Catena Aurea by St. Thomas Aguinas
John CHAP. 8
8:1–111. Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.
2. And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.
3. And the Scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,
4. They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.
5. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
6. This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
7. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
8. And again He stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
9. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
10. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
11. She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
ALCUIN. Our Lord at the time of His passion used to spend the day in Jerusalem, preaching in the temple, and performing miracles, and return in the evening to Bethany, where He lodged with the sisters of Lazarus. Thus on the last day of the feast, having, according to His wont, preached the whole day in the temple, in the evening He went to the mount of Olives.
AUGUSTINE. (Tract. xxxiii. 3) And where ought Christ to teach, except on the mount of Olives; on the mount of ointment, on the mount of chrism. For the name Christ is from chrism, chrism being the Greek word for unction. He has anointed us, for wrestling with the devil.
ALCUIN. The anointing with oil is a relief to the limbs, when wearied and in pain. The mount of Olives also denotes the height of our Lord’s pity, olive in the Greek signifying pity. The qualities of oil are such as to fit in to this mystical meaning. For it floats above all other liquids: and the Psalmist says, Thy mercy is over all Thy works. And early in the morning, He came again into the temple: (Ps. 144) i. e. to denote the giving and unfolding of His mercy, i. e. the now dawning light of the New Testament in the faithful, that is, in His temple. His returning early in the morning, signifies the new rise of grace.
BEDE. And next it is signified, that after He began to dwell by grace in His temple, i. e. in the Church, men from all nations would believe in Him: And all the people came to Him, and He sat down and taught them.
ALCUIN. The sitting down, represents the humility of His incarnation. And the people came to Him, when He sat down, i. e. after taking up human nature, and thereby becoming visible, many began to hear and believe on Him, only knowing Him as their friend and neighbour. But while these kind and simple persons are full of admiration at our Lord’s discourse, the Scribes and Pharisees put questions to Him, not for the sake of instruction, but only to entangle the truth in their nets: And the Scribes and Pharisees brought unto Him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, they say unto Him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.
AUGUSTINE. (Tract. xxxiii. s. 4) They had remarked upon Him already, as being over lenient. Of Him indeed it had been prophesied, Ride on because of the word of truth, of meekness, and of righteousness. (Ps. 44) So as a teacher He exhibited truth, as a deliverer meekness, as a judge righteousness. When He spoke, His truth was acknowledged; when against His enemies He used no violence, His meekness was praised. So they raised the scandal on the score of justice. For they said among themselves, If He decide to let her go, He will not do justice; for the law cannot command what is unjust: Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but to maintain His meekness, which has made Him already so acceptable to the people, He must decide to let her go. Wherefore they demand His opinion: And what sayest Thou? hoping to find an occasion to accuse Him, as a transgressor of the law: And this they said tempting Him, that they might have to accuse Him. But our Lord in His answer both maintained His justice, and departed not from meekness. Jesus stooped down, and with His finger wrote on the ground.
AUGUSTINE. (de Con. Evang. lib. ii. c. 10) As if to signify that such persons were to be written in earth, not in heaven, where He told His disciples they should rejoice they were written. Or His bowing His head (to write on the ground), is an expression of humility; the writing on the ground signifying that His law was written on the earth which bore fruit, not on the barren stone, as before.
ALCUIN. The ground denotes the human heart, which yieldeth the fruit either of good or of bad actions: the finger jointed and flexible, discretion. He instructs us then, when we see any faults in our neighbours, not immediately and rashly to condemn them, but after searching our own hearts to begin with, to examine them attentively with the finger of discretion.
BEDE. His writing with His finger on the ground perhaps shewed, that it was He who had written the law on stone.
So when they continued asking Him, He lifted Himself up.
AUGUSTINE. (Tract. xxxiii. 5) He did not say, Stone her not, lest He should seem to speak contrary to the law. But God forbid that He should say, Stone her; for He came not to destroy that which He found, but to seek that which was lost. What then did He answer? He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. This is the voice of justice. Let the sinner be punished, but not by sinners; the law carried into effect, but not by transgressors of the law.
