Augustinus in Ioannem. Grande spectaculum; sed si spectet impietas, grande ludibrium; si pietas, grande mysterium. Videt impietas regem pro virga regni lignum sui portare supplicii: videt pietas regem baiulantem lignum ad seipsum figendum, quod fixurus fuerat etiam in frontibus regum, spernendum oculis impiorum, in quo erant gloriatura corda sanctorum: ipsam crucem suam gestans humero commendabat, et lucernae arsurae, quae sub modio ponenda non erat, candelabrum ferebat. AUG Great spectacle, to the profane a laughing-stock, to the pious a mystery. Profaneness sees a King bearing a cross instead of a scepter; piety sees a King bearing a cross, thereon to nail Himself, and afterwards to nail it on the foreheads of kings. That to profane eyes was contemptible, which the hearts of Saints would afterwards glory in; Christ displaying His own cross on His shoulders, and bearing that which was not to be put under a bushel, the candlestick of that candle which was now about to burn. Chrysostomus. Et sicut victores, ita et ipse in humeris portabat victoriae signum. Quidam autem dicunt, quod in illo loco qui Calvariae dicebatur, Adam mortuus est et sepultus; ut in loco ubi mors regnavit, illic et Iesus trophaeum statuerit. CHRYS He carried the badge of victory on His shoulders, was conquerors do. Some say that the place of Calvary was where Adam died and was buried; so that in the very place on where death reigned, there Jesus erected His trophy. Hieronymus super Matth. Favorabilis interpretatio et mulcens aurem populi, nec tamen vera. Extra urbem enim et foris portam loca sunt in quibus truncantur capita damnatorum, et Calvariae, quasi decollatorum, sumpsere nomen. Adam vero sepultum iuxta Ebron et Arbee in Iesu filii Nave volumine legimus. JEROME An apt connection, and smooth to the ear, but not true. For the place where they cut off the heads of men condemned to death, called in consequence Calvary, was outside the city gates, whereas we read in the book of Jesus the son of Nave, that Adam was buried by Hebron and Arbah. Chrysostomus. Crucifigebant autem eum cum latronibus; unde sequitur et cum eo alios duos hinc et inde: medium autem Iesum: in hoc prophetiam implentes, quoniam cum iniquis reputatus est. Quae enim conviciantes faciebant, haec veritati conferebant: volebat enim Daemon quod fiebat obumbrare, sed non valuit: tribus enim in cruce affixis, miracula quae fiebant, nulli ascripsit, nisi soli Iesu. Ita inanes Diaboli artes factae sunt. Nec solum non obfuit gloriae eius; sed contulit non parum: nam latronem in cruce convertere, et in Paradisum inducere, non minus fuit quam concutere petras. CHRYS They crucified Him with the thieves: And two others with Him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst; thus fulfilling, filling the prophecy, And He was numbered with the transgressors. What they did in wickedness, was a gain to the truth. The devil wished to obscure what was done, but could not. Though three were nailed on the cross, it was evident that Jesus alone did the miracles; and the arts of the devil were frustrated. Nay, they even added to His glory; for to convert a thief on the cross, and bring him into paradise, was no less a miracle than the rending of the rocks. Augustinus. Tamen et ipsa crux, si attendas, tribunal fuit: in medio enim iudice constituto, unus latro, qui credidit, liberatus; alter, qui insultavit, damnatus est: iam significabat quod facturus est de vivis et mortuis, alios positurus ad dexteram, alios vero ad sinistram. AUG Yea, even the cross, if you consider it, was a judgment seat: for the Judge being the middle, one thief, who believed, was pardoned, the other, who mocked, was damned: a sign of what He would once do to the quick and dead, place the one on His right hand, the other on His left. Lectio 6 Lecture 6 19 Scripsit autem et titulum Pilatus, et posuit super crucem. Erat autem scriptum: Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum. 19. And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20 Hunc ergo titulum multi Iudaeorum legerunt: quia prope civitatem erat locus, ubi crucifixus est Iesus, et erat scriptum hebraice, graece, et latine. 20. This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. 21 Dicebant ergo Pilato pontifices Iudaeorum: Noli scribere: Rex Iudaeorum: sed quia ipse dixit: Rex sum Iudaeorum. 21. Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews. 22 Respondit Pilatus: Quod scripsi, scripsi. 