From: Deuteronomy 34:1-12
The Death of Moses
[1] And Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pis-
gah, which is opposite Jericho. And the LORD showed him all the land, Gilead
as far as Dan, [2] all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of
Judah as far as the Western Sea, [3] the Negeb, and the Plain, that is, the valley
of Jericho the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. [4] And the LORD said to him,
“This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, ‘I will give
it to your descendants. ‘I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go
over there.” [5] So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab,
according to the word of the LORD, [6] and he buried him in the valley in the land
of Moab opposite Beth-peor; but no man knows the place of his burial to this day.
[7] Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died; his eye was not
dim, nor his natural force abated. [8] And the people of Israel wept for Moses in
the plains of Moab thirty days; then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses
were ended.
[9] And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had
laid his hands upon him; so the people of Israel obeyed him, and did as the
LORD had commanded Moses.
A Eulogy of Moses
[10] And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the
LORD knew face to face, [11] none like him for all the signs and the wonders
which the LORD sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his
servants and to all his land, [12] and for all the mighty power and all the great
and terrible deeds which Moses wrought in the sight of all Israel.
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Commentary:
34:1-12. Before he dies, Moses looks down on the promised land, and its main
regions (Transjordan), Galilee (Naphtali), Samaria (Ephraim and Manasseh) and
Judea. However, if one looks out from Mount Nebo it is not possible to see all
this panorama: only God could make Moses see all these territories. Zoar may
have been to the south-east of the Dead Sea.
“He buried him” (v. 6): the Hebrew construction does not allow us to say who the
subject of the verb is, but from the context it must be God.
The book of Sirach provides a short summary of the life of this man of God (cf.
Sir 45:1-5).
The Jewish scholar Philo of Alexandria (15 BC-AD 45) also praises his virtues,
and at length: he was the friend and disciple of God, who taught him “face to
face”; he was “a man of God”, able to work wonders and signs; he was greater
than the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph in his intimacy with God
and his grasp of the divine Word, which inspired him and guided him as a leader,
lawgiver, prophet, wonder-worker, ascetic and thinker (cf. “De Vita Mosis”, 1,
80, 154, 158; 2, 187-292; 3, 1-186).
St Gregory of Nyssa, one of the greatest Greek Fathers, praised Moses in the
following terms: “Our brief discourse has offered you, man of God, these things
concerning the perfection of the virtuous life, by describing to you the life of the
great Moses as a visible model of goodness, so that each of us, by imitating his
actions, may himself acquire the features of the beauty we have described. And
to know that Moses attained all possible perfection, what more worthy testimony
can we find than the divine word, when it says, “I know you by name” (Ex 33:12,
17)? Also (there is) the fact that he was called the friend of God by God himself
(cf. Ex 33:11), and the fact that, having chosen to perish with the others unless
God in his kindness overlooked the offense they had done him, he checked God’s
wrath against the Israelites, getting him to change his mind so as not to grieve
his friend (cf. Ex 32:7-14). All these testimonies are a clear proof that in his life
Moses attained the height of perfection” (”De Vita Mosis”, 2, 319).
34:10. “Face to face” conversation with God means a very intimate relationship,
but it does not have to be taken literally. The visions that the patriarchs—Abra-
ham, Moses himself, Elijah. Isaiah etc.—had of God in this world were indirect
ones; what they saw were various manifestations of the divine glory, the splendor
of his greatness. These Old Testament theophanies were surpassed by the epi-
phany of Jesus Christ; God could reveal himself to man in no more perfect way
than in the Incarnation of his eternal Word: “No one has ever seen God; the only
Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known” (Jn 1:18).
Comparing the mission of Moses with that of Jesus, St Cyril of Alexandria taught:
“Our Lord Jesus Christ set the world free from its ancient offences; for He is the
truth and is holy by his very nature; he sanctifies those who have believed through
his blood, and he sets them above death, and he will, bring them into his own
kingdom of heaven, into the land that is truly holy and desirable—to the loftier man-
sions, to the heavenly city, to the Church of the first-born, whose maker and crea-
tor is God” (”Glaphyra In Deuteronomium”, 34:10).
