An Angel appears to Zachary

St Luke Chapter I : Verses 11-17

Contents

• Luke i. 11-17.  Douay-Rheims (Challoner) text & Latin text (Vulgate).
• Annotations
• Douay-Rheims : 1582 text & notes
• Sicer/strong drink.

Luke i. 5-10. 

Fear not, Zachary, for thy prayer is heard.
J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum. 

11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

Apparuit autem illi angelus Domini, stans a dextris altaris incensi.

12 And Zachary seeing him, was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

Et Zacharias turbatus est videns, et timor irruit super eum.

13 But the angel said to him: Fear not, Zachary, for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John:

Ait autem ad illum angelus : Ne timeas, Zacharia, quoniam exaudita est deprecatio tua : et uxor tua Elisabeth pariet tibi filium, et vocabis nomen ejus Joannem :

14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice in his nativity.

et erit gaudium tibi, et exsultatio, et multi in nativitate ejus gaudebunt :

15 For he shall be great before the Lord; and shall drink no wine nor strong drink: and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.

erit enim magnus coram Domino : et vinum et siceram non bibet, et Spiritu Sancto replebitur adhuc ex utero matris suae :

16 And he shall convert many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.

et multos filiorum Israel convertet ad Dominum Deum ipsorum :

17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias; that he may turn the hearts of the fathers unto the children, and the incredulous to the wisdom of the just, to prepare unto the Lord a perfect people.

et ipse præcedet ante illum in spiritu et virtute Eliæ : ut convertat corda patrum in filios, et incredulos ad prudentiam justorum, parare Domino plebem perfectam.

Annotations

    11. And there appeared to him an angel (Gabriel, as is clear from v.19), standing on the right side of the altar. 1. Because he had come to announce good tidings. Euthymius. 2. Because he brought down the token of Divine mercy, for for he is at my right hand, that I be not moved [Ps. xv. 8] S. Ambrose. We may learn from this that angels stand by altars, priests and sacrifices, and co-operate with them in the worship and adoration of God. Of this there are many instances in the lives of the saints, some of which I have mentioned, Exod. xxix. 38; Lev. ix. 24.

    12. Zachary was troubled. Both because of the unusual sight, and because of the majesty in which he appeared, which human weakness could scarcely endure to behold: “for man is not strong enough to bear such a strange and unusual sight without alarm.” Titus. So Daniel, when the same angel appeared to him, says,

 “And I being left alone saw this great vision: and there remained no strength in me, and the appearance of my countenance was changed in me, and I fainted away, and retained no strength.” [Dan. x.8]

    Hence it is the sign of a good angel if at first he causes fear and afterwards joy; but of a bad angel if he makes a man sorrowful after causing joy; whence S. Antony says, “If joy has succeeded to fear we may know that the vision is from God; for the peace of the soul is a sign of the Divine presence; but if the fear remains unshaken it is an enemy who is seen.”

    13. thy prayer is heard. Not his prayer for offspring, S. Augustine says, of which he now so despaired that he did not believe the promise of the angel (verse 20), but thy prayer as a priest for the sins of the people and for the coming of the Messiah. But God, who goes beyond the merits and the prayers of suppliants, promised him a son who should be the prophet and forerunner. So Bede, Theophylact, S. Augustine, S. Chrysostom.

Some, however, are of opinion that this prayer of Zacharias was for offspring, only that it had been offered not at this time, but formerly when he was younger.

    thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shall call his name John. Because John, according to Maldonatus, is the same in Hebrew as beloved: or, according to Pagninus, the gift or mercy of the Lord. This is not, however, the precise meaning; for then he would have rather been called Hananiah than John. Properly, therefore, the name John signifies, God hath had mercy. And He did this first when he heard the prayer of Zachary; and secondly by appointing John as the forerunner of the Messiah, and soon after by sending the Messiah Himself; for it was by Christ, and not by Moses and the law, that grace came. So the son of Anna was called Samuel, that is asked and obtained from God by the tears of his mother for the salvation of the whole people, 1 Sam. i.20. Thirdly, God also showed mercy on John himself (Bede, Jansen, Maldonatus), by filling him with His manifold grace; by which He made him a Doctor in Israel, a Prophet, an Anchorite, a Martyr, a Virgin, and the Forerunner of Christ. John therefore was, as it were, the Son of Charities and Graces, in whom all the Graces of God seem to have blended together.

    Mark here the threefold mystery of the three names: 

for Elizabeth, that is, the oath of God who promiseth, and 

Zachary, God’s remembrance of His promise, are the parents of 

John, that is, the mercy and grace of God.

    14. And thou shalt have joy and gladness. Thy son shall be to thee and to many others the cause of the greatest joy and exultation.

    15. For he shall be great before the Lord, to Whom alone it belongs to determine what is great, what is ordinary, and what is small. Many, says S. Theophylact, are called great in the sight of men, who, being little, esteem little things as great; but John was great in the sight of the Lord, who, being great, weigheth things that are great.

    He was great on account—1. of his sanctification in his mother’s womb; 2. the depth of his humility; 3. his extraordinary charity; 4. his exemplary penitence; 5. his seraphic zeal; 6. his whole life, which was as much human as angelic; 7. the sublimity of his prophesying; 8. his solitary life; 9. his office of forerunner of Christ; 10. his most noble martyrdom. See the twenty eight privileges ascribed to John, which Baradius enumerates here.

[Ed. Amen I say to you, there hath not risen among them that are born of women a greater than John the Baptist: Amen dico vobis, non surrexit inter natos mulierum major Joanne Baptista : Matt. xi. 11]

    and he shall not drink wine nor strong drink. Strong drink (Sicera) is everything that intoxicates. To abstain from wine and strong drink was peculiar to Nazarites; and from this place it appears that John was one during the whole of his life.

    And he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost even from his mother’s womb. This was when on the entrance of the Blessed Virgin he leapt in his mother’s womb, and, as far as he could, fulfilled his office of forerunner. John, therefore, was born again of the Spirit before he was born of his mother.

    Was John then truly cleansed from original sin in the womb and justified? S. Augustine (Ep. 57) and S. Jerome (in Jerem. i.) maintain that he was not; for they say that John and Jeremiah are both said to have been sanctified in the womb not really, but according to the predestination of God; for they were ordained to future sanctity, so that the same is said here concerning John that the Apostle says of himself, Gal. 1, “who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace.” The reason that S. Augustine gives is, that to be born again presupposes being born; but John when in the womb was not yet born; therefore he could not have been born again in reality, but only according to the predestination of God.

