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A Homily of S. Jerome the Priest. Book 3. Comm. on S. Matthew. ch. 18. It is a common custom with the Syrians, and especially with the men of Palestine, to combine parables with their instructions, in order that what their hearers might not retain when spoken as a simple precept, may be remembered by means of similitudes and examples. By the similitude of the king, and the servant who owed him ten thousand talents, and, upon entreating his lord, obtained forgiveness, our LORD taught Peter that he should himself forgive the lesser offences of his fellow-servants. For

if that king and lord so freely remitted ten thousand talents to his servant who owed them, how much more ought servants to remit smaller debts to their fellow-servants?

Lesson VIII.

AND that this may be made plainer, let us give an example. If one of us have committed adultery, homicide, or sacrilege, these greater sins of ten thousand talents are remitted through prayer, if they that pray also forgive them that sin against themselves in less matters. But if, on account of an insult received, we are implacable, and by reason of a bitter word keep up ceaseless discord, do we not seem to ourselves rightly to deserve imprisonment, and, by the example of our conduct, to cause that pardon to our greater faults shall not be yielded?

Lesson IX.

So likewise shall My heavenly FATHER do unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. A sentence full of awe; if according to our disposition the sentence of God is altered and changed: if we forgive not our brethren small offences, GoD will not forgive us great offences. And because each one may say, I have nothing against him, he himself knows it, he has God for his judge, I do not care what he wishes to do, I have

forgiven him: He ratifies His sentence, and removes every pretence of a feigned reconciliation, saying: If ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY AFTER

TRINITY.

Lesson of the Holy Gospel according

to S. Matthew.

Lesson VII. Chap. xxii.

AT that time: The Pharisees went and took counsel how they might entangle JESUS in His talk. And that which follows.

A Homily of S. Hilary the Bishop. Comment. on S. Matt. Chap. 13. The Pharisees are frequently provoked, and are unable to find occasion for making a charge against Him in anything yet done: for no fault could be found in His deeds or in His words;

but, prompted by malice, they set themselves to search out and discover matter of accusation against Him. For He called all men from the lusts of the world and the superstitions of human religions to the hope of the kingdom of heaven. Whether therefore he would offend against the secular power is the purpose of the question with which they prove Him; that is to say: whether tribute ought to be given to Cæsar.

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the insult of injuring Cæsar, as to set free minds devoted to GoD from all human cares and duties, when He decreed that those things were to be given to Cæsar which were his.

Lesson IX.

Psalms: The Morians' land shall soon stretch forth her hands unto God; and, When the fulness of the Gentiles be come in, all Israel shall be saved. Lesson VIII.

FOR if there remain with us nothing AND behold, a woman, which was

that is Cæsar's, we shall not be bound by the conditions of rendering to him the things that are his. But if we lean upon what is his, if we make use of the lawful protection of his power, if we place ourselves, like mercenaries, under the supervision of a foreign power, we have no just cause of complaint if we are required to render to Cæsar the things which are Cæsar's: but it behoves us also to render unto God the things which are His; namely, body, soul and will; for these, though possessed by us, are, as to their origin and increase, from Him; wherefore it is worthy that they should render themselves entirely to Him, to Whom they acknowledge that they owe themselves both as to origin and increase.

TWENTY-FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER

TRINITY.

diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind Him, and touched the hem of his garment. In the Gospel according to S. Luke it is written that the daughter of the ruler was twelve years of age. Mark therefore that this woman, that is, the people of the Gentiles, began to be sick at the time when the Jewish people believed. For, except by comparing with virtue, vice does not appear.

Lesson IX.

THIS woman with the issue came

to the LORD, not in the house, nor in the city, because according to the law she was excluded from cities: but as He walked by the way; so that, as He goes to one woman, another is healed. Whence also the Apostles say, It was necessary that the word of GOD should first have been spoken to you, but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of ever

Lesson of the Holy Gospel according lasting life, lo, we turn to the to S. Matthew.

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Gentiles.

The Sundays after Trinity cannot be fewer than twenty-two, nor more than twenty-seven. When there are more than twenty-five, after the twentyfourth are resumed the homilies for those Sundays after Epiphany, which in the current year have been omitted, and they are used in the following order:

If there be 26 Sundays after Trinity, the homily of the 25th shall be of the 6th after Epiphany.

If 27, the 24th Sunday shall be of the 5th, and the 25th of the 6th after Epiphany.

But on the last Sunday before Advent shall always be used the office set down for the 25th Sunday after Trinity.

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY.

heretics and bad Catholics there is

Lesson of the Holy Gospel according this difference, that the heretics

to S. Matthew.

Lesson VII. Chap. xiii.

