Matthew 23:16-24

“Woe to you blind guides, that say, ‘Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but he that shall swear by the gold of the temple, is a debtor.’ Ye foolish and blind; for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? And whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it, is a debtor. Ye blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? He therefore that sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things that are upon it: and whosoever shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth in it: and he that sweareth by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you tithe mint, and anise, and cummin, and have left the weightier things of the law; judgment, and mercy, and faith. These things you ought to have done, and not to leave those undone. Blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel.”

In the Pharisaical tradition, in an dispute, if one swore by the temple but was found guilty of falsehood, he was not held guilty for invoking the temple, but if he sore by the money that was offered to the priests in the temple, he was compelled to give what he had promised: “Keep thy word, and deal faithfully with him” (Ecclesiasticus 29:3). The temple was the place of God’s glory: “And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the sanctuary, that a cloud filled the house of the Lord” (3 Kings 8:10), and the meeting place of man and God, whereas the gold of the temple aided in this. You do not encounter God through money, but through Himself, coming to truly know how loved you are: “When Elias had heard it, he covered his face with his mantle” (3 Kings 19:13). Because the scribes and Pharisees leaned harder on the gifts given, that is, the gold, rather than the true gift, which is the interaction of love between man and God by prayer, they are harshly reprimanded. It is also the case that more rigorously held to oaths of sacrifice rather than the altar itself, all done out of covetousness. To swear by the temple is to swear by all that it contains, including the gold, and the altar all that is upon it. Now, this is a look into grasping tightly the things of earth, rather than holding as sacred what is sacred and revering it as such, but there is a spiritual meaning that is of great importance here. A thought in the mind is of extraordinary value, for it can be found in no visible creature but man, and therefore God alone is worthy of them: “Let thy thoughts be upon the precepts of God, and meditate continually on his commandments: and he will give thee a heart, and the desire of wisdom shall be given thee” (Ecclesiasticus 6:37), and so to offer one’s gold to the temple is to devote your mind to thoughts of your Beloved, be it in the truths of Sacred Scripture or the visualization of the life of Jesus: “Thy eyes are doves’ eyes, besides what is hid within” (Canticle 4:1), considering all else to be so much chaff. The altar is then your heart, the most important thing about you, and prayers, songs, and deeds of love that proceed from your heart are made special by your heart’s love, not by the deeds themselves. God wants your heart, Theophila, He wants your heart to sing with joy and exuberance: “Sing joyfully to God, all the earth: serve ye the Lord with gladness” (Psalm 99:2), and what proceeds from a heart filled with love is hallowed by the love, for all that is done with love is done well. Finally, to swear by heaven is to swear by God, which is to break a commandment of Jesus: “Let your speech be yea, yea: no, no: and that which is over and above these, is of evil” (Matthew 5:37), and similarly, the Law, which can be interpreted as His throne, is sanctified by love, and so too, any act of virtue that is not loving is of no value in the treasure houses of heaven: “And if I should distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I should deliver my body to be burned, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:3). He then turns to their propensity for being correct in small matters, such as taxing herbs, while neglecting the true calling of a life of love: “He that loveth not, knoweth not God: for God is love” (1 John 4:8). To be righteous and fully alive with the winds of love at your back: “Arise, O north wind, and come, O south wind, blow through my garden, and let the aromatical spices thereof flow” (Canticle 4:16) is the goal of the commandments and Scriptures, whereas the tithing was for the benefit of the priests, which the scribes and Pharisees sought more than the salvation and hearts of those under their care: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel, that fed themselves, should not the flocks be fed by the shepherds?” (Ezechiel 34:2). The bond of love calls those versed in the Scriptures to provide spiritual fruit for the people, who then give what is necessary for the upkeep of the bodies of the priests and doctors: “If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great matter if we reap your carnal things?” (1 Corinthians 9:11). All that is not love in you, the Lord desires to be transformed by the fires of love: “Be reformed in the newness of your mind, that you may prove what is the good, and the acceptable, and the perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2), and this moves to even the little things, therefore He exhorts you not to neglect the small matters while living justly, mercifully, and faithfully, letting your every action be one of a love done right. It is said of St. Anthony of Egypt that he desired to be second to none in moral conversion, ever striving for what was best, and to deeply examine the commandments of both the Old and New Testaments, noting what is transformed in Christ as a fulfillment, while also letting your Beloved lovingly correct what could use improvement: “Such as I love, I rebuke and chastise. Be zealous therefore, and do penance” (Apocalypse 3:19). But all of this is done within the context of love, that you may carry on a relationship of love, rather than being weighed down by a rulebook: “Stand fast, and be not held again under the yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1). Because it is less important to tithe than to be benevolent and loving towards all, they are called blind guides, who overlook the weighty precepts, but with scrupulousness look at what is minor. The tithes are seasoning, things that add small bits of beauty to you: “Use as a frugal man the things that are set before thee: lest if thou eastest much, thou be hated” (Ecclesiasticus 31:19), whereas when you aren’t animated by love of God and neighbor, being led through life by love like a woman in a dance, then to uphold the small commandments slavishly is to be straining out a gnat while swallowing a camel. You will find wholeness, when you let love be your guide, and the rest of the commandments simply prune to make more roses bloom: “The flowers have appeared in our land, the time of pruning is come” (Canticle 2:12).

Matthew 23:13-15

“But woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men, for yourselves do not enter in; and those that are going in, you suffer not to enter. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites: because you devour the houses of widows, praying long prayers. For this shall you receive the greater judgment. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you go round about the sea and the land to make one proselyte; and when he is made, you make him the child of hell twofold more than yourselves.

Jesus then moves into the New Testament equivalent of the curses of the Law: “Cursed be he that abideth not in the words of this law, and fulfilleth them not in work” (Deuteronomy 27:26). When someone sins, particularly in keeping others from the love of God, it brings about God’s discipline, not for the sake of punishment, but as an attempt to pull the one far from God into His loving arms: “Convert us, O God: and shew us thy face, and we shall be saved” (Psalm 79:4). A father may have harsh words to bring a son back from harmful behavior, but does not desire them to actually meet with any punishment, but rather live a joyful, happy, love-filled life: “I am come that they may have life, and may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). Therefore, the “woe to you” is a crying out of the Sacred Heart for the most obstinate to crack the ice around their hearts and let themselves be warmed. The kingdom of heaven is a love-filled life, inspired by assiduous meditation on Sacred Scripture, therefore, to shut the door of the Scriptures is to keep people out of letting God speak to them: “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask whatever you will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7). Without right interpretation, which the religious leaders were supposed to hold, it is impossible to enter, and so the scribes and Pharisees, falling into a moral rigorism rather than understanding the Father’s love, closed the hearts of those that were supposed to be opening like flowers in divine sunlight: “It shall bud forth and blossom, and shall rejoice with joy and praise” (Isaias 35:2). Though Scripture is difficult, when you interpret it correctly it is open to you, that you might understand the love that undergirds each passage and drink deeply of this love: “He brought me into the cellar of wine” (Canticle 2:4); “Drink, and be inebriated, my dearly beloved” (Canticle 5:1). Or, the scribes and Pharisees, deterring people from cleaving to Jesus: “I am the door. By me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved” (John 10:9), kept not only themselves but others from the Bridegroom’s hands, that they may be enveloped in love. When you are drunk on love, Theophila, your radiance draws others into this same love: “Draw me: we will run after thee to the odour of thy ointments” (Canticle 1:3), but to walk around sad and angry, or continuing in sin, or enjoying other things more than the Beloved, this makes the gift of God’s love seem to others to be a bad gift: “Be thou an example of the faithful in word, in conversation, in love, in faith, in chastity” (1 Timothy 4:12). They are then rebuked for being a burden on the poor, gluttonously taking from the resources of widows, whom they are called to help: “Religion clean and undefiled before God and the Father, is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their tribulation: and to keep one’s self unspotted from this world” (James 1:27). Women have a natural tendency to give, but they preyed upon this, taking advantage of those who give out of piety without the advice of a husband: “My son, do thou nothing without counsel, and thou shalt not repent when thou hast done” (Ecclesiasticus 32:24). Now, this was all done under the pretense of religious observance, which brings the greater condemnation, because to do evil is grave, but to put on the cloak of sanctity and use this for one’s own benefit is much more so. There is a difference between piety and being drunk on love; to do what is good is an excellent thing, but it is the better part to simply be filled with the beauty, wonder, and joy of His love, with what then follows coming naturally: “Thou shalt fill me with joy with thy countenance: at thy right hand are delights even to the end” (Psalm 15:11), and the increasing love of God will animate your spirit, letting you be of greater aid to others: “For you remember, brethren, our labour and toil: working night and day, lest we should be chargeable to any of you” (1 Thessalonians 2:9). It is then seen the difficulty they have in bringing people into their observances, laboring ceaselessly to bring even one into their fold, whereas love is inherently attractive: “Return, return, O Sulamitess: return, return that we may behold thee” (Canticle 6:12). Furthermore, this was not done to bring the person to salvation, or the happiness of the good life: “The just shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow up like the cedar of Libanus” (Psalm 91:13), but to increase their standing in the community, for it was a point of pride to have brought someone into the fold, whereas the love of St. Teresa of Avila converted 10,000 in one of her ardent prayers, which is not a pin of glory, but a point of rejoicing: “Thy children as olive plants, round about thy table” (Psalm 127:3). Now, a proselyte was a Gentile observing Jewish practice: “And the children of the strangers that adhere to the Lord, to worship him, and to love his name, to be his servants: every one that keepeth the sabbath from profaning it, and that holdeth fast my covenant: I will bring them into my holy mount, and will make them joyful in my house of prayer” (Isaias 56:6-7), which were very few. It is highlighted that good instruction can bring someone into following one’s footsteps, for all desire wisdom, but it is one thing to read the commandments, another to live them: “For if you have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet not many fathers. For in Christ Jesus, by the gospel, I have begotten you. Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me, as I also am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 4:15-16), and the Pharisees and scribes taught but did not live, therefore those that were pulled by their doctrine then imitated them in their actions. In addition, the affection of a spiritual father they neglected, treating their pupils coldly, rather than with the warmth that comes with bringing others to the truth: “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of glory? Are not you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For you are our glory and joy?” (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20). These pupils, then, not being born into Jewish custom but choosing it of their own free will, then break the commandments they had promised to follow, or return to their error: “As a dog that returneth to his vomit, so is the fool that repeateth his folly” (Proverbs 26:11). Thus, if by your love you beget spiritual children, treat them as precious, because they may not know how loved they are by God or others, but they will look to your affection and good example when they are little ones in Christ: “Purifying your souls in the obedience of charity, with a  brotherly love, from a sincere heart love one another earnestly” (1 Peter 1:22).

Matthew 23:5-12

“And all their works they do for to be seen of men. For they make their phylacteries broad, and enlarge their fringes. And they love the first places at feasts, and the first chairs in the synagogues, and salutations in the market place, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi.’ But be you not called Rabbi. For one is your master; and all you are brethren. And call none your father upon earth; for one is your father, who is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters; for one is your master, Christ. He that is the greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled: and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.”