    But the common opinion of the Fathers is contrary to this (S. Athanasius, Cyprian, Ambrose, Gregory, and others) which I approve of—First, because the angel here most clearly promises “he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost even from his mother’s womb.” Secondly, because at the salutation of the Blessed Virgin he believed in Christ when in the womb. For at that time it was when he was visited and saluted by the Blessed Virgin in the sixth month from his conception that this wonderful sanctification took place. To the argument of S. Augustine I answer, that a man in order that he may be born again may be considered as born when he has been conceived in the womb; for then as he is born in original sin so also he can by grace be born again and even baptized, as is clear from the practice of the Church in certain cases.

    17. he shall go before Him. John went before Christ. 1. In his birth, for he was born six months before Christ. 2. In his baptism, for he baptized before Christ did; yea, he even baptized Christ. 3. In preaching of repentance that he might prepare the way for Christ. 4. By pointing out Jesus as the Messiah and Lamb of God who should take away the sin of the world. 5. By suffering martyrdom before Christ. 6. In descending to the fathers in limbus, and announcing to them that Christ would soon come and set them free.

    in the spirit and power of Elias. As Elias did excel and in the end of the world will excel in a spirit steadfast and powerful for contending against Antichrist, so that he will convert Jews and others from him to Christ; so in the same powerful spirit John will excel, and by his preaching and holy example move the hardened Jews to repentance, and so prepare them for the baptism of Christ.

    The spirit of power in John was like that in Elias; 

    1. In the austerity of his life. 

    2. They both lived in solitude. And 

    3, in poverty and contempt of the world. 

    4. In zeal, and in fervour of preaching, by which both of them converted many Israelites to repentance, and Elias will again do so in the last days, according to the saying (Ecclesiasticus xlviii. 1), “And Elias the prophet stood up, as a fire, and his word burnt like a torch.” In the same way Christ says of John, “He was a burning and a shining light: and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light.” S. John v.35. 

    5. In fortitude and suffering: for as Elias contended against the priests of Baal, and their patrons Ahab and Jezebel, and again in the last days will contend against Antichrist and his followers and will suffer many things from them and at last be slain as a martyr; so John contended against Herod and Herodias, and being beheaded by them obtained the crown of martyrdom.

    John here is rather compared to Elias in his future coming than in his past; because, as Elias will precede the second coming of Christ with great spirit and power, so likewise John with the same spirit and power will precede the first coming of Christ. S. Ambrose says that he will go before Him “in the spirit and power of Elias, because Elias had great power and grace, so that he turned back the hearts of the people to faith, power of abstinence, and patience and the spirit of prophecy. Elias was in the wilderness; so also was John.… The one sought not the favour of Ahab; the other despised that of Herod. The one divided Jordan; the other brought men to the laver of salvation. The one was the forerunner of our Lord’s first advent, the other of His second,” &c.

    that he may turn the hearts of the fathers, &c. John did this when he urged them by word and example to imitate the faith and piety of their fathers; for thus the fathers acknowledged their children as the worshippers of the true God. These words are taken from Malachi, who speaks literally of Elias, typically of John.

    and the incredulous, &c. Greek ἀπειθεῖς, Vulgate, incredulos. That is, he will turn them to the faith and wisdom which the just had and have concerning Christ, which consists in the fear and love of God and of heavenly things, and not perishable, according to the teaching of Christ (Maldonatus). Or, John will cause the unbelieving Jews to consider the signs of the coming of the Messiah given by God to the fathers, and from them to know and believe that Christ has already come, and that this Jesus, whom John pointed out as such, is He.

    to prepare unto the Lord a perfect people., &c. Perfectam, Vulgate; κατασκευάσμενον, Greek; that is well and perfectly prepared and made ready for receiving the teaching and faith of Christ, and the perfection of grace, justice, and the Christian life brought by Christ from heaven.

Douay-Rheims : 1582 text & notes

11. And there appeared to him an Angel of our Lord, standing on the right hand of the Altar of incenſe. 

12. And Zachary was troubled ſeeing him and feare fel vpon him. 

13. But the Angel said to him : Feare not Zacharie, for thy praier is heard; and thy wife Elizabeth ſhal beare thee a ſonne and thou ſhalt cal his name Iohn: 

14. and thou ſhalt haue ioy and exultation, and many ſhal reioyce in his nativity. 

15. For he ſhal be great before our Lord; and wine and ſicer he ſhal not drinke ; and he ſhal be repleniſhed with the Holy Ghoſt euen from his mothers womb. 

16. And he ſhal conuert many of the children of Iſrael to the Lord their God. 

17. And he ſhal goe before him in the ſpirit and vertue of Elias, that he may conuert the harts of the Fathers vnto the children , and the incredulous to the wiſedom of the iuſt, to prepare vnto the Lord a perfect People. 

"This abſtinence foretold and preſcribed by the Angel, sheweth that it is a worthie thing, and an act of religion in S. John, as it was in the Nazarites,"

    14. ioy and exultation. This was fulfilled, not only when he was borne, but now alſo through the whole Church for euer, in joyful celebrating of his Nativitie.

Sicer/strong drink

    Note by editor:     

    When comparing Challoner's Douay-Rheims Gospel of St Luke with the original version of 1582, I was surprised to come across the English word ſicer (sicer) [emphases added]:

15. For he shall be great before the Lord; and shall drink no wine nor strong drink: and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. [Challoner]

15. For he ſhal be great before our Lord; and wine and ſicer he ſhal not drinke ; and he ſhal be repleniſhed with the Holy Ghoſt euen from his mothers womb. [1582 version]

    Here is the Latin Vulgate...

erit enim magnus coram Domino : et vinum et siceram non bibet, et Spiritu Sancto replebitur adhuc ex utero matris suæ :

    and the Greek...

15. ἔσται γὰρ μέγας ἐνώπιον ⸀τοῦ κυρίου, καὶ οἶνον καὶ σίκερα οὐ μὴ πίῃ, καὶ πνεύματος ἁγίου πλησθήσεται ἔτι ἐκ κοιλίας μητρὸς αὐτοῦ,

The OED says of sicer:

a1400–1609. sicer, n. Intoxicating liquor, strong drink.A borrowing from Latin. Etymon: Latin sicera.

Lewis Short on Logeion says:

sīcĕra, n., = σίκερα [from the Heb. ],a kind of spirituous, intoxicating drink (eccl. Lat.)

