vow unto Me: I will make thee | unto them, bearing in mind, not their fruitful and multiply thee. Y. Surely works, but their teaching. For He the LORD is in this place, and I knew saith: The Scribes and Pharisees sit it not. I will. in Moses' seat: by seat He showeth the teaching of the Law. And so when it is said in the Psalms: He Lesson III. FOR whereas men, whose hope is in GOD, ought not to render evil, even for evil: these however render evil for good. Therefore the LORD foretold them, and by His foreknowledge pronounced their sentence, that they shall die in their sins. Then He added: Whither I go, thither ye cannot come. His disciples in another place: but yet He said not to them, Ye shall die in your sins. But what said He? The same as to these: Whither I go, thither ye cannot come. He took not away hope, but He foretold delay. For when the LORD spake this to His disciples, though they could not then go whither He was going, they should go thither afterwards: but those would never go thither to whom He, by His foreknowledge, said: Ye shall die in your sins. This He also said to Ry. God give thee. p. cxxx. TUESDAY. Lesson of the Holy Gospel according to S. Matthew. Lesson I. Chap. xxiii. AT that time: JESUS spake unto the multitude, and to His disciples, saying: The Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses' seat; all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do ye not after their works. And that which follows. A Homily of S. Jerome the Priest. Book 4. Comm. on S. Matt. 23. Who was gentler or more gracious than the LORD? When tempted by the Pharisees, He brake their plots in pieces, and according to the Psalmist: The arrows of babes were made to become their punishment: yet nevertheless because of the dignity of their priesthood and of their name, He exhorted the people to be subject hath not sat in the seat of the scornful: and, He overthrew the seats of them that sold doves: by seat we are to understand teaching. Ry. When Jacob. p. cxxx. Lesson II. FOR they bind heavy burdens, and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. This is spoken generally against all masters, who, while they command great things, do not themselves do even small things. It should also be observed that shoulders, fingers, and burdens, and the bonds by which the burdens are fastened, are to be understood in a spiritual sense. But all their works they do for to be seen of men. Whoever therefore doeth anything to be seen of men, is a scribe and a Pharisee. Ry. If the LORD. p. cxxxi. THEY make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, and love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi. Woe unto us, wretched men, unto whom the vices of the Pharisees have passed on! The LORD, when He had given the commandments of the law by Moses, added last of all: thou shalt bind them upon thine hand, and they shall not be removed from before thine eyes. And this is the sense: let My commandments be in thine hand, that they may be fulfilled in deed: let them be before thine eyes, that day and night thou mayest meditate upon them. The Pharisees, wrongly interpreting this, wrote upon parchment the decalogue of Moses, that is, the ten sentences of the law, | greedy for the thing she asketh; yet folding them and binding them upon their foreheads; making, as it were, a sort of crown on their heads, so that they were ever before their eyes. A Homily of S. Ambrose the Bishop. Book 5. on the Faith. Consider what the mother of Zebedee's children asked with her sons and for her sons; she is a mother, anxious for the honour of her sons; and the amount of her desires, though somewhat unreasonable, may nevertheless be excused. A mother too, of great age, devout, deprived of consolation, who, at the time when nevertheless this avarice is pardonable, for she is greedy, not for money, but for grace. Nor is her petition one that bringeth shame, for it is not on her own behalf, but for her children. Consider that she is a mother, and think thereupon. Ry. I have seen the LORD. p. cxxxii. CHRIST had respect unto the mother's love, which found in the reward of her children, the solace of hoary old age; which endured the absence of those dearest to her, though wearied with a mother's longings. Consider also the woman, that is, the weaker sex, which God had not yet strengthened by His own passion; consider, I say, an heir of Eve, the first woman, falling through that inor dinate desire which was transmitted to all her posterity; whom as yet the LORD had not redeemed by His own blood; that love for undue and unlawful eminence rooted in the minds of all, CHRIST had not yet destroyed by shedding His blood. This woman therefore fell into the error of her race. Ry. When Jacob heard. p. cxxxii. THURSDAY. to S. John. she might look for help and support Lesson of the Holy Gospel according from sons in the vigour of life, allowed her children to be absent from her, and preferred that her sons should be rewarded for following CHRIST, to her own pleasure. These sons when called by the LORD, at the first sound of his voice, as we read, left their nets and their father, and followed Him. Ry. The angel said. p. cxxxi. Lesson II. SHE, therefore, with all the earnest ness of natural eagerness, somewhat tenderly besought our SAVIOUR, saying: Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on Thy right and the other on Thy left in Thy kingdom. Though this was a mistake, yet it was a pious mistake. For maternal tenderness knoweth not patience, being Lesson I. Chap. v. AT that time: JESUS said unto the multitude of the Jews: I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the FATHER which hath sent me. A Homily of S. Augustine. Tract 22 on S. John. If as Thou hearest Thou judgest, of whom dost Thou hear? If of the FATHER, verily, the FATHER judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the SON. Since Thou art the FATHER'S herald, speak that which Thou dost hear. What I hear, that I speak, because what the FATHER is, that am I: for speaking is | was a certain householder, which Lesson II. IF Thou doest nothing of Thyself, O LORD JESU, as fleshly minds think, if Thou doest nothing of Thyself, how didst Thou say just before: even so the Son quickeneth whom He will? Now Thou sayest: I can of Mine own self do nothing: but what doth the SON give us to understand, save that He is of the FATHER? He that is of the FATHER is not of Himself. If the SON were of Himself, He should not be the SoN: He is of the FATHER. The Being of the FATHER is not of the Son; the Being of the Son is of the FATHER. He is equal to the FATHER; nevertheless the SoN is of the FATHER, and not the FATHER of the SON. Ry. See. p. cxxx. Lesson III. THE Only SON saith: I seek not Mine own will; and men choose to do their own will. He humbleth Himself so greatly, Who is equal to the FATHER; and he exalteth himself so greatly who lieth in the lowest depths, and who riseth not except a hand be stretched out unto him. Let us then, do the will of the FATHER, the will of the Son, and the will of the HOLY