Jesus had charged the scribes and Pharisees with being harsh with others and lax with themselves, and then highlights another crooked element of their heart, which is vainglory. To desire to be extolled by others is a great temptation for the spiritual person, for which love is the cure, because to act from a surplus of love, a heart bursting with affection, is both easier, more beautiful, and more natural in the life of grace than trying to humble oneself, which is a target easily missed: “There is that will destroy his own soul through shamefacedness, and by occasion of an unwise person he will destroy it: and by respect of person he will destroy himself” (Ecclesiasticus 20:24). Prayer naturally brings humility, because the light of the sun illuminates all that is imperfect about you: “For there is not any thing secret that shall not be made manifest, nor hidden, that shall not be known and come abroad” (Luke 8:17). There is also a look here at the hidden ailment of the teachers of the Law, because in doing things to be seen by men means that there is not a desire to prepare the people for the coming of the Messiah, and therefore when He comes, they are not thrilled, but agitated about having to share the spotlight: “This man is not of God, who keepeth not the sabbath” (John 9:16), whereas a group that loves is delighted to welcome in new members, that the good over which they bond may extend to someone new: “And the churches were confirmed in faith, and increased in number daily” (Acts 16:5). Jesus’ wording is precise, that they did not only act to be seen by men, but their lives are entirely given over to this. When He criticizes their phylacteries, this comes from taking a section of the Law: “Thou shalt bind [the commandments] as a sign on thy hand, and they shall be and shall move between thy eyes” (Deuteronomy 6:8), which means to do all things according to the Law: “In all thy works let the true word go before thee, and steady counsel before every action” (Ecclesiasticus 37:20), and to meditate on them consistently: “His will is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he shall meditate day and night” (Psalm 1:2). The Pharisees, however, took the verse in a literal manner, writing the Ten Commandments down and wearing them on their foreheads as a display of their piety. The fringes are a commandment of Moses, that while circumcision distinguished the people of Israel, there was a call for a more public display of their being God’s people: “Speak to the children of Israel, and thou shalt tell them to make to themselves fringes in the corners of their garments, putting in them ribands of blue: that when they shall see them, they may remember all the commandments of the Lord” (Numbers 15:38-39), and the religious leaders sought to display their righteousness by these blue fringes rather than by acts of love. There can also be a spiritual meaning, that the scribes and Pharisees stretched the commandments of God to include their own commandments and traditions: “You shall not add to the word that I speak to you” (Deuteronomy 4:2), and placed undue stress on them, which is indicated by the fringes. When Jesus then convicts them of desiring the highest seats, this is not to condemn those who are genuine leaders and thereby are given these places: “And then men of Juda came, and anointed David there, to be king over the house of Juda” (2 Kings 2:4), but rather those who clog their hearts and minds with the desire for esteem and position, rather than with their Beloved. It is the same in taking the lowest place out of a desire to seem holy, with the body in a low place but the heart feasting on one’s own perceived righteousness: “Hast thou seen a man wise in his own conceit? There shall be more hope of a fool than of him” (Proverbs 26:12). Furthermore, this was taking place in synagogues, where their minds should have been focused on guiding the people on the way of righteousness, to be the answer for the prayer: “Shew, O Lord, thy ways to me, and teach me thy paths. Direct me in thy truth, and teach me” (Psalm 24:4-5), but rather they were turned in on themselves, concerned with their reputation. The love of salutations is not just to be greeted in a friendly manner, which is warmth to the soul: “A sweet word multiplieth friends, and appeaseth enemies, and a gracious tongue in a good man aboundeth” (Ecclesiasticus 6:5), but a public display with bowing, followed by the greeting “rabbi,” a title the Pharisees sought to hold as an honor to themselves, but not do the duties as they should. Now, this translates to your personal love story, Theophila, that there is one high place that the Lord desires you to go: “Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: praise ye him in the high places” (Psalm 148:1), and this is the heights of contemplation, that you may drink deeply of the cup of love: “My chalice which inebriateth me, how goodly it is!” (Psalm 22:5), and enjoy the sweet delicacies of truth: “Eat honey, my son, because it is good, and the honeycomb most sweet to thy throat: so also is the doctrine of wisdom to thy soul” (Proverbs 24:13-14). Make yourself worthy to be seated on the throne of the Lamb: “To him that shall overcome, I will give to sit with me in my throne: as I also have overcome, and am set down with my Father in his throne” (Apocalypse 3:21), not concerning yourself with office or position. When Jesus says “do not be called Rabbi,” this is because true teaching comes from God, for many are the words that can pour out of a man, but it is only when the heart is heated with love and the mind graced with insight that the wisdom that is truly important can make its proper imprint: “It is written in the prophets: ‘And they shall all be taught of God’” (John 6:45). Thus, many hear the words of God, but few receive it in such a way: “Thy words I have hidden in my heart, that I may not sin against thee” (Psalm 118:11), but this is not to despair, but to pray for the grace to hear in your heart: “Sacrifice or oblation thou didst not desire; but thou hast pierced ears for me” (Psalm 39:7). From this is a look into the fact that all members of the Church, including the saints, are your brothers and sisters in Christ; let Jesus form you, be pleasing to Him: “As long as thou livest, and hast breath in thee, let no man change thee” (Ecclesiasticus 33:21), for you are like a bride that enjoys the company and aid of her bridesmaids, but all for the sake of being a greater delight to her husband. Love all, but love freely: “Give not to son or wife, brother or friend, power over thee while thou livest” (Ecclesiasticus 33:20). He then says to call no man your father, meaning that your every action is done before God, therefore let nothing and no one come before the love and service of your heavenly Father: “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name” (Matthew 6:9). Now, the priestly title of father, the term spiritual fatherhood, and the title of master in the spiritual sense are like sun shining through windows. To trust a spiritual director as the voice of Christ in your life is to take them as a spiritual father or mother, but this is insofar as they are a vessel of the light of God for you, thus in listening to them you are listening to God: “’Masters, what must I do, that I may be saved?’ But they said: ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house” (Acts 16:30-31). This is not something to be sought, with the care of souls being a grave duty: “Be ye not many masters, my brethren, knowing that you receive the greater judgment” (James 3:1), but rather be a simple servant. If your words find their way into the hearts of others and pierce them with love, this is the action of the Holy Spirit in them, Jesus in you, and the Father shining behind you, and thus you are not a master, but a window of grace: “He that believeth in me, as the scripture saith, ‘Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water’” (John 7:38). Withhold your love from no one, serving all, but all for the divine Master who ministers to you: “I am in the midst of you, as he that serveth” (Luke 22:27), giving you the love you need. Finally, it is ugliness to lift oneself up, to be bloated with one’s own ego or clamoring for position, but to be little, held gently in the hands of your Abba, this is precious, and makes ready to be rich in love.

Matthew 22:41-23:4

“And the Pharisees being gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying: ‘What think you of Christ? Whose son is he?’ They say to him: ‘David’s.’ He saith to them: ‘How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit on my right hand, until I make thy enemies thy footstool?’ If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?’ And no man was able to answer him a word; neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions. Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples, saying: ‘The scribes and the Pharisees have sitten on the chair of Moses. All things therefore whatsoever they shall say to you, observe and do: but according to their works do ye not; for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy and insupportable burdens, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but with a finger of their own they will not move them.’”

Because the religious leaders were nipping at Him as a lowly man, Jesus then subtly puts forward the truth of His divinity in such a way that He might not be stoned for blasphemy: “For a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God” (John 10:33). It is a movement from His familiar discourse with His disciples that still rings of similarity: “Whom do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15), but because the Pharisees would have said He was a deceiver: “Are you also seduced?” (John 7:47), He puts forward this more theological question. The Pharisees then suppose the Christ to be, though great, merely a man: “And he shall stand, and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the height of the name of the Lord his God” (Micheas 5:4), to which Jesus replies with the proper wielding of Sacred Scripture: “And from his mouth came out a sharp two edged sword” (Apocalypse 1:16). Because of Christ’s sonship from the Father, He was before David: “Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham was made, I am” (John 8:58), both in order of time and in the hierarchy of being, to which David had insight by the Holy Spirit. The Son’s seat at the right hand of the Father is not in a physical sense, but rather is to be in equality with the Father’s glory, for all that the Father is, He translates to the Son: “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30), and this seat is given “until I make thy enemies thy footstool,” (Psalm 109:1), the “until” not ceasing with this, and this is to show the might of His reign, that even if He has to scare people into His arms, this is better than losing them altogether. While this binds the Pharisees, it is also a gift to invite them into the mystery, that they may put down their swords of biting questions and instead walk with wonder at Him who is the Lord of the great king David: “Who is like to thee, among the strong, O Lord? Who is like to thee, glorious in holiness, terrible and praiseworthy, doing wonders?” (Exodus 15:11). Having applied every medicine, particularly that of wisdom, with which the religious leaders should have been delighted, but having it spat back in His face, He then turns to the Apostles and the people, because unprofitable are the words that win arguments, but great are the words that draw people into love: “There is gold, and a multitude of jewels: but the lips of knowledge are a precious vessel” (Proverbs 20:15). The disciples then represent those who hang on every word of God with an eager heart, wanting to store each one as a gem: “And his mother kept all these words in her heart” (Luke 2:51), the people are those who partake in the Church’s gifts, but are not yet in the throes of love: “Eat, O friends, and drink, and be inebriated, my dearly beloved” (Canticle 5:1). When He says that the scribes, who could not release the letter of the Law, and the Pharisees, who, due to the thought that they were better than others, separated themselves from others: “He that despiseth his neighbour, sinneth” (Proverbs 14:21), sit on the seat of Moses, this is to show that their teaching is godly. Now, it is not the place that makes the man, but the man the place, and where you pray is sacred ground, because that is where you encounter God: “Come nigh hither, put off the shoes from thy feet: for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground” (Exodus 3:5). God is in your heart, you are His tabernacle, and to realize you are immersed in His presence and He is in you to hold your hand through prayer, that you may come to know His merciful love is a beautiful way to step into your prayer time. From here, it is seen that the office of priest or teacher is a shame to the one that does not step up to its demands and live as he preaches. When Jesus then tells them to do as the scribes and Pharisees taught, this was to dissuade one from rebelling against an evil teacher: “If thou wilt incline thy ear, thou shalt receive instruction: and if thou love to hear, thou shalt be wise” (Ecclesiasticus 6:34). Christ acknowledges them to be the premier teachers in Israel before viciously upbraiding them, that He may not be thought to be reaching for their authority or holding bitterness in His Sacred Heart, which, despite the rampant assaults upon it, burns only with the fires of love: “Love is strong as death… the lamps thereof are fire and flames” (Canticle 8:6). The reason that Jesus told them to observe all that the scribes and Pharisees taught was that the New Law of grace had not yet come forward, the love story was not yet unveiled, and the Law is in place to be a guide to righteousness, which, when animated by love, turns love from paint to art: “The law is not made for the just man, but for the unjust and disobedient” (1 Timothy 1:9), and those who taught it best would guide to a sharp observance, yet be lacking central point. The teacher, then, that does not follow his teaching, or does not love his craft, is a sad sight, but nevertheless, the gold of wisdom is still gold, even if it is in the hands of someone that does not appreciate its beauty: “A man of sense will praise every wise word he shall hear, and will apply it to himself: the luxurious man hath heard it, and it shall displease him, and he will cast it behind his back” (Ecclesiasticus 21:18). In this is a look at one’s attitude towards Church leaders, down to one’s parish priest, because to speak ill of any can build walls around the heart towards what one may hear, and it is better that one should hold the priesthood in high regard, that it may be reverenced: “With all thy soul fear the Lord, and reverence his priests” (Ecclesiasticus 7:31), and those that love and teach well may be given their due, rather than holy orders being seen as trivial, and the spiritual fathers of the Church being subject to mockery: “Cursed be he that honoureth not his father and mother” (Deuteronomy 27:16). When Jesus says that they say, but do not do, this is a grave condemnation, because to instruct in holy matters is the most dignified of professions: “If [the wise man] continue, he shall leave a name above a thousand” (Ecclesiasticus 39:15), and because of the influence one has in teaching, as well as one’s message coming off as insincere if it is not also observed, without evidence to its goodness, teaching the life of love without loving is a foul blot on a man: “He that loveth not, knoweth not God: for God is love” (1 John 4:8). There is then the condemnation that they place heavy burdens on others, teaching and demanding a strict way of life without themselves embracing it, whereas love calls you into action and struggle: “In much work there shall be abundance” (Proverbs 14:23); “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24), while being lenient and merciful on others, not knowing what weighs on their soul. These heavy burdens are the commandments of the Law: “Now therefore, why tempt you God to put a yoke upon the necks of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?” (Acts 15:10), which strangle the heart, with the religious leaders not even attempting to try to carry them. Life is more than rule-following, and while the commandments are instructions to virtue, which give beauty to the soul, they are not the fundamental block of life: “Follow after love” (1 Corinthians 14:1). Now, to lay too austere a way of life on one that is a fledgling lover of God, especially under the threat of punishment, is to follow the Pharisees, for to love is to fly, to flap one’s little wings towards ever higher branches until you can soar off and love with ease. To come off the winds of the Gospel of love for an emphasis on asceticism is to clip the wings: “Are you so foolish, that, whereas you began in the Spirit, you would now be made perfect by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3), and to be harsh where God is kind is contrary to love: “Love is patient, is kind” (1 Corinthians 13:4).

Matthew 22:34-40

“But the Pharisees hearing that he had silenced the Sadducees, came together. And one of them, a doctor of the law, asked him, tempting him: ‘Master, which is the great commandment in the law?’ Jesus said to him: ‘’Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind.’ This is the greatest and the first commandment. And the second is like to this: ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.’ On these two commandments dependeth the whole law and the prophets.’”

Truth, in her magnificent angelic chariot: “He ascended upon the cherubim, and he flew; he flew upon the wings of the winds” (Psalm 17:11), had silenced the impotent footsoldiers of falsehood in the Sadducees, and rather than dissipating or turning on each other, as false teaching always does, the Pharisees mount one final assault: “He should send an army against them, to destroy and root out the strength of Israel, and the remnant of Jerusalem, and to take away the memory of them from that place” (1 Machabees 3:35). This was done by sending one excellent lawyer into the battlefield of debate to attempt to attain the victory for the Pharisees: “Choose a man of you, and let him come down and fight hand to hand. If he be able to fight with me, and kill me, we will be servants to you: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, you shall be servants, and shall serve us” (1 Kings 17:8-9). Now, to ask questions in order to bite at another and not to learn from him is to do as this Pharisee does: “Amen I say to you, as long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40), and it is to antagonize rather than to love: “Contend not in words, for it is to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers” (2 Timothy 2:14). The idea behind the question, then, is the thought that all God commands is great: “All thy commands are justice” (Psalm 118:172), and the Pharisees held the lesser commandments on the same plane as the Ten Commandments: “Blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel” (Matthew 23:24), and therefore they sent this scholar of the law to tempt Him, with the design to reject His answer, no matter what it may be: “And in all seduction of iniquity to them that perish; because they receive not the love of the truth, that they might be saved” (2 Thessalonians 2:10). Jesus then answers to love God with every fabric of one’s being; where fear dominated in the Law and the people walked in slavery, Jesus throws open the doors of the love of sonship: “For you have not received the spirit of bondage again in fear; but you have received the spirit of adoption of sons, whereby we cry: Abba (Father)” (Romans 8:15), and God does not desire you to serve Him while scared of His Lordship, but rather joyfully as a Father who is the wind at your back: “From thence, compassing by the shore, we came to Rhegium: and after one day, the south wind blowing, we came the second day to Puteoli” (Acts 28:13). To have your whole heart wrapped on Him then, is to let the garden of your soul be His sanctuary, and His sanctuary alone: “My sister, my spouse, is a garden enclosed” (Canticle 4:12), your heart being the meeting place between heaven and earth, Bridegroom and bride, God and man: “This is my rest for ever and ever: here will I dwell, for I have chosen it” (Psalm 131:14). To love Him with your whole soul is to bring your every faculty of your intellect and will under the sweet yoke of devotion, your every action oriented towards love: “I arose up to open to my beloved: my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers were full of the choicest myrrh” (Canticle 5:5). To devote your entire mind to Him is to enjoy the sweet savor of truth, not so much out of a penchant for learning, but to put wood upon the fire of your heart, that it may burn brightly with a true understanding of your Beloved: “And the fire on the altar shall always burn, and the priest shall feed it, putting wood on it every day in the morning” (Leviticus 6:12), and to let your sole wisdom be that of God and His love: “For I judged not myself to know any thing among you, but Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). St. Thomas Aquinas, during times of recreation, would leave when the topic would steer from matters of God, surely partly out of boredom, but partly because he simply brought nothing else to the table. O Theophila, how sweet is the taste of love, which painlessly quenches all other desires and draws you into a place where your every thought is fixed on Jesus, nothing in your life reaching outside the fire of His love, for in that is all warmth and goodness: “Who is this that cometh up from the desert, flowing with delights, leaning upon her beloved?” (Canticle 8:5). You will find the fullness of yourself when your whole life is oriented towards Him, not necessarily in action but in desire, for though Leah brought forth many children, Jacob had a greater desire for the beautiful bride Rachel, who represents the one who gives their every faculty to loving Him and being loved in turn: “And having at length obtained the marriage he wished for, he preferred the love of the latter before the former, and served with him other seven years” (Genesis 29:30). He then says this is the first and greatest commandment, radiant in value and to be seconded to none, for without love for God, everything else becomes dry and barren: “If any one abide not in me, he shall be cast forth as a branch, and shall wither, and they shall gather him up, and cast him into the fire, and he burneth” (John 15:6). There is then a twofold second commandment, to love one’s neighbor as oneself, which first entails a love of oneself: “He that loveth iniquity, hateth his own soul” (Psalm 10:6); “He that is evil to himself, to whom will he be good? And he shall not take pleasure in his goods” (Ecclesiasticus 14:5). Now, every person is your neighbor, by nature of the union of the human family in one common nature: “Therefore, whilst we have time, let us work good to all men, but especially to those who are of the household of the faith” (Galatians 6:10), and because of the service they do, the angels are included here: “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent to minister for them, who shall receive the inheritance of salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14). Every person you meet is a beautiful creation of God, and from love comes either admiration of the beauty of their souls, which can be seen by the spiritual eye: “Thy eyes are as those of doves” (Canticle 1:14), or the desire to see them flourish rather than eat the dirt and muck of earthly things and sin: “My soul hath cleaved to the pavement: quicken thou me according to thy word” (Psalm 118:25). Just as a great man is honored in a statue, God is loved in His people, and in falling madly in love with God, each person becomes a striking reminder of the Beloved: “My dearest, if God hath so loved us; we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:11), and so love is the fulfillment of all; the entirety of the Christian walk is a growth in the art of love. To love the Beloved, to love others, to become love, this is the key by which all Sacred Scripture is opened to you: “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded to them in all the scriptures, the things that were concerning him” (Luke 24:27), and thus it is said that on these commandments hang the Law and the prophets.