    There are many Hebrew sources which explain sicer refers to beer... Here is one excerpt:

The importance of beer in the ancient Near East can be seen by the fact that, in time, the word for beer came to designate the state of drunkenness. The word for beer became synonymous with inebriation in Akkadian, Aramaic, Ugaritic and Arabic. Similarly in the Egyptian language, “beer” (hnqt) was used for general drunkenness. And in the Bible, shekhar is often a verb that means “to get drunk” (e.g., Genesis ix. 21; Isaiah xxix. 9), a parallel linguistic usage that furthers the case for shekhar as “beer.” (This parallel usage has also survived in modern Hebrew: A drunk is a shekhor (שכור), and shekhar (שכר) means beer, although beer is also commonly called simply beera.) 

[Taken from Beer in the Bible, Arranged by Rabbi Drew Kaplan]

    It seems that this beer would have been much stronger and sweeter than the northern European variety, perhaps more akin to "amber nectar." For a selection of Jewish interpretations of the word shekar, see Shekhar: Is it Wine or Beer? by Dr.Elaine Goodfriend.

+       +        +

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

Zachary enters the Temple of the Lord

St Luke Chapter I : Verses 5-10

Contents

• Luke i. 5-10.  Douay-Rheims (Calloner) text & Latin text (Vulgate).
• Annotations
• Douay-Rheims : 1582 text & notes

Luke i. 5-10. 

Zachary and Elizabeth. J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum.

5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zachary, of the course of Abia; and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name Elizabeth.

Fuit in diebus Herodis, regis Judaeae, sacerdos quidam nomine Zacharias de vice Abia, et uxor illius de filiabus Aaron, et nomen ejus Elisabeth.

6 And they were both just before God, walking in all the commandments and justifications of the Lord without blame.

Erant autem justi ambo ante Deum, incedentes in omnibus mandatis et justificationibus Domini sine querela.

7 And they had no son, for that Elizabeth was barren, and they both were well advanced in years.

Et non erat illis filius, eo quod esset Elisabeth sterilis, et ambo processissent in diebus suis.

8 And it came to pass, when he executed the priestly function in the order of his course before God,

Factum est autem, cum sacerdotio fungeretur in ordine vicis suae ante Deum,

9 According to the custom of the priestly office, it was his lot to offer incense, going into the temple of the Lord.

secundum consuetudinem sacerdotii, sorte exiit ut incensum poneret, ingressus in templum Domini :

10 And all the multitude of the people was praying without, at the hour of incense.

et omnis multitudo populi erat orans foris hora incensi.

Annotations

    5. There was in the days of Herod. S. Luke begins by mentioning the name of Herod to point out the time when John the Baptist and Christ were born; and also to show that the sceptre had now departed from Judah, and had passed over to an alien, and therefore that the time for the advent of the Messiah was at hand according to the prophecy of Jacob, [Gen. xlix.10]. This Herod was the first of that name, surnamed the Great, the father and grandfather of the others. He was a native of Ascalon, an Idumæan by nation, in character a tyrant. By the favour of Cæsar he held the kingdom of Judæa; but Christ thrust him and his descendants out of this kingdom, and claimed for Himself the kingdom over Israel which by right was due to Him, though it must be understood as a spiritual kingdom.

    Hence he is rightly called Herod; for Herod in Syriac is the same as “a fiery dragon.” According to Pagninus, Herod signifies in Hebrew “the conception of threshing,” for הרה is to conceive, and דוש to thresh, because he slew the infants in Bethlehem.

BEDE. (in Luc. Evang.) “ Now the time of Herod, i. e. of a foreign king, bears witness to our Lord’s coming, for it had been foretold, The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come. (Gen. xlix. 12.) For from the time that our fathers came out of Egypt, they were governed by judges of their own nation, until the Prophet Samuel; and then by kings, until the carrying away to Babylon. But after the return from Babylon, the chief power was in the hands of priests, until the time of Hyrcanus, who was both king and high priest. He was slain by Herod, after which the government of the kingdom was delivered over by the command of Augustus Cæsar to this same Herod, a foreigner, in whose thirty-first year, according to the prophecy we have mentioned, Shiloh came.”

    Zacharias. He was a priest and also a prophet, as will appear from verses 64 and 67. Whence his name is enrolled among the saints in the Roman Martyrology for the 5th of November: where Baronius, following Origen, Nyssen, Cyril, and Peter Alexander, is of opinion that this Zacharias was the martyr who was slain by Herod between the Temple and the Altar, and therefore that he was the one whom Christ mentions, S. Matt.xxiii. 35. His head is preserved and shown at Rome in the Lateran Basilica, from which there is a tradition that formerly blood trickled during several days. I have seen it there and venerated it.

    of the course of Abia. Of that class of the priests of which (in the time of David) Abia was the head. For David, seeing that the priests, the sons of Aaron, had increased to a large number, so that all could not at once minister in the Temple, distributed them into twenty-four classes, so that each class might minister in the Temple during one week in succession. And that there might be no strife among them as to which course should be the first, second, or third, &c., these families cast lots, and obtained the first place or second, &c., according as the lot came out. In this drawing of lots the eighth place fell to Abia and his descendants. All this is clear from 1 Chron. xxiv. Josephus (Antiq. vii. 11) says of David, “He found twenty-four families of priests, and he appointed that each family should minister before God during eight days, from Sabbath to Sabbath,” in order to avoid confusion and strife among the priests.

    and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron. Priests could marry a wife from another tribe because they had no inheritance in the land of Israel, which by the marriage of the wife (if she through the failure of male offspring were the heir of her father) passed over to her husband’s tribe, and so a confusion was caused of inheritances and tribes which was forbidden by the law. But Zacharias having more regard to religion, married a wife not only of the daughters of Levi, but of Aaron. Wherefore S. Ambrose says, “Not only from his parents but from his ancestors the illustrious descent of S. John is derived, a descent not exalted by secular power, but venerable from its sanctity. She was called Elizabeth from the wife of the first high priest Aaron, [Exod. vi. 23].” This Elizabeth was holy, and a prophetess: whence her memory is observed in the Roman Martyrology on the 5th of November. From her S. Elizabeth, daughter of Andrew, king of the Hungarians, surnamed the mother of the poor, and her niece S. Elizabeth, the queen of Portugal took, their name together with her sanctity.

    and her name was Elizabeth. Zacharias in Hebrew is the same as “God remembered;” and Elizabeth, “the oath of God,” or “the sceptre and dominion,” or “rest,” or “fulness of God.” So that the meaning is that God, mindful of His oath, united these two in marriage, that He might raise up the sceptre of the house of David, and bestow rest and plenty and abundance on His own.

