas erit; et quidem in corpore, non corporis, sed virtutis pulchritudo fulgebit. Nec ideo tamen si aliqua martyribus amputata vel ablata sunt membra, sine ipsis membris erunt in resurrectione mortuorum, quibus dictum est: capillus de capite vestro non peribit: sed ubi membra, ut praeciderentur, percussa sunt vel secta, ibi cicatrices, sed in eisdem membris redditis, non perditis apparebunt. 2558 Another question on this point is whether or not the traces of the martyrs' wounds will remain on their bodies. Augustine, in his The City of God (22), answers this in a similar manner, saying they will remain, not as a disfigurement but like a great ornamental beauty. He says "These wounds in their body will not be a deformity, but a dignity. And although on their bodies, they will radiate not a bodily but a spiritual beauty. Of course, the martyrs who suffered amputation or decapitation will not appear in the resurrection without their hands and members ‑ for they too have been told that not a hair of their head would perish. Indeed, even though their members were mutilated or cut off, they will be restored, yet the traces of their wounds will remain." [32] Sed, secundum Gregorium, cum quod incorruptibile est, palpari non possit, quomodo dominus corpus suum, quod incorruptibile erat, palpandum praebuit? Rom. VI, v. 9: Christus resurgens ex mortuis iam non moritur. Unde hac ratione motus Eutyches haereticus dixit, quod corpus Christi et corpora omnium resurgentium non erunt palpabilia, sed subtilia et spiritualia ad modum venti et spirituum. Sed quia hoc est contra illud quod dominus dicit Lc. ult., 39: palpate et videte quia spiritus carnem et ossa non habet, incorruptibilem ergo et palpabilem se dominus demonstravit, ut ostenderet corpus suum esse post resurrectionem eiusdem naturae, quod fuerat corruptibile, et induerat incorruptionem, I Cor. XV, 53, et alterius gloriae: quia quod crassum et ignobile fuerat, surrexit in gloria et subtile per effectum spiritualis potentiae. 2559 Gregory asks how the Lord could offer his body to be touched because it was incorruptible, for what is incorruptible cannot be touched. [33] "Christ being raised from the dead will never die again" (Rom 6:9). The heretic, Eutyches, was influenced by this to say that the body of Christ and the bodies of all those who rise will not be touchable, but fine and spiritual, like the wind or a breath. But since this is contrary to what our Lord said - "Handle me, and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see that I have" (Lk 24:39) ‑ our Lord showed that he was incorruptible and touchable to demonstrate that his body after his resurrection was of the same nature as before, and what had been corruptible had now put on incorruption (1 Cor 15:53). It was the same in nature, but with a different glory: for what had been heavy and lowly arose in glory and subtlety, as the effect of spiritual power. Sed addit et vide manus, quae pependerunt in cruce, et mitte in latus, lancea perforatum, et cognosce me illum eumdem esse qui pependit in cruce. Mystice autem per digitum discretio designatur, per manus opus nostrum. Monet ergo et digitum et manus in latus suum mittere, ut quidquid nobis est discretionis, et operis, in Christi servitium expendamus: Gal. ult., 14: mihi autem absit gloriari nisi in cruce domini nostri Iesu Christi. 2560 Our Lord continued, saying, see my hands, which hung on the cross, and put out your hand, and place it in my side, which was pierced by the spear, and realize that I am the same person who had hung upon the cross. As for the mystical interpretation, a finger signifies knowledge, and a hand signifies our works. Thus when Thomas is told to put his finger and hand into the wounds of Christ, we are being told to use our knowledge and works for the service of Christ: "But far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Gal 6:14). Et petit promissi solutionem, dicens et noli esse incredulus, sed fidelis. Apoc. II, 10: esto fidelis usque ad mortem. 