Lecture 2
Lectio 2
Beginning of the Last Supper
Initio Coenae
26:17 And on the first day of the azymes, the disciples came to Jesus, saying: where do you wish for us to prepare for you to eat the Pasch? [n. 2151]
26:17 Prima autem die azymorum accesserunt discipuli ad Iesum, dicentes: ubi vis paremus tibi comedere Pascha? [n. 2151]
26:18 But Jesus said: go into the city to a certain man, and say to him: the master said, my time is near at hand, with you I make the Pasch with my disciples. [n. 2154]
26:18 At Iesus dixit: ite in civitatem ad quendam, et dicite ei: magister dicit: tempus meum prope est, apud te facio Pascha cum discipulis meis. [n. 2154]
26:19 And the disciples did as Jesus appointed to them, and they prepared the Pasch. [n. 2157]
26:19 Et fecerunt discipuli sicut constituit illis Iesus, et paraverunt Pascha. [n. 2157]
26:20 But when it was evening, he sat down with his twelve disciples. [n. 2158]
26:20 Vespere autem facto, discumbebat cum duodecim discipulis suis. [n. 2158]
26:21 And while they were eating, he said: amen I say to you, that one of you is about to betray me. [n. 2159]
26:21 Et edentibus illis dixit: amen dico vobis, quia unus vestrum me traditurus est. [n. 2159]
26:22 And they, being very troubled, began everyone to say: is it I, Lord? [n. 2161]
26:22 Et contristati valde, coeperunt singuli dicere: numquid ego sum, Domine? [n. 2161]
26:23 But he, answering, said: he who dips his hand with me in the dish, he will betray me. [n. 2162]
26:23 At ipse respondens ait: qui intinguit mecum manum in paropside, hic me tradet. [n. 2162]
26:24 The Son of man indeed goes, as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of man will be betrayed. It were better for him, if that man had not been born. [n. 2164]
26:24 Filius quidem hominis vadit, sicut scriptum est de illo. Vae autem homini illi, per quem Filius hominis tradetur. Bonum erat ei si natus non fuisset homo ille. [n. 2164]
26:25 And Judas that betrayed him, answering, said: is it I, Rabbi? He said to him: you have said it. [n. 2166]
26:25 Respondens autem Iudas, qui tradidit eum, dixit: numquid ego sum, Rabbi? Ait illi: tu dixisti. [n. 2166]
2150. On the first day. Next he treats of the institution of the sacrament, and since the new follows on the old, as is said, new coming on, you will cast away the old (Lev 26:10).
2150. Prima autem die tunc agit de constitutione sacramenti, et quia nova succedunt veteribus, ut dicitur Lev. c. XXVI, 10: novis supervenientibus vetera proiicietis;
first, he treats of the old;
primo agit de veteri;
second, of the new.
secundo de novo.
Concerning the first, two things:
Circa primum duo.
first, the preparation for the Pasch is set down;
Primo ponitur praeparatio Paschae;
second, the prediction of the betrayer is set down, at and while they were at supper.
secundo ponitur praenuntiatio proditoris, ibi edentibus illis dixit et cetera.
And concerning the first,
Et circa primum
first, the time is designated;
primo tempus designatur;
second, the preparation of the meal;
secundo praeparatio convivii;
third, the institution of the sacrament.
tertio institutio sacramenti.
2151. He says therefore, and on the first day of the azymes. And here there can be an objection, because this day was the first day of the Pasch. And it seems contrary to what is said, before the festival day of the Pasch (John 13:1). The Greeks say that Matthew, Luke (Luke 22:7), and Mark (Mark 14:12) were mistaken, and that John corrected them, because it happened before the day of the Pasch. Hence they say that the Lord suffered on the fourteenth day of the month, and had the supper on the thirteenth. So they say that the Lord prepared the meal not with unleavened bread, but with leavened. And they strive to confirm this with many arguments. First, because it says that they went not into the hall, that they might not be defiled, but that they might eat the Pasch (John 18:28); and thus they had to eat the Pasch on the day of the passion. Similarly, another of their arguments is that the women prepared spices.
2151. Dicit ergo prima die azymorum. Et hic potest esse obiectio, quia hic dies erat prima dies Paschae. Et videtur contra hoc quod dicitur in Io. XIII, 1: ante diem festum Paschae et cetera. Dicunt Graeci, Matthaeum, Lucam et Marcum errasse, et quod Ioannes correxit eos, quia fuit facta ante diem Paschae. Unde dicunt quod Dominus passus est decima quarta luna, et coenam fecit decima tertia. Unde dicunt quod Dominus confecit non in azymo, sed in fermentato. Et hoc nituntur confirmare plurimis argumentis. Primo quia dicitur Io. XVIII, 28 quod non introierunt, ut non contaminarentur, sed manducarent Pascha: et ita die passionis debebant comedere Pascha. Item alia ratio eorum, quia mulieres praeparaverunt aromata, ideo et cetera.
But this cannot stand, for the Lord did not break the ceremonies: for nowhere is it found that the Pasch was anticipated, yet it is found that it was prolonged. And given that it was anticipated, this is not favorable to the Greeks, because it is written that the Pasch had to be eaten with unleavened bread and wild lettuce. If therefore he had done otherwise, he would have acted against the law. Therefore, in accordance with what the three evangelists say, this was done on the fourteenth day of the month, and at that time it was necessary to eat the Pasch.