    6. righteous (just) before God. Many appear just before men, but few before God, because men look upon the countenance, but God on the heart and conscience. S. Francis says truly, “Each man is what he is before God, and no more.”

    walking in all the commandments, &c. Commandments, i.e. the moral precepts of the Decalogue. Ordinances (justifications), i.e. the ceremonial precepts.

    God gave to the Hebrews by Moses precepts of three kinds. 

    1. Moral precepts, which are contained in the two tables of the law. 

    2. Judgments which relate to justice and human polity, and chiefly concern princes. 

    3. Statutes, decrees ceremonial, pertaining to the sacrifices and rites observed in the worship of God. These are called here and elsewhere justifications, Vulgate: first, because those who observe them do what is most right and just, that is to say, perform the service and worship which is most rightfully due to God. Secondly, because by the observance of these men formerly under the old law were justified legally; for those who fulfilled them were considered just persons by the Synagogue, and that not only before man but before God, if they performed those things from the true love of God. For the doers of the law are justified, [Rom. ii.13].

    blameless. Sine querelâ, Vulgate; ἄμεμπτοι, Greek. Mark here that the faithful can, yea, ought to observe all the commandments of God; wherefore it is possible to keep them, and not impossible, as Calvin blasphemously asserts, who in this place makes a wonderful exhibition of himself, and all but says that Luke the Evangelist is a liar.

    Further, blameless may be interpreted as “without mortal sin,” for no just man in this life can avoid all venial sins.

    7. well advanced in years. He says this to show that John was born of them, not in the way of nature, but by the gift of God and by a miracle, like other eminent saints, as Isaac, Joseph, Samuel. S. Augustine (Serm. iii. on John the Baptist) says 

Elizabeth was barren in body but fruitful in virtues; her child-bearing was not taken away from her, but it was delayed, until the time of fleshly desire had passed away.… In short, when all that causes blame as regards the body was quenched, and they became altogether blameless, all that speaks of barrenness is gone; old age springs into new life, faith conceives, chastity brings forth, one greater than man, one equal to the angels is born, the trumpet of heaven, the herald of Christ, the mystery of the Father, the messenger of the Son, the standard-bearer of the heavenly King, the pardon of sinners, the correction of the Jews, the calling of the Gentiles, and, so to say, the uniting bond of the Law and Grace.

    9. According to the custom of the priestly office, it was his lot  etc. That is, according to Bede, in his own course, which was the eighth in order, according to the lot which had originally fallen to the family of Abia. But mention of this course has been made in verse 8; and therefore the lot spoken of in verse 9 is different from the course, and more particularly limits the course. The meaning, therefore, is that when Zacharias, in the order of his course, was ministering in the temple, among the various offices of the priests the office of burning incense fell to him by lot. For because there were many priests of the course of Abia, it was appointed to them by lot what office each of them should perform in the Temple. For there were four principal offices (see Exodus 30.)—

    1. To sacrifice. 

    2. To light the lamps on the seven-branched candlestick. 

    3. On the sabbath-day to place twelve new loaves on the table of shewbread. 

    4. To burn incense on the altar of incense. 

    This fourth office, therefore, had fallen by lot to Zacharias, while the three others had fallen to other priests of the same class of Abia. This is clear from the Greek ἔλαχε τοῦ θυμιᾶσαι, “he had obtained by lot to burn incense.”

    Some, as S. Ambrose, Bede, Theophylact, and S. Augustine think that Zacharias was the high priest, because he burnt incense on the altar of incense, for they think that this was in the Holy of holies, which no one except the high priest might enter. But I have shown (Exod. xli. 24), that this altar was not in the Holy of holies, but in the Holy place, which the common priests used to enter daily. The expression here used, it was his lot (sorte exiit. Vulgate) confirms this; for the high priest was superior to all lots, and, whenever he chose, used to minister in the temple. Besides, at this time, not Zacharias but Joazar was the high priest, as Josephus tells us (Antiq. xvii. 8).

    Morally, we may learn that angels appear while we are engaged in sacred things, and that God either Himself or by an angel speaks with the soul when we are engaged in prayer or sacrifice, as the angel appeared to Zacharias when he was burning incense.

    10. And all the multitude of the people was praying without, That is, in the court outside the Holy place or Temple, which the priests alone might enter. There were two courts; the inner one, of the priests, containing the altar of burnt-offering; and the outer one, of the people, who from it beheld the sacrifices offered by the priests: but the altar of incense which was in the Holy place they could not see.

    at the hour of incense. That is to say, when the priests burnt the incense; for according to the religious usage of all nations incense was burnt in the worship of God.

Douay-Rheims : 1582 text & notes

5. There was in the daies of Herod the King of Iewrie, a certaine Priest named Zacharie, of the courſe of Abia; his wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name Elizabeth. 

6. And they were both iuſt before God, walking in al the commandements and juſtifications of our Lord without blame, 

7. and they had no ſonne for that Elizabeth was barren, and both were ſtriken in their daies. 

8. And it came to passe, when he executed the prieſtly function in the order of his courſe before God,

9. according to the cuſtome of the prieſtly function, he went forth by lot to offer incenſe, entring into the Temple of our Lord; 

10. and al the multitude of the People was praying without at the houre of the incenſe.

    "We ſee here that the Prieſt did his dutie within, the people in the meantime praying without, and that the Prieſts functions did profit them, though they neither heard nor ſaw his doings."

    6. iuſt before God. Againſt the Heretikes of this time, herc it is euidenc that holy men be iuſt, not only by the eſtimation of men, but in deed and before God.

    6. in al the commandements.  Three things to be noted directly againſt the Heretikes of our time; firſt, that good men doe keepe al Gods commandements : which (they say) are impossible to be kept. Againe, that men be iustified not by only imputation of Christes iustice, not by faith alone, but by walking in the commandements. Againe, that the keeping and doing of the commandements is properly our iustification.

    6. Iuſtifications. This word is ſo vſual in the Scriptures (namely in the Pſal. 118)[1] to ſignifie the commandements of God, becaufe the keeping of them is iuſtification, and the Greeke is alwaies ſo fully correſpondent to thc ſame, that the Heretikes in this place (otherwiſe pretending to eſteeme much of the Greeke) blush not to ſay that they avoid this word of purpoſe against the iuſtification of the Papiſts. And therfore one vſeth ?Tullies word forſooth, in Latin conſtituta and his ſcholers in their English Bibles ſay, Ordinances. [2] 

[1] 4 Thou hast commanded thy commandments to be kept most diligently. 

Tu mandasti mandata tua custodiri nimis.

 5 O! that my ways may be directed to keep thy justifications.

Utinam dirigantur viae meae ad custodiendas justificationes tuas!