Matthew 22:23-33

“That day there came to him the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection; and asked him, saying: ‘Master, Moses said: ‘If a man die having no son, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up issue to his brother.’ Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first having married a wife, died; and not having issue left his wife to his brother. In like manner the second, and the third, and so on to the seventh. And last of all the woman died also. At the resurrection therefore whose wife of the seven shall she be? For they all had her.’ And Jesus answering, said to them: ‘You err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they shall neither marry nor be married; but shall be as the angels of God in heaven. And concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read that which was spoken by God, saying to you: ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?’ He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. And the multitudes hearing it, were in admiration at his doctrine.”

The Sadducees then come, like waves trying to reach into land to break down a mighty fortress, if not by argument, then by making Jesus weary: “My soul hath slumbered through heaviness: strengthen thou me in thy words” (Psalm 118:28). The Sadducees did not only deny resurrection of the body, but also the immortality of the soul, something many non-Christian thinkers had come to accept: “Where there is no knowledge of the soul, there is no good” (Proverbs 19:2). To deny the resurrection takes away from the battle one must undergo for love, for without the condemnation of the wicked and the glorious life of the just, one then seeks justice and pleasure in this life, which leads to malice and self-seeking: “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable” (1 Corinthians 15:19). Now, in ancient cultures, there was a seeking of a sort of immortality by way of bearing children; such was also the appeal of glory or a good name: “A good life hath its number of days: but a good name shall continue for ever” (Ecclesiasticus 41:16), and to a culture that lived for the present life, Moses gave the precept for a brother to marry a dead brother’s wife, that his name may live on through the children born to the new spouse. The Sadducees then put forwards a ludicrous fiction as a type of thought experiment, pulling from reality in favor of obtuse questions: “But avoid foolish and old wives’ fables: and exercise thyself unto godliness” (1 Timothy 4:7), which is a lesson to you, Theophila, to seek first the truth which sets your heart aflame: “There came in my heart as a burning fire, shut up in my bones, and I was wearied, not being able to bear it” (Jeremias 20:9); “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). Mystically, the seven brothers are representative of the seven deadly sins, which bear no fruit, through which one passes without bearing any fruit of true love, instead living entirely for oneself: “Amen, amen, I say unto you: that whosoever committeth sin, is the servant of sin” (John 8:34). Jesus then reprimands them for not knowing the Scriptures, for in the Scriptures is the knowledge of God, and to read them with an open heart is to let Him speak to you from His Heart: “Meditate upon these things, be wholly in these things: that thy profiting may be manifest to all. Take heed to thyself and to doctrine: be earnest in them” (1 Timothy 4:15-16); your Beloved longs to speak to you and tell you about Himself, if only you will open your ear to His words: “Incline your ear and come to me: hear and your soul shall live” (Isaias 55:3). Their view of God was also too narrow, not thinking Him to be that whose goodness surpasses all understanding; it can also mean that they did not know Jesus, who is called the power of God: “But unto them that are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:24). They had not read the Scriptures which spoke about Him or spent time with Him, both of which are open to you, the latter being time in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, both of which draw one to encounter the magnificence of His love: “And she had a sister called Mary, who sitting also at the Lord’s feet, heard his word” (Luke 10:39). When Jesus then says that in the resurrection men do not marry and women are not given in marriage, as the custom of the time dictated, for heaven is a perpetual contemplation of the love of God, to see the true glory of what love looks like, aflame with one’s own love and singing hymns of love to the Beloved: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come” (Apocalypse 4:8). When you are immortal, Theophila, with a glorified body and a soul entirely purified from all that is not love, then you will be rapt in ecstatic love perpetually, your mind and heart drunken on God: “Eat, O friends, and drink, and be inebriated, my dearly beloved” (Canticle 5:1). Marriage is by all means an extraordinary good, an icon of God’s love, and filled with sacramental grace: “Marriage is honourable in all” (Hebrews 13:4), but the heavenly banquet transcends this wondrous iconography, with the true Beloved of your soul within your grasp: “For the Lord God Almighty is the temple thereof, and the Lamb” (Apocalypse 21:22). Then, where the Sadducees had gone to the authority of Moses and denied Scriptural authority outside of it, Jesus expertly goes to Moses, that He may meet the Sadducees on their own ground and bring them the branch of truth: “And she came to him in the evening, carrying a bough of an olive tree, with green leaves, in her mouth” (Genesis 8:11). Jesus then establishes the immortality of the soul, that the God who is: “I Am Who Am” (Exodus 3:14) would not be the God of those who are not. The wording that God is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, rather than grouping them together: “The Lord God of the Hebrews sent me to thee” (Exodus 7:16), this shows that God is entirely yours, loving you as if you were the only person in the world: “I to my beloved, and my beloved to me” (Canticle 6:2). It said of St. Teresa of Avila that Jesus said to her that He would remake all of creation just to hear her say she loved Him, and so it is with you; to simply rest on His Sacred Heart and whisper “I love you” to each other, or silently bask in love, this is deep prayer: “Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23). You have captured the prey, o beloved of Christ, “My beloved is like a roe, or a young hart” (Canticle 2:9), therefore run to Him and feast on His love: “They shall be inebriated with the plenty of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the torrent of thy pleasure” (Psalm 35:9). Live for the love of Jesus, Theophila, and you will live a divine life. The people then sit in wonder at the doctrine of Christ, a call to realize the love and magnificence that radiates from the Scriptures: “Who have received the law by the disposition of angels” (Acts 7:53), and let them be your daily food: “Thy words were found, and I did eat them, and thy word was to me a joy and gladness of my heart: for thy name is called upon me, O Lord God of hosts” (Jeremias 15:16).

Matthew 22:15-22

“Then the Pharisees going, consulted among themselves how to insnare him in his speech. And they sent to him their disciples with the Herodians, saying: ‘Master, we know that thou art a true speaker, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou dost not regard the person of men. Tell us therefore what dost thou think, is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?’ But Jesus knowing their wickedness, said: ‘Why do you tempt me, ye hypocrites? Shew me the coin of the tribute.’ And they offered him a penny. And Jesus saith to them: ‘Whose image and inscription is this?’ They say to him: ‘Caesar’s.’ Then he saith to them: ‘Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God, the things that are God’s.’ And hearing this they wondered, and leaving him, went their ways.”

Both love and hate are forces that, when denied in one way, another is sought with eagerness: “Behold he standeth behind our wall, looking through the windows, looking through the lattices” (Canticle 2:9). While Jesus seeks the heart as a sweet hunter, the Pharisees are consumed with malice, and seek to trap Jesus by way of collaboration with their political rivals. The Herodians were mockingly so called because, rather than seeing Rome as a force that overshadows Israel: “The Lord will bring upon thee a nation from afar, and from the uttermost ends of the earth, like an eagle that flyeth swiftly, whose tongue thou canst not understand, a most insolent nation, that will shew no regard to the ancients, nor have pity on the infant, and will devour the fruit of thy cattle, and the fruits of thy land: until thou be destroyed” (Deuteronomy 28:49-51), they were grateful for the security and peace and willingly paid tribute to them. The two collaborated in this snare: “Sinners have laid a snare for me: but I have not erred from thy precepts” (Psalm 118:110), that if Jesus were to oppose the tax to Caesar, He may be charged with treason against Rome and potentially condemned to death, whereas to agree with it would show Him to be unfaithful to Judaism. These two groups then arrive and extol their enemy, as is wont for those that speak not according to their hearts: “An evil mark upon the double tongued” (Ecclesiasticus 5:17). They do this by complimenting Jesus in being the perfect teacher, claiming Him to know and love the truth, honestly put forward the ways of God as He knows them, and does not withhold the truth due to fear or affection. This was done because many great teachers fall easily into pride, and are all too eager to showcase their wisdom, letting their lips fly into what isn’t prudent or loving: “A man full of tongue is terrible in his city, and he that is rash in his word shall be hateful” (Ecclesiasticus 9:25). Thus, the hope was that, by inflating the ego of Jesus, they might more easily catch Him in the snare they sought to lay. Jesus, however, replies in a way that cuts through their buttery tone like a knife, calling them hypocrites for being one thing and presenting another, which He does that He could show that He knew their hearts: “Thou hast foreseen all my ways: for there is no speech in my tongue” (Psalm 138:4), hoping that by putting them to shame, they may be corrected like deceitful children and come to know the patient love of those that they were trying to deceive. Jesus asks for the coin, which bore the image of Tiberius Caesar, which could have been particularly stinging to the Jewish people: “Thou shalt not make to thyself a graven thing, nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, nor of those things that are in the waters under the earth” (Exodus 20:4). In Jesus’ reply, there is a greater subtilty than the surface denotes, because to have nothing of Caesar’s means one is not bound to pay what he is due, but to enjoy a country’s protection and other such gifts, one cannot complain for giving back to it. Now, this is insofar as nothing is put against the faith, because to sponsor a government that has animosity towards the Catholic Church is to give to the devil rather than Caesar. The second piece of subtilty is that the government made the coins, and therefore they belong to it and the image of the ruler is stamped upon them. The people merely borrow them, but to give to God what is God’s is to give His image that He made back to Him, to give the gift of yourself to God: “I to my beloved, and his turning is towards me” (Canticle 7:10). Because “you are not your own” (1 Corinthians 6:19), you can only find yourself through giving yourself back to God, to lose yourself in the divinity as He loses Himself in you: “I in them, and thou in me; that they may be made perfect in one” (John 17:23). While tithes, firstfruits, good works, and prayers are all wonderful gifts: “Honour the Lord with thy substance, and give him of the first of all thy fruits” (Proverbs 3:9), the gift He truly seeks is you and your heart: “Shew me thy face, let thy voice sound in my ears: for thy voice is sweet, and thy face comely” (Canticle 2:14); “Thou art beautiful, O my love, sweet and comely as Jerusalem: terrible as an army set in array” (Canticle 6:3). There is also a spiritual meaning, that to ignore your nature and over-spiritualize is to take the path of the Pharisees: “Forbidding to marry, to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving by the faithful, and by them that have known the truth” (1 Timothy 4:3), for this path rips away your individuality and ignores that you are not only human, but uniquely so, but to entirely indulge nature without the spirit is to walk the way of the Herodians. Therefore, God calls not for a destruction of who you are, but a lifting of yourself into a covenant of love: “And the Lord hath chosen thee this day, to be his peculiar people, as he hath spoken to thee, and to keep all his commandments: and to make thee higher than all nations which he hath created, to his own praise, and name, and glory: that thou mayst be a holy people of the Lord thy God, as he hath spoken” (Deuteronomy 16:118-19), that you, rather than being suppressed by His commandments, may instead become fully alive by entering deeply into the love story: “I am come that they may have life, and may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). Though they should have believed in the face of this, the Herodians and Pharisees instead simply wonder and leave, showing that, when God manifests Himself to you, either by truth, consolation, or unveiling of love, to simply enjoy is certainly good, but these are also the opportunities to build your spiritual edifice even higher, to follow the breadcrumbs to the house of the Beloved, and thereby be drawn by what is shown to you into a more robust or deeper devotion: “And when Jacob awaked out of sleep, he said: Indeed the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not… This is no other but the house of God, and the gate of heaven… And he made a vow, saying: ‘If God shall be with me, and shall keep me in the way by which I walk, and shall give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, and I shall return prosperously to my father’s house: the Lord shall be my God” (Genesis 28:16-22).

