Saint Matthew - Chapter 24
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| Two women at the mill. J-J Tissot |
Two women shall be grinding at the mill: one shall be taken, and one shall be left.
Two women, &c. He instances the same thing in persons grinding at a mill. For formerly mills were in use which were not turned by wind or water, but by hand. These were worked by male and female slaves to grind flour (see Ex. 11:5)[1]. In mola (Vulg.), ἐν τῷ μύλωνι, in the place of grinding, where was the bakehouse.
[1] [5] et morietur omne primogenitum in terra Aegyptiorum, a primogenito Pharaonis, qui sedet in solio ejus, usque ad primogenitum ancillae quae est ad molam, et omnia primogenita jumentorum.
And every firstborn in the land of the Egyptians shall die, from the firstborn of Pharao who sitteth on his throne, even to the first born of the handmaid that is at the mill, and all the firstborn of beasts.
[42] Vigilate ergo, quia nescitis qua hora Dominus vester venturus sit.
Watch ye therefore, because ye know not what hour your Lord will come.
Watch therefore, &c. That is, “think continually that death is certain, but the day of death uncertain. I say the same of the Day of Judgment, both that particular judgment which comes to every one at death, as well as the general Judgment, which shall take place at the end of the world. Wherefore prepare yourselves for both by giving heed to virtue and good works.” For as S. Jerome saith (in Joel, c. ii.), “That which shall happen to all in the Day of Judgment is fulfilled in each at the day of death.” And S. Augustine (Epist. 80) says, “In whatsoever state a man’s last day shall find him, in the same state shall the world’s last day come upon him; because as the man dies, so shall he be judged. Therefore ought every Christian to watch, lest the coming of the Lord find him unprepared. But that day shall find unprepared the man whom the last day of his life now shall seize unprepared.”
Moreover, the reason why God wills that this day should be unknown to us is, that the uncertainty may be a never-failing stimulus to us in the practice of every virtue. “For,” as S. Chrysostom says, “if men knew surely when they were to die, at that time only would they seek to repent.”
The devil, therefore, in order that he may take away this stimulus of uncertainty, gets rid of it by degrees, and in part. He persuades every one that they have at least one year to live. When that has come to an end, he tells them they have another, and so on interminably. He causes men to believe themselves so strong and well, that they can surely live this one year. Year by year he does this, and puts such a thought into their minds as, “You are in very good health; you will not die this year.” Thus it comes to pass that being, as it were, certain of life, they neglect repentance from year to year, deferring it to the year in which they are to die. Wherefore, when that year comes to each in which it is God’s decree that they shall die, they, in like manner, persuade themselves that they will not die in it. Thus it comes to pass that they are always unprepared when certain death and the last day overtake them. Wherefore this idea, instigated by the devil, must be crushed.
Every one should say to himself at the beginning of each year, of each day, “It may be that thou shalt die this year or this day. Therefore so live as if thou wert to die to-day.” This was the advice which S. Anthony was wont to give to his disciples, as S. Athanasius testifies, “When we awake out of sleep, let us be in doubt whether we shall see the evening. When we lay us down to rest, let us not be confident that we shall come to the light of another day. Thus we shall not offend, nor be carried away by vain desires. Neither shall we be angry, nor covet to lay up earthly treasures. But rather by the fear of departure, from day to day we shall trample upon all transitory things.”
Barlaam also taught the same to his Josaphat, “Think that this day thou hast begun the religious life. Think that this day also thou wilt finish it.” S. Jerome says, “So live as though thou shouldst die to-day; so study as though thou wert to live always.” The same Father (Ep. 16, ad Principiam) says that Marcella was wont to praise that saying of Plato, “that philosophy was a meditation upon death;” and the precept of the Satirist, “Live mindful of death: time flies.” She therefore so lived as though she always believed herself at the point of death. When she put on her clothes, she remembered the grave, offering herself to God as a reasonable, living, acceptable sacrifice.
[43] Illud autem scitote, quoniam si sciret paterfamilias qua hora fur venturus esset, vigilaret utique, et non sineret perfodi domum suam.