[2]  6. Both were iuſt before God, and walked in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord, without reproofe. [Theodore Beza's New Testament translated out of the Greek. 1599 edition]

+       +        +

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

The Gospel of St Luke : Preface

St Luke Chapter I : Verses 1-4

Contents

• Luke i. 1-4.  Douay-Rheims (Challoner) text & Latin text (Vulgate).
• Annotations

Luke i. 1-4. 

St Luke. J-J Tissot (1886-94) Brooklyn Museum.

1 Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a narration of the things that have been accomplished among us;

Quoniam quidem multi conati sunt ordinare narrationem, quae in nobis completæ sunt, rerum :

2 According as they have delivered them unto us, who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word:

sicut tradiderunt nobis, qui ab initio ipsi viderunt, et ministri fuerunt sermonis :

3 It seemed good to me also, having diligently attained to all things from the beginning, to write to thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,

visum est et mihi, assecuto omnia a principio diligenter, ex ordine tibi scribere, optime Theophile,

4 That thou mayest know the verity of those words in which thou hast been instructed.

ut cognoscas eorum verborum, de quibus eruditus es, veritatem.

Annotations

[Taken from the Great Commentary of Cornelius À Lapide (1567-1637), except where otherwise stated]

    1.—Forasmuch as many. Maldonatus [1522-83] is of opinion that the Evangelists Matthew and Mark are intended; but these were not many, but only two. S. Luke rather seems here to allude to the Apocryphal Gospels, which were circulated under the names of Matthias, Thomas, and other apostles.

Most surely believed. Completæ sunt, Vulgate. πεπληροφορηαένων, Greek. This word signifies—1. fully accomplished; 2. surely ascertained: as it is rendered by S. Ambrose, Theophylact, Euthymius.

    2.—Which from the beginning were eye-witnesses, &c. Ipsi viderunt, Vulgate. αὐτόπται καὶ ὑπηρέται γενόμενοι τοῦ λόγου, Greek: that is who were eye-witnesses (oculares spectatores) and ministers of the word: which we may understand—1. of Christ, for He is the Word of the Eternal Father; the meaning then will be, “As the Apostles who saw Christ Himself and ministered to Him delivered them to us.” 2. Of ordinary preaching; the meaning then will be, “As they delivered them who saw the deeds of Christ, and were sent by Him to preach the Gospel.”

    3.—Having had perfect understanding. παρηκολουθηκότι, Greek: that is “carefully investigating,” and therefore “having understood.” [Ed. This seems to be a reference to St Luke's own diligent research.]

    In order. καθεξῇε, Greek; that is—1. successively, 2. distinctly, in order so as to relate, first the conception of Christ, then His nativity, afterwards His life, and lastly His death and resurrection.

    Theophilus. Theophilus was a noble and chief man of Antioch, who was converted by S. Peter and dedicated his house as a church in which S. Peter held assemblies of Christians, and placed his chair as primate, as S. Clement relates Recog. lib. 10, cap. ult. Baronius conjectures that S. Luke, who was a physician and painter of Antioch, wrote to Theophilus as a citizen and as his own intimate friend; Theophylact adds that S. Luke was a catechumen of Theophilus, for S. Peter by himself was not able to instruct the multitude who came together to be taught the faith of Christ, and therefore he made use of the labours of many others for instructing the faithful. He is called most excellent, [Ed.κράτιστε, o most mighty/powerful] which was a title given to governors and magistrates; he seems therefore to have been a senator or governor of Antioch.

BEDE. [672-735] (in proœm. Lucæ.) Theophilus means, “loving God,” or “being loved by God.” Whoever then loves God, or desires to be loved by Him, let him think this Gospel to have been written to him, and preserve it as a gift presented to him, a pledge entrusted to his care.

    4.—That thou mayest know the certainty. Veritatem, truth, Vulgate. ἀσφάλειαν, Greek, certainty, stability.

Additional Notes

Luke. "The name Lucas (Luke) is probably an abbreviation from Lucanus ... It is generally held that St. Luke was a native of Antioch... St. Luke was not a Jew. He is separated by St. Paul from those of the circumcision (Colossians iv.14), and his style proves that he was a Greek...  He was a physician by profession, and St. Paul calls him "the most dear physician" (Colossians iv.14). This avocation implied a liberal education, and his medical training is evidenced by his choice of medical language. Plummer suggests that he may have studied medicine at the famous school of Tarsus, the rival of Alexandria and Athens, and possibly met St. Paul there. From his intimate knowledge of the eastern Mediterranean, it has been conjectured that he had lengthened experience as a doctor on board ship. ... St. Luke its always represented by the calf or ox, the sacrificial animal, because his Gospel begins with the account of Zachary, the priest, the father of John the Baptist. He is called a painter by Nicephorus Callistus (fourteenth century), and by the Menology of Basil II, A.D. 980. A picture of the Virgin in S. Maria Maggiore, Rome, is ascribed to him, and can be traced to A.D. 847. It is probably a copy of that mentioned by Theodore Lector, in the sixth century." [Taken from the New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia]

Douay-Rheims : 1582 text & notes

1. Because many have gone about to compile a Narration of the things that have been accompliſhed among vs;

2. according as they have delivered vnto vs, who from the beginning themſelves ſaw and were Miniſters of the Word; 

3. it ſeemed good alſo vnto me, having diligently attained to all things from the beginning, to write to thee in order, Good Theophilus, 

4. that thou maiſt know the veritie of thoſe wordes wherof thou haſt been inſtructed.

    3. having diligently attained. Hereby we ſee, that though the Holy Ghoſt ruled the penne of the holy Writers that they might not erre, yet did they uſe human meanes to ſearch out and find the truth of the things they wrote of. Euen ſo doe  Councels,and the Preſident of them, Gods Vicar, diſcusse and examine al cauſes by humane meanes, the aſſiſtance of thc Holy Ghoſt concurring and directing them into al truth, according to Chriſtes promiſe Io. 16.13; as in the very firft Councel of the Apoſtles themſelues at Hieruſalem is maniſeſt. Act.15.7. and 28. Againe here we haue a familiar preface of the Authour as to his fricnd or to euery godly Reader (ſignified by Theophilus) conccrning the cauſc and purpoſe & manner of his writing, and yet the very ſame is confeſſed Scripture, with the whole booke folowing. Maruel not then if the Authour of the ſecond booke of thc Machabees uſe the like humane ſpeaches both at the beginning and in the later end; neither doe thou therfore reject the booke for no Scripture, as our Heretikes doe; or not thinkc him a ſacred Writer.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

The Jews bribe the Roman guards; the last commission of Jesus to His Apostles

St Matthew Chapter XXVIII : Verses 11-20

Contents

• Matt. xxviii. 11-20.  Douay-Rheims text & Latin text (Vulgate).
• Notes on the text.

