Incomplete Commentary on Matthew: Opus imperfectum (vol. 1)

Description

referenced in St. Alphonsus's works

It appears in a Migne vol. under St. John Chrysostom's works:

• Patrologia Græca 56 cols. 611-946

It's been translated into English:

• Thomas C. Oden, ed., Incomplete Commentary on Matthew (Opus Imperfectum) , trans. James A. Kellerman, vol. 1 & vol. 2, Ancient Christian Texts (Downers Grove, Ill: IVP Academic, 2010)

From the translator's introduction:

As Thomas Aquinas was approaching Paris, a fellow traveler pointed out the lovely buildings gracing that city. Aquinas was impressed, to be sure, but he sighed and stated that he would rather have the complete Incomplete Commentary on Matthew than to be mayor of Paris itself. [CCL 87B:177-180*]

Thomas's affection for the work attests its great popularity during the Middle Ages, despite its significant missing parts--everything beyond the end of Matthew 25, with further gaps of Matthew 8:11--10:15 and 13:14--18:35. Although there are gaps, what remains is quite lengthy, so much so that we offer the work in two volumes, comprising fifty-four homilies.

While the early-fifth-century author displays a few Arian propensities in a handful of passages, for the most part the commentary is moral in nature and therefore orthodox and generic. The unknown author, who for several centuries was thought to be John Chrysostom, follows the allegorizing method of the Alexandrians, but not by overlooking the literal meaning. His passion, above all, is to set forth the meaning of Matthew's Gospel for his readers.

which also says St. Thomas "had a predilection for the Opus Imp.* ", quoting it 444× in his Catena Aurea on St. Matthew! I count 445 occurrences of "Pseudo-Chrys."!

vol. 1 contents

General Introduction -- Abbreviations -- Translator's Introduction -- Incomplete Commentary on Matthew: (Opus Imperfectum) -- Prologue -- The First Homily: On Matthew 1 -- The Second Homily: On Matthew 2 -- The Third Homily: On Matthew 3 -- The Fourth Homily: On Matthew 3 -- The Fifth Homily: On Matthew 4 -- The Sixth Homily: On Matthew 4 -- The Seventh Homily: On Matthew 4 -- The Eighth Homily: On Matthew 4 -- The Ninth Homily: On Matthew 5 -- The Tenth Homily: On Matthew 5 -- The Eleventh Homily: On Matthew 5 -- The Twelfth Homily: On Matthew 5 -- The Thirteenth Homily: On Matthew 5 and 6 -- The Fourteenth Homily: On Matthew 6 -- The Fifteenth Homily: On Matthew 6 -- The Sixteenth Homily: On Matthew 6 -- The Seventeenth Homily: On Matthew 7 -- The Eighteenth Homily: On Matthew 7 -- The Nineteenth Homily: On Matthew 7 -- The Twentieth Homily: On Matthew 7 -- The Twenty-First Homily: On Matthew 8 -- The Twenty-Second Homily: On Matthew 8 -- The Twenty-Third Homily: On Matthew 10 -- The Twenty-Fourth Homily: On Matthew 10 -- The Twenty-Fifth Homily: On Matthew 10 and 11 -- The Twenty-Sixth Homily: On Matthew 11 -- The Twenty-Seventh Homily: On Matthew 11.