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5 <p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-size: 60pt">20</span>
6 <p align=center><B>LECTURE I</B>
7 <BLOCKQUOTE><p><b>1 Now on the first day of the week [one day of the
8 Sabbath] Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and
9 saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 So she ran, and went to
10 Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them,
11 "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have
12 laid him." 3 Peter then came out with the other disciple, and they went toward
13 the tomb. 4 They both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the
14 tomb first; 5 and stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but
15 he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the
16 tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying, and the napkin, which had been on his
17 head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. 8
18 Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw
19 and believed; 9 for as yet they did not know the scripture, that he must rise
20 from the dead.<a href="#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1"><b>[1]</b></a></b></BLOCKQUOTE>
21
22 <p>2470 Having related the mysteries of the passion of Christ,
23 the Evangelist now speaks of the resurrection. First, he says the resurrection
24 was made known to certain women; secondly, to the disciples (v 19). The
25 revelation of Christ's resurrection to the women went in stages: first, there
26 is the open tomb; secondly, the appearance of the angel (v 11); thirdly, the
27 sight of Christ (v 14). In regard to the first, he first mentions the sight of
28 the open tomb; secondly, this news is reported to the disciples (v 2); and
29 thirdly, they see for themselves (v 3).
30
31 <p>2471 Four things can be noted about the first. First, the
32 time: it was <b>one day of the sabbath, </b>that is, the first day of the week.
33 The Jews considered the sabbath as a very sacred day, and all the other days
34 were described in reference to the sabbath. Thus they spoke of the first day of
35 the sabbath, the second day of the sabbath, and so on. Matthew [28:1] speaks of
36 the "first day of the sabbath". But John speaks of "one day of the sabbath"
37 because he is referring to a mystery, for this day of the resurrection was the
38 beginning of a new creation: "When you send forth your Spirit, they are
39 created; and you renew the face of the ground" (Ps 104:30); "For neither
40 circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation" (Gal
41 6:15). In Genesis (1:5), when Moses is speaking of the first day of creation he
42 says "one day." "God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night.
43 And there was evening and there was morning, one day." And so the Evangelist
44 uses these words of Moses because he wants to express a newness. And also
45 because this day begins the day of eternity, which is one day, no night
46 interrupting it, because the sun which makes this day will never set. "And the
47 city has no need of sun or moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God is its
48 light, and its lamp is the Lamb" (Rev 21:23); "There will be one day, which is
49 known to the Lord, not day and night, for at evening time there will be light"
50 [Zech 14:7].
51
52 <p>2472 Secondly, the person who saw the tomb is given, <b>Mary
53 Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark. </b>A question
54 arises here because Mark (16:1) makes mention of Mary Magdalene, Mary the
55 mother of James, and Salome; and Matthew (28:1) also mentions "the other Mary."
56 According to Augustine the resolution is that Mary Magdalene was more ardent
57 and more devoted to Christ than the other women.<a href="#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2"
58 title="">[2]</a>
59 Thus we read that "Her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much"
60 (Lk 7:47). And for this reason the Evangelist mentions her by name. This is
61 also the reason why the Lord appeared to her first, "He appeared first to Mary
62 Magdalene" (Mk 16:9); "She [Wisdom] hastens to make herself known to those who
63 desire her" (Wis 6:14).
64
65 <p>2473 Thirdly, the time is given, <b>early, while it was
66 still dark. </b>Luke (23:55) tells us that the women who had come with Christ
67 from Galilee saw his tomb and how his body was laid, and they prepared spices
68 and ointments for it. They rested on the sabbath according to the commandment.
69 As soon as the sabbath was over, on the first day of the week, before daylight,
70 she [Mary Magdalene] came to the tomb, incited by her exceedingly great love:
71 "Its flashes," the flashes of love, "are flashes of fire" (Song 8:6).
72
73 <p>2474 The question arises why Mark says "very early, after
74 the sun had risen" [Mk 16:2], while the Evangelist says, <b>while it was still
75 dark. </b>The answer is that what Mark says should be understood as referring
76 to the breaking of the day, so that the sun had risen, but had not yet appeared
77 in the sky.
78
79 <p>2475 Fourthly, we are told what Mary saw, she <b>saw that
80 the stone had been taken away from the tomb. </b>This was a sign that either
81 someone had taken Christ away, or that he had arisen. When Matthew (28:2) says
82 that "an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the
83 stone," we should not think the stone was rolled away before Christ arose, but
84 only after. For since Christ came forth from the closed womb of the Virgin even
85 though his body was not glorified, it is not surprising if he passed through
86 the tomb with his glorified body. The stone was taken away so that people could
87 see that Christ was not there, and more easily believe in his resurrection.
88
89 <p>2476 Next the Evangelist mentions that this was reported.
90 Because of Mary's exceeding love she could not delay telling what she had seen
91 to the disciples, <b>so she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other
92 disciple, the one whom Jesus loved</b>:<b> </b>"This day is a day of good news;
93 if we are silent and wait until the morning light, punishment will overtake us"
94 (2 Kgs 7:9). And so one who hears the words of God should tell it to others
95 without delay: "Let him who hears say, 'Come'" (Rev 22:17). Mary came to those
96 who were the more important, and who loved Christ more ardently, so that they
97 might either look for Jesus with her or share her sorrow.
98
99 <p>She said to them, <b>They have
100 taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him. </b>Mary
101 saw the empty tomb, and not yet having it in her heart that Christ had risen,
102 she said, <b>and we do not know where they have laid him. </b>We can see from
103 this that Mary had not been alone at the tomb, and that she still had doubts
104 about the resurrection. So it was not without reason that the Evangelist wrote
105 that <b>it was still dark</b>,<b> </b>for this indicated the condition of their
106 minds, in which there was the darkness of doubt: "They have neither knowledge
107 nor understanding, they walk about in darkness" (Ps 82:5). Note that in the
108 Greek manuscripts it reads, <b>my Lord</b>, which shows the impetus of her love
109 and her affectionate devotion: "Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is
110 nothing upon earth that I desire besides you.... God is the strength of my
111 heart and my portion for ever" (Ps 73:25).
112
113 <p>2477 The Evangelist next shows how this was investigated.
114 First, he indicates the eagerness with which Peter and John acted, for they
115 left the place where they were, <b>Peter then came out with the other disciple.
116 </b>Those who want to look into the mysteries of Christ have in a sense to come
117 out from themselves and from their carnal way of living: "Come out, O daughters
118 of Zion, and behold King Solomon" [Song 3:11].
119
120 <p>2478 Secondly, we see the details of their search. First, it
121 is said that they ran, <b>they both ran</b>,<b> </b>they who loved Christ more
122 than the others: "I will run in the way of your commandments" (Ps 119:32); "So
123 run that you may obtain it," the prize (1 Cor 9:25).
124
125 <p>2479 Secondly, we see how the disciples arrived, <b>the
126 other disciple outran Peter. </b>John arrived first, and Peter followed.
127
128 <p>2480 It is not without reason that the Evangelist is careful
129 to tell us the smallest details. For these two disciples signify two peoples,
130 the Jews [by John] and the Gentiles [by Peter]. Although the Jews were the
131 first to have knowledge of the one true God, the Gentiles were an older people,
132 because even the Jews originated from the Gentiles: "Go from your country and
133 your kindred" (Gen 12:1). These two people were both running over the course of
134 this world: the Jews using the written law, the Gentiles using the law of
135 nature. Or, they were both running by their natural desire for happiness and
136 for a knowledge of the truth, which all men desire to know by their very
137 nature. <b>But the other disciple</b>,<b> </b>that is, the younger one, <b>outran
138 Peter</b>,<b> </b>because the Gentiles came to a knowledge of the truth more
139 slowly than the Jews, since formerly God was known only in Judea. So the Psalm
140 says, "He has not dealt thus with any other nation" (Ps 147:20).
141
142 <p>The other disciple <b>reached the
143 tomb first</b>,<b> </b>because he [John, the younger, representing the Jews]
144 was the first to look upon the mysteries of Christ, and the promise was first
145 made to the Jews: "They are the Israelites, and to them belong the ...
146 promises; to them belong the patriarchs, and of their race, according to the
147 flesh, is the Christ" (Rom 9:4).
148
149 <p><b>And stooping to look in, he saw
150 the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. And stooping</b>,<b> </b>under
151 the yoke of the law, "All that the Lord has spoken we will do" (Ex 24:7), <b>he
152 saw the linen cloths lying there</b>,<b> </b>that is, the figures or
153 foreshadowings of all the mysteries, "But their minds were hardened; for to
154 this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains uplifted" (2
155 Cor 3:14). <b>But he did not go in</b>,<b> </b>for as long as he was unwilling
156 to believe in the one who was dead he had not yet come to the knowledge of the
157 truth. Another who did not go in was the brother of the prodigal son, for when
158 he heard the celebrations, the music and the dancing, he "refused to go in" (Lk
159 15:28). Nevertheless, David promised that they would enter: "I will go to the
160 altar of God" (Ps 43:4).
161
162 <p>2481 Now the Evangelist recounts the arrival of Peter. As
163 for the literal meaning, the fact that they ran together was a sign of their
164 passionate devotion. John arrived first because he was a younger man than
165 Peter. But considering the mystical sense, Peter follows John because the
166 Gentiles who were converted to Christ were not joined to another church
167 different from the church of the Jews, but were grafted on to the already
168 existing olive tree and church. The Apostle praises them saying, "For you brethren,
169 became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus which are in Judea" (1 Thess 2:14).
170
171 <p>2482 Thirdly, we see the order in which they entered, Peter
172 first, and then John.
173
174 <p>2483 The Evangelist says that Peter entered the tomb.
175 According to the literal meaning, although John arrived first, he did not enter
176 because of his respect for Peter. But considering the mystical interpretation,
177 this signifies that the Jewish people, who were the first to hear of the
178 mysteries of the incarnation, would be converted to the faith after the
179 Gentiles: "That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness have attained it ...
180 but that Israel who pursued the righteousness which is based in law did not
181 succeed in fulfilling that law" (Rom 9:30). John saw only the linen cloths. He,
182 Peter, also <b>saw the linen cloths </b>because we [Gentiles] do not reject the
183 Old Testament, for as Luke says, "Then he opened their minds to understand the
184 scriptures" (Lk 24:45). But in addition Peter saw <b>the napkin which had been
185 on his head</b>:<b> </b>"The head of Christ is God" (1 Cor 11:3). Thus to see
186 the napkin which had been on the head of Jesus is to have faith in the divinity
187 of Christ, which the Jews refused to accept. This napkin is described as <b>not
188 lying with the linen cloths, and rolled up, having a place by itself</b>,<b> </b>because
189 the divinity of Christ is covered over, and it is apart from every creature
190 because of its excellence: "God who is over all be blessed for ever" (Rom 9:5);
191 "Truly, you art a God who hides yourself" (Is 45:15). He saw the napkin <b>rolled
192 up</b>,<b> </b>to form a circle. And when linen is rolled this way one can not
193 see its beginning or end, for the eminence of the divinity neither begins nor
194 ends: "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever" (Heb 13:8);
195 "You are the same, and your years have no end" (Ps 102:27). The napkin was in
196 one place, <b>a place by itself</b>, because God does not dwell where minds are
197 divided; those who merit his grace are those who are one in charity: "His place
198 is in peace" [Ps 76:2]; "For God is not a God of confusion but of peace" (1 Cor
199 14:33).