Matt. xxviii. 11-20

Behold I am with you all days,
even to the consummation of the world.
J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum.

11 Who when they were departed, behold some of the guards came into the city, and told the chief priests all things that had been done.

Quæ cum abiissent, ecce quidam de custodibus venerunt in civitatem, et nuntiaverunt principibus sacerdotum omnia quæ facta fuerant.

12 And they being assembled together with the ancients, taking counsel, gave a great sum of money to the soldiers,

Et congregati cum senioribus consilio accepto, pecuniam copiosam dederunt militibus,

13 Saying: Say you, His disciples came by night, and stole him away when we were asleep.

dicentes : Dicite quia discipuli ejus nocte venerunt, et furati sunt eum, nobis dormientibus.

14 And if the governor shall hear this, we will persuade him, and secure you.

Et si hoc auditum fuerit a præside, nos suadebimus ei, et securos vos faciemus.

15 So they taking the money, did as they were taught: and this word was spread abroad among the Jews even unto this day.

At illi, accepta pecunia, fecerunt sicut erant edocti. Et divulgatum est verbum istud apud Judæos, usque in hodiernum diem.

16 And the eleven disciples went into Galilee, unto the mountain where Jesus had appointed them.

Undecim autem discipuli abierunt in Galilæam in montem ubi consituerat illis Jesus.

17 And seeing him they adored: but some doubted.

Et videntes eum adoraverunt : quidam autem dubitaverunt.

18 And Jesus coming, spoke to them, saying: All power is given to me in heaven and in earth.

Et accedens Jesus locutus est eis, dicens : Data est mihi omnis potestas in cælo et in terra :

19 Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

euntes ergo docete omnes gentes : baptizantes eos in nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti :

20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.

docentes eos servare omnia quæcumque mandavi vobis : et ecce ego vobiscum sum omnibus diebus, usque ad consummationem sæculi.

Notes

 

   11. when they were departed. While the holy women went to announce the joyful news of Christ’s Resurrection to the apostles and disciples, the guards were on the road to Jerusalem to inform the chief priests, who had set them to watch at the sepulchre, of what had happened.

    all things. They had not seen our Risen Lord, but they could bear witness to the earthquake, the displacement of the stone by the angel, and to the fact that the tomb was empty.

    12. they being assembled. The chief priests hurriedly convened an informal meeting in order to discuss how they could best conceal the truth.

    They evidently believed the guards’ story, which confirmed their worst fears, otherwise they would have accused the soldiers of neglect of duty or of imposture. In their blind hatred of Christ, they refused to be convinced, and thus verified His words : If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they believe if one rise again from the dead (St Luke xvi. 31).

    a great sum of money. As they offered Judas money to betray Jesus, so now they bribe the soldiers to calumniate the apostles and to discredit Christ’s Resurrection. St Jerome thinks that, in both cases, the money was taken from the Temple treasury.

    13. Say you, His disciples, etc. The soldiers’ story was absolutely illogical and carried with it its refutation, for if the soldiers were sleeping, how could they know what had happened ?

    14. if the governor shall hear of this. A Roman soldier who slept when on watch incurred the penalty of death.

    Hegesippus (in Anaceph.) and Eusebius (Chronic., ii. 2) relate that the matter came to the ears of Pilate, who sent an account of the whole affair to Tiberius ; and Tertullian states that Tiberius threatened the persecutors of the Christians with death, and also endeavoured to persuade the Roman senate to enrol Jesus in the list of the national deities (see Tertul. in Apologet., c. 5)

    15. did as they were taught. The soldiers acted thus in their own interest, since they had no other special motive for calumniating the Christians. It is said that the Jews also sent messengers to spread the lie among the Jews of the Dispersion. (See Justin Martyr, Dial, cum Tryph., cviii).

    even unto this day. When St Matthew wrote his gospel (possibly circa 45 A.D.) this story was current, and for many years after. The Jews of our time adopt the view that the Christians were so highly wrought upon by the events of the Passion and their belief in Christ’s Resurrection, that they were deceived by subjective images which they took for objective realities.

    16. the eleven disciples, — i.e. the eleven apostles. Judas was dead, and St Matthias was not elected until after the Ascension (see Acts i. 15-18).

    went into Galilee. Some time later, not immediately. Cf. And after eight days, again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Jesus cometh, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst and said : Peace be to you (St John XX. 26). This apparition took place in Jerusalem.

    where Jesus had appointed them. The name of the mountain and its exact site are unknown.

    This may be the apparition referred to by St Paul : Then was he seen by more than five hundred brethren at once : of whom many remain until this present, and some are fallen asleep (1 Cor. xv. 6). If so, St Matthew names the Eleven as the most important of all the five hundred witnesses and those to whom Christ addressed His last commission.

    17. but some doubted. This passage presents a difficulty, for before this time even St Thomas had expressed his faith in our Lord’s Resurrection (see St John xx. 28), and the other ten disciples were certainly no longer incredulous, since they had said to St Thomas, We have seen the Lord. The following explanations of these words have been given by various commentators.

    (a) W e should read “ had doubted ” instead of “ doubted.”

    (b) They did not doubt the fact of the Resurrection, but the identity of the person whom they now saw — they did not at once recognize our Lord.

    (c) Jesus appeared to them invested with glory or in such majesty as they were not accustomed to see, so that His appearance was no longer familiar to them.

    (d) The Eleven believed firmly, but some of the disciples doubted .

    18. And Jesus coming. Some commentators are of opinion that these words were said later, possibly on Mount Olivet, just before His Ascension.

    All power is given, etc. Better, “was given” (Ἐδόθη). This means absolute dominion over all creatures both in earth and in heaven. This was not conferred on Him as the Son of God, since, in virtue of His Divinity, He had the supreme right to reign, but it was given to Him as the Son of man, and as the reward of His Incarnation, Passion, and Death (see Phil. ii. 8-10).

    19. Going therefore, etc. Christ sends forth His apostles to convert the world. They were to go as His representatives ; their commission was divine ; it was derived from Him who has said. He that heareth you heareth me : and he that despiseth you despiseth me (St Luke x. 16). When St Matthew wrote these words, much had been done by the apostles as regards evangelizing the known world, and it is the sublime mission of the Catholic Church to carry on this work. This commission differs from that which the apostles received earlier : Go ye not into the way of the Gentiles, and into the cities of the Samaritans enter ye not. But go ye rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (supra, x. 5, 6). The reason of the change was that the time had now come to proclaim the glad tidings of salvation to all men, since the Redemption was accomplished.