2561 Our Lord holds Thomas to his promise saying, do not be faithless, but believing: "Be faithful unto death" (Rev 2:10). Consequenter cum dicit respondit Thomas etc., ponitur Thomae confessio: ubi apparet quod statim factus est Thomas bonus theologus, veram fidem confitendo: quia humanitatis Christi, cum dicit dominus meus. Sic enim vocabant eum ante passionem; supra XIII, 13: vos vocatis me magister et domine. Item divinitatis: quia Deus meus. Ante enim non vocabant eum Deum, nisi quando Petrus dixit Matth. XVI, 16: tu es Christus filius Dei vivi. I Io. ult., 20: hic est verus Deus, et vita aeterna; Ps. XCVII, v. 28: Deus meus, et confitebor tibi. 2562 The Evangelist now mentions Thomas' profession. It seems that Thomas quickly became a good theologian by professing a true faith. He professed the humanity of Christ when he said, My Lord, for he had called Christ this before the passion: "You call me Teacher and Lord" (Jn 13:13). And he professed the divinity of Christ when he said, and my God. Before this, the only one who had called Christ God was Peter: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Mt 16:16); "This is the true God and eternal life" (1 Jn 5:20). Tarditatem autem Thomae dominus arguit dicens quia vidisti me, Thoma, credidisti, et primo reprehendit eius tarditatem; secundo commendat aliorum ad credendum facilitatem, ibi beati qui non viderunt et crediderunt. 2563 Our Lord reproaches Thomas for being slow to believe, because you have seen me, Thomas, you have believed; and then he praises the others for being quick to believe. Dicit ergo quia vidisti me. Ubi est una dubitatio, quia cum fides sit substantia sperandarum rerum, argumentum non apparentium, ut dicitur Hebr. XI, 1, quomodo hic dominus dicit quia vidisti me, credidisti? Sed dicendum, quod aliud vidit, et aliud credidit. Vidit hominem et cicatrices, et ex hoc credidit divinitatem resurgentis. 2564 Because you have seen me, Thomas, you have believed. There is a problem here: for since faith is the substance of the things we hope for, the conviction about things that are not seen (Heb 11:1), why does our Lord say, because you have seen me you have believed ? We should say in answer that Thomas saw one thing and believed another. He saw the man and the wounds, and from these he believed in the divinity of the one who had arisen. Sed secunda dubitatio est, quia Thomae petenti nisi videro et tetigero, Deus utrumque exhibuit, scilicet tactum et visum; ergo debuit dicere, quia vidisti et tetigisti, credidisti. Respondeo dicendum, secundum Augustinum, quod sensu visus utimur pro quolibet sensu. Dicimus enim: vide quomodo calet, quomodo sonat, quomodo sapit, quomodo redolet. Dicit ergo: infer digitum tuum huc, et vide; non quod in digito sit visus, sed dicitur quasi: tange et experire; ita et hic quia vidisti me, idest quia expertus es etiam per tactum. Vel dicendum, quod Thomas videns vulnera et cicatrices confusus est in seipso, et antequam poneret digitum credidit, et dixit: dominus meus et Deus meus. Sed tamen Gregorius dicit, quod tetigit, et ad visum confessus est. 2565 There is a second question. Because Thomas said that he would not believe unless he saw and touched, and our Lord was willing for him to see and touch, it seems our Lord should have replied, "because you have seen and touched me you have believed." One can say, with Augustine, that we use the sense of sight for any of the senses. [34] We say, "See how warm it is"; "See how it sounds"; "See how it tastes and smells." So our Lord said, Put your finger here, and see, not because the finger can see, but as meaning, "Touch and perceive." So Christ says here, because you have seen me, that is, because you have perceived through touch. Or, one could say that Thomas became flustered when he saw Christ's wounds and scars, and before he touched Christ with his finger he believed and said, My Lord and my God. For Gregory, Thomas did touch Christ, but did not profess his faith until he saw [the wounds]. [35] Consequenter cum dicit beati qui non viderunt et crediderunt, commendat facilitatem aliorum ad credendum; et hoc specialiter ad nos pertinet. Utitur autem praeterito pro futuro propter certitudinem. 2566 When Christ said, Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed, he was praising the readiness of others to believe; and this applies especially to us. He says, "have believed" rather than "shall believe" because of the certitude [of his knowledge]. Sed contra hoc Lc. X, 23, dicitur: beati oculi qui viderunt quae vos videtis. Ergo magis beati qui viderunt quam qui non viderunt. Respondeo, quod duplex est beatitudo. Una est rei, quae consistit in munere divino, de quo quanto alicui plus conceditur, tanto beatior est; et sic quantum ad hoc beati sunt oculi qui vident, quia hoc est munus gratiae. Alia est beatitudo spei, quae consistit in merito; unde secundum hanc tanto quis est beatior, quanto