200
201 <p>2484 Or, in another interpretation, the napkin, which
202 workers use to wipe the sweat off their faces can be understood to indicate the
203 labor of God. For while God always remains tranquil, he presents himself as
204 laboring and burdened when he endures the stubborn depravity of mankind: "They
205 have become a burden to me, I am weary of bearing them" (Is 1:14). Christ took
206 on this burden in a special way when he took on a human nature: "Let him give
207 his cheek to the smiter, and be filled with insults" (Lam 3:30). This napkin is
208 found separate and apart from the other cloths because the sufferings of our
209 Redeemer are far apart and separate from our sufferings. The other linen
210 cloths, which are related to the members of the body as the napkin is to the
211 head, indicate the sufferings of the saints, which are separate from the
212 napkin, that is, the sufferings of Christ, for Christ suffered without fault
213 what we suffer because of our faults: "For Christ also died ... the righteous for
214 the unrighteous" (1 Pet 3:18). He went to his death willingly &#8209;"No one
215 takes it [my life] from me, but I lay it down of my own accord" (10:18);
216 "Christ loved us and gave himself up for us" (Eph 5:2) &#8209; while the saints
217 go to their death reluctantly, "Another will gird you and carry you where you
218 do not wish to go" (21:18).
219
220 <p>2485 Why was the Evangelist so careful to mention all these
221 details? Chrysostom says this was done to counter the false rumor spread by the
222 Jews that the body of Christ had been secretly taken away, as we see from
223 Matthew (28:13).<a href="#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3">[3]</a>
224 For if Christ's body had been stolen away as they said, the disciples would
225 surely not have removed the wrappings, especially since they had to work fast
226 because the guards were near. Nor would they be so careful to lift off the
227 napkin and roll it up and place it in a separate place. They would simply have
228 taken the body as they found it. This was why he allowed himself to be buried
229 with myrrh and aloes: they glue the cloths to the body so that they cannot be quickly
230 removed.
231
232 <p>2486 When the Evangelist says, <b>Then the other disciple,
233 who reached the tomb first, also went in</b>,<b> </b>he tells of John's
234 entrance. John did not remain outside but entered after Peter, because when the
235 world is ending, the Jews will also be gathered into the faith: "A hardening
236 has come upon part of Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles come in,
237 and so all Israel will be saved" (Rom 11:25); "A remnant will be saved" [Is
238 10:21].
239
240 <p>2487 Or, another interpretation, in the mystical sense. These
241 two disciples stand for two kinds of people: John represents those who are
242 devoted to the contemplation of truth, and Peter stands for those whose main
243 interest is to carry out the commandments. In fact, "Simon" means "obedient."
244 Now it very often happens that contemplatives, because they are docile, are the
245 first to become acquainted with a knowledge of the mysteries of Christ &#8209;
246 but they do not enter, for sometimes there is knowledge, but little or no love
247 follows. While those in the active life, because of their continuing fervor and
248 earnestness, even though they are slower to understand, enter into them more
249 quickly, so that those who are later to arrive, are the first to penetrate the
250 divine mysteries: "So the last will be first, and the first last" (Mt 20:16).
251
252 <p>2488 Next when he says, <b>he saw and believed</b>,<b> </b>we
253 see the effect of the investigation. At first glance it seems to mean that he
254 saw the situation and believed that Christ had arisen. But according to
255 Augustine this is not correct, because the next thing the Evangelist says is, <b>for
256 as yet they did not know the scripture, that he must rise from the dead.</b><a
257 href="#_ftn4" name="_ftnref4">[4]</a><b>
258 </b>Therefore, one must say that he saw the empty tomb <b>and believed </b>what
259 the woman had said, which is that someone had taken the Lord. Then we read, <b>for
260 as yet they did not know the scripture</b>,<b> </b>because the meaning of the
261 Scripture was not yet opened to them so they could understand it (Lk 24:45).
262
263 <p>But certainly Christ had foretold
264 his passion and resurrection? "I will rise on the third day" [Mt 20:19]. I answer
265 that we should say that in keeping with the way they heard his parables, they
266 failed here also to understand many things which he had said plainly, thinking
267 that he meant something else.
268
269 <p>2489 Or, according to Chrysostom's understanding, <b>he saw</b>
270 the linen cloths so folded and arranged which would not have been the case if
271 the body had been furtively snatched away; <b>and believed</b>, with a true
272 faith, that Christ had risen from the dead.<a href="#_ftn5" name="_ftnref5"
273 title="">[5]</a>
274 What follows, <b>for as yet they did not know the scripture</b>,<b> </b>refers
275 to the statement, <b>he saw and believed</b>. It was like saying: before he saw
276 these things he did not understand the scripture <b>that he must rise from the
277 dead</b>;<b> </b>but when he saw he believed that he had risen from the dead.
278 <BR><BR><BR>
279 <p align=center><B>LECTURE 2
280
281 <BLOCKQUOTE><p>10 Then the disciples went back to their homes. 11 But
282 Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into
283 the tomb; 12 and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus
284 had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, "'Woman,
285 why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord,
286 and I do not know where they have laid him."</B></BLOCKQUOTE>
287
288 <p>2490 Having told how Mary Magdalene came to the opened tomb,
289 the Evangelist now tells how she came to see the angels: first, we see her
290 devotion; secondly, she sees the angels (v 12); thirdly, we have her
291 conversation with them (v 13). Her devotion, which made her fit to see the
292 angels, is praised for three things.
293
294 <p>2491 First, it was constant, and it deserves praise,
295 especially considering that the disciples left, <b>the disciples went back</b>,<b>
296 </b>not yet understanding the scripture "that he must rise from the dead," <b>back
297 to their homes</b>,<b> </b>where they were staying and from where they had run
298 to the tomb. Their fear was so great that they did not stay together: I will
299 strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter" [Zech 13:7]; "The holy stones
300 lie scattered at the head of every street" (Lam 4:1). Further, she stood there,
301 lingering near the tomb, <b>Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. </b>The
302 disciples had left, but a stronger and more burning affection fixed the weaker
303 sex to the spot.
304
305 <p>2492 A question arises here, because Mark (16:5&#8209;8)
306 says that the women "went out and fled from the tomb." Therefore, they must
307 have been within it. Why then does John say that <b>Mary stood outside</b>?<b> </b>We
308 should say to answer this that the tomb of Christ was hewn out of rock and
309 surrounded by a garden, as was stated before. Sometimes, therefore, the
310 Evangelists calls only the place where the body of Christ had been laid the tomb,
311 and at other times the entire enclosure is called the tomb. Thus when the women
312 are said to enter into the tomb [as in Mark 16:5], this should be understood to
313 mean the entire enclosure. But when it says here that <b>Mary stood outside</b>,<b>
314 </b>the Evangelist is referring to the tomb hewn out of rock. But this rock&#8209;hewn
315 tomb was within the enclosure they had already entered. Mary was standing here
316 because of the unwavering love which had inflamed her heart "Be steadfast,
317 immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord" (1 Cor 15:58); "Our feet
318 have been standing within your gates" (Ps 122:2).
319
320 <p>2493 Secondly, Mary's devotion is admired because it issued
321 in tears, for she stood there <b>weeping</b>: "She weeps bitterly in the night"
322 (Lam 1:2). There are two kinds of tears: tears of compunction, to wash away
323 sins &#8209; "Every night I flood my bed with tears" (Ps 6:7) &#8209; and tears
324 of devotion, from a desire for heavenly things &#8209; "He goes forth,"
325 hastening towards heavenly things, "weeping, bearing the seed for sowing" (Ps
326 126:6). Mary Magdalene had copious tears of compunction at the time of her
327 conversion, when she had been the village sinner. Then, in her love for the
328 truth, she washed the stains of her sins with her tears: "Her sins, which are
329 many, are forgiven, for she loved much" (Lk 7:47). She also shed abundant tears
330 of devotion over the passion and resurrection of Christ, as we see here.
331
332 <p>2494 Thirdly, her devotion is admired because of her earnest
333 search for Christ, <b>and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. </b>This
334 weeping of Mary came from the desire of love. For it is the nature of love to
335 want its beloved present; and if the beloved cannot be really present, it at
336 least wants to think of the beloved: "Where your treasure is, there will your
337 heart be also" (Mt 6:21). Mary shed these bitter tears because the eyes which
338 had sought her Lord and did not find him were now freed for tears, and she
339 grieved the more because he had been taken from the tomb. The life of such a
340 Teacher had been destroyed, but his memory remained. Since Mary could not have
341 him present, she wanted at least to look at the place where he had been buried,
342 so <b>she stooped </b>to look into the tomb. We learn from this that we should
343 look at the death of Christ with a humble heart: "You have hidden these things
344 from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes" (Mt 11:25). She
345 stooped <b>to look, </b>giving us the example to look continually on the death
346 of Christ with the eyes of our mind, for one look is not enough for one who
347 loves, for the force of love increases the desire to explore: "Looking to Jesus
348 the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him
349 endured the cross, despising the shame" (Heb 12:2). <b>She stooped to look, </b>pressed
350 down by the love of Christ: "The love of Christ presses us" [2 Cor 5:14]. Or
351 again, according to Augustine, by a divine impulse in her soul she was made to
352 look about, and saw something greater, the angels: "For all who are led by the
353 Spirit of God are sons of God" (Rom 8:14).<a href="#_ftn6" name="_ftnref6"
354 title="">[6]</a>
355
356 <p>2495 Next the Evangelist describes the sight of the angels
357 (v 12). He mentions four things.
358
359 <p>2496 First, what Mary saw, which was that <b>she saw two
360 angels</b>,<b> </b>which goes to show that all orders of angels, both those
361 "assisting" and those "ministering," were in service to Christ: "Let all God's
362 angels worship him" (Heb 6:1).
363
364 <p>A question arises here because
365 Matthew (28:2) and Mark (16:5) say that Mary and the other women saw one angel
366 on the right side of the tomb, while here we have two angels and they are
367 inside. Each one is correct, for Matthew and Mark tell what occurred first,
368 when the women first came, and believing that Christ was taken, returned to the
369 disciples. But John recounts what happened after Mary returned with the
370 disciples and remained after they had left.
371
372 <p>2497 Secondly, he mentions their raiment, <b>in white</b>.
