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been prepared for us, we stand out- | to the weak; and the less they believe

side in our misery, in love with our own hunger.

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. Lesson of the Holy Gospel according to S. Luke.

Lesson VII. Chap. xv.

AT that time: Drew near unto JESUS all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. And that which follows.

A Homily of S. Gregory the Pope.

Homily 34 on the Gospels.

Ye have heard in the lesson of the Gospel, my brethren, that the sinners and the publicans drew near to our Redeemer and not only to converse with Him, but to eat with Him, were they received. Which when the Pharisees saw they had indignation.

And

themselves to be sinners, to a worse
degree do they become sinners.
truly among the number of these were
the Pharisees, who, in passing judg-
ment on the LORD because He received
sinners, with dry and barren heart
found fault with the very fountain of

pity Himself. But because they were
so sick that they knew not themselves
to be sick (seeing that they were
ignorant of what they were) the
heavenly Physician heals them with
gentle remedies. He sets before them
an example of kindness, and represses
the swelling of the wound in their
heart.

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. Lesson of the Holy Gospel according to S. Luke.

From which we gather that true AT that time: JESUS said unto His

righteousness has compassion, but false righteousness indignation, although the righteous are wont rightly to feel indignation against sinners. But what is done through pride is one thing; what is done through zeal for discipline is another.

Lesson VIII.

FOR they feel indignation, but yet are not disdainful; they are not hopeful for them, but yet not utterly hopeless; they stir up persecution, but in love; for although outwardly they multiply rebukes by way of discipline, yet inwardly they preserve sweetness through charity. They frequently in their heart prefer before themselves those very persons whom they are correcting; they think even those better whom they are judging. And in the performance of this, they keep themselves in subjection through discipline and through humility.

Lesson IX.

BUT, on the other hand, they who

are wont to feel pride in false righteousness, despise every one else; they do not condescend with any pity

disciples: Be ye therefore merciful as your FATHER also is merciful. A Homily of Venerable Bede the

Priest.

The one great, and indeed only, precept taught us in this place of Holy Scripture I hold to be this: That we should consider things to be meant for the best, though it be doubtful with

what mind they were done. Charity believeth all things: hopeth all things. When it is written: By their fruits ye shall know them: this is clearly said of those open and flagrant crimes which could not possibly be done with an honest mind and purpose; as, for example, adulteries, fornications, blasphemies, thefts, acts of drunkenness, and such like, which it is permitted us certainly to judge and to condemn. Lesson VIII.

BUT, as touching things indifferent,

An

for instance, various kinds of food, they may by any be taken with an honest heart and conscience, apart from all vice of concupiscence. Apostle forbids those who eat flesh meat and drink wine to be judged of those who abstain from these general sorts of food. He saith: Let not him

that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth.

Lesson IX.

TWO points indeed there are wherein we must stand on our guard against forming rash and hasty judgments: namely, when there is any uncertainty as to what a man's mind really is at the present moment; and as to what nature it may possibly prove hereafter to be: notwithstanding that it seems now in all outward shew distinctly good or bad. It follows: Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven; give, and it shall be given unto you. He bids us forgive injuries, do good turns, give good gifts to other men, in order that we may obtain forgiveness of our offences and the gift of eternal life.

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. Lesson of the Holy Gospel according to S. Luke.

Lesson VII. Chap. v.

AT that time: As the people pressed upon, JESUS to hear the word of GOD, He stood by the lake of Gen

nesaret. And that which follows. A Homily of S. Ambrose the Bishop

Book 4 on S. Luke. Chap. 5. When the LORD wrought His various kinds of healing upon many, neither by time nor by place could the multitude be restrained from their eagerness to be healed. The evening fell upon them; they followed. The lake met them; they pressed onwards. Therefore He went up into Peter's ship. This is that ship, which still, according to Matthew, tosses; according to Luke, is filled with fishes; so that you may behold an

image of the Church tossing in her beginnings, and abounding in after times. For by fishes are signified those who sail over the waves of this life. CHRIST still sleeps in one place among His disciples, He still directs

them in the other; for He sleeps in the midst of the lukewarm, He watches amid the perfect.

Lesson VIII.