Matthew 22:7-14

“But when the king had heard of it, he was angry: and sending his armies, he destroyed those murderers, and burnt their city. Then he saith to his servants: ‘The marriage indeed is ready; but they that were invited were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways; and as many as you shall find, call to the marriage.’ And his servants going forth into the ways, gathered together all that they found, both bad and good; and the marriage was filled with guests. And the king went in to see the guests: and he saw there a man who had not on a wedding garment. And he saith to him: ‘Friend, how camest thou in hither not having on a wedding garment?’ But he was silent. Then the king said to the waiters: ‘Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the exterior darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.’”

While God’s unchangeable nature of love does not get inflamed to anger as man does, but in justice sends His angels to examine men, who are ultimately judged by their love: “There remain faith, hope, and love, these three: but the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13); all that is contrary to love of God and neighbor is an absence of love, and so to be without love is to be nothing. Thus, in having one’s talents, qualities, or feats set aside, and the love with which one lived being measured, many are destroyed: “Behold they are all in the wrong, and their works are vain: their idols are wind and vanity” (Isaias 41:29), and the doctrine and community that upheld them are seen to be nothing but straw: “And thou shalt say to the children of Ammon: ‘Hear ye the word of the Lord God: Thus saith the Lord God: Because thou hast said: ‘Ha, ha,’ upon my sanctuary, because it was profaned: and upon the land of Israel, because it was laid waste: and upon the house of Juda, because they are led into captivity: therefore will I deliver thee to the men of the east for an inheritance” (Ezechiel 25:3-4). This was the case with the religious leaders that spurned Jesus, that were then crushed by Rome, but is still applicable to those that God desires but refuse the invitation to know His love. However, the Father will not have His Son’s marriage feast be without attendants, desiring many to come to the wedding feast to love and be loved: “I will be found by you, saith the Lord: and I will bring back your captivity, and I will gather you out of all nations, and from all the places to which I have driven you out, saith the Lord: and I will bring you back from the place to which I caused you to be carried away captive” (Jeremias 29:14). In this is a mystery for contemplatives, that to the one that pursues God ardently, He will give the grace to draw in their loved ones, for a wedding with guests from only the groom’s side would be strange, but rather He will draw in a wedding party from His bride’s heart. This is one meaning of “Draw me” (Canticle 1:3), but is also seen later in the divine Canticle: “Our sister is little, and hath no breasts. What shall we do to our sister in the day when she is to be spoken to?” (Canticle 8:8) meaning that the lover of God sees the lack of love in the heart of their loved one, to which the Bridegroom replies: “If she be a wall: let us build upon it bulwarks of silver: if she e a door, let us join it together with boards of cedar” (Canticle 8:9), meaning that if they are not defiled with grave sin, they will rise to great love, but if they are, it will be restored and they will be drawn into heaven for the sake of the bride, which is your soul. Now, the Apostles and all others that preach the Gospel are sent to invite others to the wedding, and go into the highways of worldly professions, from kings to philosophers to farmers, and call them into the love story: “For both the Jews require signs, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: but we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews indeed a stumblingblock, and unto the Gentiles foolishness” (1 Corinthians 1:22-23). In all the different ways of life there is a desire for love, with those that are great sinners, those who were unfruitful in their labors, those who are naturally virtuous or filled with talents and success, every heart longs for love, for though there is much laudable about a virtuous life: “And if a man love justice: [wisdom’s] labours have great virtues; for she teacheth temperance, and prudence, and justice, and fortitude, which are such things as men can have nothing more profitable in life” (Wisdom 8:7), it is not being in love and thereby loving: “And if I should have prophecy and should know all mysteries, and all knowledge, and if I should have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:2). Thus, the naturally good are invited to love, that their beauty may have the glow of love behind it, represented by the gold candlestick that is useless unless it has the fire of love burning in it: “Thou shalt make also a candlestick of beaten work of the finest gold” (Exodus 25:31), and those covered in the filth of sin could be washed clean and adorned with festive garments of great beauty: “Blessed are they that wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb: that they may have a right to the tree of life, and may enter in by the gates into the city” (Apocalypse 22:14). The King, the Father, then comes in to see the wedding guests, those who came to either marry the Bridegroom in the case of those that go deep into the mystery: “I to my beloved, and my beloved to me, who feedeth among the lilies” (Canticle 6:2), those that serve Him and His people in other cases: “So you also, when you shall have done all these things that are commanded you, say: ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which we ought to do’” (Luke 17:10), or are happy guests in the case of those that are drawn into the fringes by the prayers and devotion of others: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10). The Father is everywhere, but in the day of judgment the darkness between man and God will be lifted, and He will be seen more clearly, and His people can measure their deeds. See the day of judgment, Theophila, not as a great and terrible day, for this is for those who need to be jolted into action by the image: “And I saw a great white throne, and one sitting upon it, from whose face the earth and heaven fled away, and there was no place found for them” (Apocalypse 20:11), but rather as a wedding feast, towards which you are joyfully running: “We will run after thee to the odour of thy ointments” (Canticle 1:3). When the King then sees someone not robed in the décor of charity, potentially robed with knowledge, faith, and great works, and other such things but having no love: “Men shall be lovers of themselves, covetous, haughty, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, wicked, without affection, without peace, slanderers, incontinent, unmerciful, without kindness, traitors, stubborn, puffed up, and lovers of pleasures more than of God: having an appearance indeed of godliness, but denying the power thereof” (2 Timothy 3:2-5). For love is the needle that the hand of the Holy Spirit guides to pull along the string of God’s commandments into the clothing of the new man: “So he made an ephod of gold, violet, and purple, and scarlet twice dyed, and fine twisted linen” (Exodus 39:2). Unless love then stirs into beautiful actions, the garment is not woven, and one then enters the elegant wedding feast in the filthy garments of sin: “My sores are putrified and corrupted, because of my foolishness” (Psalm 37:6) or as it were naked with coldness: “But I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love” (Apocalypse 2:4). Thus, the King addresses the one with faith but without love as friend, for this friend partook of heavenly things, yet failed to make good use of them: “For even the man of my peace, in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, hath greatly supplanted me” (Psalm 40:10), and is speechless on account of this, for even those without what God offers seek self-improvement, but when God offers to become one’s Beloved, and tells what He likes and what He dislikes and yet this is seen as paltry, it is the fault of the one who does not embrace this with joy and determination, and therefore is without excuse: “Fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7). When one’s hands are bound, this means that sin: “He that committeth sin is of the devil: for the devilv sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God appeared, that he might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8) or fear: “Woe to them that are fainthearted, who believe not God: and therefore they shall not be protected by him” (Ecclesiasticus 2:15) constricts one from doing acts of love, and with hands thus bound, they are thrown into the outer darkness, which indicate the deepest depths of an absence of love: “He that hateth his brother, is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth; because the darkness hath blinded his eyes” (1 John 2:11), with teeth chattering from the coldness of their hearts, and their eyes weeping from seeing the needs of their neighbor and not acting upon them: “He that hath the substance of this world, and shall see his brother in need, and shall shut up his bowels from him: how doth the love of God abide in him?” (1 John 3:17). Finally, when Jesus says that many are called, but few chosen, it means that the Gospel falls upon the ears of many, but some never respond to it with a course towards heaven, with others beginning and halting under love’s demands. To the one that loves and loves to the end will be the reward of being a chosen vessel of grace, to bear the seal of God’s love: “To him that overcometh, I will give the hidden manna, and will give him a white counter, and in the counter, a new name written, which no man knoweth, but he that receiveth it” (Apocalypse 2:17).

Matthew 22:1-6

“And Jesus answering, spoke again in parables to them, saying: ‘The kingdom of heaven is likened to a king, who made a marriage for his son. And he sent his servants, to call them that were invited to the marriage; and they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying: ‘Tell them that were invited, ‘Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my beeves and fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come ye to the marriage.’’ But they neglected, and went their ways, one to his farm, and another to his merchandise. And the rest laid hands on his servants, and having treated them contumeliously, put them to death.’”

Knowing the hate that is boiling in the hearts of the religious leaders, Jesus, as an artful swordsman, moves from a disciplinary lesson to a lovely invitation, the invitation to the divine marriage: “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give glory to him; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath prepared herself” (Apocalypse 19:7). The Father created all things as a wedding festival for His Son, with your life being that of the bride, and the wedding feast has begun in baptism: “The king has brought me into his storerooms” (Canticle 1:3). Looking from the broad perspective of humanity, however, the call to love one another has always been ingrained in the heart: “For when the Gentiles, who have not the law, do by nature those things that are of the law; these having not the law are a law to themselves” (Romans 2:14), but He sent Moses, the judges, the righteous kings, and the prophets to invite them into the love of God and neighbor, for love is stapled throughout these writings, if you have the eye to look: “Search the scriptures, for you think in them to have life everlasting; and the same are they that give testimony of me” (John 5:39). Yet, no one heeds the commandments of the Old Testament: “Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law?” (John 7:19), and so Jesus sends His Apostles to preach the commandments of love: “My dearest, if God hath so loved us; we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:11). However, the mysteries of the Old Covenant are only truly opened in light of Christ: “And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne, a book, written within and without, sealed with seven seals… And I saw… a Lamb standing as it were slain… and he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat on the throne. And when he had opened the book… they sung a new canticle, saying: ‘Thou art worthy, O Lord, to take the book, and to open the seals thereof’” (Apocalypse 5:1-9), and therefore the invitation did not seem enticing to those who enjoyed sin or worldly things more than righteousness: “Thou hast love malice more than goodness: and iniquity rather than to speak righteousness” (Psalm 51:5). However, the invitation of the Apostles is to feast on the decadent feast of truth: “Therefore let us feast, not with the old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:8), that in the Scriptures one may find the love they have long desired: “I have loved thee with an everlasting love” (Jeremias 31:3). This understanding of the truth and the wind in the sails comes with love then gives strength of spirit, representative of the oxen, and the sweet pleasures of fatted calves, for to speak timidly and uncertainly is a lean offering, but a heart that is full of love and a mind full of truth is bold and strong: “A wise man is strong: and a knowing man, stout and valiant” (Proverbs 24:5). Or, the fatted calf can be the Gospel strengthened by philosophy: “Stand in the multitude of ancients that are wise, and join thyself from thy heart to their wisdom” (Ecclesiasticus 6:35), which is a glorious feast when intellectual hypertrophy does not inhibit the heart: “We will be glad and rejoice in thee, remembering thy breasts more than wine: the righteous love thee” (Canticle 1:3). When the king then says, “all things are ready,” this means that all that is required for you to fall in love is in the Scriptures, for in them God opens His Heart to you: “Not in bread alone doth man live, but in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God” (Deuteronomy 8:3); “Secret things to the Lord our God: things that are manifest, to us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law” (Deuteronomy 29:29), giving you refreshment when your heart is heavy: “Thou becamest honourable in my eyes, thou art glorious: I have loved thee” (Isaias 43:4), truth where you may be ignorant: “All wisdom is from the Lord God” (Ecclesiasticus 1:1), correction where you have a loose thread: “She hath made for herself clothing of tapestry: fine linen, and purple is her covering” (Proverbs 31:22), and direction to action: “’Which of these three, in thy opinion, was neighbour to him that fell among the robbers?’ But he said: ‘He that shewed mercy to him.’ And Jesus said to him: ‘Go, and do thou in like manner’” (Luke 10:36-37). To go to the marriage, then, is to enter into a covenant of love with God: “But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel, after those days, saith the Lord: I will give my law in their bowels, and I will write it in their heart: and I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (Jeremias 31:33), who desires for you to feast on His love and truth by holy reading and any devotion you desire: “He brought me into the cellar of wine” (Canticle 2:4), but, Theophila, how many like light of the magnificence of this! Rather, work or material things become the focus of one’s life, leaving the Beloved cold and at the wayside of life, rather than being the center point, an entire relationship with the Most High set aside for trivialities that won’t last: “Neither work, nor reason, nor wisdom, nor knowledge shall be in hell, whither thou art hastening” (Ecclesiastes 9:10). Some, however, not just turning aside from this covenant of love, actively oppose it by persecuting those who would bring it to them: “And casting him forth without the city, they stoned him” (Acts 7:57).

Matthew 21:38-44

“’But the husbandmen seeing the son, said among themselves: ‘This is the heir: come let us kill him, and we shall have his inheritance.’ And taking him, they cast him forth out of the vineyard, and killed him. When therefore the lord of the vineyard shall come, what will he do to those husbandmen?’ They say to him: ‘He will bring those evil men to an evil end; and will let out his vineyard to other husbandmen, that shall render him the fruit in due season.’ Jeus saith to them: ‘Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner? By the Lord this has been done; and it is wonderful in our eyes.’ Therefore I say to you, that the kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and shall be given to a nation yielding the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone, shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it shall grind him to powder.’ And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they knew that he spoke of them. And seeking to lay hands on him, they feared the multitudes: because they held him as a prophet.”