373 This shows the splendor of the resurrection and the glory of the risen Christ:
374 "They shall walk with me in white" (Rev 3:4). Indeed, we read that the armies
375 of heaven followed him and were clothed in white, that is, raised to heavenly
376 glory (Rev 19:14).
377
378 <p>2498 Thirdly, we see that they were <b>sitting</b>.<b> </b>This
379 indicates the calmness and power of Christ, who being now at rest from all
380 afflictions, reigns in immortal flesh and sitting at the right hand of the
381 Father: "Sit at my right hand" (Ps 110:1); he will sit "upon the throne of
382 David, and over his kingdom" (Is 9:7).
383
384 <p>2499 Fourthly, we see how they were positioned, <b>one at
385 the head and one at the feet</b>.<b> </b>We can refer this to three things.
386 First, to the two Testaments. The word "angel" in Greek means "messenger," and
387 both Testaments brought messages about Christ: "And the crowds that went before
388 him and that followed him shouted, 'Hosanna to the Son of David!'" (Mt 21:9).
389 So the angel sitting at the head signifies the Old Testament, and the angel at
390 the feet the New Testament.
391
392 <p>Secondly, we can relate this to
393 those who preach Christ. There are two natures in Christ, the divine and the
394 human: the head of Christ is God (1 Cor 11:3), and the feet of Christ are his
395 human nature: "We will adore in the place where his feet stood" [Ps 132:7]. So,
396 those who preach the divinity of Christ &#8209; as in "In the beginning was the
397 Word" (1:1) &#8209; are sitting at the head; those who preach his humanity &#8209;
398 as in "And the Word became flesh" (1:14) &#8209; are sitting at the feet.
399
400 <p>Thirdly, we can refer this to the
401 time when the mysteries of Christ are announced. Then one angel sits at the
402 head and the other at the feet because they signified that the mysteries of
403 Christ would be announced from the head or beginning of the world to its end:
404 "You proclaim the Lord's death until he comes" (1 Cor 11:26).
405
406 <p>2500 Next, the Evangelist gives the greeting of the angels
407 (20:13): first their question; and then Mary's answer.
408
409 <p>2501 Concerning the first, the angels knew that Mary was
410 uncertain about the resurrection and so as if beginning anew they asked her the
411 reason for her tears: they, the angels, said to her, <b>Woman, why are you
412 weeping? </b>This was like saying: Do not cry for there is no need for it,
413 because "Weeping may tarry for the night," of the passion, "but joy comes with
414 the morning," of the resurrection (Ps 30:5); "Keep your voice from weeping, and
415 your eyes from tears; for your work shall be rewarded" (Jer 31:16). In this
416 regard we can recall to mind that Gregory said that the very same sacred words
417 which excite our tears of love console those same tears when they promise us
418 hope in our Redeemer: "When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations
419 cheer my soul" (Ps 94:19).<a href="#_ftn7" name="_ftnref7">[7]</a>
420
421 <p>2502 Mary thought that they were questioning her because of
422 their ignorance, and regarded them not as angels but as men; so she gave the
423 reason for her tears: <b>They have taken the Lord</b>, that is, the body of my
424 Lord. Here she was referring to a part by mentioning the whole, just like we
425 profess that the Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God was buried, although only
426 his flesh was buried, because his divinity was never separated from his flesh. <b>And
427 I do not know where they have laid him. </b>This was the reason for her
428 desolation: she did not know where to go to find him to soothe her sorrow.
429
430 <p>2503 Is it a consolation for one who loves to have something
431 that belonged to the beloved? According to Augustine, in his <i>Confessions, </i>this
432 would be more a cause of sorrow. For this reason he said that he fled from all
433 the places where he had formerly spent time with his friend. <a href="#_ftn8" name="_ftnref8">[8]</a>
434 Still, Chrysostom says that this would be a cause of consolation.<a
435 href="#_ftn9" name="_ftnref9">[9]</a>
436 Each of these is true. In all cases where there is a mixture of joy and
437 sadness, the hope for the thing desired brings pleasure &#8209; "Rejoice in
438 your hope, be patient in tribulation" (Rom 12:12) &#8209; and also brings
439 sorrow &#8209; "Hope deferred makes the heart sick" (Prv 13:12). But hope does
440 not cause these from the same point of view. Hope causes joy because it regards
441 the thing loved as able to be obtained; but insofar as this thing is actually
442 absent it produces sorrow. It is like that here: something belonging to a
443 friend, because it stands for the friend, is pleasant to the lover; while
444 inasmuch as it recalls the absence of the one loved it produces sadness.
445
446 <p align=center><B>LECTURE 3
447
448 <BLOCKQUOTE><p>14 Saying this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing,
449 but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are
450 you weeping? Whom do you seek?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to
451 him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I
452 will take him away." 16 Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him
453 in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, "Do not hold
454 me, for I have not yet ascended to the [my] Father; but go to my brethren and
455 say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your
456 God." 18 Mary Magdalene went and said to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord";
457 and she told them that he had said these things to her.<a href="#_ftn10"
458 name="_ftnref10">[10]</a></B></BLOCKQUOTE>
459
460 <p>2504 Now the Evangelist shows how Mary came to see Christ:
461 first, he tells how she saw Christ; secondly, how he was recognized by her.
462 Concerning the first, we see her seeing Christ; and then what Christ said to
463 her.
464
465 <p>2505 Firstly, then, <b>Saying this, </b>that is, when Mary
466 said this to the angels, <b>she turned round. </b>Chrysostom wonders why Mary,
467 who was speaking to the angels, whom she considered to be at least men
468 deserving of respect, turned around before they had a chance to answer her.<a
469 href="#_ftn11" name="_ftnref11">[11]</a>
470 The answer is that while Mary was responding to the angels' question Christ
471 arrived and the angels stood out of reverence. When Mary saw this, she was
472 puzzled and turned around to see what had made them stand up. Thus in Luke
473 (24:4) mention is made that the two angels were seen standing.
474
475 <p>Having turned around, Mary <b>saw
476 Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus</b>,<b> </b>for he did
477 not appear glorious to her, although the angels saw him as glorious and were
478 honoring him. We see from this that if anyone desires to see Christ, they must
479 turn round to him: "Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to
480 you" (Zech 1:3). Those come to the point of seeing him who entirely turn
481 themselves to him by love: "She [Wisdom] hastens to make herself known to those
482 who desire her" (Wis 6:14).
483
484 <p>Mystically, this signifies that at
485 one time Mary had turned her back to Christ by her disbelief, but when she
486 turned her soul to knowing him, she turned round to him.
487
488 <p>2506 Why didn't Mary recognize Christ, since he was the same
489 person as before? We should say that it was either because she did not believe
490 that the one she had seen dead had risen, or else her eyes were held so that
491 she would not recognize him, like the two disciples on their way to Emmaus (Lk
492 24:16).
493
494 <p>2507 The words of Christ are now given: <b>Woman, why are
495 you weeping? </b>First we see Christ's question; then Mary's answer.
496
497 <p>2508 Concerning the first, note that Mary was advancing step
498 by step: for the angels asked her why she was weeping, but Christ asked her whom
499 she was looking for, for her weeping was caused by the desire which led her to
500 look. Christ asked her whom she was looking for in order to increase this
501 desire, for when she spoke of the one she was seeking, her love burned more
502 intensely, and so she would continue to seek him: "Seek his presence
503 continually" (Ps 105:4); "But the path of the righteous is like the light of
504 dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day" (Prv 4:18).
505
506 <p>2509 When the Evangelist says, <b>Supposing him to be the
507 gardener, she said to him</b>,<b> </b>we see Mary's answer: first, whom she
508 thought was questioning her; then her response.
509
510 <p>2510 Mary thought the gardener was speaking to her, because
511 she knew that the guards had already fled, frightened by the earthquake and the
512 sight of the angels, and that the only one who would be there would be the one
513 taking care of it, the gardener. As Gregory says: "This woman, in erring did
514 not err, when she thought that Christ was a gardener, for he planted the seeds
515 of virtue in her heart by the strength of his love."<a href="#_ftn12"
516 name="_ftnref12">[12]</a>
517 "I will water my orchard and drench my garden plot" (Sir 24:31).
518
519 <p>2511 Mary said to Jesus, <b>Sir, if you have carried him
520 away, tell me. </b>She calls him <b>Sir </b>in order to gain his good&#8209;will.
521 But since this "gardener" had just arrived, and Mary had not told him whom she
522 was looking for, why does she say, <b>if you have carried him away?</b> Who was
523 <b>him</b>? We should say that the force of love usually causes the lover to
524 think that no one would be ignorant of the one who is always in his thoughts.
525 For example, we read in Luke that our Lord asked [on the road to Emmaus] "What
526 is this conversation which your are holding with each other as your walk?" And
527 one of the disciples answered, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does
528 not know the things that have happened there in these days" (Lk 24:17).
529
530 <p>2512 When Mary says, <b>tell me where you have laid him, and
531 I will take him away</b>,<b> </b>she shows a wonderful courage which would not
532 be driven off by the sight of a dead person, and she would have tried to carry
533 the body away even though it was beyond her strength. But this is what 1
534 Corinthians (13:7) says, "Love hopes all things." She wanted to take him so the
535 Jews would not violate the dead body and to carry it to another secret grave.
536
537 <p>2513 Next the Evangelist shows Mary recognizing Christ. The
538 Evangelist uses the name Mary, while before he had used the general word
539 "woman," (v 13;15). He calls her by her own name to show that she was well
540 known to the saints &#8209; "He determines the number of the stars, he gives to
541 them their names" (Ps 147:4); "I know you by name" (Ex 33:12) &#8209; and to
542 indicate that although all things are moved by God with a general motion, yet a
543 special grace is needed for a person's justification.
544
545 <p>The effect of her being called by
546 Christ was that <b>she turned and said to him in Hebrew, Rabboni! (which means
547 Teacher). </b>
548
549 <p><b>&nbsp;</b>
550
551 <p>2514 Wasn't Mary always looking at Christ when he was
552 speaking to her? According to Augustine, this present turning refers to her
553 interior state of mind: before, although she was facing Christ, she thought he
554 was someone else, the gardener; but now her heart was turned and she recognized
555 him for what he was.<a href="#_ftn13" name="_ftnref13">[13]</a>
556
557 <p>Or, one could say that, as was
558 said, she thought he was someone else, and so while she was talking to him she
559 did not look at him but was concerned with the Christ she carried in her heart,
560 and was looking about for some trace of him.
561
562 <p>Christ called her by her own name, <b>Mary</b>:
563 This was like saying: Where are you looking? Recognize him who has recognized
564 you. As soon as she heard her name she recognized him, and said, <b>Rabboni,
565 which means Teacher</b>,<b> </b>for this was what she used to call him. We can
566 understand from this that the cause of our justification and of our profession
567 of faith is to have been called by Christ.