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
From: Matthew 18:15-20
Fraternal Correction. The Apostles’ Authority
(Jesus said to His disciples), [15] “If your brother sins against you, go and tell
him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained
your brother. [16] But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with
you, that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnes-
ses. [17] If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the Church; and if he refuses
to listen even to the Church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
[18] Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven. [19] Again I say to
you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it shall be done for
them by My Father in Heaven. [20] For where two or three are gathered in My
name, there am I in the midst of them.”
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Commentary:
15-17. Here our Lord calls on us to work with Him for the sanctification of others
by means of fraternal correction, which is one of the ways we can do so. He
speaks as sternly about the sin of omission as He did about that of scandal (cf.
Chrysostom, “Hom. on St. Matthew”, 61).
There is an obligation on us to correct others. Our Lord identifies three stages
in correction: 1) alone; 2) in the presence of one or two witnesses; and 3) before
the Church. The first stage refers to giving scandal and to secret or private sins;
here correction should be given privately, just to the person himself, to avoid un-
necessarily publicizing a private matter and also to avoid hurting the person and
to make it easier for him to mend his ways. If this correction does not have the
desired effect, and the matter is a serious one, resort should be had to the se-
cond stage—looking for one or two friends, in case they have more influence on
him. The last stage is formal judicial correction by reference to the Church au-
thorities. If a sinner does not accept this correction, he should be excommuni-
cated; that is, separated from communion with the Church and Sacraments.
18. This verse needs to be understood in connection with the authority previous-
ly promised to Peter (cf. Matthew 16:13-19): it is the hierarchy of the Church
that exercises this power given by Christ to Peter, to the Apostles and their
lawful successors — the Pope and the Bishops.
19-20. “Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est: where charity and love resides, there
God is”, the Holy Thursday liturgy intones, drawing its inspiration from the sa-
cred text of 1 John 4:12. For it is true that love is inconceivable if there is only
one person: it implies the presence of two or more (cf. Aquinas, “Commentary
on St. Matthew”, 18:19-20). And so it is that when Christians meet together in
the name of Christ for the purpose of prayer, our Lord is present among them,
pleased to listen to the unanimous prayer of His disciples: “All those with one
accord devoted themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the
mother of Jesus” (Acts 1:14). This is why the Church from the very beginning
has practiced communal prayer (cf. Acts 12:5). There are religious practices—
few, short, daily “that have always been lived in Christian families and which I
think are marvelous—grace at meals, morning and night prayers, the family ro-
sary (even though nowadays this devotion to our Lady has been criticized by
some people). Customs vary from place to place, but I think one should always
encourage some acts of piety which the family can do together in a simple and
natural fashion” (St. J. Escriva, “Conversations”, 103).
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible by Darton, Longman & Todd
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour: Red.
These are the readings for the feria
| First reading |
| Deuteronomy 34:1-12 © |
Leaving the plains of Moab, Moses went up Mount Nebo, the peak of Pisgah opposite Jericho, and the Lord showed him the whole land; Gilead as far as Dan, all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, the Negeb, and the stretch of the Valley of Jericho, city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. The Lord said to him, ‘This is the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying: I will give it to your descendants. I have let you see it with your own eyes, but you shall not cross into it.’ There in the land of Moab, Moses the servant of the Lord died as the Lord decreed; he buried him in the valley, in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor; but to this day no one has ever found his grave. Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, his eye undimmed, his vigour unimpaired. The sons of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab for thirty days. The days of weeping for the mourning rites of Moses came to an end. Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. It was he that the sons of Israel obeyed, carrying out the order that the Lord had given to Moses.
Since then, never has there been such a prophet in Israel as Moses, the man the Lord knew face to face. What signs and wonders the Lord caused him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh and all his servants and his whole land! How mighty the hand and great the fear that Moses wielded in the sight of all Israel!
| Responsorial Psalm |
| Psalm 65(66):1-3,5,16-17 © |
Blessed be God, who gave life to my soul.
Cry out with joy to God all the earth,
O sing to the glory of his name.
O render him glorious praise.
Say to God: ‘How tremendous your deeds!’
