Feasts And Invites

Iesus dixit iterum in parabolis eis dicens, simile factum est regnum caelorum homini regi qui fecit nuptias filio suo. Et misit servos suos vocare invitatos ad nuptias et nolebant venire. Iterum misit alios servos dicens dicite invitatis ecce prandium meum paravi tauri mei et altilia occisa et omnia parata, venite ad nuptias. Tauri mei, et altilia occisa, et omnia parata, id est exempla patrum Veteris et Novi Testamenti sunt apposita. Tauri sunt patres Veteris Testamenti, qui dum ex permissione legis acceperant, ut suos adversarios odio retributionis percuterent, quid aliud quam tauri erant, qui inimicos suos corporeae virtutis cornu feriebant? Altilia vero sunt patres Novi Testamenti, qui, dum gratiam internae pinguedinis percipiunt, sublevantur ad sublimia, contemplationis suae penna. Et non sufficit eos amicos tantum diligere, sed etiam fervent inimicorum suorum dilectione. Quod autem dicuntur occisa tauri et altilia, intelligendum est vel ab eo quod fuerant occisa, vel jam per mortem carnis in requie posita. Et notandum quod in priori invitatione nihil de tauris et altilibus dicitur. In secunda autem tauri et altilia jam mactata memorantur, quia omnipotens Deus, cum verba ejus audire nolumus, sicut nec illi in priori invitatione, adjungit exempla, ut quod impossibile credimus, per exempla ad credendum fiat facilius. Anselmus Laudunensis, Enarrationes In Matthaeum, Caput XXII Source: Migne PL 162.1435d-1436a

And Jesus answering, spoke again in parables to them, saying: 'The kingdom of heaven is like a king who made a marriage for his son. And he sent his servants to summon those invited to the marriage, and they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying: 'Tell those invited, Behold, I have prepared my dinner, my bulls and fatted calves are slain, and everything is prepared, come to the marriage.' 1 'My bulls and fatted claves are slain, and everything is prepared,' that is, the example of the fathers of the Old and New Testaments have been served up. The bulls are the fathers of the Old Testament, who while they received permission from the Lord to strike their enemies with the hatred of retribution, were like bulls that gore their enemies with the bodily horns of their strength. The fatted calves, however, are the fathers of the New Testament, who while they receive the fattness of grace within, are lifted up to the heights, on the wings of contemplation. And it is not enough for them to love their friends alone, but they must even be fervent in the love of their enemies. Because the oxen and the fatted claves are said to have been slain, it must be understood why they were slain, even that through the death of the flesh that they have been placed at rest. And let it be noted than in the first invitation, nothing is said of the bulls and the fatted calves. But in the second invitation the sacrifice of the bulls and fatted calves is mentioned, because almighty God, when we are unwilling to hear His words, so adds the examples which were not present in the first invitation, so that which we believe to be impossible, is easier to believe by examples. Anselm of Laon, Commentary On The Gospel of Saint Matthew, Chapter 22 1 Mt 22.1-4