Calling Judas To Repent

Et edentibus illis dixit: Amen dico vobis, quia, etc. Ex magnitudine misericordiae suae voluit Dominus proditorem discipulum ad poenitentiam multis modis revocare, occultis videlicet notationibus, minis, sacramento unitatis, exemplo humilitatis. Occultis notationibus hoc modo: Cum Judas putaret conscientiam suam Deum latere, ostendit Christus eam manifestam esse, tamen non nominando discipulum, ne impudentiorem faceret manifeste redargutum; dum tangit crimen, ad poenitentiam invitat. Silet nomen, ne impudentior fiat. Minis revocat, cum ait: Vae illi per quem Filius hominis tradetur, etc. Sacramento unitatis, cum corpus suum ei tradit; exemplo humilitatis, cum ei pedes abluit. Et contristati sunt, etc. Certum est quia undecim discipuli non erant sibi conscii, sed tamen plus credunt magistro quam sibi. Timentes ergo fragilitatem suam, ne in eis esset voluntas futura proditionis, interrogant illum cui omnia patent futura, dicentes: Nunquid ego sum, Domine? etc. Qui intingit mecum, etc. Dum perseverat proditor in malo, manifestius arguit, et tamen nomen proprie non designat. Judas caeteris contristatis, et retrahentibus manum, temeritate et impudentia qua proditurus erat, illam manum cum Magistro misit in paropside, ut audacia bonam conscientiam mentiretur. Matthaeus dicit in paropsiae. Marcus in catino. Paropsis est vas escarum quadrangulatum a paribus assibus, id est aequis lateribus dictum. Catinum vero vas fictile apertum, ad immittendum liquorem, et potuit fieri ut in mensa vas fictile a quadrangulis contineretur. Sequitur: Filius quidem hominis vadit, sicut scriptum est de illo. Vae autem homini illi per quem, etc. Nec primo nec secundo correctus a proditione pedem retrahit, sed patientia Domini impudentiam suam nutrit et iram Dei thesaurizat sibi. Poena igitur praedicitur sibi, ut quem pudor non vinceret, corrigant denuntiata supplicia. Sed et hodie et in sempiternum, vae homini illi, qui ad mensam Domini malignus accedit, qui praecordis aliquo scelere imbutus, pollutis sacrosanctis mysteriis participari non metuit. Anselmus Laudunensis, Enarrationes In Matthaeum, Caput XXVI Source: Migne PL 162.1469a-1469d

And as they ate, He said to them, 'Amen I say to you that... 1 Because of the greatness of His mercy the Lord wished to call to repentance the disciple who was to betray Him, and this by many ways, by subtle intimation, by threats, by the sacrament of unity, and the example of humility. By subtle intimation in this way: when Judas thought his conscience was hidden from God, Christ showed it was open to Him, not however by naming the disciple, lest He make his denial more shameless. While the evil touched him He invited him to repentance. He named him silently, lest he become more shameless. And He called him by threats when He said: 'Alas to the man through whom the Son of man shall be betrayed...' By the sacrament of unity, when He gave His body to him. And by the example of humility when He washed his feet. And they were aggrieved... It is certain that eleven of the disciples did not feel guilt about themselves, yet they trusted in their teacher more than themselves. Thus fearing their fragility, lest the will of the future betrayer might be found in them, they questioned Him to whom all future things are revealed, saying: 'Is it I, Lord?' 'He who has dipped...' When the traitor persevered in evil, He openly confronted him, and yet He did not pronounce his name. Judas, aggrieved with the others, likewise withdrew his hand, with the temerity and insolence by which he was to commit betrayal, that hand he had sent into the teacher's dish so that he might boldly lie of a good conscience. Mark speaks of a 'paropsis' here, Mark of a 'catinus'. The 'paropsis' is said to be a square eating dish, with equal sides. The 'catinus' is an open earthenware bowl, into which liquid is poured, and it is possible that the earthenware bowl was placed on the square dish on the table. It shall go with the Son of Man as it is written of Him, but woe to that man through whom... Neither the first or the second correction had stayed the feet of the traitor, but the patience of the Lord fed his insolence and heaped up the anger of God. He thus foretold punishment for him, that the pronouncements of punishments might correct him whom shame could not overcome. And even today and forever woe to that man who comes in wickedness to the table of the Lord, whose heart is imbued with some crime, for his pollution does not merit that he should partake of the holy mysteries. Anselm of Laon, Commentary On The Gospel of Saint Matthew, Chapter 26 1 Mt 26.11