568
569 <p>2515 Next, the Evangelist shows Mary receiving instructions
570 from Christ: one of them is negative, the other positive, <b>go to my brethren.</b>
571
572 <p>2516 He does two things about the first: he states the
573 prohibition, and then gives the reason for it. Christ warns Mary not to touch
574 him, saying, <b>Do not hold me. </b>Even though we do not read here that Mary
575 wanted to touch Christ, Gregory says we can see from this that Mary fell at the
576 feet of Christ and wanted to grasp the one she had recognized.<a href="#_ftn14"
577 name="_ftnref14">[14]</a>
578 He adds the reason, <b>for I have not yet ascended to my Father. </b>It seems
579 from this that after his resurrection, Christ did not want to be touched before
580 he ascended. But the opposite is found in Luke (24:39): "Handle me, and see;
581 for a spirit has not flesh and bones." It is no answer to say that Christ wanted
582 to be touched by his disciples, but not by the women, for we see in Matthew
583 (28:9), that Mary Magdalene and other women came to him and did grasp him by
584 his feet. Therefore, we should understand, according to the letter of the text,
585 that Mary saw angels at two times: the first time was with the other women,
586 when she saw one angel sitting on the stone, as Matthew (28:2) says, and Mark
587 (16:5); the second time was when she returned and saw two angels inside the
588 tomb, as John (20:12) says. Similarly, she also saw Christ two times: first in
589 the garden, when she thought he was the gardener, as we just saw; secondly, she
590 saw him when she was running with the other women to tell the disciples what
591 they had seen (in order to strengthen them in their faith in the resurrection).
592 It was this second time that they approached and held Christ's feet, as Matthew
593 (28:9) and Mark (16:9) say.
594
595 <p>2517 There are two mystical reasons why Christ did not want
596 to be touched. First, because this particular woman signified the Church of the
597 Gentiles, which was not to touch Christ by faith until he had ascended to the
598 Father: "A congregation of people will surround you; for their sakes return on
599 high" [Ps 7:8]. The other reason is given by Augustine in his work on <i>The
600 Trinity.</i><a href="#_ftn15" name="_ftnref15">[15]</a><i>
601 </i>It is that touch is the last stage of knowledge: when we see something, we
602 know it to a certain extent, but when we touch it our knowledge is complete.
603 Now this particular woman had some faith in Christ, which was that he was a
604 holy man; and this was why she called him Teacher. But she had not yet reached
605 the point of believing that he was equal to the Father and one with God. Thus
606 Christ says, <b>Do not hold me</b>,<b> </b>that is, do not allow what you now
607 believe of me to be the limit of your faith, <b>for I have not yet ascended to
608 my Father</b>,<b> </b>that is, in your heart, because you do not believe that I
609 am one with him - yet she did believe this later. In a way Christ did ascend to
610 the Father within her when she had advanced in the faith to the point of
611 believing that he was equal to the Father.
612
613 <p>2518 Or, we could say, with Chrysostom, that after this
614 woman saw that Christ had arisen, she thought he was in the same state as he
615 was before, having a life subject to death.<a href="#_ftn16" name="_ftnref16"
616 title="">[16]</a>
617 She wanted to be with him as she was before his passion, and in her joy thought
618 there was nothing extraordinary about him, although Christ's flesh had become
619 much better by arising. To correct this impression Christ said, <b>Do not hold
620 me. </b>It was like saying: Do not think that I have a mortal life, and can
621 associate with you as before: "Even though we once regarded Christ from a human
622 point of view, we regard him thus no longer" (2 Cor 5:16). This is what he adds
623 when he says, <b>for I have not yet ascended to my Father. </b>Accordingly,
624 this statement does not give the reason for his prohibition, but an answer to
625 an implicit question. It was like saying: Although you see me remaining here,
626 it is not because my flesh is not glorified but because <b>I have not yet
627 ascended to my Father. </b>For before he ascended he wanted to strengthen in
628 the hearts of the apostles their faith in his resurrection and in his divinity.
629
630 <p>2519 After this he gives his positive directions, <b>go to
631 my brethren</b>,<b> </b>that is the apostles, because they are his brethren by
632 his having the same nature: "He had to be made like his brethren in every
633 respect" (Heb 2:17); and they are his brethren by being adopted through grace,
634 because they are the adopted children of his Father, of whom he is the natural
635 Son.
636
637 <p>Notice the three privileges given
638 to Mary Magdalene. First, she had the privilege of being a prophet because she
639 was worthy enough to see the angels, for a prophet is an intermediary between
640 angels and the people. Secondly, she had the dignity or rank of an angel
641 insofar as she looked upon Christ, on whom the angels desire to look. Thirdly,
642 she had the office of an apostle; indeed, she was an apostle to the apostles
643 insofar as it was her task to announce our Lord's resurrection to the
644 disciples. Thus, just as it was a woman who was the fist to announce the words
645 of death, so it was a woman who would be the first to announce the words of
646 life.
647
648 <p>2520 <b>And say to them, I am ascending to my Father and
649 your Father. </b>"I go to the Father" (14:12); "He who descended is he who also
650 ascended far above all the heavens" (Eph 4:10). Arius based his error on these
651 words, <b>my Father and your Father. </b>He took it to mean that God is the
652 Father of the Son in the same way that he is our Father, and that he is the God
653 of the Son in the same way that he is our God. The answer to this is that the meaning
654 of these words must be gathered from the circumstances in which they were
655 spoken. Christ said before, <b>go to my brethren</b>.<b> </b>But Christ had
656 these brethren insofar he had a human nature, and in his human nature he is
657 subject to the Father as a creature to the Creator, for the body of Christ is
658 something created.
659
660 <p>2521 Or, according to Augustine, Christ is speaking of
661 himself and referring to each of his natures.<a href="#_ftn17" name="_ftnref17"
662 title="">[17]</a>
663 <b>I am ascending to my Father and your Father </b>refers to his divine nature,
664 and from this point of view he has as Father God, to whom he is equal and like
665 in nature. Thus, the meaning is my Father by nature, and your Father by grace.
666 It is saying in effect: the fact that you are adopted children by grace is due
667 to me: "God sent forth his Son ... so that we might receive adoption as sons"
668 (Gal 4:4); "For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to
669 the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first&#8209;born among many
670 brethren" (Rom 8:29). When he adds, <b>to my God and your God</b>, he is
671 referring to his human nature. From this point of view God rules him; thus he
672 says, <b>my God</b>, under whom I am a man. <b>And your God</b>, and between
673 him and you I am the mediator: for God is our God because through Christ we are
674 pleasing to him: "Having then been justified by faith, we have peace with God
675 through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained access by
676 faith to this grace in which we stand; and we exult in the hope of the glory of
677 the children of God" [Rom 5:1]; "God was in Christ reconciling the world to
678 himself" (2 Cor 5:19).
679
680 <p>2522 Mary was quick to obey, as we see from <b>Mary
681 Magdalene went and said to the disciples </b>etc. "For I received from the Lord
682 what I also delivered to you" (1 Cor 11:23); "What I have heard from the Lord
683 of hosts, the God is Israel, I announce to you" (Is 21:10).
684 <BR><BR><BR>
685 <p align=center><B>LECTURE 4
686
687 <BLOCKQUOTE><p>19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week,
688 the doors being shut where the disciples were [gathered together], for fear of
689 the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, to them, "Peace be with
690 you." 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the
691 disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, "Peace
692 be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you." 22 And when he had
693 said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23
694 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of
695 any, they are retained."<a href="#_ftn18" name="_ftnref18">[18]</a></B></BLOCKQUOTE>
696
697 <p>2523 Having described how Christ appeared to the holy women,
698 the Evangelist now tells of his appearance to the apostles: first, his
699 appearance at Jerusalem before all except Thomas; secondly, his appearance when
700 Thomas was present (v 26); thirdly, the events near the Sea of Tiberias (ch
701 21). Three things are done regarding the first: first, we see our Lord appear;
702 secondly, we see a duty imposed on the apostles, <b>I send you</b>; thirdly,
703 our Lord gives them a spiritual gift, <b>Receive the Holy Spirit. </b>He does
704 three things about the first: he mentions the circumstances of Christ's
705 appearance; secondly, the details of the appearance, (v 19); thirdly, the
706 result of this, <b>the disciples were glad.</b>
707
708 <p>The Evangelist mentions four
709 circumstances in our Lord's appearance to the disciples. First, he mentions the
710 time of day, <b>on the evening; </b>secondly, what day it was, <b>of that day</b>,
711 thirdly, the condition of the place, <b>the doors being shut</b>;<b> </b>and
712 fourthly, the state of the disciples, <b>where the disciples were gathered
713 together for fear of the Jews.</b>
714
715 <p>2524 The time of our Lord's appearance was in the evening;
716 and there were two literal reasons for this. First, he wanted to appear when
717 they were all together; consequently, he waited until evening, so that those
718 who had been at various places during the day would be found together in the
719 evening, when they gathered together. Secondly, our Lord appeared to strengthen
720 and comfort them. And so he chose a time when they would be more afraid and in
721 need of comfort and strength; this was in the evening: "God is our refuge and
722 strength, a very present help in trouble" (Ps 46:1).
723
724 <p>There is also a mystical reason:
725 for at the end of the world our Lord will appear to the faithful in the middle
726 of the night when the cry is heard that the bridegroom is coming to reward
727 them. "And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to the steward,
728 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages' (Mt 20:8).
729
730 <p>2525 The day Christ appeared was the very day on which he
731 arose, for it was the evening <b>of that day, the first day of the week</b>,
732 Sunday. We saw this day mentioned in (20:1).
733
734 <p>From the Gospels we can see that
735 our Lord appeared five times on that day: Once to Magdalene alone (which we
736 just considered v 14), and again to her when she was returning to the disciples
737 with the other women, when they approached and held our Lord's feet [Mt 28:9].
738 The third time was to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Lk 24:13). The
739 fourth time was to Simon Peter; but how, when or where he appeared we do not
740 know, but just that he appeared: "The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared
741 to Simon" (Lk 24:34). The fifth time was when he appeared to all the disciples
742 together in the evening, as John mentions here (v 19).
743
744 <p>This is the reason why we sing:
745 "This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it" (Ps
746 118:24). We can also understand from these events that on the day of the
747 general resurrection Christ will appear openly to all women, sinners, pilgrims,
748 apostles and apostolic men, because "Every eye will see him, every one who
749 pierced him" (Rev 1:7).
750
751 <p>2526 The place is described as having <b>the doors shut. </b>The
752 literal reason for this being that it was late, during the night, and also <b>for
753 fear of the Jews. </b>From Christ's point of view the doors were shut so he
754 could show them his power by entering through closed doors.
755
756 <p>2527 Regarding this point, some say that to enter through
757 closed doors is a property of the glorified body. They say that due to some
758 inherent property in a glorified body, it can be simultaneously present in the
759 same place as another body. Thus, this is accomplished without a miracle. But
760 this position cannot stand, for the fact that a non&#8209;glorified human body
761 cannot be simultaneously in the same place as another body is due to its very
762 nature. Consequently, if the glorified body has an inherent ability to be in a
763 place occupied at the same time by another body, it must be because it lacks
764 the property which now prevents this in the case of a non&#8209;glorified body.