THIS ship is not distressed in which wisdom guides the helm, unbelief is absent, faith fills the sails. For how could that be distressed which He directed, in Whom is the firm support of the Church? Therefore distress is found where faith is scanty; where love is perfect, there is security. Lastly, though others were bid to let down their nets, yet to Peter alone is it said, Launch out into the deep; that is, the depth of mysteries. For what is so deep as to see the depth of His riches, to know the Son of GOD, to confess His Divine generation? Which, though man's understanding cannot comprehend fully by searching out, yet the full assurance of faith embraces.

Lesson IX.

FOR though I may not know how

The

He was born, yet I may not be ignorant that He was born. order of His generation I know not,

but the Author of it I confess. We were not standing by when the Son of GoD was begotten of the FATHER, but we were standing by when He was declared to be the Son of GOD by the FATHER. If we believe not GOD, whom Ishall we believe? For all that we believe, we believe either from seeing or hearing. Sight is often deceived; hearing is of faith.

SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. Lesson of the Holy Gospel according to S. Matthew.

Lesson VII. Chap. v.

AT that time: JESUS said unto His

disciples: Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. And that which follows.

A Homily of S. Augustine the Bishop. But in the council, although usually Book 1 on the Sermon on the Mount. it is the same as the judgment, yet The righteousness of the Pharisees because the distinction made in this consists in not killing; the righteous-place compels us to acknowledge that ness of those who are to enter into the kingdom of heaven consists in not being angry without a cause. It is a very small thing, then, not to kill; and he who breaks that will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. He who shall fulfil the command not to kill, will not necessarily be great and fit for the kingdom of heaven; nevertheless, he advances a step; but he will be made perfect if also he is not angry without a cause; and if he shall have attained this, he will be much further removed from manslaughter. Wherefore he who teaches that we should not be angry, breaketh not the law which forbids us to kill, but fulfils it rather; so that, while both outwardly we do not kill and in our heart do not feel angry, we keep in

nocence.

Lesson VIII.

THERE are therefore degrees in these sins. First, when any one is angry, and restrains that passion which has been conceived in his heart. Again, if in excitement of feeling a cry has been forced from the angry person, not of any particular meaning, but testifying to the passion of the heart by the fact of its breaking forth; by which cry he against whom the anger is felt is assailed: this undoubtedly is a greater degree of sin than if the rising anger were repressed in silence. But if not only the angry person's exclamation is heard, but also some word by which he certainly signifies and conveys a reviling of him against whom it is uttered; who can doubt that this is a greater sin than if an exclamation only of indignation had escaped?

Lesson IX.

BEHOLD here three arraignments

the judgment, the council, and hell-fire. For in the judgment there is still opportunity given for defence.

there is some difference, to the council seems to belong the pronouncing of the sentence; since the matter now in question is not, whether the accused person ought to be condemned; but the judges confer among themselves what punishment ought to be inflicted on him who clearly is to be condemned. But to hell-fire belongs neither doubt as to condemnation, as is the case with the judgment, nor an unsettled punishment of the condemned person, as is the case with the council; for in hell-fire both the condemnation and the punishment of the condemned person are fixed and certain.

SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. Lesson of the Holy Gospel according to S. Mark.

Lesson VII. Chap. viii. AT that time: The multitude being eat, JESUS called His disciples unto very great, and having nothing to Him, and saith unto them, I have compassion on the multitude, because days, and have nothing to eat. they have now been with me three And that which follows.

A Homily of S. Ambrose the Bishop.

Book 6 on S. Luke. Chap. 9.
After she, to whom it was given to

be a type of the Church, was cured of
the issue of blood, and the apostles
were appointed to preach the gospel
of the kingdom of GOD, the nourish-
ment of heavenly grace is bestowed.
But mark on whom it is bestowed.
Not on men of leisure, not to those
dwelling in the city, as though in the
synagogue, or in high worldly rank,

but to those who seek CHRIST in the desert. For they who are not proud are received by CHRIST; and with them the Word of GOD discourses, not concerning the things of the world, but concerning the kingdom of

GOD: and if there are any suffering from the sores of bodily passion, He willingly bestows His healing medicine on them.

Lesson VIII.

IT followed therefore that those

whom He had healed of painful wounds, He released from fasting by means of spiritual nourishment. And thus no one receives the food of CHRIST unless he has first been healed, and they who are called to the supper, are, before the calling, healed. If one were lame, he first received the power of walking, that he might come; if he were deprived of the sight of his eyes, he could not, unless sight were restored, enter the house of the LORD.

Lesson IX.