Blessed be God, who gave life to my soul.
Come and see the works of God,
tremendous his deeds among men.
Come and hear, all who fear God.
I will tell what he did for my soul:
to him I cried aloud,
with high praise ready on my tongue.
Blessed be God, who gave life to my soul.
| Gospel Acclamation |
Ps110:7,8 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Your precepts, O Lord, are all of them sure;
they stand firm for ever and ever.
Alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia!
God in Christ was reconciling the world to himself,
and he has entrusted to us the news that they are reconciled.
Alleluia!
| Gospel |
| Matthew 18:15-20 © |
| If your brother listens to you, you have won back your brother |
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘If your brother does something wrong, go and have it out with him alone, between your two selves. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you: the evidence of two or three witnesses is required to sustain any charge. But if he refuses to listen to these, report it to the community; and if he refuses to listen to the community, treat him like a pagan or a tax collector.
‘I tell you solemnly, whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.
‘I tell you solemnly once again, if two of you on earth agree to ask anything at all, it will be granted to you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three meet in my name, I shall be there with them.’
These are the readings for the memorial
| First reading |
Wisdom 3:1-9 © |
| The souls of the virtuous are in the hands of God |
The souls of the virtuous are in the hands of God,
no torment shall ever touch them.
In the eyes of the unwise, they did appear to die,
their going looked like a disaster,
their leaving us, like annihilation;
but they are in peace.
If they experienced punishment as men see it,
their hope was rich with immortality;
slight was their affliction, great will their blessings be.
God has put them to the test
and proved them worthy to be with him;
he has tested them like gold in a furnace,
and accepted them as a holocaust.
When the time comes for his visitation they will shine out;
as sparks run through the stubble, so will they.
They shall judge nations, rule over peoples,
and the Lord will be their king for ever.
They who trust in him will understand the truth,
those who are faithful will live with him in love;
for grace and mercy await those he has chosen.
| Responsorial Psalm |
| Psalm 115(116):10-13,16-17 © |
Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his faithful.
I trusted, even when I said:
‘I am sorely afflicted,’
and when I said in my alarm:
‘No man can be trusted.’
Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his faithful.
How can I repay the Lord
for his goodness to me?
The cup of salvation I will raise;
I will call on the Lord’s name.
Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his faithful.
Your servant, Lord, your servant am I;
you have loosened my bonds.
A thanksgiving sacrifice I make;
I will call on the Lord’s name.
Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his faithful.
| Gospel Acclamation |
Jn12:25 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Anyone who hates his life in this world
will keep it for the eternal life.
Alleluia!
| Go out and bear fruit, fruit that will last |
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘This is my commandment:
love one another,
as I have loved you.
A man can have no greater love
than to lay down his life for his friends.
You are my friends,
if you do what I command you.
I shall not call you servants any more,
because a servant does not know
his master’s business;
I call you friends,
because I have made known to you
everything I have learnt from my Father.
You did not choose me:
no, I chose you;
and I commissioned you
to go out and to bear fruit,
fruit that will last;
and then the Father will give you
anything you ask him in my name.’
15. Moreover if your brother shall trespass against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone: if he shall hear you, you have gained your brother.
16. But if he will not hear you, then take with you one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
17. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it to the Church: but if he neglect to hear the Church, let him be to you as an heathen man and a Publican.
CHRYS; Having above given a severe sentence against those who were the cause of offense, making them to fear on all sides; so now that they to whom the offense is offered should not fall into the opposite fault of supineness and indifference, seeking to spare themselves in all things, and so be puffed up; the Lord here checks such a tendency, commanding that they be reproved, saying, If your brother shall trespass against you, go, tell him his fault between you and him alone.
AUG; Our Lord admonishes us not to overlook one another's faults, yet not so as seeking formatter of blame, but watching what you may amend. For our rebuke should be in love, not eager to wound, but anxious to amend. If you pass it by, you are become worse shall he. He by doing you a wrong has done himself a great hurt; you slight your brother's wound, and are more to blame for your silence than he for his ill w words to you.