Where Are You Going?

Sed quaeritur hic primo de hoc quod dicit: Nemo ex vobis interrogat me: Quo vadis? Contra: Supra decimo tertio: Dicit ei Petrus: Domine, quo vadis? Respondeo: Dicendum, quod Dominus ibat ad ignominiam passionis, ibat ad gloriam resurrectionis; et cum prius loqueretur, quod iret ad passionem, quaesivit Petrus: Quo vadis? Sed modo vult eis dicere, quod vadit ad gloriam resurrectionis; unde: Vado ad eum qui misit me. Et ipsi tantum turbati erant de itinere ad passionem, quod nihil cogitabant de gloria. Ideo de hac non quaerebant; sed Dominus volebat, quod quaererent, ut ipsos consolaretur. Sanctus Bonaventura, Commentarius In Evangelium Ioannem, Caput XVI Source: Here, p1038

Question must be asked of this which He says: None of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' 1 Against this: in the thirteenth chapter, Peter says to Him, 'Lord, where are you going?' 2 I answer that it must be said that when the Lord was going to the ignominy of the passion, He was going to the glory of the resurrection, and when He spoke previously that He was to go to the passion, Peter asked, 'Where are you going?' But now He wished to say to them that He was going to the glory of the resurrection, whence: 'I go to Him who sent me.' 1 Yet since they were troubled only because of the way of the passion, they thought nothing of the glory. Therefore they did not ask about this, but the Lord wished that they did ask, that He might comfort them. Saint Bonaventura, Commentary On The Gospel Of Saint John, Chapter 16 1 Jn 16.5 2 Jn 13.36

The True Passover

Magister dicit, tempus meum prope est, apud te facio Pascha cum discipulis meis. Videtur quidem de tempore solemnitatis Paschae dicere; quod tempus non suum tantum, sed omnium erat Judaeorum. Et ideo potius nobis quamvis latenter illud insinuat tempus quod suum proprium esse recognoscit, jamque proximum, quando ad hoc venerat ut pateretur. Et hic est tempus ejus et hora quae venerat: Ut transiret de hoc mundo ad Patrem, quod est verissimum Pascha facere. Sanctus Paschasius Radbertus Corbeiensis, Expositio In Evangelium Matthaei, Lib XII, Cap XXVI Source: Migne PL 120.887b-c

'The Master says, my time is near, with you I shall make the Passover with my disciples.' 1 This seems to speak of the time of the solemnity of the Passover, which time was not His own alone, but it was for all the Jews. And therefore, though in a hidden way, He intimates to us that He recognises that this time is to be His own, and already it is near, when He shall come to it to suffer. And this is His time and the hour which has come: 'That He pass from this world to the Father,' 2 which is to make the true Passover. Saint Paschasius Radbertus, Commentary On The Gospel of Saint Matthew, Book 12, Chap 26 1 Mt 26.18 2 Jn 13.1