Sed hoc non potest stare, quia Dominus non fregit caeremonias: non enim invenitur quod praeveniretur Pascha, invenitur tamen quod prolongaretur. Et dato quod praeveniretur, hoc non est pro Graecis, quia scriptum est quod Pascha debebat comedi cum azymis et lactucis agrestibus. Si ergo aliter fecisset, contra legem fecisset. Ideo secundum quod tres evangelistae dicunt, hoc fuit factum decima quarta luna, et tunc erat necesse comedere Pascha.
What then should one respond to what John says: before the festival day of the Pasch? (John 13:1). One should say that it was customary that they began the day from the evening, and thus the Paschal day began from the evening. And this is found, the fourteenth day of the month in the evening, you will eat unleavened bread (Exod 12:18): and from that time no leavened bread was found in the homes of the Jews until the twenty-first day. Hence if we reckon from the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, the preparation was made before the day of the Pasch, yet it was the fourteenth day of the month. Therefore, John calls that day the day of unleavened bread, and calls the day of the Pasch the fifteenth day of the month.
Quid ergo respondendum ad id quod dicit Ioannes: ante diem festum Paschae? Dicendum quod consuetudo fuit quod incipiunt diem a vesperis, et sic dies Paschalis a vesperis, incipiebat. Et hoc habetur in Ex. XII, v. 18: decima quarta luna ad vesperum celebrabitis Pascha: et ex tunc non inveniebatur fermentatum in domibus Iudaeorum usque ad vigesimum primum diem. Unde si computamus a vespere quartae decimae lunae, praeparatio fuit facta ante diem Paschae, tamen erat decima quarta luna. Vocat ergo Ioannes diem illum azymorum, et diem Paschae decimam quintam lunam.
As for what you say in the second place, that they went not into the praetorium (John 18:28), Chrysostom resolves it this way, and says that the Lord did not omit anything of the legal observances, hence he ate the Pasch on the fourteenth day of the month. But the chief priests yearned to kill Christ, for the sake of which they delayed, and did not celebrate the Pasch at that time, and this contrary to their own law. Or, by ‘the Pasch’ is meant the unleavened bread.
Quod tu dicis secundo, quod non introierunt praetorium etc., Chrysostomus sic solvit, et dicit quod Dominus non praetermisit aliquid de legalibus observantiis: unde Pascha comedit decima quarta luna. Sed isti principes inhiarunt ad interfectionem Christi propter quod distulerunt, et tunc non celebraverunt, et hoc contra legem suam. Vel per ‘Pascha’ intelliguntur panes azymi.
As for what they say about the women, Augustine says that they had many solemnities; but the Sabbath was more solemn than a solemnity. Hence it was not permitted to prepare food on the Sabbath, which nevertheless was permitted on the other feast days, but not on the Sabbath day. So it happened at that time that the festival of the Pasch fell on Friday, and the Sabbath followed; for this reason they prepared the spices then, and went seeking on the Sabbath day. Therefore we can say that he celebrated the Pasch on the fourteenth day of the month.
Quod dicunt de mulieribus, dicit Augustinus quod habebant multas solemnitates; sed Sabbatum solemnior erat solemnitas. Unde non licebat Sabbato praeparare cibaria, quod tamen licebat in aliis festis, sed in die Sabbati non. Ideo tunc ita accidit quod festivitas Paschae accidit in die Veneris, et sequebatur Sabbatum; ideo tunc praeparaverunt, et in die Sabbati quieverunt. Ideo possumus dicere quod decima quarta luna celebravit Pascha.
2152. There follows the disciples’ solicitude: the disciples came to Jesus, saying: where do you wish for us to prepare for you to eat the Pasch? And
2152. Sequitur sollicitudo discipulorum accesserunt discipuli ad Iesum dicentes: ubi vis paremus tibi comedere Pascha? Et
first, the questioning is set down;
primo ponitur inquisitio;
second, the command;
secundo mandatum;
third, the fulfillment.
tertio impletio.
2153. He says, the disciples came. But which disciples? Remigius says that Judas came out of obsequiousness, to conceal his betrayal. Yet Pope Leo says that others also came. Where do you wish for us to prepare for you to eat the Pasch? This indicates that Christ did not have a house there, nor someone of the society; which indicates his poverty. Hence above, the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head (Matt 8:20).
2153. Dicit accesserunt discipuli eius. Sed qui discipuli? Dicit Remigius quod ex obsequio Iudas, ut celaret proditionem suam. Tamen Leo Papa dicit quod etiam alii. Ubi vis paremus tibi comedere Pascha? Per hoc designatur quod Christus non habebat ibi domum, nec aliquis de societate; ideo signatur paupertas eius; unde supra VIII, 20: Filius autem hominis non habet ubi reclinet caput suum.
2154. But Jesus said. Here the command is set down. And
2154. At ille dixit. Hic ponitur mandatum. Et
first, he foretells the host;
primo denuntiat hospitem;
second, the passion;
secundo passionem;
third, he requests a place for having the meal.
tertio exposcit locum ad convivandum.
2155. He says then, go into the city to a certain man. And you should notice that he had not been a guest in the city, but in Bethania.
2155. Dicit ergo ite in civitatem ad quemdam. Et notare debetis quod non erat hospitatus in civitate, sed in Bethania.