ners (15)." Whence it followed that the more sinful they were, the better he worked out his mission by seeking them out, and associating with them.

The Pharisees, baffled upon this point, sought to renew the impeachment; but to give greater weight to the fresh reproach which they were framing against Jesus Christ, they took the precaution of associating themselves with the disciples of John. The latter, as well as the Pharisees, were accustomed to practise extraordinary fasting, to which Jesus Christ had not subjected those who professed to follow him. These fasts were not prescribed by law; they might, therefore, be observed or omitted at pleasure. But although practices of devotion are matters of free choice, each individual is prepossessed in favor of his own; and it is very rare for this prejudice to stop short of condemning those who do not conform to those practices. It was apparently this weakness which drew the disciples of John into the plotting of the Pharisees. (a) "They came

(a) St. Matthew, ix. 14; St. Mark, ii. 18; St. Luke, v. 33, 34.

which Jesus Christ here refers the Pharisees is from the Prophet Osee. These men, on the contrary, preferred all the rest of religion to charity, which was, accurately speaking, turning religion upside down, by placing last of all what should occupy the first place. There is no neglect of divine worship in leaving the sacrifice to exercise charity towards man. This is rendering to God the worship most pleasing to him. God has no need of our sacrifice, and he loves men: these two truths heighten this worship into a very excellent religion. By this we recognize the perfect independence and infinite goodness of God, those two attributes which entitle him the most to the homage of our minds and of our hearts.

This maxim has given rise to an abuse, viz., limiting religion to doing good towards men. It is only in the competition of both duties, when they come in collision, that we should prefer the service of our neighbor to the worship of God; and then we should merely do so because God wishes us so to act. To prefer, therefore, the external duties of religion to charity towards our neighbor is Pharisaical; and to comprise all religion in the love and service of our neighbor, is acknowledging our fellow-citizens, and disowning our King-embracing our brethren, and denying our Father; it is impiety--it is declared. rebellion against the greatest and best of all kings and of all fathers,

(15) This ought not to hinder us from believing that Jesus Christ came to save all men; for all have sinned, saith Saint Paul, and are in want of the glory of God, that is to say, of the grace of the Redeemer. An ironical meaning is also given to these words, in reference to the Pharisees: You take scandal at seeing me prefer the company of sinners to yours; are you ignorant, then, that I am come to call sinners, and not the just, such as you pretend to be?

and said to Jesus: Why do the disciples of John and of the Phari-
sees fast often and make prayers; but thine eat and drink, and
do not fast? He said to them: Can the children of the bride-
groom (16) mourn, and can you make them fast whilst the bride-
groom is with them? But the days will come when the bride-
groom shall be taken away, and then they shall fast (17)."

Therefore, Jesus did not dispense his disciples from fasting; he
merely disposed them to do so at a more convenient time; and in
order to make them better understand that in acting thus he did
not mean to flatter their passions, but to accommodate himself to
their weakness, (a)" he spoke a similitude to them. No man put-
teth a piece from a new garment upon an old garment, otherwise
he both rendeth the new, and the piece taken from the new agreeth
not with the old." It occurs also that "the new pieceing taketh
away from the old, and there is made a greater rent. And no man
putteth new wine into old bottles; otherwise the new wine will
break the bottles, and it will be spilled, and the bottles will be lost.
But new wine must be put into new bottles, and both are preserved.
And no man drinking old hath presently a mind to new; for he
saith: The old is better." This means that, generally speaking, the
more excellent things are in themselves, the less likely are they to
be good for beginners. We should proportion ourselves to their
weakness. Perfection should only be presented to them at a dis-
tance, and as if it were rather an object for their admiration than
for their imitation; they should be merely invited, and not seem-
ingly forced to approach it, lest, by endeavoring to form perfect
(a) St. Luke, v. 36-39; St. Mark, ii. 21, 22.

(16) We
may recollect that John, in one of the testimonies he rendered to Jesus Christ,
designated him by the title of bridegroom. The disciples of John could not have forgot-
ten this; and Jesus Christ, in making use of the same expression, gives ground for be-
lieving that they introduced the expression here.

(17) We are almost tempted to smile at the extravagance of heretics. The Calvinists
rejected the fast of Lent, because Jesus Christ said that his disciples should not fast
while he was with them, although he added that they should fast after he was taken
away. And because he said that they should fast when he was taken away—that is to
say, if you will, immediately after his death-Montanus and Priscilla, according to the
report of Saint Jerome, placed Lent between Easter and Pentecost.

men of those who have but recently become just, relapsing sinners may be the result of such mistaken zeal. Thus Jesus instructed his Church; and whilst he seemed merely answering an ill-founded reproach, he gave to his present and future ministers these admirable lessons of mildness and of condescension.

CHAPTER XII.

A WOMAN HEALED OF AN ISSUE OF BLOOD. THE DAUGHTER OF JAIRUS RESUSCITA

TED. THE BLIND SEE.-DEVILS CAST OUT.