765 But this latter property cannot be separated or destroyed from a body, since it
766 is not a mathematical bulk, as they say, but the very dimensions of the
767 quantified body through which it has a local position. Thus the Philosopher,
768 when he argues against those who posit ideas and matter, asserts that even on
769 the assumption that the entire region above the earth is a vacuum, no sense&#8209;perceptible
770 body could exist there in the same place as another body because of their
771 quantitative dimensions.<a href="#_ftn19" name="_ftnref19">[19]</a>
772 Now no property of a glorified body can remove the dimensions from a body and
773 have it still remain a body. Thus we should say that Christ did this
774 miraculously, by the power of his divinity, and that whenever something similar
775 happens with the saints, it is miraculous and requires a new miracle. Augustine
776 and Gregory teach this explicitly. Augustine says: "Do you want to know how
777 Christ could enter through closed doors? If you understood how, it would not be
778 a miracle. Where reason falls, faith instructs."<a href="#_ftn20"
779 name="_ftnref20">[20]</a>
780 And he adds: "He was able to enter with the doors shut, who was born without
781 his mother's virginity being taken away." <a
782 href="#_ftn21" name="_ftnref21">[21]</a>
783 So, just as Christ's leaving the womb of his virgin mother was a miracle of his
784 divine power, so was his entering through closed doors.
785
786 <p>2528 In the mystical interpretation we can understand that
787 Christ appears to us when our doors, that is, our external senses, are closed
788 in prayer: "But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door" (Mt 6:6).
789 It is also a reminder that at the end of the world those who are prepared will
790 be admitted to the marriage feast, and then the door will be shut (Mt 25:10).
791
792 <p>2529 We should imitate the conduct of the apostles, for they
793 are described as <b>gathered together. </b>This too is not without its mystery:
794 for Christ came when they were united together, and the Holy Spirit descended
795 on them when they were united together, because Christ and the Holy Spirit are
796 present only to those who are united in charity: "For where two or three are
797 gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Mt 18:20).
798
799 <p>2530 Now three things are mentioned about the appearance of
800 Christ: the way he showed himself; the greeting he gave them; and the way he
801 gave them definite evidence of his real presence.
802
803 <p>2531 Christ showed that he was present with them beyond any
804 doubt because <b>Jesus came and stood among them. Jesus came, </b>personally,
805 as he had promised: "I go away, and I will come to you" (14:28). And he <b>stood
806 among them</b>,<b> </b>so that each one could recognize him with certainty.
807 Thus the Jews who did not know him are blamed "Among you stands one whom you do
808 not know" (1:26). Again, Jesus <b>stood among them</b>,<b> </b>the disciples,
809 to show that he was human like them: "with a garland of brethren around him, he
810 was like a young cedar on Lebanon" (Sir 50:12). Again, he <b>stood among them</b>,<b>
811 </b>lowering himself, for he lived among them as one of them: "If they make you
812 master of the feast, do not exalt yourself; be among them as one of them" (Sir
813 32:1); "I am among you as one who serves" (Lk 22:27). Also, he wanted to show
814 that we ought to stand among the virtues: "This is the way, walk in it; do not
815 turn asde to the right or to the left" [Is 30:21]. One who goes beyond the
816 middle road of virtue goes to the right; one who falls short of the middle road
817 goes to the left.
818
819 <p>2532 He greets them with the words, <b>Peace be with you. </b>It
820 was necessary to say this because their peace was disturbed in many ways. Their
821 peace with God was troubled; they had sinned against him, some by denying him,
822 others by running away: "You will all fall away because of me this night; for
823 it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be
824 scattered'" (Mt 26:31). To cure this Jesus offers them the peace of
825 reconciliation with God: "We were reconciled to God by the death of his Son"
826 (Rom 5:10), which he accomplished by his suffering. Their peace with themselves
827 was disturbed because they were depressed and hesitant in their faith. And he
828 offers his peace to cure this: "Great peace have those who love your law" (Ps
829 119:165). Their peace with others was disturbed because they were being
830 persecuted by the Jews. And to this he says, <b>Peace be with you</b>,<b> </b>to
831 counter the persecution of the Jews: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give
832 to you" (14:27).
833
834 <p>2533 Jesus gives them sure proof that it is really himself
835 by showing them his hands and side. <b>When he had said this, he showed them
836 his hands and his side, </b>because in them the marks of his passion remained
837 in a special way: "See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself" (Lk 24:39).
838 And when in glory he will show himself in the same way: "If a man loves me, he
839 will keep my word" (14:23), "and I will manifest myself to him" (14:21).
840
841 <p>2534 Now the effect of his appearance is mentioned: this was
842 the joy in the hearts of the disciples when they saw the Lord, as he had
843 promised: "I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice" (16:22). This
844 joy will be complete for the good in their native land, when they have the
845 clear vision of God: "You shall see and your heart shall rejoice; and your
846 bones shall flourish like the grass" (Is 66:14).
847
848 <p>2535 Now he charges the apostles with their ministry: first,
849 he grants them the bond of peace; secondly, he charges them, <b>as the Father
850 has sent me.</b>
851
852 <p>2536 Jesus said to them again, <b>Peace be with you</b>. He
853 said this to counter a twofold anxiety. The first time he said, <b>Peace be
854 with you</b>,<b> </b>was to combat the anxiety caused by the Jews; but when he
855 said the second time, <b>Peace be with you</b>,<b> </b>this was to deal with
856 the anxiety to come from the Gentiles: "In me you may have peace ... in the
857 world you have tribulation" (16:33). He said this because they were about to be
858 sent to the Gentiles.
859
860 <p>2537 Accordingly, Jesus immediately enjoins them, <b>As the
861 Father has sent me, even so I send you. </b>This shows that he is the
862 intermediary between us and God: "There is one mediator between God and men,
863 the man Christ Jesus" (1 Tim 2:5). This was a source of strength for the
864 disciples: for they recognized the authority of Christ, and knew that he was
865 sending them by divine authority. They were also strengthened because they
866 recognized their own dignity, the dignity of being apostles; for an apostle is one
867 who is sent. <b>As the Father has sent me, even so I send you</b>:<b> </b>that
868 is, as the Father, who loves me, sent me into the world to suffer for the
869 salvation of the faithful &#8209; "For God sent the Son into the world, not to
870 condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him" (3:17) &#8209;
871 so I, who love you, send you to undergo suffering for my name &#8209; "I send
872 you out as sheep in the midst of wolves" (Mt 10:16).
873
874 <p>2538 Jesus makes them adequate for their task by giving them
875 the Holy Spirit, "God, who has qualified us to be ministers of a new covenant,
876 not in a written code but in the Spirit" (2 Cor 3:6). In this giving of the
877 Spirit, he first grants them a sign of this gift, which is, that <b>he breathed
878 on them. </b>We see something like this in Genesis (2:7), when God "breathed
879 into his nostrils the breath of life," of natural life, which the first man
880 corrupted, but Christ repaired this by giving the Holy Spirit. We should not
881 suppose that this breath of Christ was the Holy Spirit; it was a sign of the
882 Spirit. So Augustine says, in <i>The Trinity</i>: "This bodily breath was not
883 the substance of the Holy Spirit, but a fitting sign that the Holy Spirit
884 proceeds not just from the Father but also from the Son."<a href="#_ftn22"
885 name="_ftnref22">[22]</a>
886
887 <p>2539 Notice that the Holy Spirit was sent over Christ,
888 first, in the appearance of a dove, at his baptism (1:32), and then in the
889 appearance of a cloud, at his transfiguration (Mt 17:5). The reason for this is
890 that the grace of Christ, which is given by the Holy Spirit, was to be
891 distributed to us by being proliferated through the sacraments. Consequently,
892 at Christ's baptism the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove, which is
893 an animal known for its proliferation. And since the grace of Christ comes
894 through teaching, the Spirit descended in a luminous cloud, and Christ is seen
895 to be a Teacher, "Listen to him" (Mt 17:5). The Spirit descended over the
896 apostles the first time through a breath to indicate the proliferation of grace
897 through the sacraments, whose ministers they were. Thus Christ said, <b>"If you
898 forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven</b>:<b> </b>"Go therefore and make
899 disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the
900 Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Mt 28:19). The second time the Spirit descended on
901 them in tongues of fire to indicate the proliferation of grace through
902 teaching; and so we read in Acts (2:4) that right after they were filled with
903 the Holy Spirit they began to speak.
904
905 <p>2540 We see the words used when the Spirit was given, <b>Receive
906 the Holy Spirit. </b>But did they receive the Holy Spirit then? It seems not,
907 for since Christ had not yet ascended, it was not fitting that he give gifts to
908 us. Indeed, according to Chrysostom, there were some who said that Christ did
909 not give them the Holy Spirit at that time, but prepared them for the future
910 giving of the Spirit at Pentecost.<a href="#_ftn23" name="_ftnref23">[23]</a>
911 They were brought to this opinion because Daniel (10:8) could not endure his
912 sight of an angel, and so these disciples could not have endured the coming of
913 the Holy Spirit unless they had been prepared. But Chrysostom himself says that
914 the Holy Spirit was given to the disciples, not for all tasks in general, but
915 for a specific task, that is, to forgive sin. Augustine and Gregory say that
916 the Holy Spirit has two precepts of love: love of God and of neighbor.<a
917 href="#_ftn24" name="_ftnref24">[24]</a>
918 Therefore, the Holy Spirit was given the first time on earth to indicate the
919 precept of the love of neighbor; and the Spirit was given the second time from
920 heaven to indicate the precept of the love of God.
921
922 <p>2541 Thirdly, we see the fruit of the gift, If you forgive
923 the sins of any, they are forgiven. This forgiving of sins is a fitting effect
924 of the Holy Spirit. This is so because the Holy Spirit is charity, love, and
925 through the Holy Spirit love is given to us: "God's love has been poured into
926 our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us" (Rom 5:5). Now
927 it is only through love that sins are forgiven, for "Love covers all offenses"
928 (Prv 10:12); "Love covers a multitude of sins" (1 Pet 4:8).
929
930 <p>2542 We can ask here why we read, <b>If you forgive the sins
931 of any</b>,<b> </b>for only God forgives sins? Some say that only God forgives
932 the sin, while the priest absolves only from the debt of punishment, and
933 pronounces the person free from the stain of sin. This is not true: for the
934 sacrament of Penance, since it is a sacrament of the New Law, gives grace, as
935 does Baptism. Now in the sacrament of Baptism, the priest baptizes as an
936 instrument, and yet he confers grace. It is similar in the sacrament of
937 Penance, the priest absolves from the sin and the punishment as a minister and
938 sacramentally, insofar as he administers the sacrament in which sins are
939 forgiven. The statement that God alone forgives sins authoritatively is true.