    In St Mark’s account of our Lord’s commission to His apostles we read, He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be condemned. Hence we see that God willed men to believe the truths taught by the apostles. These truths are handed down to us by the teaching and tradition of the Infallible Church. Hence it is an error to assert that men are free to believe what they please. As Catholics we are bound to accept the teaching of the Church, under pain of condemnation, i.e. of losing our soul.

    teach ye all nations. Lit. “ make disciples of all nations ” (μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη).

    baptizing them. A second condition is here laid down. It is the consequence of the first, since he who firmly believes will seek to be baptized. In the case of an adult, faith must precede baptism, as we see in the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch. See, here is water ; what doth hinder me from being baptized ? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayest (Acts viii. 36, 37).

    in the name of the Father, etc. Better, “ into the Name ” (εἰς τὸ ὄνομα). This does not merely mean baptize them by invoking the Name of the Trinity, nor simply with the sanction of the Blessed Trinity, but it includes bringing them into communion with all who believe in and profess obedience to the august Trinity. Hence all Christians, in virtue of their baptism, are pledged to profess their faith in the Blessed Trinity and to obey the Head of the Church — Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.

    20. Teaching them to observe. This explains how the apostles were to make disciples of all nations. Notice that any kind of faith will not save our soul, but only a living faith, productive of good works. Since Christ had received universal authority, all were bound to submit to His government.

    behold I am with you all days. Thus our Lord encourages His disciples to undertake a work which, regarding only their humble position and the difficulties they would encounter, seemed so far beyond their strength. But with His assistance they were to go forward, and the history of Christianity bears witness to our Lord’s fidelity to His promises.

    to the consummation of the world. These words prove that the apostles were to have successors who should, throughout all ages, continue the work of evangelizing, and in these last verses of St Matthew’s gospel we see clearly that —

    1. The Church will last throughout all ages.

    2. Christ is ever present to guide and assist His Church.

    3. The Church is destined to teach all nations.

    4. The apostles were to be the foundation stones of the Catholic Church.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

The Resurrection of Christ and the Apparition to the Holy Women

St Matthew Chapter XXVIII : Verses 1-10

Contents

• Matt. xxviii. 1-10.  Douay-Rheims text & Latin text (Vulgate).
• Notes on the text.

Matt. xxviii. 1-10

The holy women at the tomb. J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum.

1 And in the end of the sabbath, when it began to dawn towards the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalen and the other Mary, to see the sepulchre.

Vespere autem sabbati, quæ lucescit in prima sabbati, venit Maria Magdalene, et altera Maria, videre sepulchrum.

2  And behold there was a great earthquake. For an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and coming, rolled back the stone, and sat upon it.

Et ecce terræmotus factus est magnus. Angelus enim Domini descendit de ælo : et accedens revolvit lapidem, et sedebat super eum :

3  And his countenance was as lightning, and his raiment as snow.

erat autem aspectus ejus sicut fulgur : et vestimentum ejus sicut nix.

4  And for fear of him, the guards were struck with terror, and became as dead men.

Præ timore autem ejus exterriti sunt custodes, et facti sunt velut mortui.

5  And the angel answering, said to the women: Fear not you; for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.

Respondens autem angelus dixit mulieribus : Nolite timere vos : scio enim, quod Jesum, qui crucifixus est, quæritis.

6  He is not here, for he is risen, as he said. Come, and see the place where the Lord was laid.

Non est hic : surrexit enim, sicut dixit : venite, et videte locum ubi positus erat Dominus.

7  And going quickly, tell ye his disciples that he is risen: and behold he will go before you into Galilee; there you shall see him. Lo, I have foretold it to you.

Et cito euntes, dicite discipulis ejus quia surrexit : et ecce præcedit vos in Galilæam : ibi eum videbitis : ecce prædixi vobis.

And behold Jesus met them, saying: All hail.  J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum.

8  And they went out quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy, running to tell his disciples.

Et exierunt cito de monumento cum timore et gaudio magno, currentes nuntiare discipulis ejus.

9  And behold Jesus met them, saying: All hail. But they came up and took hold of his feet, and adored him.

Et ecce Jesus occurrit illis, dicens : Avete. Illæ autem accesserunt, et tenuerunt pedes ejus, et adoraverunt eum.

10  Then Jesus said to them: Fear not. Go, tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, there they shall see me.

Tunc ait illis Jesus : Nolite timere : ite, nuntiare fratribus meis ut eant in Galilaeam; ibi me videbunt.

Notes

    1. in the end of the Sabbath. Lit. “late on the Sabbath” (Ὀψὲ δὲ σαββάτων), by which we must understand after the Sabbath was over, as the civil day lasted until midnight. That this is St Matthew’s meaning is clear from the context.

    when it began to dawn towards, etc. The time does not quite correspond in the three gospels : —

    (a) very early in the morning (St Luke).

    (b) when it was yet dark (St John).

    (c) very early .... the sun being now risen (St Mark).

    These differences can be harmonized by supposing that- —

    (а) There were different companies of holy women who went in succession to the sepulchre.

    (b) It was dark when they set out, and by the time they reached the sepulchre the sun had risen. The nearer a country lies to the equator the shorter the dawn and twilight.

    the first day of the week. Lit. “unto one of the sabbaths” (εἰς μίαν σαββάτων). The plural word “ sabbaths ” designates the whole week.

    The memory of the day of the Resurrection has been perpetuated in the Church by the observance of the first day of the week as the day of rest instead of the seventh or “ Sabbath,” which the Jews kept by God’s command. This transference of the Sabbath is not formally mentioned in Scripture ; it has been handed down to us by a tradition, which is said to be of apostolic origin.

    came Mary Magdalene, etc. From St Luke’s narrative, we find that Mary and her companion came to the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared.

    and the other Mary. Mary of Cleophas, mother of James the Less and Joseph. St Matthew only gives the first group of women that went to the sepulchre on Easter morning.

    St Luke speaks of another group, Joanna (wife of Chusa, Herod’s steward), and other women. Note that our Blessed Lady is not mentioned. She did not go to anoint the dead body of her Son, because she had a firm faith that He would rise on the third day.

    to see the sepulchre. Lit. “to gaze upon” (θεωρῆσαι), and also to embalm our Lord, but they were sorely perplexed about the stone which closed the entrance to the sepulchre. And they said one to another : Who shall roll us hack the stone from the door of the sepulchre ? (St Mark). Possibly they came to see the tomb in order to take measures for having the stone removed.