GREGORY. For he who judges not himself first, cannot know how to judge correctly in the case of another. For though He know what the offence is, from being told, yet He cannot judge of another’s deserts, who supposing himself innocent, will not apply the rule of justice to himself.
AUGUSTINE. (Tract. xxxiii. 5) Having with the weapon of justice smitten them, He deigned not even to look on the fallen, but averted His eyes: And again He stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
ALCUIN. This is like our Lord; while His eyes are fixed, and He seems attending to something else, He gives the bystanders an opportunity of retiring: a tacit admonition to us to consider always both before we condemn a brother for a sin, and after we have punished him, whether we are not guilty ourselves of the same fault, or others as bad.
AUGUSTINE. (Tract. xxxiii. s. 5) Thus smitten then with the voice of justice, as with a weapon, they examine themselves, find themselves guilty, and one by one retire: And they which heard it, went out one by one, beginning at the eldesta.
GLOSS. The more guilty of them, perhaps, or those who were more conscious of their faults.
AUGUSTINE. (Tract. xxxiii. 5, 6) There were left however two, the pitiable1 and the pitiful, And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst: the woman, you may suppose, in great alarm, expecting punishment from one in whom no sin could be found. But He who had repelled her adversaries with the word of justice, lifted on her the eyes of mercy, and asked; When Jesus had lifted Himself up, and saw none but the woman, He said unto her, Woman, where are these thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. We heard above the voice of justice; let us hear now that of mercy: Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee; I, who thou fearedst would condemn thee, because thou foundest no fault in me. What then, Lord? Dost Thou favour sin? No, surely. Listen to what follows, Go, and sin no more. So then our Lord condemned sin, but not the sinner. For did He favour sin, He would have said, Go, and live as thou wilt: depend on my deliverance: howsoever great thy sins be, it matters not: I will deliver thee from hell, and its tormentors. But He did not say this. Let those attend, who love the Lord’s mercy, and fear His truth. Truly, Gracious and righteous is the Lord. (Ps. 35:7)
Catena Aurea John 8
Saint of the Day for March 18
(c. 315 – March 18, 386)
Saint Cyril of Jerusalem’s Story
The crises that the Church faces today may seem minor when compared with the threat posed by the Arian heresy, which denied the divinity of Christ and almost overcame Christianity in the fourth century. Cyril was to be caught up in the controversy, accused of Arianism by Saint Jerome, and ultimately vindicated both by the men of his own time and by being declared a Doctor of the Church in 1822.
Raised in Jerusalem and well-educated, especially in the Scriptures, he was ordained a priest by the bishop of Jerusalem and given the task during Lent of catechizing those preparing for Baptism and catechizing the newly baptized during the Easter season. His Catecheses remain valuable as examples of the ritual and theology of the Church in the mid-fourth century.
There are conflicting reports about the circumstances of his becoming bishop of Jerusalem. It is certain that he was validly consecrated by bishops of the province. Since one of them was an Arian, Acacius, it may have been expected that his “cooperation” would follow. Conflict soon rose between Cyril and Acacius, bishop of the rival nearby see of Caesarea. Cyril was summoned to a council, accused of insubordination and of selling Church property to relieve the poor. Probably, however, a theological difference was also involved. He was condemned, driven from Jerusalem, and later vindicated, not without some association with and help from Semi-Arians. Half his episcopate was spent in exile; his first experience was repeated twice. He finally returned to find Jerusalem torn with heresy, schism and strife, and wracked with crime. Even Saint Gregory of Nyssa, who was sent to help, left in despair.
They both went to the Council of Constantinople, where the amended form of the Nicene Creed was promulgated in 381. Cyril accepted the word consubstantial—that is, Christ is of the same substance or nature as the Father. Some said it was an act of repentance, but the bishops of the Council praised him as a champion of orthodoxy against the Arians. Though not friendly with the greatest defender of orthodoxy against the Arians, Cyril may be counted among those whom Athanasius called “brothers, who mean what we mean, and differ only about the word consubstantial.”
