From: Galatians 2:16, 19-21
Peter and Paul at Antioch (continued)
[19] For I through the law died to the law, that I might live to God. [20] I have been
crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the
life I know live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave
himself for me. [21] I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification were through
the law, then Christ died to no purpose.
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Commentary:
16. “All that shadowy observance”, St Augustine comments, “had to cease in
an unnoticed way, gradually, as the pace grew of the wholesome preaching of
the grace of Christ […], during the lifetime of that generation of Jews who had ex-
perienced the physical presence of our Lord and had lived through the apostolic
times. This sufficed to make it clear that those practices were not to be deemed
hateful or idolatrous. But neither were they to be kept up any longer than that, in
case people might hold them to be necessary, as if salvation came from them or
could not be obtained without them” (Letter 82, II, 15).
We might say that there are three periods in observance of the prescriptions of
the Law. In the first period, prior to Christ’s passion, the precepts of the Law were
“alive”, that is, it was obligatory to keep them. A second period was between the
Passion and the spread of apostolic preaching: the Law’s precepts were already
“dead”, no longer obligatory, but there were not “lethal”: Jewish converts could
keep them provided that they did not rely on them, for Christ was already the ba-
sis of their hope. In the third stage, in which we find ourselves, observance of Je-
wish precepts as a means of salvation amounts to denying the redemptive power
of Christ and therefore they could be termed “lethal” (cf. St Thomas Aquinas,
Commentary on Gal, ad loc.).
St Augustine uses a very interesting comparison: with the arrival of faith in Christ
the old “sacraments” of the Law come to resemble the dead – who merit respect
and honour. They should be interred with all the necessary ritual, religiously, re-
verently. They should not be thrown out, to be devoured by predators. But if a
Christian now wants to keep them in force “disturbing the ashes which lie at rest,
he would not be a pious son or a relative who keeps vigil at the grave, but an im-
pious profaner of tombs” (Letter 82, ibid.).
19-20. Through the sacrament of Baptism we have been united to Christ in a un-
ion which far exceeds mere solidarity of feeling: we have been crucified with him,
dying with him to sin, so as to rise reborn into a new life (cf. note on Rom 6: 3-8).
This new life requires us to live in a new, supernatural way, which with the help
of grace gradually becomes stronger and stronger and acts to perfect man’s be-
haviour: he is no longer living on a purely natural level. “That is why a Christian
should live as Christ lived, making the affections of Christ his own, so that he
can exclaim with St Paul: ‘It is now no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me’
[…] to such an extent that each Christian is not simply alter Christus: another
Christ, but ipse Christus: Christ himself!” (St. J. Escriva, Christ is Passing By,
103 and 104).
The life in Christ which the Apostle is speaking about here is not a matter of fee-
lings: it is something real which grace brings about: “Paul’s soul was in between
God and his body: his body was alive, and moved, thanks to the action of Paul’s
soul; but his soul drew its life from Christ’s action. Therefore, in referring to the
life of the flesh, which he was living, St Paul speaks of ‘the life I now live in the
flesh’; but as far as relationship with God was concerned, Christ it was who was
living in Paul, and therefore he says, ‘I live by faith in the Son of God’: it is he
who lives in me and makes me act” (St Thomas Aquinas Commentary on Gal,
ad loc.). This is why the Apostle goes as far as to say elsewhere, “to me to live
is Christ” (Phil 1:21).
All this is a consequence of Christ’s love: he freely gave himself up to death out
of love for each and every one of us. We, like St Paul, can come to appreciate,
through faith, that Christ’s passion affects us personally. Fro this faith will arise
that love which “has the power to effect union […], which inspires those who love
to leave where they are, and which does not allow them to stay the way they are,
but rather transforms them into the object of their love” (Pseudo-Dionysius, De di-
vinis nominibis, 4). People who are very keen on academic pursuits or on sports
often refer to these things as being “their life”. If someone pursues only his own
interest, he is living for himself. If, on the contrary, he seeks the good of others,
we say that he “lives for others”. Therefore, if we love Jesus and are united to
him, we will live “for” him, “by” him, “through” him. “Do you love the earth?”, St
Augustine exclaims. “You will be earth. Do you love God? What am I to say?