22. Pilate answered, What I have written I have written. Chrysostomus in Ioannem. Sicut in trophaeo litterae ponuntur victoriam ostendentes, ita Pilatus titulum cruci Christi inscripsit; unde dicitur scripsit autem et titulum Pilatus, et posuit super crucem: simul quidem pro Christo respondens, ut eum a communione latronum discerneret; simul autem et de Iudaeis ulciscens, ostendens scilicet ipsorum malitiam, dum in suum regem insurrexerunt; unde sequitur erat autem scriptum: Iesus Nazarenus rex Iudaeorum. CHRYS As letters are inscribed on a trophy declaring the victory, so Pilate wrote a title on Christ’s cross. And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross: thus at once distinguishing Christ from the thieves with Him, and exposing the malice of the Jews in rising up against their King: And the writing was, Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. Beda. In quo monstrabatur iam tum regnum ipsius, non, ut ipsi putabant, destructum, sed potius augmentatum. BEDE Wherein was strewn that His kingdom was not, as they thought, destroyed, but rather strengthened. Augustinus in Ioannem. Sed Iudaeorum tantum rex Christus est, an etiam gentium? Immo et gentium; cum enim dixisset: ego autem sum constitutus rex ab eo super Sion montem sanctum eius, subiecit: postula a me, et dabo tibi gentes hereditatem tuam. Magnum ergo volumus intelligi in hoc titulo sacramentum: quia scilicet oleaster factus est particeps pinguedinis oleae, non olea particeps facta est amaritudinis oleastri. Rex ergo Iudaeorum Christus, secundum Iudaeorum circumcisionem, non carnis, sed cordis; non littera, sed spiritu. Sequitur hunc ergo titulum multi legebant Iudaeorum: quia prope civitatem erat locus ubi crucifixus est Iesus. AUG But was Christ the King of the Jews only? or of the Gentiles too? Of the Gentiles too, as we read in the Psalms, Yet have I set My King upon My holy hill of Sion; after which it follows, Demand of Me, and I will give you the heathen for your inheritance. So this title expresses a great mystery, viz. that the wild olive-tree was made partaker of the fatness of the olive-tree, not the olive-tree made partaker of the bitterness of the wild olive-tree. Christ then is King of the Jews according to the circumcision not of the flesh, but of the heart; not in the letter, but in the spirit. This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city. Chrysostomus. Credibile autem est multos gentiles simul cum Iudaeis propter festum convenisse; et ideo ut nullus ignoraret, non in una lingua, sed in tribus scripsit; unde subditur et erat scriptum Hebraice, Graece et Latine. CHRYS It is probable that many Gentiles as well as Jews had come up to the feast. So the title was written in three languages, that all might read it: And it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. Augustinus. Hae quippe tres linguae ibi prae ceteris eminebant: Hebraea propter Iudaeos in lege Dei gloriantes; Graeca propter gentium sapientes; Latina propter Romanos multis et pene omnibus tunc gentibus imperantes. AUG These three were the languages most known there: the Hebrew, on account of being used in the worship of the Jews: the Greek, in consequence of the spread of Greek philosophy: the Latin, from the Roman empire being established every where. Theophylactus. Significat autem superscriptio triplici sermone figurata, dominum esse regem practicae, physicae, nec non theologiae. Nam per Latinas litteras figuratur practica, eo quod Romanorum imperium potentissimum, satisque officiosum in expeditionibus fuerit. Per Graecas vero litteras physica figuratur: Graeci namque erga naturalium speculationem insudaverunt. Demum per Hebraicas theologia praetenditur, dum Iudaeis est credita rerum divinarum agnitio. THEOPHYL The title written in three languages signifies that our Lord was King of the whole world; practical, natural, and spiritual. The Latin denotes the practical, because the Roman empire; was the most powerful, and best managed one; the Greek the physical, the Greeks being the best physical philosophers; and, lastly, the Hebrew the theological, because the Jews had been made the depositories of religious knowledge. Chrysostomus. Iudaei autem crucifixo invidebant; unde sequitur dicebant ergo Pilato pontifices Iudaeorum: noli scribere: rex Iudaeorum; sed: quia ipse dixit: rex sum Iudaeorum. Nam haec quidem enuntiatio est, et communis sententia. Si vero adiciatur quoniam ipse dixit, ipsius petulantiae et extollentiae ostenderetur crimen esse. Sed Pilatus in priori stetit mente; unde sequitur respondit Pilatus: quod scripsi scripsi. CHRYS But the Jews grudged our Lord this title: Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that He said, I am King of the Jews. For as Pilate wrote it, it was a plain and single declaration that he was King, but the addition of; that he said, made it a charge against Him of petulance and vain glory. But Pilate was firm: Pilate answered, What I have written I have written. O ineffabilem vim divinae operationis etiam in cordibus ignorantium. Nonne occulta vox quaedam Pilato intus quodam, si dici