940 So also, only God baptizes, but the priest is the minister, as was said.
941
942 <p>2543 Another question arises from the statements, <b>Receive
943 the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven. </b>It
944 seems from this that one who does not have the Holy Spirit cannot forgive sins.
945 We should say about this that if the forgiveness of sins was the personal work
946 of the priest, that is, that he did this by his own power, he could not
947 sanctify anyone unless he himself were holy. But the forgiveness of sins is the
948 personal work of God, who forgives sins by his own power and authority. The
949 priest is only the instrument. Therefore, just as a master, through his servant
950 and minister, whether good or bad, can accomplish what he wills, so our Lord,
951 through his ministers, even if they are evil, can confer the sacraments, in
952 which grace is given.
953
954 <p>2544 Again, there is a question about, <b>If you forgive the
955 sins of any, they are forgiven. </b>We should say, as we already did, that in
956 the sacraments the priest acts as a minister: "This is how one should regard
957 us, as servants [ministers] of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God" (1
958 Cor 4:1). Thus, in the same way that God forgives and retains sins, so also
959 does the priest. Now God forgives sins by giving grace, and he is said to
960 retain by not giving grace because of some obstacle in the one who is to
961 receive it. So also the minister forgives sins, insofar as he dispenses a
962 sacrament of the Church, and he retains insofar as he accounts someone unworthy
963 to receive the sacrament.
964
965 <p align=center><B>LECTURE 5
966
967 <BLOCKQUOTE><p>24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin
968 [Didymus], was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told
969 him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands
970 the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place
971 my hand in his side, I will not believe."<a href="#_ftn25" name="_ftnref25"
972 title=""><b>[25]</b></a></B></BLOCKQUOTE>
973
974 <p>2545 After describing our Savior's appearance, the
975 Evangelist now mentions the doubt of one of the disciples. First, we see that
976 this disciple was absent; secondly, he is told about our Lord's appearance; and
977 thirdly, we see his stubborn doubt.
978
979 <p>2546 The disciple who was absent is first identified by his
980 name, <b>Thomas</b>,<b> </b>which means a "twin" or an "abyss." An abyss has
981 both depth and darkness. And Thomas was an abyss on account of the darkness of
982 his disbelief, of which he was the cause. Again, there is an abyss &#8209; the
983 depths of Christ's compassion - which he had for Thomas. We read: "Abyss calls
984 to abyss" [Ps 42:7]. That is, the depths of Christ's compassion calls to the
985 depths of darkness [of disbelief] in Thomas, and Thomas' abyss of unwillingness
986 [to believe] calls out, when he professes the faith, to the depths of Christ.
987
988 <p>Secondly, the dignity of the
989 disciple is mentioned, for he was <b>one of the twelve. </b>There were not
990 actually twelve at that time, for Judas had died (Mt 25:5), but he was called
991 one of the twelve because he had been called to that elevated rank which our
992 Lord had set apart as twelve in number: "He called his disciples, and chose
993 from them twelve, whom he named apostles" (Lk 6:13). And God wanted this number
994 to always remain unchanged.
995
996 <p>Thirdly, he is described by the
997 meaning of his name, <b>Thomas, called Didymus. </b>Thomas is a Syrian or a
998 Hebrew name and has two meanings: twin and abyss. The English word "twin" is
999 "Didymus" in Greek. Because John wrote his Gospel in Greek, he used the word
1000 Didymus. Perhaps he was called the Twin because he was from the tribe of
1001 Benjamin, in which some or all were twins. Or, this name could be taken from
1002 his doubting, for one who is certain holds firmly to one side, but one who
1003 doubts accepts one opinion but fears another might be true.
1004
1005 <p>2547 <b>Thomas ... was not with them</b>,<b> </b>the
1006 disciples, <b>when Jesus came</b>, for he returned later than the others who
1007 had scattered during the day, and so he had missed the comfort of seeing the
1008 Lord, the conferring of peace and the breath giving the Holy Spirit. This
1009 teaches us not to become separated from one's companions, "not neglecting to
1010 meet together, as is the habit of some" (Heb 10:25). As Gregory says, it was
1011 not by accident that this chosen disciple was missing, but by God's will.<a
1012 href="#_ftn26" name="_ftnref26">[26]</a>
1013 It was in the plans of the divine pity that by feeling the wounds in the flesh
1014 of his Teacher, the doubting disciple should heal in us the wounds of
1015 disbelief.
1016
1017 <p>Here we have the strongest signs of
1018 God's profound pity. First, in this: that he loves the human race so much that
1019 he sometimes allows tribulations to afflict his elect, so that from these some
1020 good can accrue to the human race. This was the reason he allowed the apostles,
1021 the prophets and the holy martyrs to be afflicted: "Therefore I have hewn them
1022 by the prophets, I have slain them by the words of my mouth" (Hos 6:5); "If we
1023 are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted it
1024 is for your comfort which you experience when you patiently endure the same
1025 sufferings that we suffer" (2 Cor 1:6). Even more remarkable is that God allows
1026 some saint to fall into sin in order to teach us. Why did God allow some saints
1027 and holy men to sin gravely (as David did by adultery and murder) if not to
1028 teach us to be more careful and humble? It is so that one who thinks he is
1029 standing firm will take care not to fall, and so that one who has fallen will
1030 make the effort to rise. Thus, Ambrose said to the Emperor Theodosius: "The one
1031 you followed by sinning, try now to follow by repenting."<a href="#_ftn27"
1032 name="_ftnref27">[27]</a>
1033 And Gregory says that the disbelief of Thomas was of more benefit to our faith
1034 than the faith of the disciples who did believe.<a href="#_ftn28"
1035 name="_ftnref28">[28]</a>
1036
1037 <p>2548 Thomas is told about our Lord's appearance. Because he
1038 had not been with the others, <b>the other disciples told him, We have seen the
1039 Lord. </b>This was by the divine plan, which is that what one receives from God
1040 should be shared with others: "As each has received a gift, employ it for one
1041 another" (1 Pet 4:10); "I have seen the Lord, and I have been saved" [Gen
1042 32:30].
1043
1044 <p>2549 When Thomas said, <b>Unless I see the print of the
1045 nails.... </b>we see how stubborn he was in doubting. It would have been
1046 justifiable if he had not immediately believed, for we read, "One who trusts
1047 others too quickly is light&#8209;minded" (Sir 19:4). But to overdo one's
1048 search, especially about the secrets of God, shows a coarseness of mind: "As it
1049 is not good to eat much honey, so one who searches into the majesty [of God] is
1050 overwhelmed by its glory" [Prv 25:27]; "Seek not what is too difficult for you,
1051 nor investigate what is beyond your power. Reflect upon what has been assigned
1052 to you, for you do not need what is hidden" (Sir 3:22).
1053
1054 <p>2550 Thomas was difficult to convince and unreasonable in
1055 his demands. He was difficult because he refused to believe without some
1056 sensible facts, not just from one sense but from two, sight<b> &#8209; unless I
1057 see in his hands the print of the nails </b>&#8209; and touch &#8209; <b>and
1058 place my hand in his side. </b>He was unreasonable because he insisted on
1059 seeing the wounds before believing, although he would be seeing something
1060 greater, that is, the entire person risen and restored. And although Thomas
1061 said these things because of his own doubts, this was arranged by God for our
1062 benefit and progress. It is certain that Christ, who arose as a complete
1063 person, could have healed the marks of his wounds; but he kept them for our
1064 benefit.
1065 <BR><BR><BR>
1066 <p align=center><B>LECTURE 6
1067
1068 <BLOCKQUOTE><p>26 Eight days later, his disciples were again in the
1069 house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood
1070 among them, and said, "Peace be with you." 27 Then he said to Thomas, "Put your
1071 finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side;
1072 do not be faithless, but believing." 28 Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my
1073 God!" 29 Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me?
1074 [Because you have seen me, Thomas, you have believed.] Blessed are those who
1075 have not seen and yet believe [have believed]." 30 Now Jesus did many other
1076 signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31
1077 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of
1078 God, and that believing you may have life in his name.<a href="#_ftn29"
1079 name="_ftnref29">[29]</a></B></BLOCKQUOTE>
1080
1081 <p>2551 Now the Evangelist presents our Lord's second
1082 appearance. It was to all the disciples, including Thomas. First, he mentions
1083 Christ appearing; secondly, we see that Thomas is now convinced; thirdly, the
1084 Evangelist comments on what he has included in his gospel (30). He does three
1085 things about the first: the time of Christ's appearance is mentioned; then to
1086 whom he appeared; and thirdly, the way he came (v 26).
1087
1088 <p>2552 The time was <b>eight days later</b>,<b> </b>that is,
1089 from the day of our Lord's resurrection, on the evening of which he first
1090 appeared. One literal reason for mentioning the time was so that the Evangelist
1091 could show that although Christ had appeared frequently to the disciples, he
1092 did not remain with them continually, since he had not arisen to the same kind
1093 of life, just as we will not rise to the same kind of life: "All the days of my
1094 service I would wait, till my release should come" [Job 14:14]. A reason for
1095 the delay was so that Thomas, hearing about our Lord's first appearance from
1096 the disciples, would develop a stronger desire and become more disposed to
1097 believe. A mystical reason for our Lord's appearance after eight days is that
1098 this indicates how he will appear to us in glory [as immortal, etc.]: "When he
1099 appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is" (1 Jn 3:2). He
1100 will appear to us in the eighth age, which is the age of those who have risen
1101 from the dead.
1102
1103 <p>2553 The Evangelist shows to whom he appeared when he says, <b>his
1104 disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. </b>We should note
1105 that Thomas was the only one who needed this appearance of Christ, but even so
1106 our Lord did not appear to him alone, but to the group. This shows that it is
1107 not very pleasing to God to exist in isolation, but it is to live in a unity of
1108 charity with others: "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am
1109 I in the midst of them" (Mt 18:20). Those to whom Christ appears [in this life]
1110 are not all gathered into one group, and this present assembly of the disciples
1111 did not include every such one. But in the future all will be gathered
1112 together, and no one absent: "Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be
1113 gathered together" (Mt 24:28); "He will send out his angels with a loud trumpet
1114 call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of
1115 heaven to the other" (Mt 24:31).
1116
1117 <p>2554 He shows the way Christ appeared by saying, <b>The
1118 doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said, Peace be with
1119 you. </b>This was explained before. The Evangelist notes three things here.
