20. Then he began to upbraid the cities where most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not:
21. Woe to you, Chorazin! woe to you, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
22. But I say to you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.
23. And you, Capernaum, which are exalted to heaven, shall be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in you, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
24. But I say to you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of Judgment, than for you.
GLOSS: Thus far He had brought His accusation against the Jews in common; now against certain towns by name in which He had specially preached, and yet they would not be converted; whence it is said, Then began he to upbraid the cities in which most of his mighty works were done, because they had not repented.
JEROME; His upbraiding of the towns of Corozaim, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, is set forth in this chapter, because He therefore upbraided them, because after He had such mighty works and wonders in them they had not done penitence. Whence He adds, Woe for you, Corozaim! Woe for you, Bethsaida!
CHRYS; That you should not say that they were by nature evil, He names Bethsaida, a town from which the Apostles had come; namely, Philip, and two pair of the chief of the Apostles, Peter and Andrew, James and John.
JEROME; In this word. Woe, these towns of Galilee are mourned for by the Savior, that after so many signs and mighty works, they had not done penitence.
RABAN; Corozaim, which is interpreted 'my mystery', and Bethsaida, 'the house of fruits', or, 'the house of hunters,' are towns of Galilee situated on the shore of the sea of Galilee. The Lord therefore mourns for towns which once had the mystery of God, and which ought to have brought forth the fruit of virtues, and into which spiritual hunters had been sent.
JEROME; And to these are preferred Tyre and Sidon, cities given up to idolatry and vices; For if the mighty works which have been done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have long ago done penitence in sackcloth and ashes.
GREG; In sackcloth is the roughness which denotes the pricking of the conscience for sin, ashes denote the dust of the dead; and both are wont to be employed in penitence, that the pricking of the sackcloth may remind us of our sins, and the dust of the ash may cause us to reflect what we have become by judgment.
RABAN; Tyre and Sidon are cities of Phoenicia. Tyre is interpreted 'narrowness', and Sidon 'hunting'; and denote the Gentiles whom the Devil as a hunter drives into the straits of sin but Jesus the Savior sets them free by the Gospel.
JEROME; We ask where it is written that the Lord did wonders in Corozaim and Bethsaida? We read above, And he went about the towns and villages, healing all sicknesses, &c. among the rest, therefore, we may suppose that He wrought signs in Corozaim and Bethsaida.
AUG; It is not then true that His Gospel was not preached in those times and places, in which He knew before that all would be such, as were many in His actual presence, who would not even believe on Him when He raised men from the dead. For the Lord Himself bears witness that they of Tyre and Sidon would have done penitence in great humility, had the wonders of the Divine power been done in them. Moreover, if the dead are judged according to those deeds which they would have done had they lived, then because these would have believed had the Gospel been preached to them with so great miracles, surely they should not be punished at all, and yet in the day of judgment they shall be punished; for it follows, But I say to you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of Judgment, than for you. Those then shall be punished with more, these with less severity.
JEROME; This is because Tyre and Sidon had trodden under foot the law of nature only, but these towns after they had transgressed the natural and the written Law, also made light of those wonders which had been wrought among them.
RABAN; We at this day see the words of the Savior fulfilled; Corozaim and Bethsaida would not believe when the Lord came to them in person; but Tyre and Sidon have afterwards believed on the preaching of the Apostles.
REMIG; Capernaum was the metropolis of Galilee, and a noted town of that province, and therefore the Lord mentions it particularly, saying, And you, Capernaum, shall you indeed be exalted to heaven? You shall go down even to hell.
JEROME; In other copies we find, And you, Capernaum, that are exalted to heaven, shall be brought down to hell; and it may be understood in two different ways. Either, you shall go down to hell because you have proudly resisted my preaching; or, you that has been exalted to heaven by entertaining me, and having my mighty wonders done in you, shall be visited with the heavier punishment, because you would not believe even these.
REMIG; And they have made the sins not of Sodom only and Gomorrah, but of Tyre and Sidon light in comparison, and therefore it follows, For if the mighty works which have been done in you had been done in Sodom, it would perhaps have remained to this day.
CHRYS; This makes the accusation heavier, for it is a proof of extreme wickedness, that they are worse, not only than any then living, but than the wickedest of all past time.
JEROME; In Capernaum, which is interpreted the most fair town, Jerusalem is condemned, to which it is said by Ezekiel, Sodom is justified by you.
REMIG; The Lord, who knows all things, here uses a word expressing uncertainty - perhaps, to show that freedom of choice is left to men. But I say to you, it shall be easier for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you. And be it known, that in speaking of the city or country, the Lord does not chide with the buildings and walls, but with the men that inhabit there, by the figure metonymy, putting the thing containing for the thing contained. The words, It shall be easier in the day of judgment, clearly prove that there are diverse punishments in hell, as there are diverse mansions in the kingdom of heaven.