Drinking Anew

Amen dico vobis, quod iam non bibam de hoc genimine vitis usque in diem illum, cum illud bibam novuum in regno Dei. Tangit hic veteris testamenti cessationem, et novi institutionem: et hoc est quod dicit 'Amen dico vobis' Confirmatione utitur propter Iudaizantes haereticos quos scivit in Ecclesia futuros: sicut Hebion et Aquila 'quod iam' hoc est, amodo 'non bibam' ad mei incoporatationem 'de hoc genimine' quod in veteri sacramento bibebatur 'vitis' Vinea Domini Sabaoth germen Israel est. Et viri Idua germen eius delectabile 'usque' exclusiuum est, quia necesse est ut nec tunc de hoc genimine vitis bibat, 'in diem illum' novae gratiae claritatem 'cum illud' vinum sacramenti 'bibam' mihi incorporando 'novuum' novo testamento et nova gratia institutum 'in regno meo' quod est status ecclesiasticae potestatis confirmatus. Bibite vinum quod miscui vobis. Hoc est vinum de quo dicit quod laetificat cor hominis. Non possum desere vinum meum, quod laetificat Deum et homines. De hoc vino sponsa gloriatur: Bibi vinum meum cum lacte meo. Quia gaudiam deitatis, cum gratia dulcissimae humanitatis eius, nobis incorporamus. Hoc charissimis datur. Comedite amici et bibite, et inebriamini charissimi. Sanctus Albertus Magnus Commentarium In Evangelium Divi Marci, Caput XIV Source: Here p168

Truly I say to you, that now I shall not drink from the fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God.... 1 This touches on the cessation of the Old Testament, and the institution of the New. And this is why He says 'Truly I say to you,' making use of emphasis on account of the Judaizing heretics that He knew there would come to be in the Church, like Ebion and Aquila. 'That now' that is, henceforth, 'I shall not drink' for my incorporation, 'from this fruit' that was drunk in the old sacrament, 'of the vine,' 'Israel is the fruit of the Lord of Hosts, and the men of Judah are His delectable fruit,' 2 'until' and here there is exclusion because it it necessary that then He should not drink from this fruit of the vine, 'that day' the brightness of new grace, 'when that' the vine of the sacrament, 'I shall drink' for incorporation, 'anew,' the institution of the New Testament and new grace, 'in my kingdom' which is the confirmation of the ecclesiastical power. 'Drink the wine I have mixed for you' 3 This is the wine concerning which it says: 'that gives joy to the heart of a man.' 4 'I cannot give up my wine, which delights God and men.' 5 In this wine the betrothed glories, 'I drink my wine with my milk' 6 Because it is the joy of the Deity, when with the grace of His most dear humanity, He incorporates us. This He gives to His dearest. 'Eat, friends, and drink, and be inebriated, my dearest ones.' 6 Saint Albert The Great, Commentary On The Gospel of St Mark, Chapter 14 1 Mk 14.25 2 Isaiah 5.7 3 Prov 9.5 4 Ps 105.15 5 Judges 9.13 6 Song 5.1

The Pasch And Forgiveness

Vocationis autem hujus ad poenitentiam principale est beneficium, gratuita remissio peccatorum. Pro qua idem Redemptor noster, peracto paschalis coenae convivio, sanguinem summ enuntiat effundendum. Bibite, inquit, ex hoc omnes. Hic est enim sanguis meus novi Testamenti, qui pro multis effundetur in remissionem peccatorum. Hanc igitur, sicut arbitror, aut omnes, aut pene omnis qui quolibet modo appellatur Christiano nomine, invenire desiderat; sed interest ubi quisque, vel quando, val qualiter quaerat. Neque enim ad remissionem peccatorum poterit pervenire, si quis aut veram non teneat fidem, aut negligat bonae operationi concessum divinitus tempus mortifera praeoccupatus vanitate contemnat. Haec namque tria, id est, fides, opus et tempus, ita sunt simul hominibus in hac vita necessaria, ut si cui num ex his tribus in praesenti saeculo defuerit, aeternae vitae particeps esse non possit; ac per hoc nec remissionem peccatorum consequentur, per quam ad aeternae vitate praemium pervenitur. Sanctus Fulgentius Ruspensis, De Remissione Peccatorum, Liber I, Caput V Source: Migne 65.531a-b