ID; For often we wrongly shun to teach and admonish, or to rebuke and check the wicked, either because the task is irksome, or because we would escape their enmity, lest they should harm or obstruct us in temporal things, whether in gaining objects we desire, or in holding what our frailty fears to love. But if any one spares reproof of evil doers, because he seeks fitter occasion, or fears to make them worse, or that they may be an impediment to the good and pious living of other weak ones, or may grieve them, or turn them from the faith; herein there is seen no considerations of covetousness, but the prudence of charity. And much weightier reason have they who are set over the churches, to the end they should not spare to rebuke sin; though not even he is free from this blame, who, though not in authority, wots of many things in them to whom he is bound by the ties of this life, which should be touched by admonition or correction, but neglects to do so; shunning their displeasure on account of things which he does not unduly use in this life, but wherewith he is unduly delighted.
CHRYS; It is to be noted, that one while the Lord brings the offender to him whom he has offended; as when He says, If you remember that your brother has something against you, go, be reconciled to your brother: meanwhile He bids him that has suffered the wrong to forgive his neighbor; as where he says, Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. Here He has devised yet another method, for He brings him who has been grieved to him that grieved him, and therefore says, If your brother sin against you; for because he that did the wrong would not readily come to make amends, because of his shame, He draws to him that has suffered the wrong; and not only draws him there, but with the very purpose of correcting what was done amiss; whence He says, Go and tell him his fault.
RABAN; He does not command us to forgive indiscriminately, but him only that will hearken and be obedient, and do penitence; that neither should forgiveness be unattainable, nor sufferance be too far relaxed.
CHRYS; And He says not, Accuse him, nor, Chide with him, nor, Demand redress, - but, Tell him of his fault; that is, remind him of his sin, tell him what things you have suffered from him. For he is held down by anger or by shame, stupefied as one in a deep slumber. Wherefore it is necessary that you who are in your right senses to go to him who is in a disease.
JEROME; If shall your brother have sinned against you, or hurt you in any matter, you have power, indeed must needs forgive him, for we are charged to forgive our debtors their debts. But if a man sin against God, it is no longer in our decision. But we do all the contrary of this; where God is wronged we are merciful, where the affront is to ourselves we prosecute the quarrel.
CHRYS; We are to tell his fault to the man himself who did it, and not to another, because the party takes it with the more patience from him, and above all when they are together alone. For when be who had a light to demand reparation, shows rather a carefulness to heal the sore, this has great power to propitiate.
AUG; When any one therefore offends against us, let us be very careful, not for ourselves, for it is glorious to forget an injury, forget therefore your own wrong, but not the wound your brother has sustained; and tell him of his fault between him and you alone, seeking his amendment and sparing his shame For it may be that out of shame he will seek to defend his fault, and thus you will only harden, while you sought to do him good.
JEROME; your brother is to be reproved in private if once he has lost a sense of shame, he should continue in sin.
AUG; But the Apostle says, They that sin rebuke before all, that others may fear to do the like. Some times therefore your brother is to be spoken to between you and him alone, sometimes to be rebuked before all. What you must do first, attend and learn; If your brother, says He, sin against you, tell him of his fault between you and him alone. Why? Because he has sinned against you. What is it that he has sinned against you? You know that he has sinned, and therefore since his sin was in private, let your rebuke be in private too. For if you alone know of his trespass, and proceed to rebuke him before all, you do not correct but betray him. Your brother has sinned against you; if you alone know thereof, then he has sinned against you only but if he did you a wrong in the presence of many, then he has sinned against those also who were witnesses of his fault. Those faults then are to be rebuked before all, that are committed before all; those which are done in private, are to be rebuked in private. Discern times, and the Scriptures are consistent. But why do you correct your neighbor? Because his trespass has hurt yourself? Far be it from you. If you do it from self love, you do nothing; if you do it from love of him, you do most rightly. Lastly, in what you shall say to him, keep in view for whose sake it is that you ought to do it, for your own or for his, for it follows, If he hear you, you has gained your brother, do it therefore for his sake, that you may gain him. And do you confess that by your sin against man you were lost; for if you were not lost, how has he gained you? Let none then make light of it when he sins against his brother.