JEROME; The careful reader will hesitate here; If Tyre and Sidon could have done penitence at the preaching of the Savior, and His miracles, they are not in fault that they believed not; the sin is his who would not preach to bring them to penitence. To this there is a ready answer, that we know not God's judgments, and are ignorant of the sacraments of His peculiar dispensations. It was determined by the Lord not to pass the borders of Judea, that He might not give the Pharisees and Priests a just occasion of persecuting Him, as also He gave commandment to the Apostles, Go not into the way of the Gentiles. Corozaim and Bethsaida are condemned because they would not believe, though Christ Himself was among them - Tyre and Sidon are justified, because they believed His Apostles. You should not inquire into times when you see the salvation of those that believe.
REMIG; We may also answer in another way. There were many in Corozaim and Bethsaida who would believe, and many in Tyre and Sidon who would not believe, and therefore were not worthy of the Gospel. The Lord therefore preached to the dwellers in Corozaim and Bethsaida, that they who were to believe, might be able; and preached not in Tyre and Sidon, lest perhaps they who were not to believe, being made worse by contempt of the Gospel, should be punished more heavily.
AUG; A certain Catholic disputant of some note expounded this place of the Gospel in the following way; That the Lord knew that they of Tyre and Sidon would fall from the faith after they had believed the miracles done among them; and that therefore in mercy He did not His miracles there, because they would have incurred the heavier penalty had they lapsed from the faith after having held it, than if they had never held it at all. Or otherwise; The Lord surely knew His mercies with which He deigns to deliver us. And this is the predestination of the saints, namely, the foreknowledge and making ready the mercies of God, by which they are most certainly saved, whosoever are saved. The rest are left to the just judgment of God in the general body of the condemned, where they of Tyre and Sidon are left, who might have believed had they seen Christ's many miracles; but since it was not given them that they should believe therefore that through which they might have believed was also withheld. From which it appears, that there are certain who have in their dispositions by nature a divine gift of understanding by which they would be moved to faith, if they should either hear words or see signs adapted to their minds. But if they be not by the high sentence of God set apart from the mass of perdition through the predestination of grace, then neither words nor works are set before them by God, which yet, could they have seen or heard them, would have stirred them to believe. In this general mass of perdition are the Jews also left, who could not believe so great and manifest wonders wrought before their eyes. And the cause wherefore they could not believe, the Gospel has not hidden, speaking thus; though he did so great miracles before them, yet could they not believe, as Esaias said, I have blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart. Not in this way then were the eyes of they of Tyre and Sidon blinded, or their heart hardened, for they would have believed had they seen such wonders as these saw. But it profited those not that they could have believed, for that they were not predestined; neither would it have been any hindrance to these that they had not power to believe, had they been so predestined that God should have enlightened their blindness, and taken away the heart of stone from within them.
ID; Luke also gives this as spoken in continuation of some other of the Lord's discourses; from which it appears that he has rather followed the actual order of events; Matthew to have followed his recollection. Or the words of Matthew, Then he began to upbraid the towns, must be taken, as some think, as expressing some particular time by the word then, but not referring generally to that time in which the many other things here told were done and said. Whoever, therefore, thinks thus must suppose that this was spoken twice. And when we find in the same Evangelist some things spoken by the Lord at two different times - like that in Luke concerning the not taking a scrip for their journey, - what wonder is it if any thing else, which was twice spoken, is found once severally in two several Gospels in the actual connection in which it was spoken, which connection is different because they are two different occasions on which it is related to have been spoken?
Catena Aurea Matthew 11
The Word Among Us
Meditation: Matthew 11:20-24
Saint Camillus de Lellis, Priest (Optional Memorial)
Jesus began to reproach the towns. (Matthew 11:20)
Have you ever noticed the important role that cities and nations play in Scriptures? Think, for instance, of all the prophets whom God sends to deliver a message to an entire population. Remember how Jonah called the city of Nineveh to repentance or how Jeremiah warned the people of Jerusalem about their impending exile.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus reproaches three towns for not turning to him. Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum had seen great wonders, but only a few people in them became his followers. Jesus wanted every person there to believe in him; he didn’t want a single one to be lost.
Don’t we need an expansive vision like this today? We may feel helpless as we read the newspaper or hear stories about the violence and injustice that exist in our own towns, but we really aren’t powerless. We have the power of prayer! We can pray without ceasing and ask the Lord to transform our town. Here are a few areas worth considering:
1: For our elected officials: “Lord, bless our leaders. Help them to govern humbly and justly and to serve those in need. Guide them to implement policies that protect the weak and defenseless.”
