Lecture 3 Lectio 3 The bridegroom Sponsus ^9:14 Then the disciples of John came to him, saying: why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast? [n. 767] ^9:14 Tunc accesserunt ad eum discipuli Ioannis dicentes: quare nos, et Pharisaei ieiunamus frequenter, discipuli autem tui non ieiunant? [n. 767] ^9:15 And Jesus said to them: can the children of the bridegroom mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. [n. 768] ^9:15 Et ait illis Iesus: numquid possunt filii sponsi lugere quamdiu cum illis est sponsus? Venient autem dies, cum auferetur ab eis sponsus, et tunc ieiunabunt. [n. 768] ^9:16 And nobody puts a piece of raw cloth unto an old garment. For it takes away from the fullness of the garment, and there is made a greater tear. [n. 771] ^9:16 Nemo autem immittit commissuram panni rudis in vestimentum vetus: tollit enim plenitudinem eius a vestimento, et peior scissura fit. [n. 771] ^9:17 Neither do they put new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the wineskins break, and the wine runs out, and the wineskins perish. But new wine they put into new wineskins: and both are preserved. [n. 772] ^9:17 Neque mittunt vinum novum in utres veteres: alioquin rumpuntur utres, et vinum effunditur, et utres pereunt. Sed vinum novum in utres novos mittunt: et ambo conservantur. [n. 772] 767. Here the question about the banquet is set down; and the response follows, at and Jesus said. 767. Hic ponitur quaestio de convivio: et sequitur responsio, ibi et ait Iesus. But there is a literal question here. Why does it seem in Mark and Luke that the question was asked by others (Mark 2:18; Luke 5:30)? It is said, why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast; but your disciples do not fast? (Mark 2:18). So the disciples did not speak. Sed tunc est hic quaestio litteralis, quare Mc. II, 18 et Lc. V, 29 videtur quod ab aliis facta fuerit quaestio: ubi dicitur Mc. II, 18: quare discipuli Ioannis et Pharisaeorum ieiunant, tui autem discipuli non ieiunant? Ergo discipuli non dixerunt. Augustine resolves it in this way, saying that the Pharisees were plotting against Christ, and hence sometimes they brought Herodians with them; but this time they brought John’s disciples. Hence it could be asked both by others and by John’s disciples. Augustinus solvit. Ita erat quod Pharisaei insidiabantur Christo: unde aliquando secum Herodianos traxerunt, modo vero assumpserunt discipulos Ioannis. Unde potuit et ab aliis, et a discipulis peti. But where is this from, that they fasted? It is responded that this was from their own traditions, or from the law, as it is written that they were bound to fast on the day of propitiation. And, thus said the Lord of hosts: the fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth will be to the house of Judah, joy, and gladness, and great solemnities (Zech 8:19). Similarly, John’s disciples fasted by the example of their teacher, who was of great austerity; but Christ’s disciples did not fast. Sed unde hoc quod ieiunabant? Respondetur hic ex traditionibus suis, vel ex lege, sicut habetur quod in die propitiationis tenebantur ieiunare. Et Zac. VIII, 19: ieiunium quarti, et ieiunium quinti, et ieiunium septimi, et ieiunium decimi erit domui Iuda in gaudium, et laetitiam, et in solemnitates praeclaras. Item discipuli Ioannis ieiunabant exemplo magistri sui, qui magnae fuit austeritatis; discipuli vero Christi non ieiunabant. 768. And Jesus said to them. Here Jesus responds, and subtly. 768. Et ait illis Iesus. Hic respondet Iesus, et subtiliter. First, he gives a cause on his part, Primo assignat causam a parte sua, then on the part of his disciples. deinde a parte discipulorum. Concerning the first, he does two things: Circa primum duo facit. first, he determines the time of feasting; Primo determinat tempus epulandi; second, the time of fasting, at but the days will come, when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. secundo ieiunandi, ibi venient autem dies cum auferetur ab eis sponsus; et tunc ieiunabunt. 