The call to penance is principally a benefit, the gratuitous remission of sins. For which our Redeemer, at the gathering of the Paschal Meal, proclaimed with the pouring out of His own blood. 'Drink from this all of you. For this is the blood of the New Testament, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.' 1 This, therefore, I judge, either all, or almost all, desire to find who are called by the name of Christian, but it matters where and when and in what way a man seeks. For he shall not be able to obtain forgiveness of sins, if he does not hold to the true faith, or if he scorns the Divine largess by neglect of good works, caught up in fatal vanities. For these three, that is, faith, work, and time, are all together necessary for men in this life, so that if he lacks one of these three in the present world, he is not be able to participate in the eternal life, unable to obtain the forgiveness of sins by which comes the reward of eternal life. Saint Fulgentius of Ruspe, On the Forgiveness of Sins, Book 1, Chapter 5 1 Mt 26.28

Love And The End

'Sciens ergo Iesus quia venit hora eius ut transiret ex hoc mundo ad Patrem, cum dilexisset suos qui erant in mundo, in finem dilexit eos.' Utique ut et ipsi de hoc mundo ubi erant, ad suum caput, quod hinc transisset, eius dilectione transirent. Quid est enim, in finem, nisi, in Christum? Finis enim Legis Christus, ait Apostolus, ad iustitiam omni credenti. Finis perficiens, non interficiens: finis quo usque eamus, non ubi pereamus. Sic omnino intellegendum est: Pascha nostrum immolatus est Christus. Ipse est finis noster, in illum est transitus noster. Nam video posse ista verba evangelica quodam humano modo etiam sic accipi, tamquam usque ad mortem Christus dilexerit suos, ut hoc videatur esse, in finem dilexit eos. Humana est haec sententia, non divina: neque enim nos hucusque ille dilexit, qui semper et sine fine nos diligit. Absit ut dilectionem morte finierit, qui non est morte finitus. Etiam post mortem, quinque fratres suos dilexit dives ille superbus atque impius, et usque ad mortem nos dilexisse putandus est Christus? Absit, carissimi. Nequaquam ille nos diligendo usque ad mortem veniret, si dilectionem nostram morte finiret. Nisi forte ita sit intellegendum, in finem dilexit eos: Quia tantum dilexit eos, ut moreretur propter eos. Hoc enim testatus est dicens: Maiorem hac caritatem nemo habet, quam ut animam suam ponat quis pro amicis suis. Ita sane non prohibemus intellegi, in finem dilexit, id est, usque ad mortem illum dilectio ipsa perduxit. Sanctus Augustinus Hipponensis,In Evangelium Ionannis, Tractatus LV Source: Migne PL 35.1785

'When Jesus knew that His hour had come when He should pass out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.' 1 And so that when they passed from the world in which they were to their head, they might pass by His love. For what is 'to the end,' unless to Christ? 'For the end of the law is Christ,' says the Apostle, 'for righteousness to all who believe.' 2 The end which perfects and does not destroy. The end to which we may go, not where we perish. So should we understand: 'Christ our Passover is sacrificed.' 3 He is our end, in Him we pass over. For I see that it is possible to receive the words of the Gospel in a human sense, so that it might seem that even to death Christ had loved them because he had loved them up to that end. This is a human understanding, not Divine, for He did not love until this point, who loves us without end. Let it not be that love ended with death, the love of Him who did not end in death. Even after death that rich and proud and impious man loved his five brothers, 4 and shall Christ be thought of loving us only up to death? Let it not be, most beloved. By no means did He did come to love us up to death, as if our love shall lend in death. Unless perhaps it should be understood: 'He loved them to death,' means that He loved them so much that He would die for them. For to this He did give witness, saying: 'Greater love has no man than to lay down his soul for his friends.' 5 We certainly do not prohibit this understanding, that He loved them to death, that is, it was that love which lead Him to death. Saint Augustine of Hippo, On the Gospel of John, Tractate 55 1 Jn 13.1 2 Rom 10.4 3 1 Cor 5.7 4 Lk 16.27-28 5 Jn 15.13

