Faith And Excellence

Amen dico vobis: non inveni tantam fidem in Israel. Non de omnibus prioribus Patribus et sanctis hoc dictum putamus , sed de solis ejusdem temporis loquitur hominibus, quibus ideo istius antefertur fides, quia eos, licet lex aut prophetae, tamen longa eruditione perduxerant ad fidem; hunc vero, nullo docente alio, Pater solus per Spiritum sanctum plenius instituit. Non enim caro et sanguis eum ista perdocuit, sed Pater Christi coelitus reseravit. Unde per eum, nec immerito, fides genitum collaudatur. Nam in priori leproso universitas designatur quos lepra peccati originalis resperserat, in isto vero centurione sola gentilitas aggegatur. Cujus nimirum fides, utlra Judaeorum, multis in locis, propter Christi gratiam, praedicatur, quia gentes mox, gratia praedictionis et signorum percepta, plenissime crediderunt. Israel autem, inquit, me non cognovit et populus ille me non intellexit. Non quod in Israel salvato tunc fides aliqua non fuerit, sed in isto plurima et praecipua, quasi in omnibus gentibus, approbatur. Ostendit denique in illo electos per gratiam ex gentibus, propterea fides ejus Israeli cum pomorum fructibus praeponitur. Fructus autem fidei fuit charitas qua Deum et proximum dilexit; prudentia et intellectus quibus in homine divinitatem deprehendit; humilitas fundatissima, qua se indignum quem Christus tecto accipiat, confitetur. Justificatur autem ex fide, et primam carnis conditionem non spernit, curam gerens pro domesticis. Quapropter nec immerito, virtutum militia ciccumvallatus, centurio nominatur. Sanctus Paschasius Radbertus Corbeiensis, Expositio In Evangelium Matthaei, Liber V, Caput VIII Source: Migne PL 120.349b-d

Truly I say to you, I have not found such faith in Israel. 1 We should not think that this is spoken of the patriarchs and holy men of the past, but He speaks only of the men of that time, whom, therefore, the faith of this man excels, because they having the law and prophets only came to the faith by long study, but this man was not taught by anyone, but the Father alone, through the Holy Spirit, fully established him. For it was not flesh and blood that instructed him, but it was the heavenly Father of Christ who enlightened him. Whence rightly the faith of the Gentiles is praised through him. The previous leper signifies all who were sprinkled with the disease of original sin, 2 but in this centurion the Gentiles alone are gathered. Certainly his faith, which exceeded the Jews, on account of the grace of Christ, shall be preached in many places, because soon the nations, by the grace of preaching and the instruction of signs would come to believe most fully. 'But Israel,' it says, 'did not know me and my people did not understand.' 3 Not that there were not some in Israel then who were saved by faith, but in this man more and especially, as among all the nations, it is approved. Finally He shows in this man the elect through grace from the nations, because of which the fruit of his trees are greater. For the fruit of faith here was charity which loved God and neighbour, and prudence and understanding which grasped the Divinity in man, and most firmly founded on humility confessed itself unworthy to receive Christ under its roof. And there is justification from faith, for he does not scorn the original condition of the flesh, but cares for his servants. Because of which, quite rightly, being walled with an army of the virtues, he is called 'centurion.' Saint Paschasius Radbertus, Commentary On The Gospel of Saint Matthew, Book 5, Chapter 8 1 Mt 8.10 2 Mt 8.1-4 3 Isaiah 1.3

Neither A Purse, Nor A Sack, Nor Shoes

Nolite portare sacculum, neque peram, neque calceamenta. Quid sit, sacculum non esse portandum, alibi evidenter expressit; scripsit enim Matthaeus quoniam dixit ad discipulos Dominus: Nolite possidere aurum, neque argentum. Si prohibemur aurum possidere, quid eripere, quid auferre? Si quod habeas, donare praeceperis, quemadmodum congeris quod non habebas? Qui praedicas non furandum, furaris? Qui dicis non maechandum, moecharis? Qui exsecraris idola, sacrilegium facis? Qui in Lege gloriaris, per praevaricationem Legis Deum inhonoras? Nomen enim Dei per vos blasphematur. Non sic apostolus Petrus, qui primus Dominicae exsecutor sententiae, ut ostenderet non in vacuum Domini effusa mandata; cum posceretur a paupere, ut ei aliquid pecuniae largiretur, ait: Argentum atque aurum non habeo. Ille gloriatur quod non habeat argentum neque aurum: vobis pudori est minus adhuc habere quam cupitis? Est ergo et pauperies gloriosa; quia est et beata, sicut scriptum est: Beati pauperes spiritu. Tamen non tam hoc gloriatur Petrus, quod argentum et aurum non habeat, quam quod servet mandatum Domini, qui praecepit: Nolite possidere aurum; hoc est dicere: Vides me Christi esse discipulum, et aurum a me requiris? Aliud nobis multo pretiosius auro donavit, ut in nomine eius operemur. Itaque non habeo quod non dedit, sed quod dedit habeo: In nomine Domini Iesu, surge, et ambula. Sicut ergo qui horrea vult congerendis aedificare frumentis, Dominicae sententiae auctoritate reprehenditur: ita qui sacculum vult auro parare condendo, naevum reprehensionis incurrit. Non peram, neque calceamenta. Utrumque de corio mortui animantis confici solet: nihil autem in nobis Dominus Iesus mortale vult esse. Denique ad Moysen dicit: Solve calceamentum pedum tuorum; locus enim in quo stas, terra sancta est. Mortale igitur atque terrenum calceamentum iubetur solvere, cum mitteretur ad populum liberandum; huius enim minister muneris timere nihil debet, nec a suscepto officio, mortis periculo retardari. Ipse enim cum defensionem fratrum, hoc est, Iudaeorum voluntarius recepisset, calumniae terrore revocatus est ab incoepto, et fugit ex Aegypto. Et ideo cum Dominus affectum eius probasset, conditionem autem vidisset infirmam, animi eius mentisque vestigium mortalibus vinculis censuit exuendum. Sanctus Ambrosius Mediolanensis, Expositio Evangelii Secundum Lucam, Liber VII Source: Migne PL 15.1712c-1713d