769. He says then, can the children of the bridegroom mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? Where this Gospel says, mourn, another says fast; for although fasting has a certain joyful spirit, yet, as it is said, now all chastisement for the present indeed seems not to bring with it joy, but sorrow (Heb 12:11). Hence there is a fast of spiritual joy, as is found: and I set my face to the Lord my God, to pray and make supplication with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes (Dan 9:3). Likewise, there is also a mournful thing of affliction, and sometimes on account of sorrows. 769. Dicit ergo numquid possunt filii sponsi lugere quamdiu cum illis est sponsus? Ubi iste dicit lugere, alius dicit ieiunare; licet enim ieiunium quamdam habeat laetitiam spiritualem, tamen, ut habetur Hebr. XII, 11, omnis disciplina in praesenti quidem videtur esse non gaudii, sed moeroris. Unde est ieiunium spiritualis laetitiae, ut habetur Dan. IX, v. 3: posui faciem meam ad Dominum Deum meum deprecari, et rogare in ieiunio, sacco et cinere. Item est luctuosum et afflictionis, ut quando propter dolores. He responds concerning both. For the bridegroom is Christ: he who has the bride, is the bridegroom (John 3:29). For he is the bridegroom and the first beginning of the whole Church. The old law had one first beginning, and the new law another; for the old law had its first beginning in fear, the new law in love. Hence, for you have not received the spirit of bondage again in fear; but you have received the Spirit of adoption of sons (Rom 8:15). And, but you are come to Mount Zion, and to the city of the living God (Heb 12:22). Since therefore the first beginning of the new law was in love, he had to nourish his disciples in a certain love. For this reason he calls himself a bridegroom, and the disciples children, because these are names of love. Hence it is good that I should keep them safe; and therefore I do not wish to impose anything heavy on them, lest they shrink from it, and thus draw back. Respondet dominus de utroque. Sponsus Christus enim est: qui habet sponsam sponsus est. Ipse enim est sponsus totalis Ecclesiae, et primordium. Aliud habuit primordium lex vetus, et aliud lex nova; lex enim vetus primordium habuit in timore; lex nova in amore; unde Rom. VIII, 15: non enim accepistis spiritum servitutis iterum in timore, sed accepistis Spiritum adoptionis filiorum Dei. Et Hebr. XII, 22: accessistis ad Montem Sion, et civitatem Dei viventis Ierusalem. Quia igitur primordium novae legis fuit in amore, ideo discipulos suos nutrire debuit in amore quodam: ideo se sponsum nominat, et discipulos filios, quia ista sunt nomina amoris. Unde bonum est quod conservem eos; et ideo nolo aliquid grave eis imponere ne abhorreant, et sic retrocedant. And therefore those who are new in religion should not be heavily burdened. Hence Ambrose says in the book On Parables: he reproached those who burdened novices heavily. And this is what Christ says: can the children of the bridegroom mourn? As though to say: it is not necessary that they fast, but rather to live and to love in a certain sweetness, that in this way they may receive my law in love; as is said: as Christ is risen from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also may walk in newness of life (Rom 6:4). Hence there is no fasting from Easter until Pentecost, because at that time the Church recalls the newness of the law. Et ideo qui in religionibus sunt novi, non sunt gravandi. Unde Ambrosius in Lib. de Simil. reprehendit eos qui novitios graviter onerant. Et hoc est quod Christus dicit: numquid possunt filii sponsi lugere? etc., quasi dicat: non oportet quod ieiunent, sed magis in quadam dulcedine vivere et amore; ut sic legem meam recipiant in amore, ut habetur ad Rom. VI, 4: quomodo surrexit Christus a mortuis per gloriam Patris, ita et nos in novitate vitae ambulemus. Unde a Pascha usque ad Pentecosten non fiunt ieiunia, quia tunc recolit Ecclesia novitatem legis. 770. But the days will come. And this literally. But the days will come, when the bridegroom will be taken away, namely by your efforts, and then they will fast. And he predicted this to them, saying, you will lament and weep . . . but your sorrow will be turned into joy (John 16:20). For those who were before Christ desired Christ’s presence, as did Abraham, and Isaiah, and the other prophets. Similarly, after his death he was desired by the apostles. Hence Peter was so to speak in continual sorrow because of Christ’s absence; and Paul said, but I am straitened between two: having a desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ (Phil 1:23). So then there was a time of fasting. 