Preparing The Meal

Ἐρώτησις α'  Ἀπέλθατε τὴν ἀπέναντι κώμην, καὶ εὑρήσετε ἄνθρωπον κεράμιον ὕδατος βαστάζοντα. Τίς ἡ πόλις; Ἐκκλησία. Τί τὸ κεράμιον τοῦ ὕδατος; Τὸ ἅγιον βάπτισμα. Τίς ὁ ἄνθρωπος; Ὁ Πρόδρομος. Τί τὸ ἀνώγεον; Ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν. Ἂλλα ϛ'  Ἀπέλθατε εἰς τὴν ἀπέναντι κώμην πρὸς τὸν δεῖνα, καὶ εἴπατε αὐτῷ· Ὁ Διδάσκλαος λέγει· Πρὸς σὲ ποιῶ τὸ Πάσχα μετὰ τῶν μαθητῶν μου. Τίς ἡ πόλις; Ὁ ᾅδῃς. Ὁ δεῖνα; Ὁ Ἀδάμ· ἔμελλε γὰρ ἐγεῖραι αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν. Ψευδο Ἀθανάσιος, Πησεις Και Ἐρμηνειαι Παραβολων Του Ἅγιον Εὔαγγελιου Source: Migne PG 28.712a,c

Question 1 Go into the opposite quarter and you shall find a man carrying a jar of water...1 What is the city? The Church. What is the jar of water? Holy baptism. Who is the man? The forerunner. 2 What is the upper room? The kingdom of heaven. Question 6 Go into the opposite quarter to a certain man, and say to him, 'The Master says: At yours I will make the Paschal meal with my disciples.' 3 What is the city? Hell. The man? Adam, for He was to raise him from the dead. Pseudo-Athanasius, Words And Interpretations of the Holy Gospel 1 Mk 14.13 2 John the Baptist. 3 Mt 26.18

Weakness And The Disciples

Futurae quoque eos infirmitatis admonuit, et nocte eadem omnes metu atque infidelitate turbandos. Cujus rei fides etiam auctoritate prophetiae veteris continebatur, percusso pastore oves esse spargendas: se tamen regurgentem in Galilaeam praecessurum esse, ut infirmitatem eorum sponsione reditus sui consolatetur. Sed Petrus pro fidei suae calore respondit, caeteris licet scandalizantibus, numquam se scandlizaturum. In tantum enim et affectu et charitate Christi efferebatur, ut et imbecillitatem carnis suae, et fidem verborum Domini non contueretur: quasi vero dicta ejus efficienda non essent. Cui ait: Priusquam gallus cantet, ter me negabis. Sed tam ille, quam caeteri ne mortis quidem metu decessuros se de confessione nominis sui polliceatur: ad omnem enim se ministerii constantiam, intrepida fidei voluntate firmaverant. Sanctus Hilarius Pictaviensis, In Evangelium Matthaei Commentarius, Cap XXX Source: Migne PL 9.1065

The Lord also warned the disciples about their future weakness, that on the same night they all would be confounded by fear and loss of faith. The certainty of this is confirmed by the authority of the old prophecy, 'Strike the shepherd and the sheep are scattered.' 1 Nevertheless He said that when He had risen He would go before them into Galilee, that the promise of His return might console them in their weakness. But Peter responded hotly in defence of his faith, that even if the others be scandalised, he would never be one to be scandalised. For by his great affection and love for Christ he was carried away so much that he did not mark the feebleness of his flesh and the certainty of the words of the Lord, and indeed what Peter said would not come to be. He to whom the Lord said, 'Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.' 2 Then like Peter, the others promised that they would never abandon the confession of His name for fear of death. Yes, in full confidence of their ability, by the fearless will of their faith, they strengthened themselves.   Saint Hilary of Poitiers, from the Commentary On The Gospel of Saint Matthew, Chapter 30 1 Mt 26.31 2 Mt 26.34