GHOST; for in this TRINITY there is one will, one might, one majesty; but for this cause the SoN saith: I came not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him which sent Me; because CHRIST is not of Himself, but is of His FATHER. But that wherein He appeared as man, He took unto Himself of the creature Himself had formed. Rz. God give thee. p. cxxx. FRIDAY. A Homily of S. Ambrose the Bishop. Book 9 on S. Luke, c. 20. Different writers may find different meanings for the term vine: but Isaiah hath plainly set forth that the vine of the LORD of Sabaoth is the House of Israel. And who, save GOD, planted this vine? It is He then Who gave it in charge to the husbandmen, while He Himself went afar: not as though the LORD moved from place to place, for He is always present everywhere: but, because He is more nigh to them that love, and far away from those who regard Him not, He was away a long time, lest He should appear over hasty in demanding the fruit of the vineyard. For the more indulgent the liberality, the less excusable the perverseness. Ry. When Jacob. p. cxxx. Lesson II. WHENCE it is well said, according to Matthew, that He hedged it round about, that is, fortified it with the defence of the divine guardianship, lest it should be exposed to the attacks of spiritual wild beasts. And He digged a wine press in it. After what manner shall we understand the winepress, save perchance in the same way that certain psalms are inscribed, For the wine-presses? because in them the mysteries of the Passion of the LORD, do very abundantly glow forth by the HOLY GHOST, after the manner of fermenting wine. Whence those were reckoned drunken, whom the HOLY GHOST was filling. Therefore, He also digged a wine-press into which the inner fruit of the grapes, which represents the reason, might Lesson of the Holy Gospel according flow by means of the spirit being to S. Matthew. Lesson I. Chap. xxi. AT that time: JESUS spake this parable unto the multitude of the Jews and to the chief priests: There poured upon it. Ry. If the LORD. p. cxxxi. Lesson III. HE built a tower, raising aloft its top, to wit, the majesty of the у. How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him. Make. law and this vineyard thus de- | make me as one of thy hired servants. fended, instructed, adorned, He let out to the Jews. And at the time of the fruit He sent servants. Well indeed is it said, at the time of the fruit, not of the abundance. For there was no fruit found in the Jews, neither abundance in this vine; whereof the LORD saith: I looked that it should bring forth grapes, but it brought forth thorns. And therefore the wine-presses flowed forth not with the wine of gladness, not with the spiritual new wine, but with the reeking blood of the prophets. Ry. The LORD shall be. p. cxxxi. SATURDAY. Lesson II. HE took a journey into a far country What is a longer journey than to depart from one's former self, to be separated not by distance, but by change of disposition, to be changed not in regard of dwelling place, but of desires, and as it were to be divorced from the saints by the raging waves of this world's lusts intervening? For whoever separates himself from CHRIST, is an exile from his country, and a citizen of the world. But we Lesson of the Holy Gospel according are not strangers and foreigners, but to S. Luke. Lesson I. Chap. xv. AT that time: JESUS spake this parable to the Pharisees and Scribes: A certain man had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. fellow-citizens with the saints and of the household of God. For we who were sometime far off have been made nigh through the blood of CHRIST. We are not envious of those returning from a far country, for we also have been in a far country, as Esaias teaches us. For we read, They that sat in the region of the shadow of A Homily of S. Ambrose the Bishop.death, upon them hath the light Book 7. Com. on Luke 15. Thou seest how the divine inheritance is bestowed upon penitents. Think not that the father. was in fault because he gave it to the younger son. In God's kingdom no age is weak, neither can faith be bowed down under the weight of years. Verily he judged him who asked meet to receive. And would that he had not left his father, for then would his inexperienced age have been no hindrance to him; but leaving his father's home, he went into a far country, and began to be in want. Meetly may he be said to waste his inheritance, who hath left the Church. Rz. Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son * shined. The far off country then is the shadow of death. Ry. I have seen the LORD. p. cxxxii. Lesson III. BUT we who have CHRIST the LORD, as the spirit going before our face, live under His shadow. Therefore the Church saith, I sat down under his shadow with great delight. But that son in the parable by living riotously, wasted all the endowments of nature. Do thou therefore, who hast received the image of GOD, who art made in His likeness, refrain from destroying the same by senseless defilement. Thou art the handiwork of GOD. Say not to a stock of a tree, Thou art my father; and become not like unto it, for it is written, They that make them are like unto them. Rz. When Jacob heard. p. cxxxii. THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT. his dreams. Y. And when Joseph's Inv. and Hymn, as 1st Sunday in brethren saw that his father loved Lent. p. cxx. FIRST NOCTURN. Of the Book of Genesis. JOSEPH, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report. Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him. And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words. And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brethren, and said, Behold I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. And he told it to his father, and to his brethren and his father rebuked him and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come and bow down ourselves to thee to the earth? * Ry. When they saw Joseph afar off, his brethren said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh, now, therefore, and let us slay him, and we shall see what will become of come him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him, and said therefore. Come. Lesson II. AND his brethren envied him; but come, and I will send thee unto And a certain brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where And he said, I seek my they feed their flocks. And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan. And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him. And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh. Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him and we shall see what will become of his dreams. Ry. Judah said unto his brethren: Behold, the Ishmeelites are passing by: come, and let us sell him, and let not our hand be upon him: * for he is our flesh and our brother. V. What profit is it, if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? It is better that he be sold. For. Lesson III. AND Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their |