770. Venient autem dies et cetera. Et hoc ad litteram. Venient dies, quando scilicet vobis procurantibus auferetur ab eis sponsus; et tunc ieiunabunt. Et hoc praedixit eis dicens, Io. XVI, 20: vos plorabitis, mundus autem gaudebit. Illi enim qui ante Christum fuerunt, desideraverunt Christi praesentiam, ut Abraham, et Isaias, et alii prophetae. Item post mortem eius desiderata fuit ab apostolis: unde Petrus quasi in continuo dolore erat propter absentiam Christi; et Paulus dicebat, cupio dissolvi, et esse cum Christo. Unde tunc erat tempus ieiunandi. Another reason why they are not bound to fast in his presence is that one should choose fasting insofar as it chastises the body, lest it become powerful against the spirit; but when he was present, he guarded them from excess, so it was not necessary for them to fast. Hence, while I was with them, I kept them in your name (John 17:12). But John the Baptist did not have this power, so his disciples had to fast. But when Christ was taken away, it was necessary for them to fast. Hence Paul says, but I chastise my body, and bring it into subjection (1 Cor 9:27). Alia ratio quare in praesentia non tenentur ieiunare, quia ieiunium eligendum est inquantum castigat carnem, ne contra spiritum invalescat; sed cum erat praesens, custodiebat eos ab excessu; ideo non oportebat eos ieiunare; unde in Io. XVII, 12: pater, cum eram cum eis, conservabam eos. Sed Ioannes Baptista non habebat hanc virtutem, ideo ieiunare debebant eius discipuli. Sed quando Christus ablatus fuit, eos oportuit ieiunare. Unde Paulus dicit I Cor. IX, 27: castigo corpus meum et in servitutem redigo et cetera. 771. And nobody puts a piece of raw cloth unto an old garment. Here he sets forth another argument from the part of the disciples, and he sets out two examples: one according to Augustine, the other according to Jerome. 771. Nemo autem mittit commissuram panni rudis in vestimentum vetus. Hic ponit aliam rationem a parte discipulorum, et ponit duo exempla. Hence according to Augustine he wishes to say: it was said that the disciples should not fast in Christ’s presence, nor also in their condition, because heavy loads should not be imposed on the imperfect. Therefore, since these men are imperfect, fasting should not be imposed on them. Therefore, to signify this, he touches upon it under the metaphor of cloth and wine. Unum secundum Augustinum, aliud secundum Hieronymum. Unde secundum Augustinum vult dicere: dictum est quod in praesentia Christi non debebant ieiunare discipuli, nec etiam ex conditione sua, quia imperfectis gravia iniungi non debent. Igitur cum isti sint imperfecti, eis ieiunium iniungi non debet. Ut istud ergo significet, tangit sub metaphora panni et vini. Since justice consists in exterior works and in the newness of affections, he sets out two examples. He says then, nobody puts, just as, if one wished to join together a new cloth, he would not put on a piece of raw cloth, i.e., of the new on the old garment, because it would take away its beauty. In this way, if someone imperfect has a customary way of life, and if you wish to impose another yoke on him, he withdraws from that to which he was accustomed, and there is made a greater tear, as is said below. Quia iustitia consistit in operibus exterioribus, et in novitate affectionis, ideo duo exempla ponit. Dicit ergo nemo mittit etc., ut si vellet iungere novum pannum, non ponet commissuram, idest depetiaturam, panni rudis, idest novi in vestimentum vetus, quia tolleret eius pulchritudinem; sic si aliquis imperfectus habet aliquam consuetudinem vitae suae, si vis imponere ei aliud iugum, recedit ab eo quod consueverat, et efficitur peior scissura, ut habetur infra. 772. Neither do they put new wine into old wineskins. Here he sets forth another example, about wine, as though to say: my disciples are like old wineskins. The new wine is the new law, by reason of its newness; hence when they had received the Holy Spirit, the crowds said that they were soaked with new wine (Acts 2:13). Hence, neither do they put new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the wineskins break. Thus, if you impose a new manner of living on an old man, who had for some time a certain custom, his heart is rent by the inability to bear it. Likewise, the wine runs out, i.e., he is not guarded, and the wineskins perish, because he trampled upon the commands of God; and this is why they perish. But new wine they put into new wineskins, renewing spiritual teaching by desire, as the Apostle says, comparing spiritual things with spiritual (1 Cor 2:13). If wisdom will enter into your heart, and knowledge please your soul: counsel will keep you, and prudence will preserve you, that you may be delivered from the evil way, and from the man that speaks perverse things (Prov 2:10–12). 