potest, clamoso silentio personabat quod tanto ante in Psalmorum litteris prophetatum est: ne corrumpas tituli inscriptionem? Sed quid loquimini, insani pontifices? Numquid enim propterea non erit verum, quia Iesus ait: rex sum Iudaeorum? Si corrumpi non potest quod Pilatus scripsit, corrumpi potest quod veritas dixit? Ideo enim Pilatus quod scripsit scripsit, quia dominus quod dixit dixit. AUG O ineffable working of Divine power even in the hearts of ignorant men. Did not some hidden voice sound from within, and, if we may say so, with clamorous silence, saying to Pilate in the prophetic words of the Psalm, Alter not the inscription of the title? But what say you, you mad priests: will the title be the less true, because Jesus said I am the King of the Jews? If that which Pilate wrote cannot be altered, can that be altered which the Truth spoke? Pilate wrote what he wrote, because our Lord said what He said. Lectio 7 Lecture 7 23 Milites ergo cum crucifixissent eum, acceperunt vestimenta eius (et fecerunt quatuor partes, unicuique militi partem) et tunicam. Erat autem tunica inconsutilis, desuper contexta per totum. 23. Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. 24a Dixerunt ergo ad invicem: Non scindamus eam, sed sortiamur de illa cuius sit. Ut Scriptura impleretur, dicens: Partiti sunt vestimenta mea sibi: et in vestem meam miserunt sortem. 24a. They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the Scripture might be fulfilled, which said, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. Augustinus in Ioannem. Iudicante Pilato, milites qui ei parebant crucifixerunt Iesum; unde dicitur milites ergo, cum crucifixissent eum, acceperunt vestimenta eius: et tamen si voluntates, si clamores eorum cogitemus, Iudaei magis crucifixerunt. Sed de partitione sortitioneque vestimentorum eius, ceteri Evangelistae brevius et clause; iste vero apertissime locutus est; nam sequitur et fecerunt quatuor partes, unicuique militi partem: unde apparet quatuor fuisse milites qui in eo crucifigendo praesidi paruerunt. Sequitur et tunicam: subaudiendum est: acceperunt; ut iste sit sensus: acceperunt autem et tunicam; et sic locutus est, ut de ceteris vestimentis nullam sortem missam esse videamus; sed de tunica, quam simul cum ceteris acceperunt, sed non similiter diviserunt; de hac enim sequitur exponens erat autem tunica inconsutilis, desuper contexta per totum. On Pilate giving sentence, the soldiers under his command crucified Jesus: Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His is garments. And yet if we fool to their intentions, their clamors, the Jews were rather the people which crucified Him. On the parting and casting lots for His garment, John gives more circumstances than the other Evangelists. And made four parts, to every soldier a part: whence we see there were four soldiers who executed the governor’s sentence. And also His coat: took, understood They took His coat too. The sentence is brought in so to show that this was the only garment for which they cast lots, the others being divided. Now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. Chrysostomus in Ioannem. Ipsam speciem tunicae Evangelista historice designat: quia enim in Palaestina duos pannos connectentes subtexunt indumenta, ostendit Ioannes quod talis erat tunica Iesu; occulte vilitatem vestimentorum insinuans. CHRYS The Evangelist describes the tunic, to show that it was of an inferior kind, the tunics commonly worn in Palestine being made of two pieces. Theophylactus. Alii vero dicunt, quod apud Palaestinam telas contexunt, non velut apud nos texuntur, existente superius stamine, inferius vero texentibus; ut sic non versus partem supremam textura protendat, sed e contra. THEOPHYL Others say that they did not weave in Palestine, as we do, the shuttle being driven upwards through the warp; so that among them the woof was not carried upwards but downwards. Augustinus. Cur autem de illa sortem miserint narrat, dicens dixerunt ergo ad invicem: non scindamus eam, sed sortiamur de illa, cuius sit. Apparet itaque in aliis vestimentis aequales se habuisse partes, ut sortiri necesse non fuerit; in illa vero una non eos habere potuisse singulas partes nisi scinderetur, ut pannos eius inutiliter tollerent: quod ne facerent, ad unum eam pervenire sortitione maluerunt. Huius Evangelistae narrationi consonat et propheticum testimonium; unde subiungit ut Scriptura impleretur dicens: partiti sunt vestimenta mea sibi, et in vestem meam miserunt sortem. AUG Why they cast lots for it, next appears: They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it whose it should be. It seems then that the other garments were made up of equal parts, as it was not necessary to rend them; the tunic only having to be rent in