In the reverence due the Son: “For he shall go up that shall open the way before them: they shall divide, and pass through the gate, and shall come in by it: and their king shall pass before them, and the Lord at the head of them” (Micheas 2:13), there is a look into what should be given to Jesus, which many did indeed give: “Which when the people knew, they followed him; and he received them, and spoke to them of the kingdom of God, and healed them who had need of healing” (Luke 9:11), but those that led the people of Jerusalem instead sought to snuff Him out: “But one of them, named Caiphas, being the high priest that year, said to them: ‘You know nothing.  Neither do you consider that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not’” (John 11:49-50). It is Jesus that is sent to love you and teach you how to love, and none other: “Is Christ divided? Was Paul then crucified for you? or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” (1 Corinthians 1:13), and you pay Him due homage in trusting Him and loving Him, opening the gates of your Heart that He may dwell there: “Lift up your gates, O ye princes, and be ye lifted up, O eternal gates: and the King of Glory shall enter in” (Psalm 23:7). The religious leaders, then, sought to grasp a heartless yet precise observance of the Law: “But the prophet, who being corrupted with pride, shall speak in my name things that I did not command him to say, or in the name of strange gods, shall be slain” (Deuteronomy 18:20), thus inheriting what they thought to be God’s favor, when in reality their hard, loveless hearts could not be pierced even by the love that God offers through Jesus: “And Pharao's heart was hardened, and he did not hearken to them, as the Lord had commanded” (Exodus 7:13), instead throwing Jesus out of Jerusalem: “And putting both hands upon his head, let him confess all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their offences and sins: and praying that they may light on his head, he shall turn him out by a man ready for it, into the desert” (Leviticus 16:21) and slaying Him: “But if he offer of the flock a victim for his sin, to wit, an ewe without blemish: He shall put his hand upon the head thereof, and shall immolate it in the place where the victims of holocausts are wont to be slain” (Leviticus 4:32-33). Think, Theophila, how many people drag Jesus out of the temple of their hearts and crucify Him by their sins: “For it is impossible for those who were once illuminated, have tasted also the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, have moreover tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, and are fallen away: to be renewed again to penance, crucifying again to themselves the Son of God, and making him a mockery” (Hebrews 6:4-6), and all He wants is a home, to be taken in from the cold rain of rejection so common in the world into the warmth of your heart: “Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is full of dew, and my locks of the drops of the nights” (Canticle 5:2), to be met not with a list of requests but the uninhibited gift of yourself: “I to my beloved, and my beloved to me, who feedeth among the lilies” (Canticle 6:2). When the Father then comes to you or any of His people, how will He react to how they have treated Jesus in their lives; with a push out of their temple so that other things can take priority: “They profess that they know God: but in their works they deny him; being abominable, and incredulous, and to every good work reprobate” (Titus 1:16), or in making Him the true treasure of their hearts, Him being the one thing necessary: “Furthermore I count all things to be but loss for the excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord; for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but as dung, that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8). Thus, by the chief priests and elders chasing Jesus out of Jerusalem and slaughtering Him is prefigured those that chase Jesus out of their hearts, rather than securing His presence within them with sweet reading of the Scriptures and cultivating the fruits of love: “Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field, let us abide in the villages. Let us get up early to the vineyards, let us see if the vineyard flourish, if the flowers be ready to bring forth fruits, if the pomegranates flourish: there will I give thee my breasts” (Canticle 7:11-12). Jesus then reinforces this with a Psalm, showing Himself to be the cornerstone, with the builders rejecting Him: “Some therefore of the Pharisees said: ‘This man is not of God, who keepeth not the sabbath’” (John 9:16). Therefore, the kingdom, the honor of being God’s people and the guardians of the truth within Sacred Scripture was to be taken from them and given to those who would love God through Jesus, properly find love through the Scriptures, and then yield the fruits thereof: “By their fruits you shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, and the evil tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can an evil tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be cut down, and shall be cast into the fire.  Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them” (Matthew 7:16-20). Whoever believes in Jesus, yet continues to sin, finds themselves stumbling over Him and breaking the unity of hearts that is so precious to the Christian life: “Therefore now they are not two, but one flesh” (Matthew 19:6), but to deny Him utterly is to have nothing within that is love: “Every man's work shall be manifest; for the day of the Lord shall declare it, because it shall be revealed in fire; and the fire shall try every man's work, of what sort it is” (1 Corinthians 3:13); “Not so the wicked, not so: but like the dust, which the wind driveth from the face of the earth” (Psalm 1:4). Thus, to do what is worthy of guilt keeps one bent and struggling to walk upright: “I am become miserable, and am bowed down even to the end: I walked sorrowful all the day long” (Psalm 37:7), but even this is to walk, trusting that Jesus will by grace straighten out what cannot look upwards: “And behold there was a woman, who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years: and she was bowed together, neither could she look upwards at all. Whom when Jesus saw, he called her unto him, and said to her: ‘Woman, thou art delivered from thy infirmity.’ And he laid his hands upon her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God” (Luke 13:11-13). However, the religious leaders realize Jesus is calling them dust that will be crushed by the stone, and seek to lay hands on Him. To lay hands on Jesus as a Christian is to throw aside His commandments: “But they provoked thee to wrath, and departed from thee, and threw thy law behind their backs” (2 Esdras 9:26), complain against God and his ways: “And all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness” (Exodus 16:2), or walk in sullenness and sadness: “Have pity on thy own soul, pleasing God, and contain thyself: gather up thy heart in his holiness: and drive away sadness far from thee. For sadness hath killed many, and there is no profit in it. Envy and anger shorten a man's days, and pensiveness will bring old age before the time” (Ecclesiasticus 30:24-26), for these show the lack of love in the heart. Thus, the religious leaders restrain themselves from assailing Jesus for the sake of the crowd, and so too is the one that seeks to assault another in word, yet keeps their tongue due to the ones around them, for this is a lack of love, whereas to pity one who is overrun with passion, or simply acknowledge a difference in temperament is the more gentle way.

Matthew 21:33-37

“’Hear ye another parable. There was a man an householder, who planted a vineyard, and made a hedge round about it, and dug in it a press, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen; and went into a strange country. And when the time of the fruits drew nigh, he sent his servants to the husbandmen that they might receive the fruits thereof. And the husbandmen laying hands on his servants, beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants more than the former; and they did to them in like manner. And last of all he sent to them his son, saying: ‘They will reverence my son.’”

The householder is God, who planted a vineyard that His people may imitate Him in love, for to love and be loved is to imitate God, with life being worth living because of the love within: “No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abideth in us, and his love is perfected in us” (1 John 4:12). He built, in a particular way, the nation of Israel: “Thou hast brought a vineyard out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the Gentiles and planted it” (Psalm 79:9), and guarded it with the law, as a fence within which His children could play, not being slaves to the law, but living beautiful lives within it: “But we know the law is good, if a man use it lawfully” (1 Timothy 1:8). He then gave a winepress of the teaching of the Prophets, from whom came the sweet wine of heavenly mysteries: “For the young man shall dwell with the virgin, and thy children shall dwell in thee. And the bridegroom shall rejoice over the bride, and thy God shall rejoice over thee” (Isaias 62:5), with the tower being the temple: “And thou, O cloudy tower of the flock, of the daughter of Sion, unto thee shall it come: yea the first power shall come, the kingdom to the daughter of Jerusalem” (Micheas 4:8), which was described as a tower because it was where earth ascended to heaven and man encountered God: “And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the sanctuary, that a cloud filled the house of the Lord” (3 Kings 8:10). The husbandmen were then the old covenant priest and Levites, who were not only called to their own goodness, but to present the Lord fruits of their work, that is, people who were deeply inspired by their teaching and sought the way of righteousness: “Many shall praise his wisdom, and it shall never be forgotten” (Ecclesiasticus 39:12). He then “leaves” the vineyard, that is, He doesn’t control His people, but lets them walk in freedom, for lovers do not dominate one another, but live their lives harmoniously. Souls, then, are like vines, which receives the love of God but has no fruit to show at first, before putting forth buds of truth, then finally versed in the art of love, put forth the ripe fruit of true love of neighbor: “In our gates are all fruits: the new and the old, my beloved, I have kept for thee” (Canticle 7:13). When the Lord’s servants the Prophets came to retrieve the fruits of love between God and maiden Israel, they did not only refuse, but turned their indignation on those that came in the name of the Lord, beating Jeremiah, killed Isaiah, and stoned Naboth and Zachariah, as a few examples. But God, only wanting His people to know His merciful love, sent more than the first, before sending Love Itself to show them how to love, like a bird lifting out of the nest to show her little ones how to do the same: “As the eagle enticing her young to fly, and hovering over them, he spread his wings, and hath taken him and carried him on his shoulders” Deuteronomy 32:11). The Son is not sent as a judge to bear sentence: “For God sent not his Son into the world, to judge the world, but that the world may be saved by him” (John 3:17), but as a Lover: “I sleep, and my heart watcheth: the voice of my beloved knocking: ‘Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is full of dew, and my locks of the drops of the nights’” (Canticle 5:2), that by seeing what love truly looks like, they may be enticed and do the same: “’What wilt thou that I do to thee?’ But he said: ‘Lord, that I may see.’ And Jesus said to him: ‘Receive thy sight, thy faith hath made thee whole.’ And immediately he saw, and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God” (Luke 18:41-43).

Matthew 21:28-32

“’But what think you? A certain man had two sons; and coming to the first, he said: ‘Son, go work to day in my vineyard.’ And he answering, said: ‘I will not.’ But afterwards, being moved with repentance, he went. And coming to the other, he said in like manner. And he answering, said: ‘I go, Sir;’ and he went not. Which of the two did the father’s will?’ They say to him: ‘The first.’ Jesus saith to them: ‘Amen I say to you, that the publicans and the harlots shall go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of justice, and you did not believe him. But the publicans and the harlots believed him: but you, seeing it, did not even afterwards repent, that you might believe him.’”

Jesus, still in the exchange with the chief priests and elders, moves into a parable. The man in this parable is God the Father, who made all things and can rightly be called Lord: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord” (Deuteronomy 6:4), yet desires to be loved as a Father rather than feared as an overseer: “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear: but of power, and of love, and of sobriety” (2 Timothy 1:7). The two sons encapsulate all of humanity, and when the Father calls them to work in the vineyard, this is to love in righteousness, which only becomes a full picture when many work in unison, like pieces of a stained glass window being organized in such a way as to make luminous art: “For as the body is one, and hath many members; and all the members of the body, whereas they are many, yet are one body, so also is Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:12). The entirety of the parable looks into the difference between words and deeds, for there are some that make lofty promises and tell God of great plans, only to shrivel up before love’s demands: “Peter saith to him: ‘Why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thee.’ Jesus answered him: ‘Wilt thou lay down thy life for me? Amen, amen, I say to thee, the cock shall not crow, till thou deny me thrice” (John 13:37-38). This is seen in the history of Israel: “All the people answered with one voice: “We will do all the words of the Lord, which he hath spoken,” (Exodus 24:3), only to immediately fall into idolatry: “And the people seeing that Moses delayed to come down from the mount, gathering together against Aaron, said: ‘Arise, make us gods, that may go before us: for as to this Moses, the man that brought us out of the land of Egypt, we know not what has befallen him’” (Exodus 32:1). On the other hand, to love by action, to show that the other is a gift, this is the commandment: “My little children, let us not love in word, nor in tongue, but in deed, and in truth” (1 John 4:18). Learn the love languages, Theophila, and reach for expressing them all to those you meet, that no one may leave your presence without glowing with joy: “the path of the just, as a shining light, goeth forwards and increaseth even to perfect day” (Proverbs 4:18). While publicans and prostitutes, who can represent sinful men and women, repented and entered into treating others with justice and care at the preaching of John the Baptist: “And the publicans also came to be baptized, and said to him: ‘Master, what shall we do?’ But he said to them: ‘Do nothing more than that which is appointed you’” (Luke 3:13), the religious leaders, who spoke much on the commandments of God and practiced the Law, did not fulfill the commandment that animates the commandments of God and gives them meaning: “He that loveth his neighbour, hath fulfilled the law” (Romans 13:8), thus does Jesus reprimand them: “Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you are like to whited sepulchres, which outwardly appear to men beautiful, but within are full of dead men’s bones, and of all filthiness” (Matthew 23:27). To profess the service of God and refuse to love is to refuse the will of the Father, whereas the call to love is constant: “Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2), and where love is, there God is: “Dearly beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God. And every one that loveth, is born of God, and knoweth God” (1 John 4:7).

Matthew 21:23-27

“And when he was come into the temple, there came to him, as he was teaching, the chief priests and ancients of the people, saying: ‘By what authority doest thou these things? And who hath given thee this authority?’ Jesus answering, said to them: ‘I also will ask you one word, which if you shall tell me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? From heaven or from men?’ But they thought within themselves, saying: ‘If we shall say, from heaven, he will say to us: ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we shall say, from men, we are afraid of the multitude: for all held John as a prophet.’ And answering Jesus, they said: ‘We know not.’ He also said to them: ‘Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.’”