1120 First, how Christ came, <b>the doors were shut. </b>As Augustine says, this was
1121 done miraculously, by the same power which enabled him to walk on the water.<a
1122 href="#_ftn30" name="_ftnref30">[30]</a>
1123 Secondly, where he stood, <b>among them</b>,<b> </b>so he could be seen by all,
1124 as was fitting. Thirdly, we see what he said, <b>Peace be with you</b>,<b> </b>that
1125 is, the peace coming from reconciliation, reconciliation with God, which Jesus
1126 said had now been accomplished: "We were reconciled to God by the death of his
1127 Son" (Rom 5:10); "making peace by the blood of his cross" (Col 1:20). Jesus
1128 also announced to them the future peace of eternity and immortality, which he
1129 had promised them: "He makes peace in your borders" (Ps 147:14); and also the
1130 peace of charity and unity, which he commanded them to maintain: "Be at peace
1131 with one another" (Mk 9:49).
1132
1133 <p>2555 Now the Evangelist shows how the doubting disciple was
1134 rescued and persuaded. Here we see a second sign of God's pity, which is that
1135 he quickly comes to help his elect even though they fall. Indeed, the elect
1136 fall at times, just like the reprobate. But there is a difference: the
1137 reprobate are crushed, but the Lord quickly puts his hand under the elect so
1138 they can rise up: "When a just person falls he will not be crushed, for the
1139 Lord will put his hand under him" [Ps 37:27]; "When I thought, 'My foot slips,'
1140 your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up" (Ps 94:18). And so our Lord quickly
1141 puts his hand under the fallen Thomas so that when Thomas said, <b>Unless I see
1142 ... I will not believe</b>,<b> </b>our Lord rescues him, saying, <b>Put your
1143 finger here</b>. Three things are mentioned here: first, our Lord shows his
1144 wounds; secondly, we see Thomas' profession; and thirdly, his slowness to
1145 believe is reproved.
1146
1147 <p>2556 Regarding the first, note that Thomas laid down his own
1148 conditions for believing, which were that he see and feel Christ's wounds, as
1149 was said. If these conditions were met, he promised to believe. So our Lord,
1150 helping him by the presence of his divinity, rescued him by meeting these
1151 conditions. First, we see the conditions being met; secondly Thomas is asked to
1152 keep his promise (v 27).
1153
1154 <p>2557 One condition was that he feel the wounds, so Christ
1155 said, <b>Put your finger here. </b>A problem arises here because there can be
1156 no defects in a glorified body, and wounds are defects. How then can there be
1157 wounds in the body of Christ? Augustine answers this in this book, <i>On the
1158 Creed</i>, when he says: "Christ could have removed all traces of his wounds from
1159 his risen and glorified body, but he had reasons for retaining them. First, to
1160 show them to Thomas, who would not believe unless he touched and saw. Again, he
1161 will use them to rebuke unbelievers and sinners at the judgment. He will not
1162 say to them, as he did to Thomas, 'Because you have seen me, you have
1163 believed,' but rather, to convict them, 'Behold the man you have crucified, the
1164 wounds you have inflicted. Look at the side you have pierced. It was opened for
1165 your sake, and you refused to enter.'"<a href="#_ftn31" name="_ftnref31"
1166 title="">[31]</a>
1167
1168 <p>2558 Another question on this point is whether or not the
1169 traces of the martyrs' wounds will remain on their bodies. Augustine, in his <i>The
1170 City of God </i>(22), answers this in a similar manner, saying they will
1171 remain, not as a disfigurement but like a great ornamental beauty. He says
1172 "These wounds in their body will not be a deformity, but a dignity. And
1173 although on their bodies, they will radiate not a bodily but a spiritual
1174 beauty. Of course, the martyrs who suffered amputation or decapitation will not
1175 appear in the resurrection without their hands and members &#8209; for they too
1176 have been told that not a hair of their head would perish. Indeed, even though
1177 their members were mutilated or cut off, they will be restored, yet the traces
1178 of their wounds will remain."<a href="#_ftn32" name="_ftnref32">[32]</a>
1179
1180 <p>2559 Gregory asks how the Lord could offer his body to be
1181 touched because it was incorruptible, for what is incorruptible cannot be
1182 touched.<a href="#_ftn33" name="_ftnref33">[33]</a>
1183 "Christ being raised from the dead will never die again" (Rom 6:9). The
1184 heretic, Eutyches, was influenced by this to say that the body of Christ and
1185 the bodies of all those who rise will not be touchable, but fine and spiritual,
1186 like the wind or a breath. But since this is contrary to what our Lord said -
1187 "Handle me, and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see that I
1188 have" (Lk 24:39) &#8209; our Lord showed that he was incorruptible and
1189 touchable to demonstrate that his body after his resurrection was of the same
1190 nature as before, and what had been corruptible had now put on incorruption (1
1191 Cor 15:53). It was the same in nature, but with a different glory: for what had
1192 been heavy and lowly arose in glory and subtlety, as the effect of spiritual
1193 power.
1194
1195 <p>2560 Our Lord continued, saying, <b>see my hands</b>, which
1196 hung on the cross, <b>and put out your hand, and place it in my side</b>,<b> </b>which
1197 was pierced by the spear, and realize that I am the same person who had hung
1198 upon the cross. As for the mystical interpretation, a finger signifies
1199 knowledge, and a hand signifies our works. Thus when Thomas is told to put his
1200 finger and hand into the wounds of Christ, we are being told to use our
1201 knowledge and works for the service of Christ: "But far be it from me to glory
1202 except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Gal 6:14).
1203
1204 <p>2561 Our Lord holds Thomas to his promise saying, <b>do not
1205 be faithless, but believing</b>:<b> </b>"Be faithful unto death" (Rev 2:10).
1206
1207 <p>2562 The Evangelist now mentions Thomas' profession. It
1208 seems that Thomas quickly became a good theologian by professing a true faith.
1209 He professed the humanity of Christ when he said, <b>My Lord</b>, for he had
1210 called Christ this before the passion: "You call me Teacher and Lord" (Jn
1211 13:13). And he professed the divinity of Christ when he said, <b>and my God</b>.
1212 Before this, the only one who had called Christ God was Peter: "You are the
1213 Christ, the Son of the living God" (Mt 16:16); "This is the true God and
1214 eternal life" (1 Jn 5:20).
1215
1216 <p>2563 Our Lord reproaches Thomas for being slow to believe, <b>because
1217 you have seen me, Thomas, you have believed</b>;<b> </b>and then he praises the
1218 others for being quick to believe.
1219
1220 <p>2564 <b>Because you have seen me, Thomas, you have believed</b>.
1221 There is a problem here: for since faith is the substance of the things we hope
1222 for, the conviction about things that are not seen (Heb 11:1), why does our
1223 Lord say, <b>because you have seen me you have believed</b>? We should say in
1224 answer that Thomas saw one thing and believed another. He saw the man and the
1225 wounds, and from these he believed in the divinity of the one who had arisen.
1226
1227 <p>2565 There is a second question. Because Thomas said that he
1228 would not believe unless he saw and touched, and our Lord was willing for him
1229 to see and touch, it seems our Lord should have replied, "because you have seen
1230 and touched me you have believed." One can say, with Augustine, that we use the
1231 sense of sight for any of the senses.<a href="#_ftn34" name="_ftnref34">[34]</a>
1232 We say, "See how warm it is"; "See how it sounds"; "See how it tastes and
1233 smells." So our Lord said, <b>Put your finger here, and see</b>, not because
1234 the finger can see, but as meaning, "Touch and perceive." So Christ says here,<b>
1235 because you have seen me</b>, that is, because you have perceived through
1236 touch. Or, one could say that Thomas became flustered when he saw Christ's
1237 wounds and scars, and before he touched Christ with his finger he believed and
1238 said, <b>My Lord and my God. </b>For Gregory, Thomas did touch Christ, but did
1239 not profess his faith until he saw [the wounds].<a href="#_ftn35"
1240 name="_ftnref35">[35]</a>
1241
1242 <p>2566 When Christ said, <b>Blessed are those who have not
1243 seen and yet have believed</b>,<b> </b>he was praising the readiness of others
1244 to believe; and this applies especially to us. He says, "have believed" rather
1245 than "shall believe" because of the certitude [of his knowledge].
1246
1247 <p>Luke seems to say the contrary:
1248 "Blessed are the eyes which see what you see" (Lk 10:23). Thus, those who have
1249 seen are more blessed that those who have not seen. I answer that blessedness
1250 is of two kinds. One is the actual state of blessedness, which consists in
1251 God's reward, where the better one sees the happier, the more blessed, he is.
1252 In this respect, the eyes that see are blessed, because this is the reward of
1253 grace. The other blessedness is the hoped&#8209;for blessedness, which is based
1254 on one's merits. And in this case the more one can merit the more blessed he
1255 is. And, the one who believes and does not see, merits more than one who
1256 believes when he sees.
1257
1258 <p>2567 Now the Evangelist gives his epilogue: first he
1259 mentions the incompleteness of his gospel; secondly, the benefits it will give
1260 (v 31). Its incompleteness is clear, for <b>Jesus did many other signs in the
1261 presence of the disciples</b>, "Lo, these are but the outskirts of his ways;
1262 and how small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power who can
1263 understand?" (Job 26:14); "Many things greater than these lie hidden, for we
1264 have seen but few of his works" (Si 43:32). According to Chrysostom, John said
1265 this because he mentioned fewer miracles than the other evangelists and he did
1266 not want it to be thought that he was denying these other miracles, and so he
1267 especially added, <b>which are not written in this book.</b><a href="#_ftn36"
1268 name="_ftnref36">[36]</a><b>
1269 </b>Or, John could be referring to the passion and resurrection of Christ,
1270 meaning that after his resurrection Christ gave many indications of his
1271 resurrection "in the presence of the disciples" that were not shown to others:
1272 "God ... made him manifest; not to all the people but to us who were chosen by
1273 God as witnesses," (Acts 10:40).
1274
1275 <p>2568 Now he mentions the benefits given by this gospel. It
1276 is useful for producing faith: <b>these are written that you may believe that
1277 Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God</b>. Indeed, all Scripture, both the Old
1278 and New Testaments, are for this purpose: "The beginning of the book writes
1279 about me" [Ps 40:7]; "Search the scriptures ... it is they that bear witness to
1280 me" (5:39). Another benefit of his gospel is that it also produces the fruit of
1281 life, <b>and that believing you may have life</b>: the life of righteousness,
1282 which is given by faith &#8209; "The righteous shall live by his faith" (Hab
1283 2:4) &#8209; and in the future, the life of vision, which is given by glory.
1284 This life is in his name, the name of Christ: "There is no other name under
1285 heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
1286
1287 </div>
1288
1289 <div><br clear=all>
1290
1291 <hr align=left size=1 width="33%">
1292
1293 <div id=ftn1>
1294
1295 <p><a href="#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1">[1]</a>
1296 St. Thomas refers to Jn 20:1 in the <i>Summa
1297 Theologiae</i>: III, q. 51, a. 4, ad 2; q. 53, a. 2, obj. 3; q. 83, a. 2, ad 4.
1298
1299 </div>
1300
1301 <div id=ftn2>
1302
1303 <p><a href="#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2">[2]</a> <i>De consensus evangelistarum</i>, 3, ch. 24; PL 34; cf. <i>Catena Aurea</i>, 20:1-9.