potest plus mereri. Plus autem meretur qui credit et non vidit, quam qui videns credit. Luke seems to say the contrary: "Blessed are the eyes which see what you see" (Lk 10:23). Thus, those who have seen are more blessed that those who have not seen. I answer that blessedness is of two kinds. One is the actual state of blessedness, which consists in God's reward, where the better one sees the happier, the more blessed, he is. In this respect, the eyes that see are blessed, because this is the reward of grace. The other blessedness is the hoped‑for blessedness, which is based on one's merits. And in this case the more one can merit the more blessed he is. And, the one who believes and does not see, merits more than one who believes when he sees. Hic ponitur epilogus: et primo ponitur insufficientia huius Scripturae; secundo eius utilitas, ibi haec autem scripta sunt ut credatis et cetera. Insufficientia quidem apparet, quia multa et alia fecit Iesus signa et facta quae non sunt scripta in libro hoc. Iob XXVI, 14: ecce haec ex parte dicta sunt viarum eius: et cum vix parvam stillam sermonis eius audierimus, quis poterit tonitruum magnitudinis illius intueri? Eccli. XLIII, 36: multa sunt abscondita maiora his: pauca enim videmus eius. Sed secundum Chrysostomum, hoc ideo dicit, quia pauciora miracula narrat Ioannes quam alii Evangelistae. Et ideo ne videretur ea negare, dicit hoc: et ideo specialiter subdit quae non sunt scripta in libro hoc. Vel hoc refertur ad passionem et resurrectionem; quasi, multa ostensiva suae resurrectionis post resurrectionem fecit in conspectu discipulorum, quae non ostendit aliis. Act. X, v. 40: dedit eum manifestum fieri non omni populo, sed testibus praeordinatis a Deo. 2567 Now the Evangelist gives his epilogue: first he mentions the incompleteness of his gospel; secondly, the benefits it will give (v 31). Its incompleteness is clear, for Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, "Lo, these are but the outskirts of his ways; and how small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power who can understand?" (Job 26:14); "Many things greater than these lie hidden, for we have seen but few of his works" (Si 43:32). According to Chrysostom, John said this because he mentioned fewer miracles than the other evangelists and he did not want it to be thought that he was denying these other miracles, and so he especially added, which are not written in this book. [36] Or, John could be referring to the passion and resurrection of Christ, meaning that after his resurrection Christ gave many indications of his resurrection "in the presence of the disciples" that were not shown to others: "God... made him manifest; not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses," (Acts 10:40). Ponitur et huius utilitas, quia effectus fidei, quia haec scripta sunt ut credatis quia Iesus Christus est filius Dei, et ut credentes vitam habeatis in nomine eius. Ad hoc enim est tota Scriptura novi et veteris testamenti; Ps. XXXIX, 9: in capite libri scriptum est de me; supra V, 39: scrutamini Scripturas (...) quoniam ipsae sunt quae testimonium perhibent de me. Item fructus vitae, quia ut credentes vitam habeatis, hic vitam iustitiae, quae habetur per fidem, Hab. II, 4: iustus autem meus ex fide vivit, et in futuro vitam speciei quae habetur per gloriam; et in nomine eius, scilicet Christi. Act. IV, 12: non est aliud nomen sub caelo in quo oporteat nos salvos fieri. 2568 Now he mentions the benefits given by this gospel. It is useful for producing faith: these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Indeed, all Scripture, both the Old and New Testaments, are for this purpose: "The beginning of the book writes about me" [Ps 40:7]; "Search the scriptures... it is they that bear witness to me" (5:39). Another benefit of his gospel is that it also produces the fruit of life, and that believing you may have life: the life of righteousness, which is given by faith ‑ "The righteous shall live by his faith" (Hab 2:4) ‑ and in the future, the life of vision, which is given by glory. This life is in his name, the name of Christ: "There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
[1] St. Thomas refers to Jn 20:1 in the Summa Theologiae: III, q. 51, a. 4, ad 2; q. 53, a. 2, obj. 3; q. 83, a. 2, ad 4.
[2] De consensus evangelistarum, 3, ch. 24; PL 34; cf. Catena Aurea, 20:1-9.
[3] In Ioannem hom., 85, ch. 5; PG 59, col 466; cf. Catena Aurea, 20:1-9.