    2. behold. This calls attention to the unexpectedness of the event.

    a great earthquake. This had taken place before the arrival, since they found the stone rolled away. Cf. And looking they saw the stone rolled back, for it was very great (St Mark). St Mark speaks of Jesus rising early, and this is the only reference to the time of our Lord’s Resurrection. The exact hour is not specified.

    For an angel, etc. St Matthew gives the descent of the angel as the cause of the earthquake.

    rolled hack the stone. The miraculous rolling away of the stone caused the soldiers to take flight, and allowed the holy women to enter the sepulchre, and to assure themselves that the Body of our Lord was not there.

    The stone was rolled away as a proof that Jesus was already risen, not to give Him exit, for to a glorified body, matter offers no obstacle. The four qualities of a glorified body are— subtility, agility, brightness, and impassibility.

    sat upon it. lie sat there in triumph as the guardian of the tomb of our Risen Saviour. St Luke speaks of two angels being at the tomb : And it came to pass, as they were astonished in their mind at this, behold two men stood by them in shining apparel.

    Doubtless myriads of angels hovered round the tomb where the Body of Christ had rested, though only one or two manifested themselves to Christ’s disciples. The guards had evidently fled before the arrival of the women. Some commentators, however, represent them as still lying prostrate when the women arrived.

    3. his countenance. Better, “ his appearance ” (ἡ εἰδέα), not merely his face.

    as lightning. St Luke describes the garments of the angels in similar terms. Cf. Two men (i.e. angels) stood by them in shining apparel. Lit. “ in apparel flashing like lightning.”

    his raiment as snow. Pure and glistening, as our Lord’s garments were at the Transfiguration. (See supra, xviii. 2.)

    4. the guards were struck with terror. It is evident that they saw the angel, since they shook with terror.

    for fear of him. Apparitions of angels are rarely granted except to the just, but the soldiers, although pagans, were to be witnesses of the Resurrection to the rulers of Israel.

    5. Fear not you. The pronoun “you” emphatic here. It was necessary to reassure the holy women. The soldiers and enemies of Jesus might well fear the angelic messengers, but the disciples had no reason to fear. The words “fear not” are characteristic of the angels of God when sent on errands of mercy. We remark that those who had been most faithful during the Passion of our Lord, were the first to receive the joyful news of the Resurrection.

    Harmonizing the different accounts, the angel’s words may be analyzed as follows : —

    (a) Words of consolation : Fear not you (St Matt.).

    (b) A rebuke : Why seek you the living with the dead ? (St Luke).

    (c) A reference to the fulfilment of a prophecy : Remember how he spoke to you when he was yet in Galilee (St Luke).

    (d) A message to St Peter and the other apostles and disciples : But go tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you, into Galilee ; there you shall see him, as he told you, (St Mark xvi. 7).

    6. he is risen. For prophecies of the Resurrection see xii. 40, xvi. 21, xvii. 22, XX. 19. This is the first announcement of the Resurrection, and it is made to the holy women, not to the apostles.

    as he said. (See xxvi. 32, 33.) These words shew that Jesus had not only clearly prophesied His Resurrection to the disciples, but also to the holy women.

    Come, and see. It seems evident, from the accounts given by the Evangelists, that only Mary of Cleophas and Salome entered the sepulchre, while Mary Magdalene went at once to tell St Peter and St John what had happened. Combining this account with St John’s, it appears that Mary Magdalene saw the angel when she returned with St Peter and St John, and after they had left.

    the place where the Lord was laid. The women, on looking round, saw the empty tomb, and the linen cloths lying and the napkin that had been about his head, not lying with the linen cloths, but apart, wrapped up into one place (St John xx, 6, 7).

    7. tell ye his disciples. St Mark adds, and Peter. This was a special proof of the love of Jesus for those who had deserted Him during His bitter Passion. The special message to St Peter, the mention of his name, must have been an immense consolation to the penitent apostle. It was an assurance that his sin was forgiven.

    he will go before you. Better, “He goeth before you” (προάγει), as a shepherd leads his flock to new pastures. Jesus Himself had assured them, After I shall be risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. This message was particularly for His Galilean disciples, for it was on a mountain in Galilee that Jesus shewed Himself to a great number assembled. The apostles and the women who had ministered to Him saw Him in Jerusalem before He appeared to His disciples collectively.

    8. went out quickly, — i.e. from the sepulchre, which they had entered at the angel’s bidding.

    with fear and great joy. We can imagine their mingled feelings of wonder and fear ; at first they could scarcely believe the good news. These words describe their strong emotion. Man always trembles and fears when he comes face to face with the preternatural.

    running to tell his disciples. In the parallel passage we read : For a trembling and fear had seized them : and they said nothing to any man : for they were afraid.

    St Mark appears to contradict St Matthew, but the two statements can be harmonized thus : The women fled from the sepulchre, speechless with fright, and “told no man.” On their way Jesus appeared to them, then they went and delivered the message which both our Lord and the angel had given them.

    9. Jesus met them. From St John’s account we find that our Lord had already appeared to St Mary Magdalene, whom He had not permitted to touch His sacred feet (see St John xx. 11-18, also St Mark xvi. 9). Some commentators think that she had gone to inform the disciples that Christ was risen ; others harmonize the accounts by supposing that, having rejoined her companions after her return, she was present when Jesus appeared to them, and thus was favoured with a second apparition.

    All hail. Lit. “rejoice ye ” (Χαίρετε) The usual Oriental salutation was “peace be with you,” but Jesus here fulfils His promise. I will see you again and your heart shall rejoice (St John xvi. 22).

    10. Fear not. How often He had uttered those words for the consolation of His disciples !

    Go, tell my brethren. Jesus confirms the angel’s words. For the first time He gives His disciples the name of “ brethren,” thus shewing how freely He forgave their cowardice and want of faith. At the Last Supper He called them “friends” (St John xv.), now He gives them a title which expresses a closer relationship — He is not ashamed to call them brethren (Heb. ii. 11).

    that they go. Lit. “ in order that they depart ” (ἵνα ἀπέλθωσιν). This order was not to be executed immediately, since we find the disciples in Jerusalem eight days after. They returned to Galilee when the Paschal celebrations were over.

    into Galilee. Where the disciples would be less exposed to the hostility of the Jews.

    there they shall see me. They had not to wait until their return before seeing our Lord, for He appeared to them on the evening of Easter-day, as we learn from the other Evangelists.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.