Carry neither a purse, nor a sack, nor shoes. 1 Why it might be that a purse should not be carried, is manifestly expressed elsewhere, for Matthew wrote that the Lord said to His disciples, 'Have neither gold nor silver.' 2 If we are forbidden to have gold why seize it, why carry it off? If you are commanded to give away what you have, why do you gather what you do not have? 'Why do you preach that one should not steal, when you steal? Why do you say do not commit adultery, when you commit adultery? Why do you denounce idols and commit sacrilege? Should he who glories in the law trespass against the Law and dishonour God? The name of God is blasphemed because of you.' 3 Peter the apostle was not like this, he who was the first enactor of the Lord's precepts, so that he might show the Lord did not pour out His commandments into a void. When asked by a poor man to give him some money, he said, 'I have neither silver nor gold.' 4 He glories in lacking silver and gold, and should you be ashamed because you have less than you would wish? This is a glory of poverty, that it is blessed, as it is written, 'Blessed are the poor of spirit,' 5 However Peter does not glory so much in this, that he has neither silver nor gold, as in serving the commandment of the Lord, who commands, 'Do not have gold,' which is to say, 'You see I am disciple of Christ, and you seek gold from me? He gave something more precious than gold, that we may work in His name. Therefore I do not have what He did not give, but what He did give I do have, 'In the name of the Lord Jesus rise and walk.' 4 Thus the authority of the Lord’s precepts rebukes the one who wishes to build barns for the gathering of wheat. 'Nor a sack, nor shoes.' Both are accustomed to be made of the skins of dead animals, and so the Lord Jesus wants nothing mortal in us. He says to Moses, 'Take the shoes from your feet, for the place in which you stand is holy ground.' 6 Therefore when he is sent to liberate the people the command is given to remove the shoe of mortality and worldliness, for his servant should not be troubled by a gift, or an office, or pause because of the peril of death. For when Moses had voluntarily undertaken the defense of his brothers, that is, of the Jews, he was recalled from his undertaking by the terror of calumny. 7 Therefore when the Lord had tested his love and seen it was in a weak condition, he decreed that his soul and mind should be stripped of any trace of mortal chains. Saint Ambrose, Commentary On The Gospel of Saint Luke, Book 7 1 Lk 10.4 2 Mt 10.9 3 Rom 2.21-24 4 Acts 3.6 5 Mt 5.3 6 Exod 3.5 7 Exod 2.15

Two Lords

Nemo potest duobus dominis servire: aut enim unum odio habebit, et alterum diliget: aut unum sustinebit, et alterum contemnet. Videamus in primis, quomodo dicta praecedentia subsequantur verba praesentia. Superius praecepit eleemosynas facere, dicens: Thesaurizate vobis thesauros in caelo, quoniam qui thesaurizaverit thesauros sibi in caelo, ille cor habet in caelo, et spem ad Deum: ille habet oculum animae simplicem, id est, mentem mundam et spiritualem, et semper non terrena, sed caelestia meditantem. Qui autem habet mentem mundam et spiritualem, ille potest corpus suum servare lucidum, id est, sine peccato. Qui autem non facit eleemosynas, nec cor habet in caelo, nec spem in Deum: nec mentem mundam et spiritualem, neque potest corpus suum servare lucidum, id est, sine peccato: quia nemo potest duobus dominis servire, Deo et mammonae, id est, divitiis. Opus Imperfectum in Matthaeum, Homilia XVI Source: Migne PG 56.722

No one is able to serve two Lords, for he either hates one and loves the other, or he cleaves to one and despises the other. 1 First let us see how the things which were said previously lead to the present words. Previously He commanded alms giving, saying, 'Heap up for yourself treasure in heaven,' because he who heaps up treasure for himself in heaven, he has heart in heaven, and his hope is in God, and he has cleansed the eye of his soul, that is, his mind is pure and spiritual, and he is always thinking on the things of heaven and not the things of earth, and he who has a pure and spiritual mind, he is able to make his body all light, that is, to be without sin. 2 But he who does not give alms, he does not have his heart in heaven, nor does he hope in God, nor is his mind pure and spiritual, nor is he able to make his body all light, that is, to be without sin, because no one is able to serve two lords, God and Mammon, that is, wealth. Opus Imperfectum on Matthew, from Homily 16 1 Mt 6.24 2 Mt 6.2-4, 19-22

Two Lives

Quae etiam sedens secus pedes Domini, audiebat verbum illius. Martha autem satagebat circa frequens ministerium. Haec utrique vitae congruere, nemo qui dubitet. Et contemplativae quidem uniformis perfectio est, exutam mentem in cunctis habere terrenis, eamque quantum humana imbecillitas sinit, unire cum Christo. Activae vero, quam frequens sit ministerium, gentium Magister edocet, qui celeberrimis Epistolarum dictis suos pro Christo terra marique labores, sua pericula commemorat. In quibus etiam visiones et revelationes Domini commendans, non minus se in speculativa virtute, quod perpaucis est imitabile, consummatum fuisse significat. Unde dicit: Sive enim mentem excedimus Deo, sive sobrii sumus vobis. Sanctus Beda, In Lucae Evangelium Expositio, Liber III, Caput X Source: Migne PL 92.471b

And she had a sister called Mary, who sitting also at the Lord's feet, heard his word. But Martha was busy about much serving. 1 That both lives are fitting no one doubts. And there is a certain uniform perfection of the contemplative which cuts the mind off from all worldly things, as much as human weakness will allow, to unite it with Christ. The active life, however, is busy with its service, which the teacher of the Gentiles instructs in very many places in his letters, where he recalls his perilous labours on land and sea for Christ, in which he also commends visions and revelations of the Lord, he who was not deprived of the speculative virtue, which being imitated by hardly anyone, signifies his perfection. Hence he said, 'For whether we are transported in the mind for God, or whether we are sober for you.' 2 Saint Bede, Commentary on the Gospel of Luke, Book 3, Chapter 10 1 Lk 10.39-40 2 2 Cor 5.18

Mercy And Sacrifice

Euntes autem, discite quid est, misericordiam volo, et non sacrificium. Pharisaeis de falsa justitia tumidis, dat consilium correctionis. Faciebant saepe sacrificia in templo, ut justi apparerent coram populo, sed non exercebant opera misericordiae, ubi comprobatur vera justitia. Si enim vere justi essent, peccatoribus condescenderent, et de salute illorum, sicut de sua laborarent, quasi dicat: Vos aestimatis vos esse justos, sed euntes ad prophetas, discite, quid est vera justitia, discite quod ait Dominus per Prophetam. Ait enim: Misericordiam volo, et non sacrificium, tamen non despicit Deus sacrificium, sed sacrificium sine misericordia. Anselmus Laudunensis, Enarrationes In Matthaeum, Caput IX Source: Migne PL 162.1331a-b

Go, then, and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.'1 He gave the counsel of correction to the Pharisees who were puffed up with false righteousness. For they often sacrificed in the temple so that they might appear righteous before the people, but they did not apply themselves to the works of mercy, where true righteousness is proved. For if they were truly righteous, they would have concerned themselves with sinners and their salvation, just as much as they toiled for themselves, so it as if He said, 'You think yourself righteous men, but go to the prophets and learn what true righteousness is. Learn what the Lord said through the prophet. For he said, 'I desire mercy not sacrifice.' Not that the Lord scorned sacrifice, but sacrifice without mercy. Anselm of Laon, Commentary On The Gospel of Saint Matthew, Chapter 9 1 Mt 9.13, Hosea 6.6