CHRYS; In this it is made plain that enmities are a loss to both sides; for he said not, he has gained himself, but, you have gained him; which shows that both of you had suffered loss by your disagreement.
JEROME; For in saving another, salvation is gained for ourselves also.
CHRYS; What you should do if he does not yield is added, If he will not bear you, take with you one or two. For the more shameless and stubborn he shows himself, the more studious should we be of applying the medicine, and not turn to wrath and hate. As the physician, if he see that the disease does not abate, he does not slack, but redoubles his efforts to head. And observe how this reproof is not for revenge, but for correction, seeing his command is not to take two with him at first, but when he would not amend; and even then he does not send a multitude to him, but one or two, alleging the law, That in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may stand. This is that you may have witnesses that you have done all your part.
JEROME; Or it is to be understood in this way; If he will not hear you, take with you one brother only; if he yet will not hear, take a third, either from your zeal for his amendment, that shame or admonition may move him; or for the purpose of meeting before witnesses.
GLOSS; Or, that if he affirm that it is no trespass, that they may prove to him that it is a trespass.
JEROME; If yet he will not hear them, then it must be told to many, that he may be held in abhorrence; so that he who could not be saved by his own sense of shame, may be saved by public disgrace; whence it follows, If he will not hear them, tell it to the Church.
CHRYS; That is, to those that are over the Church.
GLOSS; Or, tell it to the whole Church, that his infamy may be the greater. After all these things follows excommunication, which ought to be inflicted by the mouth of the Church, that is, by the Priest, and when he excommunicates, the whole Church works with him; as it follows, And if he will not hear the Church, let him be to you as a heathen, and a publican.
AUG; That is, regard him no longer in the number of your brethren. Though even thus we are not to neglect his salvation; for the heathens themselves, that is, the gentiles and pagans, we do not indeed regard in the number of our brethren, yet we ever seek their salvation.
CHRYS; Yet the Lord enjoins nothing of this sort to be observed towards those w ho are without the Church, such as He does in reproving a brother. Of those that are without He says, If any smite you on the one cheek, offer to him the other also. as Paul speaks, What have I to do to judge them that are without? But brethren he bids us reprove, and turn away from.
JEROME; That He says, As a heathen and a publican, shows that he is to be more abhorred, who under the name of a believer does the deeds of an unbeliever, than those that are openly gentiles. Those He calls publicans, who pursue worldly gain, and levy contributions by trading, cheating, and villainous frauds, and perjuries.
ORIGEN; Let us look well whether this precept extends to all sin; for what if any one sin any of those sins which are to death, such as unnatural crimes, adultery, homicide, or effeminacy, it cannot be meant that such as these are to be admonished privately, and if he hear you, forthwith to say that you have gained him. And not rather first put him out of the Church, or only when remaining obstinate after monition before witnesses, and by the Church? One man, looking at the infinite mercy of Christ, will say, that since the words of Christ make no distinction of sins, it is to go against Christ's mercy to limit His words only to little sins. Another, on the other hand, considering the words carefully, will aver, that they are not spoken of every sin; for that he that is guilty of those great sins is not a brother, but is called a brother, with whom, according to the Apostle, we ought not so much as to eat.
But as they who expound this as referring to every sin give encouragement to the careless to sin; so, on the other hand, he, now teaches that one having sinned in little sins and such as are not deadly, is, when he has spurned the admonition of the witnesses and the Church, to be held as a heathen and a publican, seems to introduce too great severity. For whether he finally perishes, we are not able to decide. First, because he who has been thrice told of his fault and not hearkened, may hearken the fourth time; secondly, because sometimes a man does not receive according to his creeds, but beyond his trespass, which is good for him in this world; lastly, because He said not alone, Let him be as a heathen, but Let him be to you. Whoever then when reproved three times in a light trespass, does not amend, him we ought to hold for a heathen and a publican, avoiding him, that he may be brought to confusion. But whether he is esteemed of God also as a heathen and a publican, is not ours to decide, but is in the judgment of God.