2: For our schools: “Father, bless our teachers. Give them wisdom and compassion as they educate our children. Help all students to learn and grow in maturity. Keep them safe, and draw them close to you.”
3: For our neighborhoods: “Jesus, bless every home in my neighborhood and fill it with your peace. May every family become a miniature church where parents and children love one another. Make every home a shelter from all harm.”
4: For our church: “Holy Spirit, bless our bishop, our pastor, our parish staff, and all our fellow parishioners. Help us love each other. Strengthen us and give us wisdom and courage so that we can become witnesses to your love in our city.”
5: For peace in our day: “Lord, bring peace and unity to our town. Repair the damage wrought by discrimination, poverty, crime, and violence. Heal all divisions, Lord. May your love penetrate even the darkest places.”
“Jesus, help me to pray for my city each day.”
Exodus 2:1-15
Psalm 69:3, 14, 30-31, 33-34
Regnum Christi
Tuesday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Father Shawn Aaron, LC
Matthew 11: 20-24
Jesus began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And as for you, Capernaum: Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld. For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”
Introductory Prayer: God our Father, you are my shelter against the burning heat of the day and the storms of life. I know and I believe that I can count on your help when I stumble, that you will catch me when I fall and guide my steps firmly in faith toward the promise of eternal life.
Petition: Jesus, help me to seek you with a sincere heart.
1. Blessings and Responsibility: Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more (cf. Luke 12:48). With every blessing comes a degree of responsibility. The mighty deeds worked in these towns were not seen by everyone in Israel, let alone the world. Therefore, those who do see them have a greater responsibility than those who do not. Jesus reproaches them so as to awaken them from their stupor. Since the miracles have not moved them to a deeper faith, then perhaps the reminder that they will one day be answerable to God might. Do I need a similar fear of punishment to drive me from my sins, or am I more focused on pleasing God in the details of my life?
2. The Goal is Repentance: The goal of all of Jesus’ signs is to bring about a change of heart. Even in the Old Testament, the signs and wonders worked by Yahweh were intended to elicit a response of faith and trust from Israel. The danger for Israel, as for Jesus’ listeners and for us, is to become accustomed to these signs and to demand more signs, thus losing sight of their purpose – a redirection of our life from self-centeredness to Christ-centeredness. Like Herod, we want to be dazzled by Jesus’ miracles, but we do not want to change our lives. Jesus never works a miracle in order to impress, but only to convert a heart back to God or to bring it into deeper union with God.
3. Reward or Punishment: We can learn a great deal from this strong phrase: Firstly, that we will be judged for our actions and our omissions; secondly, that judgment from God has varying degrees. Since God sees and knows perfectly, the judgment will be objective; those who knew less will be judged less strictly. In other words, Sodom, Tyre and Sidon will indeed be judged, but according to natural law and not according to Christian faith, which they did not have access to at the time. Finally, but not exhaustively, we can deduce that there will be different gradations in heaven and hell according to how well our actions corresponded to what we knew to be true and good. This knowledge should stimulate us to be more generous with God and more centered on things that are above. Our Lord will handsomely reward our smallest good deed.
Conversation with Christ: Dear Lord, open my eyes to the constant workings of your grace in my life. Never allow me to become complacent or to undervalue the tremendous gift of faith in my life. Thank you for reminding me of the importance of my daily decisions. Mother Most Pure, make my heart only for Jesus.
Resolution: Today I will read nos. 1783-1785 from the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Image: Saint Camillus de Lellis in facade of church Santa Maria Maddalena | photo by Livioandronico2013
St. Camillus' mother was nearly sixty years old when he was born (1550). As a youth he gave himself to the sinful pleasures of this world. His conversion dates from the feast of the Purification, 1575. Two attempts to enter the Capuchin Order were frustrated by an incurable sore on his leg. In Rome St. Camillus was received in a hospital for incurables; before long he was put in charge because of his ability and zeal for virtue. He brought to the sick every imaginable kind of spiritual and bodily aid.
St. Symphorosa, the wife of the holy martyr Getulius, together with her seven sons. Under Emperor Hadrian she was repeatedly struck in the face; then she was suspended by her hair, and lastly, tied to a rock, was thrown into a river. Her sons were bound to a pillar and their members disjointed with windlasses; thereupon, in various ways, they suffered martyrdom" (about the year 138). (Martyrology). Their bodies were placed in the Church of St. Michael near the fish market in Rome. 
Frederick lived in Utrecht, in the central part of the Netherlands and was the grandson of King Radbon of the Frisians. He studied hard to become a priest and was very prayerful. When he was ordained, Bishop Ricfried put him in charge of newly converted Christians. Frederick taught them about the Catholic faith.