The priests, writhing in jealousy, then come to Jesus to question His authority. He had not come from a priestly family: “For the Lord thy God hath chosen [the Levites] of all thy tribes, to stand and to minister to the name of the Lord, him and his sons for ever” (Deuteronomy 18:5); He was not a trained rabbi: “And the Jews wondered, saying: ‘How doth this man know letters, having never learned?’” (John 7:15), and was not appointed by Rome: “If we let him alone so, all will believe in him; and the Romans will come, and take away our place and nation” (John 11:48). But, since “power is given you by the Lord, and strength by the most High,” (Wisdom 6:4), they assumed that His authority was given to Him, rather than He being the Son of God acting from a sheer abundance of love. It becomes obvious, then, that they were putting Him in a box, thinking that He did great works by the authority of the devil: “This man casteth not out devils but by the Beelzebub the prince of the devils” (Matthew 12:24). Rather than giving a simple answer, Jesus puts forward a question by which the Pharisees cannot but condemn themselves, because if He had told them, they would have simply tossed it aside and brought forward more interrogations: “Having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their hearts” (Ephesians 4:18). To the one that enquires out of curiosity or desire for one’s love and joy, give the pearl of great price, but to the one that seeks to jab, a stroke of reason can be well-placed, but St. Paul also mentions: “Avoid foolish and unlearned questions, knowing that they beget strifes. But the servant of the Lord must not wrangle: but be mild towards all men, apt to teach, patient, with modesty admonishing them that resist the truth” (2 Timothy 2:23-25), realizing that to win an argument is rarely to win a soul, for though love and truth are the two spiritual necessities of man, truth without love is cold, like trying to imprint a seal on solid wax rather than warming it first: “You have clothed yourselves, but have not been warmed” (Aggeus 1:6). Jesus then asks if John the Baptist’s baptism was a gift from heaven or something he had taken upon himself or was instructed to do by others, with the truth being that the authority of John was given by Jesus: “I indeed baptize you in water unto penance, but he that shall come after me, is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear; he shall baptize you in the Holy Ghost and fire” (Matthew 3:11). If the baptism of John was spoken to him by God: “He who sent me to baptize with water, said to me: ‘He upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining upon him, he it is that baptizeth with the Holy Ghost’” (John 1:33), then it could be asked why the chief priests and Pharisees did not receive it, but to answer that it had nothing divine, but merely an exercise of a man done by a man would upset the people, for they had received John’s baptism, holding him to be a prophet: “And there went out to him all the country of Judea, and all they of Jerusalem, and were baptized by him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins” (Mark 1:5). Now, this artful use of questioning by Jesus shows the beauty of reason, for faith and reason are not enemies, but reason is the handmaid of faith, with beautiful philosophy giving another dimension to the truths of God, for when faith guides philosophy, the great towers of metaphysics, understanding of the soul and its goods, the nature of love, and other such aids to Catholic understanding can be built: “And Ozias built towers in Jerusalem over the gate of the corner, and over the gate of the valley, and the rest, in the same side of the wall, and fortified them” (2 Paralipomenon 26:9). However, these are best sought not for the sake of learning: “And I said in my heart: if the death of the fool and mine shall be one, what doth it avail me, that I have applied myself more to the study of wisdom? And speaking with my own mind, I perceived that this also was vanity” (Ecclesiastes 2:15), but to know your Beloved, yourself, your neighbor, and the world in truth, that all may be loved with reverence and joy: “My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and wilt hide my commandments with thee, that thy ear may hearken to wisdom: incline thy heart to know prudence” (Proverbs 2:1-2). The chief priests and elders then lie to Truth Itself, saying that they do not know: “For thy soul be not ashamed to say the truth” (Ecclesiasticus 4:24), and Truth, knowing that in their hearts they knew the truth but would not say, replies that He also would not share the gift of truth: “A good understanding will hide his words for a time, and the lips of many shall declare his wisdom” (Ecclesiasticus 1:30). In this is an insight that truth is a gift, and to give to the one that will slap it out of your hands or discard it is to give unwisely: “If thou do good, know to whom thou dost it, and there shall be much thanks for thy good deeds… Do good to the humble, and give not to the ungodly: hold back thy bread, and give it not to him, lest thereby he overmaster thee” (Ecclesiasticus 12:1-6), whereas to give the knowledge of God to the one that desires it is, in a sense, to deal bread to the hungry: “For I was hungry, and you gave me to eat” (Matthew 25:35), and is an act of love.

Matthew 21:17-22

“And leaving them, he went out of the city into Bethania, and remained there. And in the morning, returning into the city, he was hungry. And seeing a certain fig tree by the way side, he came to it, and found nothing on it but leaves only, and he saith to it: ‘May no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever.’ And immediately the fig tree withered away. And the disciples seeing it wondered, saying: “How is it presently withered away?’ And Jesus answering, said to them: ‘Amen, I say to you, if you shall have faith, and stagger not, not only this of the fig tree shall you do, but also if you shall say to this mountain, ‘Take up and cast thyself into the sea, it shall be done. And all things whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.’”

To rebuke the one that is obstinate against the faith and belligerent in words is better left alone than fought: “He that teacheth a scorner, doth an injury to himself: and that rebuketh a wicked man, getteth himself a blot” (Proverbs 9:7). To reprove is to stimulate into debate, which is a fruitless exercise: “Give not that which is holy to dogs… lest perhaps they trample them under their feet, and turning upon you, they tear you” (Matthew 7:6), and so Jesus goes from the Pharisees into Bethany. The reason He goes into Bethany is His poverty, not finding a welcoming home and not being able to afford an inn in Jerusalem, He goes to the home of Lazarus and his sisters: “Jesus therefore, six days before the pasch, came to Bethania, where Lazarus had been dead, whom Jesus raised to life” (John 12:1). While the Pharisees were engaged in sumptuous, expensive banquets to prepare for the feast, Jesus goes where love is: “It is better to be invited to herbs with love, than to a fatted calf with hatred” (Proverbs 15:17), before returning to the city the next morning. Jesus then goes to a fig tree, and, because His every act was love and He would never bring even the slightest discomfort on another, yet He wanted to demonstrate a lesson in punishment, He goes to a plant to teach His followers. Consider, Theophila, how many more are the acts of love in the Gospels than the lessons in punishment, for a union of hearts and the gift of self to the Beloved can only take place in a place of security and beauty: “Our bed is flourishing. The beams of our houses are of cedar, our rafters of cypress trees” (Canticle 1:15-16), which is not attained through focusing on being punished: “Fear is not in love: but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath pain. And he that feareth, is not perfected in love” (1 John 4:18). This lesson was to show that those who practiced external piety yet had no fruits of love, such as the Pharisees, scribes, and chief priests, would wither away as dead limbs: “If any one abide not in me, he shall be cast forth as a branch, and shall wither, and they shall gather him up, and cast him into the fire, and he burneth” (John 15:6), while the lover of God bears fruit naturally, giving God to whomever they wish: “The fig tree hath put forth her green figs” (Canticle 2:13). Now, the virtue of charity encompasses God, self, neighbor, and your body, all of which you are commanded to love, and so a fig tree, while a beautiful piece of God’s creation, falls outside of this virtue, and so it is with animals, plants, and material things. While man is called to be a good, caring steward of creation, living harmoniously with what is created: “And the Lord God took man, and put him into the paradise of pleasure, to dress it, and to keep it” (Genesis 2:15), one does not build a love story upon them: “And Adam called all the beasts by their names, and all the fowls of the air, and all the cattle of the field: but for Adam there was not found a helper like himself” (Genesis 2:20). He then gives a greater lesson, one of confidence, faith, and the power of prayer. To pray for what is heavenly and spiritual for the sake of your love story or that of others, that is prayer that is answered. Rabanus gives three reasons why prayer would not be answered, first that it would be harmful for one’s salvation, for even what is good may be harmful to you, like a medicine being given to someone for an incorrect sickness: “Every one hath his proper gift from God; one after this manner, and another after that” (1 Corinthians 7:7); second, that the one for whom you pray, by their obstinacy, cannot receive the gift God wishes to give them; third, that your desire may be enkindled, and draw you into reaching for what is truly important and making yourself worthy of it: “Arise, take up thy bed, and walk” (John 5:8). In the mystical sense of the text, the hunger Jesus most feels is for your love: “Behold he standeth behind our wall, looking through the windows, looking through the lattices” (Canticle 2:9), for a heart plump with affection, holding the souls of the faithful within like so many seeds: “I give thanks to my God in every remembrance of you, always in all my prayers making supplication for you all, with joy” (Philippians 1:3-4), this is what the Lord most seeks from you. Pursuing God without truth, good works without love, these are also types of the fig tree, but for your sake, can your Savior and Spouse come into your soul and find His refreshment, Theophila? “I am come into my garden, O my sister, my spouse, I have gathered my myrrh, with my aromatical spices: I have eaten the honeycomb with my honey, I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends, and drink, and be inebriated, my dearly beloved” (Canticle 5:1). If your soul is His workplace rather than His home, ah, this is when deep faith becomes necessary, for many are the mountains, weeds, and thorn bushes in a soul that is called out of darkness. The mountains represent pride, and long is the winding journey of trying to scale it with learning humility, but to cry out to Jesus that you need His love in order to love, He will move mountains to give you this gift: “When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a barbarous people… The mountains skipped like rams, and the hills like the lambs of the flock” (Psalm 113:1-4. Even in His Church, He hungers for a lover’s heart, one that will open like a flower in the sun before His Sacred Heart: “The vines in flower yield their sweet smell” (Canticle 2:13), that the two may become one, that you and Him may both eat of the best fruits: “Charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, longanimity, mildness, faith, modesty, continency, chastity” (Galatians 5:22-23) together, for all things are better when shared: “And all they that believed, were together, and had all things common” (Acts 2:44). Thus, Theophila, you are called to be “As a lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters” (Canticle 2:2), by opening the door of your heart to the love of Jesus: “Behold, I stand at the gate, and knock. If any man shall hear my voice, and open to me the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Apocalypse 3:20).

Matthew 21:10-16

“And when he was come into Jerusalem, the whole city was moved, saying: ‘Who is this?’ And the people said: ‘This is Jesus the prophet, from Nazareth of Galilee.’ And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the chairs of them that sold doves: and he saith to them: ‘It is written, ‘My house shall be called the house of prayer; but you have made it a den of thieves.’’ And there came to him the blind and the lame in the temple; and he healed them. And the chief priests and scribes, seeing the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying: ‘Hosanna to the son of David;’ they were moved with indignation, and said to him: ‘Hearest thou what these say?’ And Jesus said to them: “Yea, have you never read: ‘Out of the mouth of infants and of sucklings thou hast perfected praise?’’”

The whole of Jerusalem wonders at the magnificent entry of the King, and asks the multitude who it is that draws such wondrous praise: “I will extol thee, O God my king: and I will bless thy name for ever; yea, for ever and ever” (Psalm 144:1), and the people reply as best they can, that a great prophet had entered Jerusalem: “Touch ye not my anointed: and do no evil to my prophets” (Psalm 104:15). While this is not wrong, it is not the fullness of the truth of Jesus, a rung on the ladder of truth from thinking Him simply a man to the truth that He is God: “And he saw in his sleep a ladder standing upon the earth, and the top thereof touching heaven” (Genesis 28:12). To know Him as a man eventually opens the insight that He is Love Incarnate, not doing anything that is contrary to perfect love: “As the Father hath loved me, I also have loved you. Abide in my love” (John 15:9), and is thus the prophet foretold by Moses: “The Lord thy God will raise up to thee a prophet of thy nation and of thy brethren like unto me: him thou shalt hear” (Deuteronomy 18:15). The first thing He does is go to His Father’s house, setting a beautiful example to always seek the nearest church when you go to a city, that you never may be far from the Mass: “Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you” (John 6:54), but rather always near to your Beloved, for lovers, when far from each other, desire only to be reunited with the object of their love. Jesus then goes to the heart of the sickness in Jerusalem, which is the abuse of the temple, for when the Church is shining and radiant, people flock to her, but when her priests are unsound and her people lax and crooked, it hampers the faith of others and the mission of love on earth: “Upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen all the day, and all the night, they shall never hold their peace. You that are mindful of the Lord, hold not your peace. And give him no silence till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth” (Isaias 62:6-7). However, when priests are filled with love and sharpened with wisdom, when virgins and religious are singing in their hearts with nothing of the world crossing their hearts, when the laity works in harmony and love with their families and each other, this is the myrrh of love that purifies the heart of the world: “A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me, he shall abide between my breasts” (Canticle 1:12). What the Lord then found in the temple stirred Him to a righteous anger, for though sacrifices were necessary, inflated rates of sale made it profitable for those in the temple, who thought that by serving God and wronging others, they were living according to His ways: “Trust not in lying words, saying: ‘The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, it is the temple of the Lord… Behold you put your trust in lying words, which shall not profit you: to steal, to murder, to commit adultery, to swear falsely, to offer to Baalim, and to go after strange gods, which you know not. And you have come and stood before me in this house, in which my name is called upon, and have said: We are delivered, because we have done all these abominations” (Jeremias 7:4-10). The temple leaders were called to lead the people in devotion and in deepening their love, making the temple a joyful place of encountering God: “I rejoiced at the things that were said to me: We shall go into the house of the Lord. Our feet were standing in thy courts, O Jerusalem” (Psalm 121:1-2), rather than a place for spending much money for sacrifices: “For if thou hadst desired sacrifice, I would indeed have given it: with burnt offerings thou wilt not be delighted” (Psalm 50:18). Jesus, justifiably outraged, drives out all that is taking place, the fire in His eyes showing His perfect justice as He overturned tables, for what was taking place kept the people far from God’s tender love, a travesty in His eyes: “But he that shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matthew 18:6). While the temple denotes in one sense the Church, in another sense it represents your heart; which is called to be a garden in which your Beloved is pleased to walk: “My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the bed of aromatical spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies” (Canticle 6:1), with love driving out all that is contrary, and this is sometimes with a cord: “He that spareth the rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him correcteth him betimes” (Proverbs 13:24). It also shows the zeal with which you should purify your temple, that if something about you is hindering your love of God and neighbor, to throw tables before letting it ruin the image of Christ in you: “And if thy right hand scandalize thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is expedient for thee that one of thy members should perish, rather than that thy whole body go into hell” (Matthew 5:30). There should be no coin in your house, no treasure that is not the true treasure, which is love: “Again the kingdom of heaven is like to a merchant seeking good pearls. Who when he had found one pearl of great price, went his way, and sold all that he had, and bought it” (Matthew 13:46). While those in the temple charged money for doves that would die, Jesus gives you, freely, the Holy Spirit of His love freely and eagerly, as if it hurt to keep it to Himself. Now, with after driving out the hindrances, an example to drive with the rod of correction all that is temporal, Jesus can show truly what God is like, welcoming with love, compassion, and affection all that were sick: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me: he hath sent me to preach to the meek, to heal the contrite of heart, and to preach a release to the captives, and deliverance to them that are shut up” (Isaias 61:1). Bring to Him, Theophila, all that is blind, all that is weak, let Him lay hands on the places in your heart that do not sing, let him give you “the oil of joy for mourning, a garment of praise for the spirit of grief: and they shall be called in it the mighty ones of justice, the planting of the Lord to glorify him” (Isaias 61:3). The chief priests are then indignant at his miracles and the praises of the people, not rejoicing in the King, but like clay in the light of the sun only grows hard and brittle, their hearts tighten against His goodness. In Jesus’ response, there is a look into the heart, for babies cannot help but react in the ways that they do, they cry out as an inevitability, and so is the heart in love; to be asked to stop considering the beloved and rejoicing with all of one’s being in the same beloved is a ridiculous request. It is a suppression of oneself to try to repress love: “Extinguish not the spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:19), and so the people only do what is natural and burst out in songs of praise.