18. I say to you, Whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
19. Again I say to you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
20. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
JEROME; Because He had said, If he will not hear the Church, let him be to you as a heathen, and a publican, whereupon the brother so contemned might answer, or think within himself, If you despise me, I also will despise you; if you condemn me, you shall be condemned by my sentence. He therefore confers powers upon the Apostles, that they may be assured that when any are condemned after this manner, the sentence of man is ratified by the sentence of God. Verily I say to you, Whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose upon the earth shall be loosed in heaven.
ORIGEN; He said not in the heavens (in caelis), as when He spoke to Peter, but in heaven (in caelis), for they are not yet attained to the like perfection with Peter.
HILARY; To hold out a great and terrible fear, by which all men should be reached in this present life, He pronounces that the judgment of the Apostles should be ratified, so that whoever they bound on earth, i.e. left entangled in the noose of sin, and whoever they loosed, i.e. accorded the pardon of God's mercy to their salvation, that these should be bound and loosed in heaven.
CHRYS; And be it noted, that He said not to the Primate of the Church, Bind such a man; but, If you shall bind him, the bonds shall be indissoluble, leaving the other to his discretion. And see how He has set the incorrigible person under the yoke of a twofold necessity; to wit, the punishment that is here, namely, the casting forth out of the Church, when He said, Let him be to you as a heathen; and the future punishment, saying, that he shall be bound in heaven; thus by the weight of his penalties lessening his brother's wrath against him.
AUG; Otherwise; When you begin to hold your brother as a publican you bind him on earth, but take heed that you bind him with just cause; for an unjust cause breaks rightful bonds. But when you have corrected him, and agreed with him, you have loosed him upon earth, and when you have loosed him upon earth, he shall be loosed also in heaven. You confer a great boon not on yourself, but on him, as he had done the hurt not to you but to himself.
GLOSS; But He holds out a ratification not only of sentences of excommunication, but of every petition which is offered by men holding together in the unity of the Church; for He adds, Again I say to you, that if two of you shall agree upon earth, whether in admitting a penitent, or casting out a forward person, touching any thing which they shall ask, any thing, that is, that is not against the unity of the Church, it shall be done for them by my Father which is in heaven. By saying, which is in heaven, He points Him out as above all, and therefore able to fulfill all that shall be asked of Him. Or, He is in the heavens, that is, with saints, proof enough that whatever worthy thing they shall ask shall be done to them, because they have with them Him of w whom they ask.
For this cause is the sentence of those that agree together ratified, because God dwells in them, For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
CHRYS; Or, because He had said, It shall be done to them by My Father; therefore, to show that He is the Giver together with His Father, He adds this, where two or three, &c.
ORIGEN; And He said not, I will be, but I am in the midst of them; because straightway, as soon as they have agreed together, Christ is found among them.
HILARY; For He who is peace and charity, will set His place and habitation in good and peaceable dispositions.
JEROME; Or otherwise; All His foregoing discourse had invited us to union; now to make us embrace peace more anxiously, He holds out a reward, promising to be in the midst of two or three.
CHRYS; Yet He said not barely, Where they are gathered together, but added, in my name, as much as to say, If any man look upon Me as the chief motive of his love to his neighbor, I will be with him, though his virtue be shown towards other men. How is it then that those who thus agree together do not obtain what they ask for? First, because they ask things not expedient, and because they do not bring on their parts that which they ought to contribute; wherefore He says, If two of you, that is, who show an evangelic conversation. Thirdly, because they pray seeking vengeance against those who have grieved them. And fourthly, because they seek mercy for sinners who ho have not repented.
ORIGEN; And this also is the reason why our prayers are not granted, because we do not agree together in all things upon earth, neither in doctrine, nor in conversation. For as in music, unless the voices are in time there is no pleasure to the hearer, so in the Church, unless they are united God is not pleased therein, nor does He hear their words.
JEROME; We may also understand this spiritually; where our spirit, soul, and body are in agreement, and have not, within them conflicting wills, they shall obtain from My Father every thing they shall ask; for none can doubt that that demand is good, where the body wills the same thing as the spirit.
ORIGEN; Or, In whatever the two testaments are in agreement, for this every prayer is found acceptable to God.
Catena Aurea Matthew 18