AT that time: JESUS spake this

parable unto the multitude: The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field. And that which follows.

A Homily of S. Augustine the Bishop.

On S. Matthew 11.

When the rulers of the Church became careless, or it may be, when the Apostles fell asleep in death, the devil came and sowed those whom the LORD's interpretation calls evil children. Bnt it is asked, are these heretics, or ill living Catholics? For even heretics may be called evil children, since they are begotten of the same Gospel seed, and in the Name of CHRIST, before being turned aside by wicked opinions to the maintenance of false doctrines.

Lesson VIII.

BUT in that He speaks of them as being sown among the wheat, He would seem to signify those who are of one communion. Nevertheless, since the LORD interpreted the field to be, not the Church, but the world, heretics may well be meant, since they are associated with the good in this world, not by the fellowship of one Church and one faith, but only under the common name of Christians. But the wicked who are of the same faith are rather to be considered as chaff than as tares, since the chaff has the same foundation and the same root as the wheat.

Lesson IX.

CLEARLY, in the parable of the

believe falsehoods; and the others believe truth, but live not as they believe.

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

Lesson VII. Chap. xxiv.
AT that time: JESUS said unto His

disciples: Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is CHRIST, or there, believe it not. And that which follows.

A Homily of S. Jerome the Priest.

By an instance from nature, which we daily see, we are instructed in a sacrament of CHRIST. Eagles and vultures are said to scent dead bodies even beyond sea, and to flock to feed upon them. If these birds, not having the gift of reason, by instinct alone find out where lies a dead body, distant at so great a space, how much more ought the whole multitude of believers to hasten to CHRIST, Whose

lightning goeth forth out of the east, and shineth even to the west! We may understand by the carcase here, or corpse, an allusion to the passion of CHRIST's death.

Lesson VIII.

THEY are called eagles whose youth

is renewed as the eagle's, and who take to themselves wings that they may come to CHRIST's passion. We arc invited to flock to CHRIST's passion wheresoever in Scripture it is read of, that through it we may be able to come to God's word.

Lesson IX.

WHEREFORE, if they shall say to

you, Behold, He is in the desert, net enclosing bad and good fishes, go not forth; behold, He is in the evil Catholics may not unreasonably be secret chambers: believe it not. If understood. For the sea, which then any one assert to you that CHRIST signifies this world, is one thing; and tarries in the desert of the Gentiles, the net which seems to show the or in the teaching of the philosophers, communion of the one Church and or in the secret chambers of the the one faith, is another. Between heretics, who promise the hidden

things of God, believe him not, but believe that the Catholic faith

Lesson VIII.

shines from east to west in the BY the two fishes again, we may

churches.

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A Homily of Venerable Bede the Priest.

The record of Holy Scripture, that JESUS lift up His eyes and saw a great company coming unto Him, is a mark of God's merciful goodness towards us, inasmuch as the heavenly grace of comparison is wont to be forward in meeting all those who are seeking to come unto Him. The lad, moreover, who had the five loaves with him, signifies the people of the Jews who had received the five books, the Pentateuch, at the hand of Moses. And well indeed are those loaves said to have been barley loaves, on account of the roughness of the law; seeing that the law before the coming of the LORD, was to so great an extent under a veil, that not a man could spiritually understand it until He should come, Who, having given the law, should give the blessing likewise.

understand the two orders, the kingly and the priestly, whereby the Jews were ruled and administered. They sat down therefore, the men, to the number of five thousand; for five are the senses of the body, that is to say, the sense of seeing, the sense of hearing, the sense of tasting, the sense of smelling, and the sense of

touching; which senses, therefore, ought we most religiously to guard, if we would have our part in the banquet of our LORD.

Lesson IX.

THEN those men, when they had

seen the miracle that JESUS did, said, This is of a truth that Prophet that should come into the world. For He was Lord of the Prophets, fulfiller of the Prophets, hallower of the Prophets, but also a Prophet Himself, for it was said unto Moses: I will raise them up a Prophet like unto thee. Like, according to the flesh, not according to dignity. And that this promise of the LORD is to be understood of CHRIST Himself, is clearly explained and read in the Acts of the Apostles. Moreover the LORD saith of Himself, A prophet hath no honour in his own country. The LORD is a Prophet, and the LORD is the WORD of GOD, and no prophet prophecies without the WORD of GOD; for the WORD of GOD is with the Prophets, and the WORD of GOD is a Prophet. Former times had Prophets inspired and filled with the WORD of GOD. We have had the WORD of GOD Himself as our Prophet.

END OF VOL. II.

LONDON:

SWIFT AND CO., REGENT PRESS, KING STREET,

REGENT STREET, W.

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