Matthew 21:1-9

“And when they drew nigh to Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto mount Olivet, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them: ‘Go ye into the village that is over against you, and immediately you shall find an ass tied, and colt with her: loose them and bring them to me. And if any man shall say anything to you, say ye, that the Lord hath need of them: and forthwith he will let them go.’ Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: ‘Tell ye the daughter of Sion: Behold thy king cometh to thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of her that is used to the yoke.’ And the disciples going, did as Jesus commanded them. And they brought the ass and the colt, and laid their garments upon them, and made him sit thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way: and others cut boughs from trees, and strewed them in the way: and the multitudes that went before and that followed, cried, saying: ‘Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.’”

Bethphage was a small village of priests, and upon arriving, Jesus sends two disciples to retrieve a donkey and a colt, saying that the Lord, not “our Lord,” but “the Lord,” for He is King of all: “For God is the king of all the earth: sing ye wisely” (Psalm 46:8). Within is a small lesson, that these who did not know Christ yielded their animals, and so to you, Theophila, it is commanded: “Give to every one that asketh thee” (Luke 6:30), because “As long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40), and so if someone has need of one of your goods, the Lord has need of it. It is said of St. Francis that, when he saw someone that was poorer than himself, he would give to the person what they lacked, saying that he had merely been holding on to what was theirs, essentially keeping their coat warm for them. Jesus only used the beasts for a brief time, it being understood that he returned them, and herein is another lesson: Let the things of this world be merely things of use: “They that use this world, as if they used it not: for the fashion of this world passeth away” (1 Corinthians 7:31), and to let love and truth be what you enjoy: “Delight in the Lord, and he will give thee the requests of thy heart” (Psalm 36:4); “The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and of my cup” (Psalm 15:5). Many times throughout the public ministry of Jesus, the people, scribes, and Pharisees asked for a sign: “Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying ‘Master we would see a sign from thee’” (Matthew 12:38), and here they are given one: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Sion, shout for joy, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold thy king will come to thee, the just and saviour: he is poor, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass” (Zacharias 9:9), that they may know their King and rejoice in Him. When the prophecy refers to the daughter of Sion, this refers to Jerusalem, the Church, and your heart; all three are instructed to behold with the eye of your understanding your King who comes to you, meek, not to be feared for His power: “And I saw: and behold in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the ancients, a Lamb standing as it were slain, having seven horns and seven eyes: which are the seven Spirits of God” (Apocalypse 5:6) , but welcomed tenderly as a lover “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather together the lambs with his arm, and shall take them up in his bosom, and he himself shall carry them that are with young” (Isaias 40:11). He comes on a quiet creature, which the disciples eagerly go and retrieve, and then the people then throw their garments and tree branches before this little train, that the donkey may not step on something that will inconvenience it, or fall away, and so too is it the Christian way to lighten the burdens of those around you: “For you remember, brethren, our labour and toil: working night and day, lest we should be chargeable to any of you, we preached among you the gospel of God” (1 Thessalonians 2:9), to make their walk less painful and risky, even if it means the clothes off your back. The word “Hosanna,” according to St. Jerome, can be closely interpreted as “I pray thee, O Lord, save, I pray thee,” it is the cry of the people asking for a glorious savior: “Make us a king, to judge us” (1 Kings 8:5); “And afterwards they cried to the Lord, who raised them up a saviour” (Judges 3:15). The people also sing “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,” which is like an ambassador coming in the name of a king, to be the mouth of the king when he cannot be physically present: “I am come in the name of my Father, and you receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him you will receive” (John 5:43). Jesus, then, comes, co-equal with the Father, in the Father’s name, to show His people what love truly is and how to love well: “God is love: and he that abideth in love, abideth in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:16). Or, blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord can point to the coming of a King in His humanity, but by saying, “Hosanna in the highest,” it was an indication that He would restore the magnificence of the worship of God, just as David was a mighty king and a liturgical leader: “And when he had made an end of offering holocausts and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts” (2 Kings 6:18); “Moreover David and the chief officers of the army separated for the ministry the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Idithun: to prophesy with harps, and with psalteries, and with cymbals according to their number serving in their appointed office” (1 Paralipomenon 25:1). Now, it is of note that, to this point, the Lord had not ridden animals or surrounded Himself with décor, letting the gift of Himself be enough, with the adornments of spiritual beauty being His glory, but now on this day of rejoicing and celebration, the people have opportunity to rejoice in Him. Mystically, Jesus leaves the Jericho of the world with the treasures of His people, that He may bring them to their heavenly rest: “There remaineth therefore a day of rest for the people of God” (Hebrews 4:9). He sends His preachers out, the number two indicating those that love God and neighbor, understand the Old and New Testaments, are versed in letter and inflamed with love, are wise and practice what they preach, and men fashioned in this way were sent in the early Church to the Jews and Gentiles, which is what is indicated by the donkey and the colt, respectively. It shows the refinement needed for one that would confer the sacraments, or to rise to great heights of wisdom, that love requires much tailoring, as an artist needs much planning, technique, and vision to make a masterpiece: “How beautiful are thy steps in shoes, O prince’s daughter! The joints of thy thighs,” which indicate one’s walk of life, “are like jewels, that are made by the hand of a skilful workman” (Canticle 7:1). Now, in riding a donkey, which is one of the dimmest of creatures, Jesus shows the depths to which humanity falls without Him, that unclean with gross desires, not grasping truth, ignoring the voice of God, ignoble, exchanging heavenly goods for base pleasures, and is tied, which means that they are not free to do what is truly good without the aid of grace: “It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy” (Romans 9:16). Unless Jesus sends forth His people to set the captives free by teaching and works of love, and bring them to Him, they will remain tied to the post of error and sin. However, great is the dignity of the one that transports the Lord into His Church through His presence in their souls: “I will take hold thee, and bring thee into my mother’s house” (Canticle 8:2), and He is always calling great saints to be loosed from their old ways into His service, for He does not see what they are, but what they can become, if love drives them, thus “the Lord has need of them.” The clothes that are placed on the donkey is Catholic dogma, for these come from the teaching of the Apostles, and with it a proper knowledge of Sacred Scripture, for without these, if Jesus were to climb onto their soul, it would be uncomfortable and harsh, whereas the Catholic understanding makes for a sweet, pleasant trip through life to the heavenly Jerusalem, even through life’s hardships, for love sweetens all things: “A cluster of cypress my love is to me, in the vineyards of Engaddi” (Canticle 1:13). Those that then put their garments on the way are those that remove from themselves all that is fleeting, so that, naked before God, they must focus entirely on their spiritual wellbeing, realizing that their souls are bare before Him, but when this is a comfort rather than uncomfortable, then there is harmony with God: “And they were both naked: to wit, Adam and his wife: and were not ashamed” (Genesis 2:25).To take down branches and put them before the Lord is to take the great sayings of the saints, the beautiful things from the trees of others, and use them for one’s own celebration of the divine love story: “The wise man will seek out the wisdom of all the ancients, and will be occupied in the prophets. He will keep the sayings of renowned men, and will enter withal into the subtilties of parables” (Ecclesiasticus 38:1-2). Thus, go out before Jesus naked in spirit and rejoicing much, for this is a holy offering to the Lord: “’How glorious was the king of Israel to day, uncovering himself before the handmaids of his servants, and was naked, as if one of the buffoons should be naked.’ And David said to Michol: ‘…I will both play and make myself meaner than I have done: and I will be little in my own eyes: and with the handmaids of whom thou speakest, I shall appear more glorious’” (2 Kings 6:20-22).

Matthew 20:29-34

“And when they went out from Jericho, a great multitude followed him. And behold two blind men sitting by the way side, heard that Jesus passed by, and they cried out, saying: ‘O Lord, thou son of David, have mercy on us.’ And the multitude rebuked them that they should hold their peace. But they cried out the more, saying: ‘O Lord, thou son of David, have mercy on us.’ And Jesus stood, and called them, and said: ‘What will ye that I do to you?’ They say to him: ‘Lord, that our eyes be opened.’ And Jesus having compassion on them, touched their eyes. And immediately they saw, and followed him.”

Jesus goes out from Jericho like a skilled farmer working on fertile land, taking with Him a great number of spiritual fruits, that is, the hearts of those captured by His love and wisdom: “The harvest indeed is great, but the labourers are few” (Matthew 9:37). The two blind men cry out with a Messianic title for Jesus, the eyes of their spirit being open to the truth, but the eyes of their body closed to His face. The multitude, in the throes of young love, are wrapped up in Jesus but either do not understand His mission: “And now I beseech the, lady, not as writing a new commandment to thee, but that which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another” (2 John 1:5) or do not understand that He is the Messiah and God; “Behold a greater than Solomon here” (Matthew 12:42), instead thinking Him only to be a great teacher. Now a lover, when kept from his beloved by some obstacle, grows into a greater man, overcoming great trials in order to reach the object of his love, and this is seen here: where the multitude, not wanting to share their Beloved, prohibit, the blind men show their desire all the more: “Ye that fear the Lord, wait for his mercy: and go not aside from him, lest ye fall” (Ecclesiasticus 2:7). The Lord does not arbitrarily allow trials or such repulsion, but does it to draw the best out of His people, that rather than accepting defeat and going away sad: “And when the young man had heard this word, he went away sad: for he had great possessions” (Matthew 19:22), you may fight all the harder, letting love make you strong rather than complacent: “Love is strong as death, jealousy as hard as hell, the lamps thereof are fire and flames” (Canticle 8:6). Jesus stands still at this earnestness, not wanting any thirsty soul to be turned away, but letting any and all come to the fountain of His merciful love: “And he that thirsteth, let him come: and he that will, let him take the water of life, freely” (Apocalypse 22:17). He then looks to make a display of their faith, that many who followed Him as a teacher may know Him to be so much more: “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). When they ask to see, Jesus touches them from an abundance of love, and they are granted sight, and so too when you struggle with seeing the deeper insights into the Scriptures should you turn first to the Doctors and Fathers of the Church: “’Thinkest thou that thou understandest what thou readest?’ Who said: ‘And how can I, unless some man shew me?’” (Acts 8:31), and pray that they may be clear to you, that they may enlighten your mind and your heart to truth and your heart may sing with love: “So Mary the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand: all the women went forth after her with timbrels and with dances: and she began the song to them, saying: ‘Let us sing to the Lord, for he is gloriously magnified, the horse and his rider he hath thrown into the sea’” (Exodus 15:20-21). They then follow Him, rendering Him their whole lives, for to follow Jesus isn’t necessarily in staying close to Him as much as in the spiritual beauty of one’s life and the love they give to the world: “Be ye followers of me, brethren, and observe them who walk so as you have our model” (Philippians 3:17). Now, there are many spiritual meanings in this passage to be unpacked. First is that the blind men, representing those in the world that do not know the truth, realize Jesus is passing by the great number of disciples that are going by, and while Christ can work on His own: “And it came to pass, as I was going, and drawing nigh to Damascus at midday, that suddenly from heaven there shone round about me a great light, and falling on the ground, I heard a voice saying to me: ‘Saul, Saul, why persecutes thou me?’ And I answered: ‘Who art thou, Lord?’ And he said to me: ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest’” (Acts 22:6-8), the bond of love that fills the Church and the knowledge of truth that wraps her are a great testament to His presence within the multitude of His people: “But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or an unlearned person, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all. The secrets of his heart are made manifest; and so, falling down on his face, he will adore God, affirming that God is among you indeed” (1 Corinthians 14:24-25). They can also represent your heart and mind crying out to know God, not solely to know about Him, but to know Him: “I never knew you, depart from me, you that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:23), and when Jesus passes by, everything in you stirs towards the true object of your heart’s desire, and to cry out after Him is to persevere in prayer, for like a sword that needs constant reshaping and hammering to be made sharp and wieldy, so too does prayer need much time and effort to pierce deep into the heart of the Beloved: “Thou hast wounded my heart, my sister, my spouse” (Canticle 4:9). So too should you ignore the advice of worldly men who hinder your spirit: “They are of the world: therefore of the world they speak, and the world heareth them” (1 John 4:5), instead letting your love burst into a constant reaching out to God: “Therefore if you be risen with Christ, seek the things that are above; where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Mind the things that are above, not the things that are upon the earth” (Colossians 3:1-2). Many are the saints, Theophila, who were put away by other Catholics, thinking them to be mad or strange, when in reality this is one burning with love brighter than what the others were capable of seeing: “But others mocking, said: ‘These men are full of new wine’” (Acts 2:13). It is a great affliction to the soul of the lover of God to hear from cold Christians to calm down and live a secular life, for those that are supposed to kindle the fire: “If two lie together, they shall warm one another: how shall one alone be warmed?” (Ecclesiastes 4:11) instead throw water upon it. Next, what is eternal, such as the truth of God, the nature of reality, the true forms of matters such as justice and love, all of these are unchanging truths, represented by Jesus standing still, and can be touched by the unveiling of God in the incarnation: “If I have spoken to you earthly things, and you believe not; how will you believe, if I shall speak to you heavenly things?” (John 3:12). Finally, there can be a meaning that Jesus walks in the Scriptures, and if you do not understand them, cry out for understanding and reach for explanations, not accepting to be kept outside the mystery, for the Bible is a love letter to you, and when you understand the love therein, often helped by the writings of those that have come before, the blindness of ignorance is dispelled and the light of truth enters your mind: “He that doth truth, cometh to the light, that his works may be made manifest, because they are done in God” (John 3:21). From reading the Bible, you can know how to follow Him as you are supposed to follow Him, enlightened by truth and set aflame by love.