1304
1305 </div>
1306
1307 <div id=ftn3>
1308
1309 <p><a href="#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3">[3]</a> <i>In Ioannem hom</i>., 85, ch.
1310 5; PG 59, col 466; cf. <i>Catena Aurea</i>, 20:1-9.
1311
1312 </div>
1313
1314 <div id=ftn4>
1315
1316 <p><a href="#_ftnref4" name="_ftn4">[4]</a> <i>Tract.
1317 in Io</i>., 120, ch. 9, col. 1955; cf. <i>Catena
1318 Aurea</i>,<i> </i>20:1-9.
1319
1320 </div>
1321
1322 <div id=ftn5>
1323
1324 <p><a href="#_ftnref5" name="_ftn5">[5]</a> <i>In Ioannem hom</i>., 85, ch. 5; PG 59, col 466.
1325
1326 </div>
1327
1328 <div id=ftn6>
1329
1330 <p><a href="#_ftnref6" name="_ftn6">[6]</a> <i>Tract.
1331 in Io</i>., 121, ch. 1, col. 1956; cf. <i>Catena
1332 Aurea</i>,<i> </i>20:10-18.
1333
1334 </div>
1335
1336 <div id=ftn7>
1337
1338 <p><a href="#_ftnref7" name="_ftn7">[7]</a> <i>XL
1339 homiliae in Evangelista</i>, fin; PL 76; cf. <i>Catena
1340 Aurea,</i> 20:10-18.
1341
1342 </div>
1343
1344 <div id=ftn8>
1345
1346 <p><a href="#_ftnref8" name="_ftn8">[8]</a>
1347 Augustine, <i>Confessions</i>.
1348
1349 </div>
1350
1351 <div id=ftn9>
1352
1353 <p><a href="#_ftnref9" name="_ftn9">[9]</a> <i>In Ioannem hom</i>., 86, ch. 1; PG 59, col. 467; cf. <i>Catena Aurea</i>,
1354 20:10-18.
1355
1356 </div>
1357
1358 <div id=ftn10>
1359
1360 <p><a href="#_ftnref10" name="_ftn10">[10]</a>
1361 St. Thomas refers to Jn 20:17 in the <i>Summa
1362 Theologiae</i>: III, q. 20, a. 2, s. c. 3; q. 23, a. 2, obj, 2; q. 23, a. 2, ad
1363 2; q. 55, a. 6, obj. 3; q. 57, a. 1, obj. 4, and s. c.; q. 80, a. 4, ad 1.
1364
1365 </div>
1366
1367 <div id=ftn11>
1368
1369 <p><a href="#_ftnref11" name="_ftn11">[11]</a> <i>In Ioannem hom</i>., 86, ch. 1; PG 59, col. 468; cf. <i>Catena Aurea</i>, 20:10-18.
1370
1371 </div>
1372
1373 <div id=ftn12>
1374
1375 <p><a href="#_ftnref12" name="_ftn12">[12]</a>
1376 <i>XL homiliae in Evangelista</i>, 25; PL 76; cf. <i>Catena Aurea,</i> 20:10-18.
1377
1378 </div>
1379
1380 <div id=ftn13>
1381
1382 <p><a href="#_ftnref13" name="_ftn13">[13]</a>
1383 <i>Tract. in Io</i>.,
1384 121, ch. 2, col. 1956-7; cf. <i>Catena Aurea</i>,<i>
1385 </i>20:10-18.
1386
1387 </div>
1388
1389 <div id=ftn14>
1390
1391 <p><a href="#_ftnref14" name="_ftn14">[14]</a> <i>XL
1392 homiliae in Evangelista</i>, 25; PL 76; cf. <i>Catena
1393 Aurea,</i> 20:10-18.
1394
1395 </div>
1396
1397 <div id=ftn15>
1398
1399 <p><a href="#_ftnref15" name="_ftn15">[15]</a> <i>De Trin</i>., 1, 3; cf. <i>Catena Aurea</i>, 20:10-18.
1400
1401 </div>
1402
1403 <div id=ftn16>
1404
1405 <p><a href="#_ftnref16" name="_ftn16">[16]</a> <i>In Ioannem hom</i>., 186, ch. 2; PG 59; cf. <i>Catena
1406 Aurea</i>, 20:10-18.
1407
1408 </div>
1409
1410 <div id=ftn17>
1411
1412 <p><a href="#_ftnref17" name="_ftn17">[17]</a><i>Tract.
1413 in Io</i>., 121, ch. 3, col. 1957-8; cf. <i>Catena Aurea</i>,<i> </i>20:10-18.
1414
1415 </div>
1416
1417 <div id=ftn18>
1418
1419 <p><a href="#_ftnref18" name="_ftn18">[18]</a>
1420 St. Thomas refers to Jn 20:19 in the <i>Summa
1421 Theologiae</i>: III, q. 54, a. 1, obj. 1; q, 55, a. 3, s. c.; Jn 20:20: <i>ST </i>III,
1422 q. 55, a. 3, obj. 1; Jn 20:22: <i>ST</i> I, q. 91, a. 4, ad 3; III, q. 3, a. 8,
1423 obj. 3; Jn 20:23: <i>ST </i>III, q. 3, a. 8, obj. 3; q. 84, a. 3, ad 3.
1424
1425 </div>
1426
1427 <div id=ftn19>
1428
1429 <p><a href="#_ftnref19" name="_ftn19">[19]</a>
1430 Aristotle.
1431
1432 </div>
1433
1434 <div id=ftn20>
1435
1436 <p><a href="#_ftnref20" name="_ftn20">[20]</a>
1437 <i>Serm. Pasch.,</i>110;
1438 cf. <i>Catena Aurea</i>,<i> </i>20:19-25.
1439
1440 </div>
1441
1442 <div id=ftn21>
1443
1444 <p><a href="#_ftnref21" name="_ftn21">[21]</a> <i>Tract.
1445 in Io</i>., 121, ch. 4, col. 1958; cf. <i>Catena
1446 Aurea</i>,<i> </i>20:19-25.
1447
1448 </div>
1449
1450 <div id=ftn22>
1451
1452 <p><a href="#_ftnref22" name="_ftn22">[22]</a> <i>De Trin</i>., 4, ch. 20; cf. <i>Catena
1453 Aurea</i>,<i> </i>20:19-25.
1454
1455 </div>
1456
1457 <div id=ftn23>
1458
1459 <p><a href="#_ftnref23" name="_ftn23">[23]</a> <i>In Ioannem hom</i>., 86; PG 59;
1460 cf. <i>Catena Aurea</i>, 20:19-25.
1461
1462 </div>
1463
1464 <div id=ftn24>
1465
1466 <p><a href="#_ftnref24" name="_ftn24">[24]</a> <i>XL
1467 homiliae in Evangelista</i>, 26; PL 76; cf. <i>Catena
1468 Aurea,</i> 20:19-25.
1469
1470 </div>
1471
1472 <div id=ftn25>
1473
1474 <p><a href="#_ftnref25" name="_ftn25">[25]</a>
1475 St. Thomas refers to Jn 20:25-28 in the <i>Summa
1476 Theologiae</i>: III, q. 14, a. 4, s. c.
1477
1478 </div>
1479
1480 <div id=ftn26>
1481
1482 <p><a href="#_ftnref26" name="_ftn26">[26]</a>
1483 <i>XL homiliae in Evangelista</i>, 26; PL 76; cf. <i>Catena
1484 Aurea,</i> 20:26-31.
1485
1486 </div>
1487
1488 <div id=ftn27>
1489
1490 <p><a href="#_ftnref27" name="_ftn27">[27]</a>
1491 Ambrose.
1492
1493 </div>
1494
1495 <div id=ftn28>
1496
1497 <p><a href="#_ftnref28" name="_ftn28">[28]</a>
1498 <i>XL homiliae in Evangelista</i>, 26; PL 76; cf. <i>Catena
1499 Aurea,</i> 20:26-31.
1500
1501 </div>
1502
1503 <div id=ftn29>
1504
1505 <p><a href="#_ftnref29" name="_ftn29">[29]</a>
1506 St. Thomas refers to Jn 20:26 in the <i>Summa
1507 Theologiae: </i> III, q. 55, a. 3, s. c.; Jn 20:27: <i>ST</i> III, q. 54, a. 4,
1508 s. c.; Jn 20:26: <i>ST</i> III, q. 55, a. 3, obj. 4 and s. c.; Jn 20:29: <i>ST</i>
1509 II-II, q. 1, a. 4, obj. 1; III, q. 41, a. 2, ad 1; q. 55, a. 5, obj. 3; Jn 20:
1510 31: <i>ST</i> I, q. 1. a. 8, obj. 1; I-II, q. 106, a. 1, obj. 1.
1511
1512 </div>
1513
1514 <div id=ftn30>
1515
1516 <p><a href="#_ftnref30" name="_ftn30">[30]</a> <i>Serm.
1517 Tap. ad Cat</i>., 2, 8; cf. <i>Catena Aurea,</i>
1518 20:26-31.
1519
1520 </div>
1521
1522 <div id=ftn31>
1523
1524 <p><a href="#_ftnref31" name="_ftn31">[31]</a> <i>De
1525 Symbolo</i>, 2, 8; cf. <i>Catena Aurea,</i>
1526 20:26-31.
1527
1528 </div>
1529
1530 <div id=ftn32>
1531
1532 <p><a href="#_ftnref32" name="_ftn32">[32]</a> <i>De
1533 Civitate Dei</i>, 22, 19; cf. <i>Catena Aurea,</i>
1534 20:26-31.
1535
1536 </div>
1537
1538 <div id=ftn33>
1539
1540 <p><a href="#_ftnref33" name="_ftn33">[33]</a> <i>XL
1541 homiliae in Evangelista</i>, 26; PL 76; cf. <i>Catena
1542 Aurea,</i> 20:26-31.
1543
1544 </div>
1545
1546 <div id=ftn34>
1547
1548 <p><a href="#_ftnref34" name="_ftn34">[34]</a> <i>Tract.
1549 in Io</i>., 121, ch. 5, col. 1958; cf. <i>Catena
1550 Aurea</i>,<i> </i>20:26-31.
1551
1552 </div>
1553
1554 <div id=ftn35>
1555
1556 <p><a href="#_ftnref35" name="_ftn35">[35]</a> <i>XL
1557 homiliae in Evangelista</i>, 26; PL 76; cf. <i>Catena
1558 Aurea,</i> 20:26-31.
1559
1560 </div>
1561
1562 <div id=ftn36>
1563
1564 <p><a href="#_ftnref36" name="_ftn36">[36]</a> <i>In Ioannem hom</i>., 87; PG 59; cf. <i>Catena Aurea</i>, 20:26-31.
1565 </body></html>