Neither have the good, in respect of His bodily Presence. 677 XII. 8. on earth shall be bound in heaven. If this was spoken only JOHN to Peter, then the Church doeth not this. But if this thing is done in the Church also, that what things are bound on earth are bound in heaven, and what things loosed on earth are loosed in heaven: because, when the Church excommunicates, the person excommunicated is bound in heaven; when one is reconciled by the Church, the person reconciled is loosed in heaven: if, I say, this thing is done in the Church, then Peter, what time he received the keys, denoted the Holy Church. If in the person of Peter were denoted the good men in the Church, in the person of Judas were denoted the bad men in the Church; to them is it said, But Me ye will not always have. For what is, Not always? and what is, Always? If thou art a good man, thou belongest to the body, which Peter denotes: thou hast Christ both in the present and in the future: in this present by faith, in the present by the sign', in the present by the Sacrament of1See§.2. Baptism, in the present by the meat and drink of the Altar. Thou hast Christ in the present, but wilt have Him always: because when thou shalt depart hence thou wilt come to Him Who said to the thief, To-day shalt thou be with Me Luke23, in Paradise. But if thou livest ill, thou seemest in the present to have Christ, because thou enterest into the Church, signest thyself with the sign of Christ, art baptized with the baptism of Christ, minglest among the members of Christ, comest up to the Altar of Christ: in the present, thou hast Christ, but by living an evil life thou wilt not always have Him. 43. 13. It may also be thus understood: The poor ye will always have with you, but Me ye will not always have. Let the good also take this, but let them not be alarmed: for He was speaking of His bodily presence. For, in respect of His Majesty, in respect of His Providence, in respect of the ineffable and invisible Grace, that is in fulfilling which was spoken by Him, Lo, I am with you, even unto the Mat. 28, consummation of the world. But in respect of the flesh which the Word assumed, in respect that He was born of the Virgin, in respect that He was laid hold on by the Jews, that He was nailed to the tree, that He was taken down from the cross, that He was wrapped in linen cloths, that He was 20. L. 678 But His Divine Presence is with them alway. HOMIL. laid in the sepulchre, that He was manifested in the resurrection, ye will not always have Him with you. Why? Because He conversed, in respect of His bodily presence, forty days with His disciples, and, by them attended homeward, their eyes following, not themselves, ascended into heaven; and is not here. For He is there; He sitteth at the right hand of the Father: and yet is here, for the presence of the Majesty hath not quitted us. In other words in respect of the presence of the Majesty we have Christ always; in respect of the presence of the flesh, it was rightly said to the disciples, But Me ye will not always have. For the Church had Him in respect of the presence of the flesh, for a few days; now, by faith it holds, not with eyes beholds Him. Therefore whether it be thus meant, But Me ye will not always have, methinks, there remains no further question, seeing it has been in two ways solved. ▼. 9. : 14. The rest, what little is left of it, let us hear: Much people of the Jews therefore knew that He was there and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Curiosity brought them, not charity: they came and saw. Hear a marvellous counsel of vanity. At sight of Lazarus, the raised from the dead,-because so great a miracle of the Lord was with so great evidence noised abroad, with so great manifestation declared, that it was impossible for them either to conceal that it was wrought, or to deny it, see what they v. 10.11. devised. But the chief priests thought how they might put Lazarus also to death; because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus. O foolish thought, and blind rage! If the Lord Christ had power to raise him being dead, had He not power to raise him being put to death? In putting Lazarus to death, could ye put away the Lord's power? If it seems to you that a dead man is one thing, a man put to death another: behold, the Lord did both both Lazarus who was dead, and Himself Who was put to death, He raised to life again. HOMILY LI. JOHN xii. 12-26. On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet Him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel. And Jesus had found a young ass, and sat thereon; as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt. These things understood not His disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things unto Him. The people therefore that was with Him when He called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bare record. For this cause the people also met Him, for that they heard that He had done this miracle. The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after Him. And there were certain Gentiles among them that came up to worship at the feast: the same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. But Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of Man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. HOMIL. 2 Cor. 2, 15. 680 Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem. If any man serve Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall also My servant be: if any man serve Me, him will My Father honour. 1. AFTER that the Lord had raised to life him that had been four days dead, to the amazement of the Jews, of whom some by seeing believed, others by envying were undone, because of the good odour which is to some unto life, to others unto death; after He sat at meat in the house with Lazarus now sitting at the board, who had been dead and was raised to life; after the ointment poured upon His feet, whereof the whole house was filled with the odour; after that vain rage, and most foolish and frantic wickedness, which the Jews in their accursed hearts conceived, even for the putting of Lazarus to death; of all which matters, as we were able, we have in the former discourses spoken what the Lord gave; now mark, my beloved, how great fruit of His preaching appeared, and how great a flock of the lost sheep of the House of Israel heard the voice of the Shepherd. 2. For thus speaks the Gospel, which ye heard even now v. 12.13. when it was read; On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet Him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel. Palm branches are praises, signifying victory, in token that the Lord was by dying to overcome death, and with the trophy of the Cross to triumph over the devil, the prince of death. Hosanna, however, is an exclamation of entreaty, as some say who know the Hebrew tongue, rather denoting an affection than signifying any notion: such as in our tongue are what they call interjections, as when being in pain we say, Alas! or when we are delighted, Aha! or when we wonder, and say, Oh how great! for then this Oh signifies nothing, but only the affection of wonder. And that such is the case is likely, because neither the Greek nor the Latin has been able to render the word by another: just as in that expresMatt. 5, sion, Whosoever shall say to his brother, Racha. For this too is said to be an interjection, denoting the affection of indignation. 22. The King of all worlds stoops to be King of Israel. 681 12-14. 24. 43. 3. But, Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the JOHN XII. Lord, the King of Israel, is rather to be so taken, that in the name of the Lord, should be understood to mean, in the name of God the Father: although it may be also taken to mean, in His own name, because He too is Lord. Whence also it is elsewhere written, The Lord rained from the Lord. Gen. 19, But His own words are a better guide for our understanding, where He saith, I am come in the name of My Father, and John 5, ye have not received Me; another will come in his own name, him ye will receive. For Christ is the Master of humility, as He that humbled Himself, being made obedient Phil. 2, unto death, even the death of the Cross. We are not to imagine then, that He foregoeth His Godhead, what time as He teacheth us humility: in that, He is equal with the Father; in this, like unto us: thereby that He is equal with the Father, He created us that we should have our being: thereby that He is like unto us, He redeemed us, that we should not lose our being. 4. Thus lauded Him the multitude, Hosanna, Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel! Well might it be a mental crucifying for the envy of the rulers of the Jews to endure, when so great a multitude was shouting out Christ their King! But what was it for the Lord to be King of Israel? what great matter for the King of all worlds to become King of men? For Christ was not King of Israel, for exacting of tribute, or arming a host with the sword, and visibly subduing enemies; but King of Israel, that He should rule minds, that He should counsel for eternity, that He should bring unto the Kingdom of Heaven them that believe, hope, and love. Being then Son of God, the Word by Which all things were made, that it should be His will to be King of Israel is a condescension, not preferment; a betokening of mercy, not an increasing of power. For He Who was called on earth King of the Jews, is in heaven Lord of Angels. 8. 5. And Jesus found a young ass, and sat thereon. Here v. 14. it is told briefly, for how the thing was done, is to be read most fully in the other Evangelists. But to this fact is applied a prophetic testimony, that it might appear that the malignant rulers of the Jews did not read aright Him in |