772. Neque mittunt vinum novum in utres veteres. Ponit hic aliud exemplum de vino; quasi dicat: discipuli mei sunt quasi utres veteres. Vinum novum est lex nova ratione novitatis: unde cum recepissent Spiritum Sanctum, dixerunt eos musto madere, Act. II, v. 13. Unde neque mittunt vinum novum in utres veteres: alioquin rumpuntur utres. Unde si homini veteri, qui aliquando habet aliquam consuetudinem, imponis novum vivendi modum, rumpitur cor per intolerantiam. Item effunditur vinum, idest non custoditur, et utres pereunt: quia conculcaverunt mandata Dei; et ideo pereunt. Sed vinum novum in utres novos mittunt, doctrinam spiritualem innovans per affectum, ut dicit Apostolus I Cor. c. II, 13: spiritualibus spiritualia comparantes. Prov. II, 10: si introierit sapientia cor tuum, et scientia animae tuae placuerit, custodiet te, et prudentia servabit te, ut eruaris a via mala, et ab homine qui perversa loquitur et cetera. 773. Jerome explains it in another way, for he calls the custom of the Pharisees the old garment, the new, the Gospel teaching; as though to say: it is not good that they keep your doctrines, because thus they rend the old and are unable to receive the new teaching, just as we see that the man who was not steeped in a contrary teaching more easily receives his teaching than one who was steeped. And therefore it is not good that they are steeped in your teaching. 773. Hieronymus aliter exponit: quia institutum Pharisaeorum vocat vestimentum vetus, novum doctrinam Evangelicam; quasi dicat, non est bonum ut servent documenta vestra, quia sic facerent scissuras veteres, et sic novam doctrinam recipere non possent, sicut videmus quod facilius recipit doctrinam suam, qui non est imbutus contraria doctrina, quam qui est imbutus. Et ideo non est bonum quod vestra imbuantur doctrina. Lecture 4 Lectio 4 Healing of two women Curatio duae feminarum ^9:18 As he was speaking these things to them, behold a certain ruler came up, and adored him, saying: Lord, my daughter is even now dead; but come, lay your hand upon her, and she will live. [n. 775] ^9:18 Haec illo loquente ad eos, ecce princeps unus accessit, et adorabat eum dicens: Domine, filia mea modo defuncta est, sed veni, inpone manum super eam, et vivet. [n. 775] ^9:19 And Jesus rising up followed him, with his disciples. [n. 779] ^9:19 Et surgens Iesus sequebatur eum, et discipuli eius. [n. 779] ^9:20 And behold a woman who had been troubled with an issue of blood for twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment. [n. 780] ^9:20 Et ecce mulier quae sanguinis fluxum patiebatur duodecim annis, accessit retro, et tetigit fimbriam vestimenti eius. [n. 780] ^9:21 For she said within herself: if I will touch only his garment, I will be healed. [n. 783] ^9:21 Dicebat enim intra se: si tetigero tantum vestimentum eius, salva ero. [n. 783] ^9:22 But Jesus turning and seeing her, said: be of good heart, daughter, your faith has made you whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour. [n. 784] ^9:22 At Iesus conversus, et videns eam dixit: confide, filia. Fides tua te salvam fecit. Et salva facta est mulier ex illa hora. [n. 784] ^9:23 And when Jesus had come into the house of the ruler, and saw the minstrels and the multitude making a commotion, he said: [n. 785] ^9:23 Et cum venisset Iesus in domum principis, et vidisset tibicines, et turbam tumultuantem dicebat: [n. 785] ^9:24 move away, for the girl is not dead, but sleeps. And they laughed him to scorn. [n. 787] ^9:24 recedite, non est enim mortua puella, sed dormit. Et deridebant eum. [n. 787] ^9:25 And when the multitude was driven out, he went in, and took her by the hand, and said: young girl, arise. And she arose. [n. 788] ^9:25 Et cum eiecta esset turba, intravit, et tenuit manum eius, et dixit: puella, surge. Et surrexit. [n. 788]