BUT everywhere the order of the

mystery is preserved, that first through the remission of sins wounds

should be healed, and afterwards this nourishment of the heavenly table should plentifully abound, although this multitude is not yet refreshed with stronger food, nor the hungering hearts of a stronger faith fed with the Body and Blood of CHRIST. I have fed you, He says, with milk, and not with meat; for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. After the manner of milk are the five loaves; but the Body of CHRIST is stronger meat; and the Blood of the LORD is a mightier

drink.

EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. Lesson of the Holy Gospel acccording to S. Matthew.

Lesson VII. Chap. vii.

AT that time: JESUS said to His disciples; Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheeps' clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. And that which follows.

VOL. II.

A Homily of S. Hilary the Bishop..

Comment: on S. Matt. Chap. 6.

He admonishes us that enticing words and the feigned appearence of gentleness ought to be weighed by the fruit of the acts: so that we should

not regard what sort of character a man declares himself to be in words, but what he proves himself to be in deeds; for in many the fury of the wolf is concealed under the clothing of the sheep. Therefore, as thorns do not bring forth grapes, nor thistles figs, and as corrupt trees do not produce good fruit, so also He teaches us that the performance of a good work does not consist in these things, and therefore all are to be known by their fruits. For the due utterance of words alone obtains not the kingdom of heaven; nor will he who shall have said, LORD, LORD, be an inheritor

of it.

Lesson VIII.

FOR what merit is there in saying LORD, to the LORD? Will He not be LORD unless He have been called so by us? And what holy service is there in the utterance of His name, since it is obedience to the will of God, rather than the utterance of His name, that will find the way to the kingdom of heaven? Many will say to Me in that day, LORD, LORD, have we not prophesied in Thy Name? Even now He condemns the deceitfulness of false prophets and the feigned pretences of selves from the power of the word, in hypocrites, who take glory to themthe preaching of doctrine, in the casting out of devils, and in mighty works of that kind.

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CHRIST may cast out devils. On our part, then, that eternal bliss must be merited, and something of our own must be given, so that we may desire good and avoid all evil, and with entire affection obey the heavenly precepts, and by the performance of such services be known of GoD: and may rather desire what He wills than boast in what His power effects, since He rejects and repels those whom works of iniquity have turned away from the knowledge of Him.

NINTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. Lesson of the Holy Gospel according to S. Luke.

Lesson VII. Chap. xvi.

AT that time: JESUS spake this parable to his disciples: There was a certain rich man which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. And that which follows.

A Homily of S. Jerome the Priest.

Epistle 151 to Algasias.

If the steward of the unrighteous mammon is commended by the voice of his lord for having prepared righteousness for himself by an unrighteous deed; and the lord, though he had suffered loss, commends the prudence of the steward, that though he had indeed defrauded his lord, yet he had done prudently for himself, how much more will CHRIST, Who cannot suffer any loss, and is ready to shew mercy, commend His disciples, if they have been merciful to those who believe in Him?

Lesson VIII.

LASTLY, after the parable, He adds: And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness. Riches are called, not in the language of the Jews, but in that of the Syrians, mammon, because they may have been gathered by iniquity. If, then, unjust gain, being well dispensed, is turned into righteousness; how much more will

the divine word in which there is no iniquity, and which has been intrusted to Apostles, if it has been well dispensed, raise its stewards to heaven?

Lesson IX.

WHEREFORE it follows; He that is faithful in the least, that is, in carnal things, will be faithful also in much, that is, in spiritual things; and he that is unjust in a little, so that he gives not that to his brethren to use which has been created by GoD for all, he also will be unjust in dividing the spiritual money; so that he will not divide the LORD's doctrine according to necessity, but according to persons. And if, He says, ye dis

pense not well the carnal riches which pass away, who will intrust to you the true and eternal riches of the doctrine of GOD?

TENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. Lesson of the Holy Gospel according to S. Luke.

Lesson VII. Chap. xix. AT that time: When JESUS was

come near, He beheld the city and wept over it, saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace; but now they are hid from thine eyes. And that which follows.

A Homily of S. Gregory the Pope.

Homily 39 on the Gospels.

That the LORD, when He wept, described that overthrow of Jerusalem which was wrought by the Roman princes, Vespasian and Titus, no one is ignorant who has read the history of that overthrow. For the Roman princes are signified when it is said, The days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee. This also which is added: They shall not leave in thee one stone upon another, is also attested by the removal of the city; for, whilst it has now been built on that

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