A Hard Saying

Legimus in Evangelio, quod praedicante aliquando Salvatore et sub mysterio edendi corporis sui discipulos ad communicandum passionibus suis admonente. dixerint quidam: Durus est hic sermo; et ex hoc jam non fuerint cum eo. Interrogati vero discipuli an et ipsi vellent abire: Domine, inquiunt, ad quem ibimus? verba vitae aeternae habes. Ita dico vobis, fratres, usque hodie quibusdam manifestum est quoniam verba quae loquitur Jesus, spiritus et vita sunt; et propterea sequuntur illum: aliis dura videntur, et miseram alibi quaerunt consolationem. Sapientia siquidem in plateis clamitat, in lata videlicet et spatiosa via quae ducit ad mortem, ut revocet ambulantes per eam. Denique Quadraginta annis, inquit, proximus fui generationi huic, et dixi: Semper hi errant corde. Habes et in alio Psalmo: Semel locutus est Deus. Semel utique, quia semper. Una enim, et non interpolata, sed continua et perpetua locutio est. Revocat autem peccatores ad cor, de cordis errore redarguit, pro eo quod ibi habitet ipse, ibique loquatur, faciens nimirum quod docuit per prophetam dicentem: Loquamini ad cor Jerusalem. Nam Babylon, quoniam terra est, nec potest sustinere universos sermones ejus; elongatur a corde, et in carne magis ambulat, tanquam mortua a corde, imo tanquam columba seducta non habens cor. Vult enim laetari cum malefecerit, et exsultare in rebus pessimis: audiensque vocem Domini hujus modi gaudia nullatenus approbantem, sed detestantem, sed arguentem, sed condemnantem, fugit, et abscondit se in similitudine praevaricatoris Adae. Sed heu me! quam vile operimentum quaeris, misera anima! quam inutile quaeris operimentum! Folia enim sunt quae intexis; folia, inquam, quae nil tibi caloris praebeant, nil habeant soliditatis. Orto denique sole arescent, et ventus urens disperget illa; tu vero nuda et misera remanebis. Tunc ergo nihil opertum quod non reveletur, quoniam veniet Dominus, qui et illuminabit abscondita tenebrarum, et manifestabit consilia cordium. Non erit jam quo lateas, misera. Frustra dices montibus: Cadite super nos: et collibus: Operite nos; quoniam nudam et apertam oportebit te stare ante tribunal Christi, ut audias vocem judicii, quae vocem consilii contempsisti. Ecce enim quid loquitur Deus: Agite, inquit, poenitentiam: et dissimulant multi, et continent aures suas, et dicunt: Durus est hic sermo, Non sic impii, non sic dissimulare poteritis, cum sonabit asperum illud verbum, et auditio mala: Ite, maledicti, in ignem aeternum. Sanctus Bernardus Clarae Vallensis, Sermones De Diversis, Sermo V, De verbis Habacuc, Super custodiam meam stabo.' Source: Migne PL 183.554b-555a

We read in the Gospel that at a certain time during the preaching of the Saviour, beneath the mystery of the eating of His body He warned His disciples about the sharing of His sufferings, and some said, 'This is a hard saying,' and from that point on did not accompany Him. Then He asked His disciples if they wished to go away and they said, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.' 1 Thus I say to you, brothers, to whom even today it is manifest that the words that Jesus spoke are spirit and life, and because of which they follow him, that to others they appear hard and they seek some their wretched comfort elsewhere. Certainly wisdom cries out in the streets, on the broad and wide way that leads to death, so that it might recall those who walk on it. 'For forty years,' He says, 'I was near to this people and their hearts were always straying.' 2 And in another Psalm you have, 'God has spoken once.' 3 Once because always. For His speech is one and not interrupted, and it is continuous and perpetual. He recalls sinners to the heart, he disputes with the heart that strays, so that He might dwell there. He speaks everywhere, certainly doing what He taught through the prophet, saying, 'Speak to the heart of Jerusalem.' 4 For Babylon, which is the earth, is not able to sustain all His words, it is distant in its heart, and it walks much more in the flesh, since it is dead from the heart, and as a snared dove it has no heart. It wishes for there to be rejoicing when it does evil, and for there to be exultation in the worst sort of things, and when it hears the voice of the Lord it does not joyfully approve it but detests it, and it disputes it and it condemns it, and it flees and hides itself just like that prevaricator Adam. But alas for me. What a vile covering you seek, wretched soul. How useless is the cover your seek. They are interwoven leaves, leaves, I say, that cannot provide any warmth, nor do they have any firmness. Soon the rising sun shall scorch them and a burning wind will scatter them, and you shall be naked and wretched. There is nothing covered that shall not be exposed when the Lord comes, He who shall bring light to all the hidden things of the darkness, and expose all the thoughts of the heart. There shall be nowhere to hide, wretched one. In vain you shall say to the mountains, 'Fall on us,' and to the hills, 'Cover us,' 5 because you shall stand naked and exposed before the tribunal of Christ and you shall hear the voice of the judge which you have scorned as the voice of counsel. Behold how God says, 'Repent,' 6 and many dismiss it and close up their ears and say, 'This is a hard saying.' Not so wicked ones, you shall not be able to dismiss it when you hear that bitter word, so evil to hear, 'Go, wicked ones, into the eternal fire.' 7 Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Various Sermons, from Sermon 5, On the Words of Habakkuk, 'I will stand on my watch.' 1 John 6.61-69 2 Ps 94.10 3 Ps 61.12 4 Isaiah 40.2 5 Apoc 6.16 6 Mt 3.2 7 Mt 25.41

Wealth And Following

Et ille respondens ait: Magister, haec omnia observavi a juventute mea. Jesus autem intuitus eum, dilexit eum, et dixit illi: Unum tibi deest... Non est putandus homo iste vel voto tentantis, ut quidam putavere, Dominum interrogasse, et de sua esse vita mentitus, cum se legis mandata custodisse dicebat, sed simpliciter ut vixerit esse confessus, quia si mendacio aut simulationis noxa reus teneretur, nequaquam intuitus arcana cordis ejus diligere diceretur Jesus. Diligit enim Dominus eos qui mandata legis, quamvis minora, custodiunt, sed nihilominus quod in lege minus fuerat, his qui perfecti esse desiderant ostendit: quia non venit solvere legem aut prophetas, sed adimplere. Ad quam profecto adimpletionem pertinet, quod hic consequenter adjungit. Vade, quaecunque habes vende et da pauperibus, et habebis thesaurum in coelo; et veni, sequere me. Quicunque perfectus esse voluerit debet vendere quae habet, et non ex parte vendere, sicut Ananias fecit et Saphira, sed totum vendere, et, cum vendiderit, dare omne pauperibus, et sic sibi praeparare thesaurum in regno coelorum. Nec hoc ad perfectionem sufficit, nisi post contemptas divitias Salvatorem sequatur, id est, relictis malis, faciat bona. Facilius enim sacculus contemnitur quam voluntas. Multi divitias relinquentes Dominum non sequuntur. Sequitur autem Dominum qui imitator ejus est, et per vestigia illius graditur. Qui enim dicit se in Christo credere, debet quomodo ille ambulavit et ipse ambulare, sicque perveniet ad regnum coeleste. Rabanus Maurus, Homilia CXVIII, Lectio sancti Evangelii secundum Marcum. Source: Migne PL 110.370c-371a