order to give each an equal share of it; to avoid which they preferred casting lots for it, and one having it all. This answered to the prophecy: That the Scripture might be fulfilled which says, They parted My raiment among them, and for My vesture they did cast lots. Chrysostomus. Intuere prophetiae certitudinem: non enim quae partiti sunt solum, sed et quae non partiti sunt, dixit propheta: nam vestimenta quidem diviserunt, sed vestem sorti concesserunt. CHRYS Behold the sureness of prophecy. The Prophet foretold not only what they would part, but what they would not. They parted the raiment, but cast lots for the vesture. Augustinus. Matthaeus dicendo: diviserunt vestimenta eius, sortem mittentes, totam divisionem vestimentorum voluit intelligi, et ad illam tunicam pertinere, de qua sortem miserunt. Tale est quod etiam ait Lucas: dividentes vestimenta eius, miserunt sortes. Dividentes enim venerunt ad tunicam, de qua est sortitio. Dicendo autem sortes, pluralem numerum pro singulari posuit. Marcus autem solus videtur intulisse aliquam quaestionem: dicendo enim: mittentes sortem super eis, quis quid tolleret, tamquam super omnibus vestimentis, non super sola tunica sors missa sit, locutus videatur. Sed haec brevitas obscuritatem facit. Sic enim dictum est: mittentes sortem super eis, ac si diceretur: mittentes sortem cum dividerentur. Cum autem dicit: quis quid tolleret, idest quis tunicam tolleret, tamquam si totum ita diceretur: mittentes sortem super eis, quis tunicam, quae partibus aequalibus superfuerat, tolleret. Quadripartita autem vestis domini nostri Iesu Christi, quadripartitam figuravit eius Ecclesiam, quatuor scilicet partibus in orbe diffusam, et in eisdem aequaliter, idest concorditer, distributam. Tunica vero illa sortita, omnium partium significat unitatem, quae caritatis vinculo continetur. Si autem caritas et supereminentiorem habet viam, et supereminet scientiae, et super omnia praecepta est, secundum illud: super omnia autem haec caritatem habete; merito vestis, qua significatur, desuper contexta perhibetur. Et addidit per totum: quia nemo eius est expers qui pertinere invenitur ad totum, a quo toto Catholica vocatur Ecclesia. Inconsutilis autem, ne aliquando dissuatur; et ad unum provenit, quia in unum omnes colligit. In sorte autem, Dei gratia commendata est: cum enim sors mittitur, non personae cuiusque, vel meritis, sed occulto iudicio Dei ceditur. AUG Matthew in saying, They parted His garments, casting lots, means us to understand the whole division of the garments, including the tunic also for which they cast lots. Luke says the same: They parted His raiment, and cast lots. In parting His garments they came to the tunic, for which they cast lots. Mark is the only one that raises any question: They parted His garments, casting upon them what every man should take: as if they cast lots for all the garments, and not the tunic only. But it is his brevity that creates the difficulty. Casting lots upon them: as if it was, casting lots when they were parting the garments. What every man should take: i.e. who should take the tunic; as if the whole stood thus: Casting lots upon them, who should take the tunic which remained over and above the equal shares, into which the rest of the garments were divided. The fourfold division of our Lord’s garment represents His Church, spread over the four quarters of the globe, and distributed equally, i.e. in concord, to all. The tunic for which they cast lots signifies the unity of all the parts, which is contained in the bond of love. And if love is the more excellent way, above knowledge, and above all other commandments, according to Colossians, Above all things have charity, the garment by which this is denoted, is well said to be woven from above. Through the whole, is added, because no one is void of it, who belongs to that whole, from which the Church Catholic is named. It is without seam again, so that it can never come unsown, and is in one piece, i.e. brings all together into one. By the lot is signified the grace of God: for God elects not with respect to person or merits, but according to His own secrets counsel. Chrysostomus. Vel, sicut quidam dicunt, tunica inconsutilis desuper contexta per totum, secundum allegoriam ostendit quoniam non simpliciter homo erat qui crucifixus est, sed et desuper deitatem habebat. CHRYS According to some, The tunic without seam, woven from above throughout, is an allegory strewing that He who was crucified was not simply man, but also had Divinity from above. Theophylactus. Vel aliter. Vestis inconsutilis denotat corpus Christi, quod a superiori parte contextum est: spiritus enim sanctus supervenit, et virtus altissimi virgini obumbravit. Hoc ergo sacrosanctum Christi corpus indivisibile constat: nam et si dividatur per singulos, sanctificans uniuscuiusque animam simul et corpus, integre tamen et indivisibiliter consistit in omnibus. At quoniam ex quatuor elementis mundus consistit, intelligenda est per Christi vestimenta visibilis creatura, quam inter se dividunt Daemones, quoties morti tradunt verbum Dei quod habitat in nobis, ac satagunt nos suae partis efficere per mundanas illecebras. THEOPHYL The garment without seam denotes the body of Christ, which was woven from above; for the Holy Ghost came upon the Virgin, and the power of the Highest overshadowed her. This holy body of Christ then is indivisible: for though it be distributed for every one to partake of, and to sanctify the soul and body of each one individually, yet it subsists in all wholly and indivisibly. The world consisting of four elements, the garments of Christ must be understood to represent the visible creation, which the devils divide amongst themselves, as often as they deliver to death the word of God which dwells in us, and by worldly allurements bring us over to their Side. Augustinus. Nec ideo ista non aliquid boni significasse quis dixerit, quia per malos facta sunt: quid enim de ipsa cruce dicturi sumus, quae similiter ab impiis facta est? Et tamen ea significari recte intelligitur quod ait apostolus: quae sit latitudo, longitudo, altitudo et profundum. Lata est quippe in transverso ligno, quo extenduntur pendentes manus, et significat opera bona in latitudine caritatis: longa est a transverso ligno usque ad terram, et significat perseverantiam in longitudine temporis: alta est in cacumine, quo transversum lignum sursum versus excedit, et significat supernum finem, quo cuncta opera referuntur: profunda est in ea parte quae in terra figitur; ibi quippe occulta est, sed cuncta eius apparentia inde consurgunt, sicut bona nostra de profunditate gratiae Dei, quae comprehendi non potest, universa procedunt. Sed etsi crux Christi hoc solum significet quod ait apostolus: qui Christi sunt, carnem suam crucifixerunt cum passionibus et concupiscentiis, quam magnum bonum est. Postremo quid est signum Christi nisi crux Christi? Quod signum nisi adhibeatur sive frontibus credentium, sive ipsi aquae, ex qua regenerantur, sive oleo, quo chrismate unguntur, sive sacrificio quo aluntur, nihil eorum vitae proficitur. AUG Nor let any one say that these things had no good signification, because they were done by wicked men; for if so, what shall we say of the cross itself; For that was made by ungodly men, and yet certainly by it were signified, What is the length, and depth, and breadth, and height, as the Apostle says. Its breadth consists of a cross beam, on which are stretched the hands of Him who hangs upon it. This signifies the breadth of charity, and the good works done therein. Its length consists of a cross beam going to the ground, and signifies perseverance in length of time. The height is the top which rises above the cross beam, and signifies the high end to which all things refer. The depth is that part which is fixed in the ground; there it is hidden, but the whole cross that we see rises from it. Even so all our good works proceed from the depth of God’s incomprehensible grace. But though the cross of Christ only signify what the Apostle said, They that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts, how great a good is it? Lastly, what is the sign of Christ, but the cross of Christ? Which sign must be applied to the foreheads of believers, to the water of regeneration, to the oil of chrism, to the sacrifice whereby we are nourished, or none of these is profitable for life. Lectio 8 Lecture 8 24b Et milites quidem haec fecerunt. 24b. These things therefore the soldiers did. 25 Stabant autem iuxta crucem Iesu mater eius, et soror matris eius, Maria Cleophae, et Maria Magdalene. 25. Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 Cum vidisset ergo Iesus matrem, et discipulum stantem, quem diligebat, dicit matri suae: Mulier, ecce filius tuus. 26. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he says to his mother, Woman, behold your son! 27 Deinde dicit discipulo: Ecce mater tua. Et ex illa hora accepit eam discipulus in sua. 27. Then says he to the disciple, Behold your mother! And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home. Theophylactus. Cum milites quae ad propriam spectabant socordiam prosequebantur, ipse de genitricis cura sollicitus est; unde dicitur et milites quidem haec fecerunt: stabant autem iuxta crucem Iesu mater eius, et soror matris eius, Maria Cleophae et Maria Magdalene. THEOPHYL While the soldiers were doing their cruel work, He was thinking anxiously of His mother: These things therefore the soldiers did. Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.