(a)" As he was speaking these things unto them nigh unto the sea, a ruler of the synagogue (1) named Jairus came up, and seeing Jesus, falleth down at his feet, adored him, beseeching him that he would come into his house, for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying." Perhaps he thought that Jesus, who had power to cure the sick, had not that of raising the dead; and he may also have been one of those who considered the Saviour's presence necessary for a miracle. For this reason (6) "he besought him much, saying: My daughter is at the point of death; come lay thy hand upon her, that she may be safe, and may live. Jesus rising up, went with him, and followed him, with his disciples." (c) "It happened as he went that he was thronged by the multitudes. There was a certain woman there who was troubled with an

ix. 19.

(a) St. Matthew, ix. 18; St. Mark, v. 21, (b) St. Mark, v. 23, 24; St. Matthew, 22; St. Luke, viii. 41. (c) St. Luke, viii. 42; St. Mark, v. 25-27; St. Matthew, ix. 20, 21.

(1) He who presided at the meetings of the Synagogue, which were held on Sabbath days. The place where they were held was called Synagogue, a Greek word meaning assembly. At these meetings the Holy Scripture was read, exhortations given, and psalms sung, the only exercises of religion allowed the Jews outside the Temple of Jerusalem. Some authors confidently assert that before the destruction of this great city, it had not less than four hundred and eighty of these synagogues. Every one knows that the Jews still have them in several cities of Europe where they are tolerated.

issue of blood twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing the better, but rather worse; this woman then, when she had heard of Jesus, came in the crowd behind him, and (a) touched the hem of his garment, for she said to herself: If I shall touch only his garment, I shall be healed. Forthwith the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body she was healed of the evil (2). Immediately Jesus, knowing in himself the virtue which had proceeded from him, turning to the multitude, said: Who hath touched my garment? And all denying, Peter and they that were with him said: Master, the multitudes throng and press thee, and dost thou say, Who touched me? Jesus said: Somebody hath touched me, for I know that virtue is gone out from me. And he looked about to see her who had done this:" for he was not ignorant of her, but he thus conformed himself to our method of acting; and because he wished that the miracle which he had wrought should be known, he thus prepared the way for its manifestation, by obliging her to speak whose deposition alone could disclose and prove the fact. For (b)" the woman knowing what was done in her, seeing that she was not hid, fearing and trembling, came and fell down before his feet, and told him all the truth, and declared before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was immediately healed. (c) Jesus turning, and seeing her, said to her: Be of good heart, daughter; thy faith hath made thee whole. Go peace, and be thou whole of thy disease. And the woman was made whole from that hour," perfectly and without any relapse. As (d) "Jesus was yet speaking, there cometh one to the ruler of

in

(a) St. Mark, v. 29, 30; St. Luke, viii. 45, (c) St. Matthew, ix. 22; St. Mark, v. 46; St. Mark, v. 32.

(b) St. Mark, v. 33; St. Luke, viii. 47.

34.

(d) St. Luke, viii. 49.

(2) The robe worn by Jesus Christ has, therefore, wrought a miracle. Calvin, who was apprehensive, and reasonably so, that the inferences from this miracle must be favorable to relics, finds out indiscreet zeal and a dash of superstition in the action of this woJesus Christ finds in it faith: he openly praises this faith; he accords to the merit of this faith a cure; and this faith, by the report of the three evangelists, is the same which made this woman say, If I shall touch only his garment, I shall be healed. Who are we to believe in this matter?___

man.

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the synagogue, saying to him: Thy daughter is dead, trouble him not" uselessly. Jairus, whose faith had received a new impulse from the miracle of which he had just been a witness, did not despair for all that. (a) "Lord," said he, "my daughter is even now dead; but come lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live." For thus one of the evangelists makes him speak; and they are all unanimous in placing here this expression, which is different from what the other evangelists make him utter, who only make him speak of the extremity of his daughter. (b)"Jesus hearing this word, answered the father of the maid: Fear not, believe only, and she shall be safe. When he was come to the house, he suffered not any man to go in with him but Peter, and James, and John, and the father and mother of the maiden. He saw the minstrels (3) and the multitude making a tumult, weeping and wailing much; all mourned for her. Why make you this ado (saith he to them going in), and weep? (c) Give place, for the girl is not dead, but sleepeth (4). And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead. He having put them all out, taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with them, and entereth in where the damsel was lying. (d) Taking her by the hand, he cried out to her: Talitha cumi, which is, being interpreted: Damsel, I say to thee arise. (e) Her spirit returned. She arose immediately, and walked. She was twelve years old. Jesus commanded that something should be given her to eat. Her parents were astonished. He charged them strictly to

(a) St. Matthew, ix. 18.

(b) St. Luke, viii. 50, 51; St. Matthew,

ix. 23; St. Mark, v. 38.

(c) St. Matthew, ix. 24; St. Luke, viii. 53; St. Mark, v. 40.

(d) St. Luke, viii. 54; St. Mark, v. 41.

(e) St. Luke, viii. 55, 56; St. Mark, v. 42, 43; St. Matthew, ix. 26.

(3) It was a custom common to both Jews and Gentiles to hire flute-players, who accompanied with mournful airs the lamentations which were made at funerals. Although we are ignorant whence the usage derived its origin, the probability is, that the Jews borrowed it from the Gentiles. If we were to conclude from thence, as some writer has done, that the flute-players in question here were Gentiles, must we not contend also that all our painters are Italians, inasmuch as painting comes from Italy?

(4) A death which was to be confined, by so speedy a resurrection, to scarcely the duration of a short slumber, should be called sleep rather than death.