But know this ye, that if the goodman of the house knew at what hour the thief would come, he would certainly watch, and would not suffer his house to be broken open.
But know this, &c. Here we must supply what is to be understood, somewhat as follows: But forasmuch as a man knows not this hour, and is not willing or able to watch at every hour, therefore the thief, as his manner is, comes at the hour in which he thinks the householder is not watching, but sleeping, and so robs his house while he is asleep. It is clear that this is the meaning from the Greek, which has in the past tense, If the master of the house had known in what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken through. You must supply, “But because he did not know the hour, he did not watch, and did suffer his house to be broken into and robbed.”
By the thief, S. Hilary understands the devil. “The thief,” he says, “shows that the devil is very watchful to take from us our goods, and to plot against the houses of our souls, that he may dig through them whilst we are careless, and given up to the sleep of our own devices; and he would pierce through them with the darts of enticements. It behoves us, therefore, to be prepared, because ignorance of the day sharpens the intense solicitude of expectation ever suspended.” But it is better to apply the words to Christ. For so He Himself explains, applying this parable of the thief to Himself in the following verse.
[44] Ideo et vos estote parati : quia qua nescitis hora Filius hominis venturus est.
Wherefore be you also ready, because at what hour you know not the Son of man will come.
Be ye also ready, &c. … the Son of man shall come, to judgment, both the particular judgment of your own soul, and the general Judgment of all men at the end of the world. Christ therefore compares Himself to a thief, not as regards the act of stealing, but as regards silence and secrecy, in that the thief chooses the hour in which he thinks the householder will be absent or asleep, that so he may come upon him unawares, and rob his house. In like manner Christ summons those who are careless, and not waiting for Him, to death and judgment. Whence the Apocalypse warns every one saying, “Behold, I come as a thief” (16:15). And S. Paul (1 Thess. 5:4) says, “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all children of the light, and of the day.” Truly hath the wise man said, “The life of mortals is a vigil.”
The truth of this sentence of Christ is seen in daily experience. For we see very many men seized by death at a time when they think themselves to be in good health, and are forming grand projects in their minds. They think death is far distant, and promise themselves many years of life. And yet both experience and the warning of Christ should teach them to do the very opposite. When they appear to themselves to enjoy the most perfect health, they should think that death is lying hid at the very threshold of their doors, and should believe that they are then about to die when thoughts and hopes of long life are suggested to them, either by the devil or their own concupiscence. So would the day of death never come upon them unawares, nor overtake them as a thief.
Thus did the wise and holy men of whom we read in the Lives of the Fathers (lib. 5, libello 3, de Compunc. n. 2). Abbot Ammon gives this precept of salvation to a certain person, “Entertain such thoughts as evil-doers who are in prison have. For these men ask, ‘Where is the judge, and when will he come?’ And they weep in expectation of their punishments. After this manner ought a monk to do. He should ever be chiding his soul, and saying, ‘Woe is me, who have to stand before the judgment-seat of Christ, to render unto Him an account of all my deeds.’ For if thou wilt always meditate thus, thou wilt be safe.” And Abbot Evagrius said, “That is divine, to picture the dreadful and terrible judgment. Consider the confusion which is laid up for sinners, which they shall endure in the presence of Christ and God, before angels, and archangels, and powers, and all men. Think of the everlasting fire, the undying worm, the blackness of hell; and in addition to all these things, the gnashing of teeth the fears and torments. Consider likewise the good things which are laid up for the righteous—confidence before God the Father and Christ His Son, and before the angels. Consider the heavenly Kingdom and its gifts of joy and rest.” And Abbot Elias saith, “I am afraid of three things—the first, the going forth of my soul from the body; the second, when I shall meet God; the third, when sentence shall be pronounced against me.” Abp. Theophilus, of holy memory, said, when he was about to die, “Blessed art thou, O Abbot Arsenius, because thou always hadst this hour before thine eyes.” In the same work we read that a certain old man saw one laughing, and said to him, “We have to give an account of our whole life before the Lord of heaven and earth, and dost thou laugh?”
Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam
Ad Jesum per Mariam
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