That you will be God? I almost don’t dare to say it, but Scripture says it, ‘You
are gods, sons of the Most High’ (Ps 82:6)” (In Epist. Ioann. ad Parthos, II, 14).
This profound truth should move us to devote ourselves to an asceticism motiva-
ted by love: “Let us hasten, therefore, full of spirit, to the fight, fixing our gaze on
the crucified Jesus, who from the Cross offers us his help and promises us victo-
ry and laurels. If we happened to stumble in the past, it was because we did not
keep before our eyes the wounds and disgrace which our Redeemer suffered and
because we did not seek his help. For the future, let us not cease to keep before
our eyes him who suffered on our account and who is ever-ready to come to our
aid […]; if we do so, we shall surely emerge victorious over our enemies” (St Al-
phonsus Mary Liguori, The Love of Jesus Christ, 3).
*********************************************************************************************
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: Luke 7:36 - 8:3
The Woman Who was a Sinner
[41] “A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii and the
other fifty. [42] When they could not pay, he forgave them both. Now which of
them will love him more?” [43] Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, to whom
he forgave more.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” [44] Then tur-
ning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered
your house, you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her
tears and wiped them with her hair. [45] You gave me no kiss, but from the time
I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. [46] You did not anoint my head
with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. [47] Therefore I tell you,
her sins, which are many, are forgiven little, for she loved much; but he who is
forgiven, loves little.” [48] And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” [49] Then
those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this,
who even forgives sins?” [50] And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved
you; go in peace.”
The Holy Women
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Commentary:
36-40. This woman, moved no doubt by grace, was attracted by Christ’s prea-
ching and by what people were saying about him.
When dining, people reclined on low divans leaning on their left arm with their
legs tucked under them, away from the table. A host was expected to give his
guest a kiss of greeting and offer him water for his feet, and perfumes.
41-50. In this short parable of the two debtors Christ teaches us three things—his
own divinity and his power to forgive sins; the merit the woman’s love deserves;
and the discourtesy implied in Simeon’s neglecting to receive Jesus in the con-
ventional way. Our Lord was not interested in these social niceties as such but
in the affection which they expressed; that was why he felt hurt at Simeon’s ne-
glect.
“Jesus notices the omission of the expression of human courtesy and refinement
which the Pharisee failed to show him. Christ is ‘erfectus Deus, perfectus homo’
(”Athanasian Creed”). He is perfect God, the second person of the Blessed Trini-
ty, and perfect man. He comes to save, not to destroy nature. It is from him that
we learn that it is unchristian to treat our fellow men badly, for they are creatures
of God, made in his image and likeness (Gen 1:26)” (St. J. Escriva, “Friends of
God”, 73).
Moreover, the Pharisee was wrong to think badly of this sinner and of Jesus: re-
ckoning that Christ did not know anything about her, he complained inwardly.
Our Lord, who could read the secret thoughts of men (which showed his divinity),
intervened to point out to him his mistake. True righteousness, says St Gregory
the Great (cf. “In Evangelia Homiliae”, 33), is compassionate; whereas false righ-
teousness is indignant. There are many people like this Pharisee: forgetting that
they themselves were or are poor sinners, when they see other people’s sin they
immediately become indignant, instead of taking pity on them, or else they rush
to judge them or sneer at them. They forget what St Paul says: “Let any one who
thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor 10:12); “Brethren, if any man
is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit
of gentleness [...]. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ”
(Gal 6:1-2).
We should strive to have charity govern all our judgments. Otherwise, we will ea-
sily be unjust towards others. “Let us be slow to judge. Each one see things from
his own point of view, as his mind, with all its limitations, tells him, and through
eyes that are often dimmed and clouded by passion.... Of what little worth are
the judgments of men! Don’t judge without sifting your judgment in prayer” (St. J.