And he answered him, 'Master, I have observed all these things from my youth.' And Jesus looked at him and loved him and said to him, 'But you lack one thing...' 1 It should not be thought that this man questioned the Lord as a temptation, being deceitful about his own life, when he said he kept the commandments, but that he innocently confessed how he lived, because if the guilt of lying and deceit had clung to him it would never have been said that Jesus, He who knows the secret things of the heart, 2 loved him. The Lord loves those who keep the commandments of the law, even the lesser ones, but nevertheless to those who desire to be perfect He shows what was lacking in the law, because He had not come to set aside the law and prophets but to fulfill them, 3 to which fulfillment this undoubtedly pertains, and because of which it is then added, 'Go and sell whatever you have and give it to the poor and you shall have treasure in heaven, and come, follow me.' Whoever wishes to be perfect should sell what he has, and not just a part, as Ananias and Sapphira did, 4 but the whole, and when he has sold it he should give it all to the poor and so prepare for himself treasure in heaven. But this is not enough for perfection unless after wealth is scorned the Saviour is followed, that is, with evils forsaken let good be done. 5 It is easier to scorn the purse than the will. Many who abandon wealth do not follow the Lord, for to follow the Lord is to imitate Him, and to walk in his footsteps. He who says that he believes in Christ should himself walk as He walked, and so He shall come to the kingdom of heaven. Rabanus Maurus, from Homily 118, On A Reading from the Gospel of Saint Mark 1 Mk 10.20-21 2 Ps 43.22 3 Mt 5.17 4 Acts 5.1-11 5 Ps 33.15, 36.27

Wealth And Salvation

Et circumspiciens Jesus, ait discipulis suis: Quam difficile qui pecunias habent, in regnum Dei introibunt. Discipuli autem obstupescebant in verbis ejus. At Iesus rursus respondens ait illis: Filioli, quam difficile est, confidentes in pecuniis, in regnum Dei introire. Ecce explanatio, quia eos quos primo dixit habere pecuniam: nunc exponendo dicit esse qui confidunt in pecuniis: unde Gloffa. Qui multiplicandis divitiis incumbunt, patet quia vitae alterius gaudia quaerere contemnunt. Sed aliud est pecuniam habere, aliud amare. Multi habent, et non amant: multi non habent, et amant: alii autem et habent et amant: alii vero nec habere, nec amare se gaudent, qui certiores sunt: qui cum Apostolo dicere possunt. Mihi mundus crucifixus est, et ego mundo. Unde Salomon ait Eccles. Qui amat divitias: fructum non capiet ex eis, quia vanae sunt. Sed ipse Dominus de his verbis obstupescentibus Discipulis exponit,dicens: filioli quam difficile est confidentes in pecuniis in regnum Dei introire. Qui volunt divites fieri, incidunt in tentationem e in laqueuin Diaboli: et in tentationes multas et nociuas, quae mergunt in interitum et perditionem. Ideo dicit Psal: Divitiae si affluant, nolite cor apponere. Ibidem etiam dicit Apostolus. Praecipe divitibus non sublime sapere, nec sperare in incerto divitiarum. Isti enim funt confidentes in divitiis, et difficile est tales in regnum Dei intrare hoc modo. Sanctus Albertus Magnus, Commentarium In Evangelium Divi Marci, Caput X Source: Here p121

And Jesus looking around said to His disciples, 'How hard it is for those who have riches to enter into the kingdom of God.' And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus again answering, said to them, 'Children, how hard is it for those who trust in riches, to enter into the kingdom of God.' 1 Consider the explanation, because those who He first spoke of having wealth He now expounds in speaking of those who trust in riches, hence the Gloss: 'Those who are burdened with an abundance of riches,' because it is manifest that they scorn the seeking of another life. It is one thing to have wealth and another thing to love it. Many have riches and do not love them, many do not have them and love them, and others have them and love them, but others rejoice in not having them and in not loving them, who are more secure, who are able to say with the Apostle, 'The world is crucified to me and I to the world.' And Solomon says in Ecclesiastes, 'He who loves riches shall gain no fruit from them, for they are vain.' 2 For the Lord Himself explains these words to the astonished disciples, saying, 'Children, how difficult it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God.' In the first letter to Timothy, 'Those who wish to be rich, they fall into temptation and in the trap of the devil,' and the temptations are many and harmful, and they drag down the soul into ruin and damnation. Therefore in the Psalm, 'If riches abound, do not set your heart on them.' Likewise the Apostle says, 'Warn the rich not to think too highly, nor to hope in the security of riches,' 3 for it is difficult for those who hope in riches to enter the kingdom of heaven.  Saint Albert The Great, Commentary On The Gospel of St Mark, Chapter 10 1 Mk 10.23-24 2 Galat 6.14, Eccles 5.9 3 1 Tim 6.9, Ps 61.11, 1 Tim 6.17

States Of Death And Life

Qui in monumentis sunt audient vocem Filii Dei, et qui audierint vivent. In istis verbis tangitur ordo spiritualis suscitationis, et tanguntur ibi tria. Tangitur enim ibi status mortis et status vitae et via perveniendi ad vitam de morte. Status mortis est status culpae, et hic tangitur, cum dicitur: Qui in monumentis sunt. Via perveniendi ad vitam est verbum doctrinae, et haec tangitur, cum dicitur: Audient vocem Filii Dei vivi. Status vitae est status gratiae , et hic tangitur , cum dicitur: Et qui audierint vivent ac si diceretur: qui sunt in morte culpae audient vocem doctrinae et vivent vita gratiae. Sanctus Bonaventura, Collationes In Evangelium Ioannem, Caput V, Collatio XXV Source: Here, p563

Those in their tombs shall hear the voice of the son of God, and those who hear shall live. 1 With these words He touches on the order of spiritual revival, and it is touched on in a threefold manner. For there is a state of death and of life and of coming to life from death. The state of death is the state of sin and this is touched on when it is said, 'Those in their tombs.' The way of coming to life is the word of teaching, and this is touched on when it is said, 'They shall hear the voice of the son of the living God.' The state of life is the state of grace, and this is touched on when it is said, 'And those who hear shall live,' as if it was said, 'Those who are dead in sin shall hear the voice of teaching and live the life of grace.' Saint Bonaventura, Observations On The Gospel Of Saint John, Chapter 5 1 Jn 5.25