Matthew 20:24-28

“And the ten hearing it, were moved with indignation against the two brethren. But Jesus called them to him, and said: ‘You know that the princes of the Gentiles lord it over them; and they that are the greater, exercise power upon them. It shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be the greater among you, let him be your minister: and he that will be first among you, shall be your servant. Even as the Son of man is not come to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a redemption for many.’”

A mother’s zeal is one matter, but when the Lord rebuked the two, the others realized that Saints John and James had this great ambition to be separated from the flock. They had received an extraordinary honor in beholding the Transfiguration: “And after six days Jesus taketh unto him Peter and James, and John his brother… and he was transfigured before them” (Matthew 17:1-2), and sought to be even higher, completely above all, which is not the stairway to the Heart of God. This stairway is the love of others, for there is one commandment: “These things I command you, that you love one another” (John 15:17), and there is no greater art than the art of love: “If any man say, ‘I love God,’ and hateth his brother; he is a liar. For he that loveth not his brother, whom he seeth, how can he love God, whom he seeth not?” (1 John 4:20). Jesus, in His gentle love, does not push down the two for their ambition, nor rebukes the ten for their indignation, but immediately dissuades the tension: “If thou blow the spark, it shall burn as a fire: and if thou spit upon it, it shall be quenched: both come out of the mouth” (Ecclesiasticus 28:14), and gathers the twelve together to teach them a lesson on the loftiness of their calling. To the one whom more is given, be it in gifts, knowledge, or height of vocation, more is expected, a greater love and purity is asked of the one that is given any of these: “Be ye not many masters, my brethren, knowing that you receive the greater judgment” (James 3:1), and the Lord sets out what a seat on His throne looks like. Pagan rulers desire preeminence, but the lover of God, in truth, should seek only to love God and make Him loved: “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatsoever else you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). To desire a great work to be done for this end is magnificent: “Whatsoever thy hand is able to do, do it earnestly” (Ecclesiastes 9:10), but to desire honor and station steps outside of love and looks towards one’s self: “Let nothing be done through contention, neither by vain glory: but in humility, let each esteem others better than themselves: each one not considering the things that are his own, but those that are other men’s” (Philippians 2:3-4). The office of apostle, prophet, pope, priest, virgin, widow, husband, or wife does not make one righteous, but rather in the loving fulfilment of that office: “For power is given you by the Lord, and strength by the most High, who will examine your works, and search out your thoughts: because being ministers of his kingdom, you have not judged rightly, nor kept the law of justice, nor walked according to the will of God” (Wisdom 6:4-5). Here is shown that love is not merely in good will, but in a cultivated art, something that shows itself in deeds done with effort. Thus, seek the happy life, the beautiful life, the life of love, Theophila, not minding lowness of station, for many are the maids and servants that came to great sanctity, for primacy in Christ is not in power but in the fires of love: “From his loins and upward, and from his loins downward, I saw as it were the resemblance of fire shining round about” (Ezechiel 1:27). The Apostles, at this time, had been with Him for years, and had seen Him ceaselessly serve, joyfully and lovingly putting Himself at the service of others, and to imitate Christ is to do the same: “He that saith he abideth in him, ought himself also to walk, even as he walked” (1 John 2:6). What’s more, Jesus gave His life as a ransom for many, that by His life, death, and resurrection, many may be freed from slavery to sin, but St. Paul then says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercy of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy pleasing unto God, your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1). It is a call, Theophila, to give your life for the salvation of others, to do all things for love’s sake, making your Spouse loved and tending to your spiritual children, be this through ministry, prayer, or fellowship, adapting yourself to all, being approachable by all, bringing a towel and a wash basin into your every encounter. No matter how low you are brought, how little you become, Jesus went lower, and humbled Himself more: “I am Alpha” in glory “and Omega” (Apocalypse 1:8) in servitude. Therefore, seek the lowest place, to give up all for the sake of loving the one before you,

Matthew 20:20-23

“Then came to him the mother of the sons of Zebedee with her sons, adoring and asking something of him. Who said to her: ‘What wilt thou?’ She saith to him: ‘Say that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left, in thy kingdom.’ And Jesus answering, said: ‘You know not what you ask. Can you drink the chalice that I shall drink?’ They say to him: ‘We can.’ He saith to them: ‘My chalice indeed you shall drink; but to sit on my right hand or left hand, is not mine to give to you, but to them for whom it is prepared by my Father.’”

The followers of Jesus, still not understanding what His reign entails, leap at the opportunity for position in what they thought would be His reign, an earthly kingship after the resurrection: “His empire shall be multiplied, and there shall be no end of peace: he shall sit upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom; to establish it and strengthen it with judgment and with justice, from henceforth and for ever: the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this” (Isaias 9:7). St. Salome’s love for her sons made her bold, as love does, and she goes to Jesus with a bold request. The disciples had a preeminent position, and had been told that they would reign on thrones: “When the Son of man shall sit on the seat of his majesty, you also shall sit on twelve seats judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19:28), with these two and St. Peter being the inmost circle of Jesus’ followers. Thinking His kingdom was dawning due to their approach to Jerusalem: “The law shall go forth out of Sion, and the word of the Lord out of Jerusalem” (Micheas 4:2), the brothers and their mother, not wanting St. Peter to surpass them, attempt to usurp the closest position to Him possible. His Kingship was still not understood: “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36), but is rather shown forth in a destruction of sin, that no stain of evil may enter into His presence: “Let us draw near with a true heart in fulness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with clean water” (Hebrews 10:22). To sit at His right hand, in one aspect, is to come with a lover’s heart and a mind refined by truth, which is by far the better, and to sit on His left is to do what is ordinary in great justice, but in either path the stones of sin must be removed: “Go through, go through the gates, prepare the way for the people, make the road plain, pick out the stones, and lift up the standard to the people” (Isaias 62:10). Now, to be a great saint is a highly commendable desire, but to do it at the expense of fraternal harmony is imperfect. Jesus, however, knows that this request came from a place of love, and so He tells them that they don’t realize what they are asking for. One way of thinking of this is that the Lord had called them both to His right hand, loving His twelve as a mother loves her children, or as the sun shines on all people: “That you may be the children of your Father who is in heaven, who maketh his sun to rise upon the good, and bad, and raineth upon the just and the unjust” (Matthew 5:45), each being handed an extraordinary grace, and yet they desired the lesser good of the left hand. Or, to think of the plunder takes the soldier’s mind away from the fight: “I saw among the spoils a scarlet garment exceeding good, and two hundred sicles of silver, and a golden rule of fifty siclces: and I coveted them, and I took them away” (Josue 7:21), and to think of heavenly glory moves your mind away from the present love: “This is the day which The Lord hath made: let us be glad and rejoice therein” (Psalm 117:24). Or, it could be to be a forefront saint, but they didn’t understand the trials the devil enacts upon those that would be great saints, and so they asked to be king’s captains without realizing that this calls for much warfare: “These are the names of the valiant men of David: Jesbaham sitting in the chair was the wisest chief among the three, he was like the most tender little worm of the wood, who killed eight hundred men at one outset” (2 Kings 23:8). Thus, the cup that Christ is to drink is that of the cross: “For in the hand of the Lord  there is a cup of strong wine full of mixture” (Psalm 74:9), and if one is to be united to Jesus Christ, thus sitting on His throne: “To him that shall overcome, I will give to sit with me in my throne: as I also have overcome, and am set down with my Father in his throne” (Apocalypse 3:21), this includes being united to Christ crucified: “With Christ I am nailed to the cross” (Galatians 2:19), for what is precious comes at a great cost, and to become love incarnate requires more work, sweat, and toil than many great works of art, yet the finished masterpiece is greater than a museum full of beautiful artistry: “And now, O Lord, thou art our father, and we are clay: and thou art our maker, and we all are the works of thy hands” (Isaias 64:8). They ask for glory, He shows that this is not attained easily, for a soldier does not sit at the hand of his king without having earned it: “After him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three valiant men that were with David when they defied the Philistines, and they were there gathered together to battle. And when the men of Israel were gone away, he stood and smote the Philistines till his hand was weary, and grew stiff with the sword” (2 Kings 23:9-10). Pray for the grace, Theophila, to be a glorious saint, knowing that the trials and sufferings that will bring you there will be great, but sustaining love will be greater: “Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it” (Canticle 8:7). So eager were Saints John and James that they got what they asked for: “All things whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive” (Matthew 21:22), which was to be made worthy of martyrdom: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints” (Psalm 115:15), as St. James was beheaded by Herod, and St. John bore the weight of being present at the passion, was assaulted, and exiled, bearing a white martyrdom and having a martyr’s heart, for there is no greater testament to the truth or the love of God than to go to one’s death before turning away from the Beloved: “And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held” (Apocalypse 6:9). When Jesus, however, does not name those that will sit at His left and right hand in His kingdom, this is so that none may despair of sitting so close to Him in heaven, but may rather seek to be like unto the Apostles, the Doctors, the Martyrs, the greatest of the great saints, letting love fashion them into the greatest possible expression of love that they can become: “Being confident of this very thing, that he, who hath begun a good work in you, will perfect it unto the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). Thus, He didn’t disparage the brothers, saying they wouldn’t sit there, neither did He say they would, which would keep others from aiming for a legendary love. The first rank, the inmost circle of heaven, is for the greatest lovers, those who burned the hottest with divine love. It can be mentioned again that the closest place to Jesus is not in the quest for glory, but in the immersion into His love, leaving the garment of glory behind that the door of the heart may be opened to Him: “I have put off my garment, how shall I put it on? …I arose up to open to my beloved: my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers were full of the choicest myrrh” (Canticle 5:5), myrrh representing acts of love for God and neighbor. Therefore, Theophila, ignore even glory, think not twice on how bright your light will shine in heaven, but simply love, love and be loved, let your heart sing and burn with the fire of love, for this is your portion, and this will draw you to the throne of the King: “While the king was at his repose, my spikenard sent forth the odour thereof” (Canticle 1:11).

Matthew 20:17-19

“And Jesus going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples apart, and said to them: ‘Behold we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man shall be betrayed to the chief priests and the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death. And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to be mocked, and scourged, and crucified, and the third day he shall rise again.’”

Much had happened since Jesus had last told the disciples of His passion, with miracles, refuting the Pharisees, and the laying out of the three evangelical counsels all taking place, but now He turns to them to tell them what love really looks like: “[Love] beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7). Your salvation, Theophila, hangs entirely on the death of Christ; His public ministry draws you to Him, but His passion and death was the expiation of all your sin: “Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3). Thus, meditation on the Incarnation and public life brings joy to the heart and familiarity with your Beloved, but meditation on the passion pierces the heart like nothing else: "They shall look upon me, whom they have pierced: and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for an only son, and they shall grieve over him, as the manner is to grieve for the death of the firstborn” (Zacharias 12:10). The passion is the great treasure of the faith: “For both the Jews requires signs, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: but we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews indeed a stumblingblock, and unto the Gentiles foolishness” (1 Corinthians 1:22-23), and the mystery thereof was thus given to those closest to Him. He knew what was waiting for Him, yet He goes freely, of His own volition: “Therefore doth the Father love me: because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. No man taketh it away from me: but I lay it down of myself, and I have power to lay it down: and I have power to take it up again” (John 10:17-18). It prepares His strongest warriors for the harshest trial, that they may not think Him to be only a man in hanging upon the cross, or that His death was outside of His plan, for He died as a man, but being willing to go to such a horrifying death for His beloved is divine: “God is love” (1 John 4:16). Thus, He lightens the burden of His death for them, that they may not be caught off guard when the events of the passion take place; to those who knew such difficult lives, He places emotional cushions, that their hearts may not bear a burden that leads to a break: “Neither do they put new wine into old bottles. Otherwise the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish” (Matthew 9:17). Now, because you and Jesus are intertwined by love and grace: “If any one love me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and will make our abode with him” (John 14:23), His life is your life, and your life is His life, and as He speaks to His Apostles that they may not be scandalized, it is also spoken to you, that you may know that love’s demands are great: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23), with the devil cursing your love story and many warring against the truth, thus “The life of man upon earth is a warfare” (Job 7:1), with true love’s image being that of the crucified Christ. His announcing His resurrection, then, is a call to hope for His Apostles, and encouragement for you, that if you hold fast to love and truth, you will not be without reward: “He that shall overcome, shall thus be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels” (Apocalypse 3:5). Finally, Theophila, there is a call to love your Savior intimately, because many are those that claim to know Christ, but scourge Him by unkind words to others: “Whosoever shall say, ‘Thou fool,’ shall be in danger of hell fire” (Matthew 5:22), and crucify His image in them by sin: “For it is impossible for those who were once illuminated, have tasted also the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, have moreover tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, and are fallen away: to be renewed again to penance, crucifying again to themselves the Son of God, and making him a mockery” (Hebrews 6:4-6). Thus, it is your call to console His Most Sacred Heart, returning the love that is so ungratefully spurned in the world, and then hoping that in those that crucify Him, He may rise again, His love never failing, and draw them into love of Him: “The Lord leayeth not his promise, as some imagine, but dealeth patiently for your sake, not willing that any should perish, but that all should return to penance” (2 Peter 3:9).