Escriva, “The Way”, 451).
Charity and humility will allow us to see in the sins of others our own weak and
helpless position, and will help our hearts go out to the sorrow of every sinner
who repents, for we too would fall into sins as serious or more serious if God in
his mercy did not stay by our side.
“It was not the ointment that the Lord loved”, St Ambrose comments, “but the af-
fection; it was the woman’s faith that pleased him, her humility. And you also, if
you desire grace, increase your love; pour over the body of Jesus Christ your faith
in the Resurrection, the perfume of the holy Church and the ointment of charity
towards others” (”Expositio Evangelii sec. Lucam, in loc.”).
47. Man cannot merit forgiveness for his sins because, since God is the offended
party, they are of infinite gravity. We need the sacrament of Penance, in which
God forgives us by virtue of the infinite merits of Jesus Christ; there is only one in-
dispensable condition for winning God’s forgiveness—our love, our repentance. We
are pardoned to the extent that we love; when our heart is full of love there is no
longer any room in it for sin because we have made room for Jesus, and he says
to us as he said to this woman, “Your sins are forgiven.” Repentance is a sign
that we love God. But it was God who first loved us (cf.1 Jn 4:10). When God for-
gives us he is expressing his love for us. Our love for God is, then, always a res-
ponse to his initiative. By forgiving us God helps us to be more grateful and more
loving towards him. “He loves little”, St Augustine comments, “who has little for-
given. You say that you have not committed many sins: but why is that the case?
[...] The reason is that God was guiding you [...]. There is no sin that one man
commits, which another may not commit also unless God, man’s maker, guides
him” (”Sermon”, 99, 6). Therefore, we ought to fall ever more deeply in love with
our Lord, not only because he forgives us our sins but also because he helps us
by means of his grace not to commit them.
50. Jesus declares that it was faith that moved this woman to throw herself at
his feet and show her repentance; her repentance wins his forgiveness. Similar-
ly, when we approach the sacrament of Penance we should stir up our faith in
the fact that it is “not a human but a divine dialogue. It is a tribunal of divine jus-
tice and especially of mercy, with a loving judge who ‘has no pleasure in the
death of the wicked; I desire that the wicked turn back from his way and live’
(Ezek 33:11)” (St. J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 78).
1-3. The Gospel refers a number of times to women accompanying our Lord.
Here St Luke gives us the name of three of them – Mary, called Magdalene, to
whom the risen Christ appeared beside the holy sepulchre (Jn 20:11-18; Mk 16:
9); Joanna, a lady of some position, whom we also meet among the women who
went to the tomb on the morning of the Resurrection (Lk 24:10), and Susanna,
whom the Gospel does not mention again. The role of these women consisted
in helping Jesus and his disciples out of their own resources, thereby showing
their gratitude for what Christ had done for them, and in cooperating his his mini-
stry.
Men and women enjoy equal dignity in the Church. Within the context of that
equality, women certainly have specific characteristics which must necessarily
be reflected in their role in the Church: “All the baptized, men and women alike,
share equally in the dignity, freedom and responsibility of the children of God….
Women are called to bring to the family, to society and to the Church, charac-
teristics which are their own and which they alone can give – their gentle warmth
and untiring generosity, their love for detail, their quick-wittedness and intuition,
their simple and deep piety, their constancy. . . . A woman’s femininity is gen-
uine only if she is aware of the beauty of this contribution for which there is no
substitute – and if she incorporates it into her own life” (St. J. Escriva, Conver-
sations, 14 and 87).
The Gospel makes special reference to the generosity of these woman. It is nice
to know that our Lord availed himself of their charity, and that they responded to
him with such refined and generous detachment that Christian women feel filled
with a holy and fruitful envy (cf. St. J. Escriva, The Way, 981).
*********************************************************************************************
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.