Signs And Showings

Et accesserunt ad eum Pharisaei et Sadducaei tentantes, et rogaverunt eum ut signum de coelo ostenderet eis. O quam duricordes! Signa quaerunt, quasi quae viderant opera Deitatis signa non fuerint. Sed quid quaerant ostendit Evangelista cum ait: Et rogaverunt ut signum de coelo ostenderet eis. Quaerebant ergo signum de coelo, ut jam supra, aut in morem Eliae, ignem de sublimi venire, aut in similitudinem Samuelis, aestivo tempore tonitrua concrepare, coruscare fulgura, imbres ruere, de quibus etiam supra dictum est, quasi non possent ista, et alia hujuscemodi calumniari ac dicere, ex occultis et variis aeris passionibus accidisse. Qua de causa sensus patet, quod non ob aliud de coelo quaerunt signum ut credant, sed ut ea quae secundo facta sunt de panibus, evacuent. Quanquam et in Evangelio Joannis monstretur eos post hoc miraculum de panibus, quaesisse ut manna more Moysi de coelo eis daret. Dicit enim Joannes eos ita dixisse: Quid ergo tu facis ut videamus et credamus tibi? Quid operaris? Patres nostri manna manducaverunt in deserto, sicut scriptum est: Panem de coelis dedit eis manducare. Ac si dicerent, ut qui multa millia hominum secundo pavisti in deserto paucis de panibus, fac in exemplum Moysi nobis manna venire de coelo, ut credamus tibi. Et hoc vere non de puritate fidei dixerunt, sicut nec patres eorum, quando dicebant: Nunquid panem poterit dare, aut parare mensam in deserto? Quae nimirum vox, non de credulitate venit, sicut nec istorum, sed de infidelitate et duritia cordis ut calumnientur et evacuent quae facta sunt a Domino, ne credentes salvi fiant. At ille respondens ait illis. Porro in Marco habetur quod ingemiscens spiritu dixerit: Generatio mala et adultera, praetermissis in medio quae Matthaeus commemorat, quoniam sicut supra turbam credentem coelestibus beneficiis refecturus, gratias agebat; ita nunc ob stultam Pharisaeorum non credentium perfidiam, et tentationis callidam fraudis petitionem, gemit et contristatur. Sanctus Paschasius Radbertus Corbeiensis, Expositio In Evangelium Matthaei, Liber VII, Caput XVI Source: Migne PL 120.550d-551b

And Pharisees and Sadducees came to Him to test Him, and they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven. 1 O what hard hearts. They seek a sign, as if what they saw of the works of the Lord were not signs. But why they sought the Evangelist shows when he says, 'And they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven.' Therefore they sought a sign from heaven as it was before, either in the manner of Elijah, that fire would come from the heights, or like Samuel when thunder sounded out a clear summer sky and lightening flashed and rain fell, which things have been spoken of above, as if they could not calumniate these things and those like them and say they happened because of various disturbances of the air. For which reason it is obvious that they did not seek a sign from heaven so that they might believe but so that they might make light of those things which had been done with bread. John says they spoke like this, 'What do you do that we might see and believe in you? What works? Our fathers ate manna in the desert, as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.' 2 As if they had said that He who had just fed with a few loaves of bread many thousands of men in the desert for a second time  should act 'in the manner of Moses for us and make manna come from heaven, so that we might believe in you.' And this was not said out any sort of pure faith, just like their fathers, who said, 'Can He give us bread or prepare a meal in the desert?' 3 Which voice, then came not from belief, just like those, but from faithlessness and a hard heart, so that they might calumniate and make light of the things the Lord had done, lest believing they be saved. 'He then answered them.' But Mark has it that He groaned in His spirit and said, 'A wicked and adulterous generation,' 4 passing over here what Matthew remembers, that the crowd who were to be refreshed with the heavenly benefactions gave thanks, and thus now because of the folly of the Pharisees, and not the treachery of believers, and their clever and deceitful request, He groaned and sighed. Saint Paschasius Radbertus, Commentary On The Gospel of Saint Matthew, Book 7, Chapter 16 1 Mt 16.1 2 Jn 6.30-31 3 Ps 77.19 4 Mk 8.1-12, Mt 15.31

Giving And Withholding

Nolite sanctum dare canibus, et margaritas vestras nolite mittere ante porcos. Ac si dicat, Mandavi vobis diligere inimicos vestros, et non judicare eos, ut vos exhibeam misericordes ad illos, ut benefaciatis eis de corporalibus vestris, non de meis spiritualibus bonis, quoniam in natura vobis communes sunt, et non in fide. Mandavi autem vobis, ut non judicetis eos, qui in vobis peccaverint. Id vero non ideo praecepi, ut mysteriorum meorum secreta non pandatis eis, qui nolentes me scire, blasphemant, et spernunt. Videte Patrem vestrum Deum, ad cujus exemplum volui vos esse misericordes: carnalia beneficia dignis, et non dignis similiter praestat, numquid gratias spirituales? Nec enim dixi vobis de illo, qui Spiritum sanctum jubet descendere super gratos et ingratos, et dat benedictiones suas super justos et injustos: propter quod in vestris quidem estote simplices et benigni, in meis autem prudentes et cauti. Si tu vestiarium tuum studiosum, et clavicularium cellarii tui fidelem tibi requiris: quanto magis Deus talem requirit dispensatorem gratiarum suarum, qui bene tractando gratias ejus, faciat gratiores, non, male dispensando, reddat ingratas? Sicut enim si canibus dederis sanctum, aut porcis margaritas, nec sanctum canes sanctificat, nec margaritae nutriunt porcos, sed e contra canes coinquinant sanctum, et porci margaritas sordidant, vel confringunt: ita si hominibus caninos vel porcinos mores habentibus sanctum dederis, aut mysteria secreta credideris, nec sanctum illos sanctificat, nec mysteria veritatis eos illuminant, sed e contra ipsi sanctum coinquinant, et mysteria veritatis blasphemant. Opus Imperfectum in Matthaeum, Homilia XVII Source: Migne PG 56.727-8

Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not cast your pearls before swine. 1 As if He says, 'I commanded you to love your enemies and not to judge them so that I might exhibit you as merciful to them, so that you may be of help to them in bodily matters, but not in my spiritual goods, because you have a common nature but not a common faith. And I commanded you not to judge those who have sinned against you, but I did not instruct you to reveal to them the secrets of my mysteries, for those who do not wish to know me will blaspheme and spurn them. Look to God the Father, for by His example I wish to make you merciful. May it not be that at the same time men are worthy of bodily benefits but not of spiritual graces? I did not say to you that He commands the Holy Spirit to descend upon the grateful and the ungrateful, and that He gives His blessing over the just and unjust. Because of which you should be simple and kind among yourselves, but in me prudent and cautious. If you are jealous of your wardrobe and you require trust for the key of your cellar, how much more does God require it for the dispensing of His graces, He who in the giving out His grace well makes grateful, and who does not dispense it poorly and give it to the ungrateful? So if you were to give something holy to a dog, or pearls to pigs, that which is holy would not sanctify the dogs, nor would pearls nourish pigs, but on the contrary the dogs would defile what is holy and the pigs would soil the pearls, or crush them. Thus if you give what is holy to men who have the ways of dogs and pigs, or you entrust the sacred mysteries to them, that which is holy will not sanctify them, nor will the mysteries of the truth enlighten them, but rather they will defile what is holy and blaspheme the mysteries of the truth. Opus Imperfectum on Matthew, from Homily 17 1 Mt 7.6

Seed And Weeds and Wheat

Ἄλλην παραβολὴν παρέθηκεν αυτοῖς, λέγων· Ωμοιώθη ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀνθρώπῳ σπείραντι καλὸν σπέρμα ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ αὐτοῦ, ἐν δὲ τῷ καθεύδειν τοὺς ἀνθρώπους , ἦλθεν αὐτοῦ ὁ ἐχθρὸς, καὶ ἔσπειρε ζιζάνια ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ σίτου , καὶ ἀπῆλθεν. Ὅτε δὲ ἐβλάστησεν ὁ χόρτος καὶ καρπὸν ἐποίησε, τότε ἐφάνη καὶ τὰ ζιζάνια . Προσελθόντες δὲ οἱ δοῦλοι τοῦ οἰκοδεσπότου, εἶπον αὐτῷ· Κύριε, οὐχὶ καλὸν σπέρμα ἔσπειρας ἐν τῷ σῷ ἀγρῷ; Πόθεν οὖν ἔχει τὰ ζιζάνια; Ὁ δὲ ἔφη αὐτοῖς· Ἐχθρὸς ἄνθρωπος τοῦτο ἐποίησεν. Οἱ δὲ δοῦλοι εἶπον αὐτῷ· Θέλεις οὖν ἀπελθόντες συλλέξωμεν αὐτά; Ὁ δὲ ἔφη Οῦ· μήποτε συλλέγοντες τὰ ζιζάνια, ἐκριζώσητε ἅμα αὐτοῖς τὸν σἴτον. "Αφετε οὖν συναυξάνεσθαι ἀμφότερα μέχρι τοῦ θερισμοῦ, καὶ ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τοῦ θερισμοῦ ἐρῶ τοῖς θερισταῖς· Συλλέξατε πρῶτον τὰ ζιζάνια, καὶ δήσατε αὐτὰ εἰς δέσμας πρὸς τὸ κατακαῦσαι αὐτὰ, τὸν δὲ σἴτον συναγάγετε εἰς τὴν ἀποθήκην μου. Ἐν τῇ προτέρᾳ παραβολῇ εἶπε τὸ τέταρτον μέρος τοῦ σπόρου πεσεῖν εἰς τὴν γῆν τὴν ἀγαθὴν , ἐν δὲ τῇ παρούσῃ δείκνυσιν , ὅτι οὐδὲ αὐτὸ ἐκεῖνο τὸ πεσὸν εἰς τὴν γῆν τὴν ἀγαθὴν, ἀδιάφθορον εἴασεν ὁ ἐχθρὸς , διὰ τὸ καθεύδειν καὶ ῥαθυμεῖν ἡμᾶς. Ἀγρὸς οὖν , ὁ κόσμος, ἢ ἡ ἑκάστου ψυχή . Ὁστείρας, ὁ Χριστός. Καλὸν σπέρμα, οἱ ἀγαθοὶ ἄνθρωποι ἢ λογισμοί. Ζιζάνια, αἱ αἱρέσεις ἢ οἱ πονηροὶ λογισμοί . Ὁ σπείρας δὲ ταῦτα, ὁ διάβολος . Καθεύδοντες δὲ ἄνθρωποι, οἱ διὰ ῥαθυμίαν χώραν διδόντις τοῖς αἱρετικοῖς καὶ τοῖς πονηροῖς λογισμοῖς. Δοῦλοι δὲ, οἱ ἄγγελοι, οἱ ἀγανακτοῦσιν ἐπὶ τῷ εἶναι αἱρέσεις, ἢ πονηρίας ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ, καὶ βούλονται ἀνασπᾶν καὶ ἐκκόπτειν ἐκ τοῦ βίου τοὺς τε αἱρετικοὺς καὶ τοὺς τὰ πονηρὰ λογιζομένους. Ὁ Θεὸς οὐ συγχωρεῖ τοὺς αἱρετικοὺς διὰ πολέμων ἀναλίσκεσθαι, ἵνα μὴ συμπάσχωσι καὶ συν αλίσκωνται καὶ οἱ δίκαιοι. ῾Ομοίως οὐδὲ διὰ τοὺς πονηροὺς λογισμούς θέλει ὁ Θεὸς ἐκκόπτειν τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἵνα μὴ καl ὁ σἶτος συνδιαφθαρῇ. Οἷον ἐὰν ὁ Ματθαῖος ζιζάνιον ὧν ἐκόπη ἐκ τῆς ζωῆς, συνεξεκόπη ἂν αὐτῷ καὶ ὁ ὕστερον μέλλων ἐξ αὐτοῦ βλαστῆσαι τοῦ λόγου σἶτος· ὁμοίως καὶ ὁ Παῦλος, καὶ ὁλῃστής· οὗτοι γὰρ ζιζάνια ὄντες , οὐκ ἐξεκόπησαν , ἀλλὰ συνεχωρήθησαν ζῇν, ἵνα αὐξηθῇ ἡ μετὰ ταῦτα αὐτῶν ἀρετή. Λέγει τοίνυν τοῖς ἀγγέλοις , ὅτι, Ἐν τῇ συντελείᾳ, τότε συνάξετε τὰ ζιζάνια, ἤτοι τοὺς αἱρετικούς. Ἀλλὰ πῶς ; Εἰς δέσμας, τουτέστι, δήσαντες αὐτῶν χεῖρα ; καὶ πόδας· οὐκ ἔτι γὰρ δύναται τις ἐργάσασθαι τότε, ἀλλὰ πᾶσα πρακτικὴ δύναμις δεσμεῖται. Ὁ δὲ σἴτος, ἤτοι οἱ ἅγιοι, συνάγονται παρὰ τῶν θεριστῶν ἀγγέλων εἰς τὰς οὐρανίους ἀποθήκας. ὑμοίω; οὖν καὶ οἱ πονηροὶ λογισμοὶ οὓς εἶχεν ὁ Παῦλος ὅταν ἐδίωκεν , ἐκαύθησαν τῷ πυρὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὁ ἦλθε βαλεῖν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ὁ δὲ σἴτος, ἤτοι οἱ ἀγαθοὶ λογισμοί, συνήχθησαν εἰς τὰς ἀποθήκας τῆς Ἐκκλησίας. Θεοφύλακτος Αχρίδος, Ἑρμηνεία Εἰς Τὸ Κατὰ Ματθαιον, Κεφαλὴ IΓ' Source: Migne PG 123.284c-285b