[4] Tract. in Io., 120, ch. 9, col. 1955; cf. Catena Aurea, 20:1-9.
[5] In Ioannem hom., 85, ch. 5; PG 59, col 466.
[6] Tract. in Io., 121, ch. 1, col. 1956; cf. Catena Aurea, 20:10-18.
[7] XL homiliae in Evangelista, fin; PL 76; cf. Catena Aurea, 20:10-18.
[8] Augustine, Confessions.
[9] In Ioannem hom., 86, ch. 1; PG 59, col. 467; cf. Catena Aurea, 20:10-18.
[10] St. Thomas refers to Jn 20:17 in the Summa Theologiae: III, q. 20, a. 2, s. c. 3; q. 23, a. 2, obj, 2; q. 23, a. 2, ad 2; q. 55, a. 6, obj. 3; q. 57, a. 1, obj. 4, and s. c.; q. 80, a. 4, ad 1.
[11] In Ioannem hom., 86, ch. 1; PG 59, col. 468; cf. Catena Aurea, 20:10-18.
[12] XL homiliae in Evangelista, 25; PL 76; cf. Catena Aurea, 20:10-18.
[13] Tract. in Io., 121, ch. 2, col. 1956-7; cf. Catena Aurea, 20:10-18.
[14] XL homiliae in Evangelista, 25; PL 76; cf. Catena Aurea, 20:10-18.
[15] De Trin., 1, 3; cf. Catena Aurea, 20:10-18.
[16] In Ioannem hom., 186, ch. 2; PG 59; cf. Catena Aurea, 20:10-18.
[17] Tract. in Io., 121, ch. 3, col. 1957-8; cf. Catena Aurea, 20:10-18.
[18] St. Thomas refers to Jn 20:19 in the Summa Theologiae: III, q. 54, a. 1, obj. 1; q, 55, a. 3, s. c.; Jn 20:20: ST III, q. 55, a. 3, obj. 1; Jn 20:22: ST I, q. 91, a. 4, ad 3; III, q. 3, a. 8, obj. 3; Jn 20:23: ST III, q. 3, a. 8, obj. 3; q. 84, a. 3, ad 3.
[19] Aristotle.
[20] Serm. Pasch., 110; cf. Catena Aurea, 20:19-25.
[21] Tract. in Io., 121, ch. 4, col. 1958; cf. Catena Aurea, 20:19-25.
[22] De Trin., 4, ch. 20; cf. Catena Aurea, 20:19-25.
[23] In Ioannem hom., 86; PG 59; cf. Catena Aurea, 20:19-25.
[24] XL homiliae in Evangelista, 26; PL 76; cf. Catena Aurea, 20:19-25.
[25] St. Thomas refers to Jn 20:25-28 in the Summa Theologiae: III, q. 14, a. 4, s. c.
[26] XL homiliae in Evangelista, 26; PL 76; cf. Catena Aurea, 20:26-31.
[27] Ambrose.
[28] XL homiliae in Evangelista, 26; PL 76; cf. Catena Aurea, 20:26-31.
[29] St. Thomas refers to Jn 20:26 in the Summa Theologiae: III, q. 55, a. 3, s. c.; Jn 20:27: ST III, q. 54, a. 4, s. c.; Jn 20:26: ST III, q. 55, a. 3, obj. 4 and s. c.; Jn 20:29: ST II-II, q. 1, a. 4, obj. 1; III, q. 41, a. 2, ad 1; q. 55, a. 5, obj. 3; Jn 20: 31: ST I, q. 1. a. 8, obj. 1; I-II, q. 106, a. 1, obj. 1.
[30] Serm. Tap. ad Cat., 2, 8; cf. Catena Aurea, 20:26-31.
[31] De Symbolo, 2, 8; cf. Catena Aurea, 20:26-31.
[32] De Civitate Dei, 22, 19; cf. Catena Aurea, 20:26-31.
[33] XL homiliae in Evangelista, 26; PL 76; cf. Catena Aurea, 20:26-31.
[34] Tract. in Io., 121, ch. 5, col. 1958; cf. Catena Aurea, 20:26-31.
[35] XL homiliae in Evangelista, 26; PL 76; cf. Catena Aurea, 20:26-31.