And He set before them another parable. Here is an image, He said, of the kingdom of heaven. There was a man who sowed his field with good seed, but while men slept, an enemy of his came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and left. So when the blade had sprung up and come into ear, the weeds, too, came to light. His servants went to him and said, 'Master, was it not good seed that you sowed in your field? How is it, then, that there are weeds in it? He said, An enemy has done this.' And the servants said to him, 'Would you have us go and gather them up?' He said, No, lest while you are gathering the weeds you will tear up the wheat with them. Leave them to grow side by side until the harvest, and when it comes I will give the word to the reapers, 'Gather up the weeds first, and tie them in bundles to be burned, and store the wheat in my barn.' 1 In the previous parable that He told, a quarter of the seed fell on to good ground, 2 but in this one He shows that while we sleep and are indolent the seed which fell on good ground is not immune to corruption by the enemy. The field is the world, or the soul of a man. However Christ is the sower. The good seed is good men or good thoughts. The weeds are heresies or wicked thoughts and he who sows that seed is the devil. But men are the sleepers, who on account of their indolence give a place for heretics and wicked thoughts. The servants are angels who are indignant that there are heresies or wickedness in the soul, and they wish to uproot heretics and tear them up of from life, and it is the same with wicked thoughts. But God does not permit heretics to be consumed by war lest the righteous also suffer and be consumed. Similarly God does not want evil thoughts cut out of a man lest at the same time the wheat is ruined. For the sake of an example, if Mathew had been uprooted from this life when he was a weed, likewise the wheat of his writing, which later arose in himself, would have been torn up. It is the same for Paul and the thief. For they were weeds and they were not pulled up but they were allowed to live so that they might later grow in virtue. He then speaks of the angels who in the end shall gather up the weeds, that is heretics. But how? In sheaves, that is, bound hand and feet, for then they shall no longer be able to act, but their power of acting shall be chained. But the wheat, that is, those who are holy, shall be gathered at the harvest by the angels for the heavenly granaries. Similarly the evil thoughts which Paul had when he was a persecutor were burnt up in the fire of Christ, which he came to place on the earth, 3 but the wheat, that is, the good thoughts, they were gathered into the granary of the Church. Theophylact of Ochrid, Commentary On The Gospel Of Saint Matthew, Chapter 13 1 Mt 13.24-30 2 Mt 13.3-8 3 Lk 12.49

Children And Humility

Et advocans Jesus parvulum, statuit eum in medio eorum... Vel simpliciter quemlibet parvulum, ut aetatem quaereret, et similitudinem innocentiae demonstraret. Vel certe parvulum statuit in medio eorum seipsum, qui non ministrari, sed ministrare venerat, ut eis humilitatis tribueret exemplum. Alii parvulum interpretantur Spiritum sanctum, quem posuerit in cordibus discipulorum, ut superbiam in humilitatem mutaret. Amen dico vobis, nisi conversi fueritis et efficiamini sicut parvuli, non intrabitis in regnum coelorum. Non praecipitur apostolis, ut aetatem habeant parvulorum, sed ut innocentiam, et quod illi per annos possident, hi possideant per industriam: ut malitia, non sapientia parvuli sint. Sanctus Hieronymus, Commentaria in Matthaeum, Liber III, Caput XVIII Source: Migne PL 25.128a-b

And calling a young boy, He stood him in the midst of them... 1 It is possible that He placed a young boy in their midst simply to question his age and to demonstrate an image of innocence, but it is more certain that He did this to give them an example of humility, namely, that of Himself, who had come not to be served but to serve. 2 Others interpret the boy as the Holy Spirit, whom He put into the hearts of the disciples that they might exchange their pride for humility. Truly I say to you that unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven. The apostles are not commanded to have the age of little children, but their innocence, and to acquire by their efforts what children have by their age, so that they are children in wickedness not wisdom. Saint Jerome, Commentary on Matthew, Book 3, Chapter 18 1 Mt 18.2 2 Mt 20.28

Adam And The Samaritan

Homo quidam ex Hierusalem descendebat in Hiericho, et incidit in latrones... Si altius consideretur, admiranda signat mysteria. Hiericho enim figura istius mundi est, in quam de paradiso, hoc est, de Hierusalem illa coelesti eiectus Adam praevaricationis prolapsione descendit, hoc est, de vitalibus ad infirma demigrans: cui non loci, sed morum mutatio naturae suae fecit exsilium. Longe enim mutatus ab illo Adam, qui inoffensa beatitudine fruebatur, ubi in saecularia peccata defluxit, incidit in latrones: in quos non incidisset, nisi his mandati coelestis devius se fecisset obnoxium. Qui sunt isti latrones, nisi angeli noctis atque tenebrarum, qui se nonnumquam transfigurant in angelos lucis, sed perseverare non possunt? Hi ante dispoliant quae accepimus indumenta gratiae spiritalis, et sic vulnera inferre consuerunt; nam si intemerata quae sumpsimus indumenta servemus, plagas latronum sentire non possumus. Cave ergo ne ante nuderis, sicut Adam ante nudatus est, mandati coelestis custodia destitutus, et exutus fidei vestimento, et sic lethale vulnus accepit: in quo omne genus occidisset humanum, nisi Samaritanus ille descendens, vulnera eius acerba curasset. Sanctus Ambrosius Mediolanensis, Expositio Evangelii Secundum Lucam, Liber VII Source: Migne PL 15.1718a-b

A man came down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among thieves... 1 If this is considered in a more higher sense it shall indicate admirable mysteries. Jericho is a figure of this world, into which Adam fell from paradise, that is, from that heavenly Jerusalem, 2 having been cast out for the fault of this transgression, that is, from might he passed into weakness, and his exile was not a matter of place but made by the change of his nature. He was greatly changed from that Adam who prospered in the innocence of blessedness, when he tumbled into worldly things by sin, and fell among thieves, to whom he did not come but by his own flouting of the heavenly command. Who are those thieves but angels of night and darkness who can even change themselves into angels of light 3 but are not able to persist in it? They who are accustomed to inflict their wounds by first despoiling us of the heavenly armor we have received, for if we preserve the armour intact we have taken up, we will not be able to feel the blows of the thieves. 4 Therefore take care not to be naked, as Adam was when he stripped himself of the guard of the heavenly commandment and was stripped of the garment of faith, and because of which he received a lethal wound, in which every man would have perished, unless that Samaritan coming down had cured the bitter wounds. Saint Ambrose, Commentary On The Gospel of Saint Luke, Book 7 1 Lk 10.25 2 Heb 12.22, Galat 4.26 3 2 Cor 11.14 4 Ephes 6.11-18

Righteousness And Appearances

Attendite ne justitiam vestram faciatis coram hominibus, ut videamini ab eis: alioquin mercedem non habebitis apud Patrem vestrum qui in caelis est. Cum ergo facis eleemosynam, noli tuba canere ante te, sicut hypocritae faciunt in synagogis, et in vicis, ut honorificentur ab hominibus. Amen dico vobis, receperunt mercedem suam. Te autem faciente eleemosynam, nesciat sinistra tua quid faciat dextera tua: ut sit eleemosyna tua in abscondito, et Pater tuus, qui videt in abscondito, reddet tibi. Et cum oratis, non eritis sicut hypocritae qui amant in synagogis et in angulis platearum stantes orare, ut videantur ab hominibus : amen dico vobis, receperunt mercedem suam. Tu autem cum oraveris, intra in cubiculum tuum, et clauso ostio, ora Patrem tuum in abscondito: et Pater tuus, qui videt in abscondito, reddet tibi. Instructis illis in perfectiori justitia agit de fine, ut non tamen hoc fine faciant, scilicet propter humanum favorem. Et agit de tribus virtutibus, eleemosyna, jejunio, et oratione, removendo a singulis hunc finem. Non prohibet fieri opera coram hominibus, quia superius dixit: Luceat lux vestra coram hominibus, sed hac intentione fieri prohibet, ut videantur, id est ut velint videri. Cum ergo, etc. Quando quidem nullam justitiam, ergo nec eleemosynam pro laude faciatis. Tangit morem Judaeorum, qui quando pauperes congregare volebant, tuba sonabant in publicis locis, et hoc praecipue faciebant hypocritae, qui sub specie boni laudes quaerebant, quasi dicat: Noli tuba canere, id est noli facta tua notificare et innotescere, ea intentione sicut hypocritae, quia receperunt mercedem laudis: vel receperunt quidam eorum in inferno mercedem suam, id est aptam. Tu autem, etc. Quia aliquis diceret: Ego faciam pro utroque, et pro aeterno bono, et pro humana laude, prohibet illud, quia Deus non patitur secum esse participem. Dextra est amor coelestium bonorum, sinistra vero est amor temporalium bonorum, laudis scilicet et caeterorum: non ergo consocientur isti amores, et nesciat sinistra, id est petitio humanae laudis, quid faciat dextra, id est amor et coelestium respectus: Ut sit eleemosyna tua in abscondito, id est in pura conscientia, ubi homo non videt, sed Deus tantum. Et cum oratis, etc., qui amant orare stantes, quasi cum labore in synagogis, id est in angulis platearum. Duo genera notat hypocritarum, alios qui aperte orant in publico ut viderentur, sicut illi qui orant in synagogis, ubi est totus conventus hominum, et alios qui licet in publico orarent, tamen latere se velle simulabant, cum tamen vellent videri, sicut illi qui in plateis orabant, sed tamen in angulis. Tu autem cum orabis, intra, etc. Ad litteram est hoc bonum facere, tamen aptius accipitur per cubiculum secretum conscientiae, in quo cubili oportet ut non sit litigiosa uxor, id est carnalitas, quae inquietet et faciat foras vagari mentem, non permittens sibi quiescere. Oportet igitur eam domari et comprimi, ut non inquietet et litiget. Sed non valet refugere ad cubiculum, nisi clauso ostio, ne intret turba phantasmatum. Ostia sunt ut quinque sensus corporis, et praecipue timor et amor terrenus. Per haec enim duo ostia intrant omnia phantasmata peccatorum, quae claudenda sunt. Anselmus Laudunensis, Enarrationes In Matthaeum, Caput VI Source: Migne PL 162.1303d-1304c

Take care you do not do your righteousness before men, to be seen by them, otherwise you shall not have a reward from your Father who is in heaven. Therefore when you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honoured by men. Truly I say to you that they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be given in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners, so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, enter into your chamber, and having shut the door, pray to your Father in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 1 Having instructed them in the more perfect righteousness, He treats of the end, that they do not act for this end, that is, for the favour of men. And He treats of the three virtues of alms giving and fasting and prayer, removing this end from each one. He does not prohibit us from doing works before men, because previously He said, 'Let your light shine out before men,' 2 but He prohibits the intention of appearing, that is, that they wish to appear. 'Therefore when...' Do not give alms for praise when then there is no righteousness in it. This touches on a custom of the Jews who when they wished to gather the poor together they would blow a trumpet in a public space, and the hypocrites especially did this, who beneath a mask of goodness sought praise, as if He said with, 'Do not blow a trumpet,' 'Do not proclaim your deeds or exhibit them for notice, for this is to act like a hypocrite,' because they received the reward of praise, and some of them received their reward in hell, as is fitting. 'But you,' Because if someone were to say, 'I act for both reasons, for the eternal reward and also for human praise,' He prohibits it because God does not suffer to be a participant in it. The right hand is the love of heavenly goods, but the left is the love of transient goods, that is, praise and the rest of them. Therefore they should not associate with the latter loves, and the left does not know, that is, the wish for human praise, what the right hand does, that is, for the love and reverence of heaven. 'So that your alms be given in secret.' That is, with a pure conscience, when no man sees but only God. 'And when you pray,' those who love standing in prayer as if toiling in the synagogues, that is, on street corners. He notes two types of hypocrites, one sort who openly pray in the streets so that they might be seen, and those who pray in synagogues when there is a great gathering of men, and it is possible that there others who pray in public, who feign they wish to be hidden but they do wish to be seen just like those who prays in the streets but on the corners. 'You, however, when you pray...' According to the letter prayer is good, but it is more fittingly performed in the secret chamber of the conscience, in which chamber there should not be a nagging wife, that is, carnality, which disturbs and makes the mind wander outside and does not allow quietness. Thus one must rule and suppress this, so that it does not disquiet and provoke to argument. But one cannot withdraw to this chamber unless the door is closed, lest a crowd of illusions enter. The doors are the five bodily senses, and also the fear and love of worldly things. For through these two doors pass in the illusions of errors, which must be shut out. Anselm of Laon, Commentary On The Gospel of Saint Matthew, Chapter 5 1 Mt 6.1-6 2 Mt 5.16