Reflection
Those who imagine that the lives of saints are simple and placid, untouched by the vulgar breath of controversy, are rudely shocked by history. Yet, it should be no surprise that saints, indeed all Christians, will experience the same difficulties as their Master. The definition of truth is an endless, complex pursuit, and good men and women have suffered the pain of both controversy and error. Intellectual, emotional, and political roadblocks may slow up people like Cyril for a time. But their lives taken as a whole are monuments to honesty and courage.
franciscanmedia.org
NAVARRE BIBLE COMMENTARY (RSV)
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (To the Greater Glory of God)
First Reading:
From: Daniel 13:1-9. 15-17, 19-30, 33-62
The Two Corrupt Elders
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[1] There was a man living in Babylon whose name was Joakim. [2] And he took a wife named Susanna, the daughter of Hillkiah, a very beautiful woman and one who feared the Lord. [3] Her parents were righteous, and had taught their daughter according to the law of Moses. [4] Joakim was very rich, and had a spacious garden adjoining his house; and, the Jews used to come to him because he was the most honored of them all.
[5] In that year two elders from the people, were appointed as judges. Concerning them the Lord had said: “Iniquity came forth from Babylon, from elders who were judges, who were supposed to govern the people.” [6] These men were frequently at Joakim’s house, and all who had suits at law came to them.
[7] When the people departed at noon, Susanna would go into her husband’s garden to walk. [8] The two elders used to see her every day, going in and walking about, and they began to desire her. [9] And they perverted their minds and turned away their eyes from looking to Heaven or remembering righteous judgments.
Susanna Condemned to Death
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[15] Once, while they were watching for an opportune day, she went in as before with only two maids, and wished to bathe in the garden, for it was very hot. [16] And no one was there except the two elders, who had hid themselves and were watching her. [17] She said to her maids, “Bring, me oil and ointments, and shut the garden doors so that I may bathe."
[19] When the maids had gone out, the two elders rose and ran to her, and said: [20] “Look, the garden doors are shut, no one sees us, and we are in love with you; so give your consent, and lie with us. [21] If you refuse, we will testify against you that a young man was with you, and this was why you sent your maids away?"
[22] Susanna sighed deeply, and said, “I am hemmed in on every side. For if I do this thing, it is death for me; and if I do not, I shall not escape your hands. [23] I choose not to do it and to fall into your hands, rather than to sin in the sight of the Lord.”
[24] Then Susanna cried out with a loud voice, and the two elders shouted against her. [25] And one of them ran and opened, the garden doors. [26] When the household servants heard the shouting in the garden, they rushed in at the side door to see what had happened to her. [27] And when the elders told their tale, the servants were greatly ashamed for nothing like this had ever been said about Susanna.
[28] The next day, when the people gathered at the house of her husband Joakim, the two elders came, full of their wicked plot to have Susanna put to death. [29] They said before the people, “Send for Susanna, the daughter of Hilkiah, who is the wife of Joakim.” [30] So they sent for her. And she came, with her parents, her children, and all her kindred.
[33] But her family and friends and all who saw her wept.
[34] Then the two elders stood up in the midst of the people, and laid their hands upon her head. [35] And she, weeping, looked up toward heaven, for her heart trusted in the Lord. [36] The elders said, “As we were walking in the garden alone, this woman came in with two maids, shut the garden doors, and dismissed the maids. [37] Then a young man, who had been hidden, came to her and lay with her. [38] We were in a corner of the garden and when we saw this wickedness we ran to them. [39] We saw them embracing, but we could not hold the man, for he was too strong for us, and he opened the doors and dashed out. [40] So we seized this woman and asked her who the young man was, but she would not tell us. These things we testify.”
[41] The assembly believed them because they were elders of the people and judges; and they condemned her to death.
[42] Then Susanna cried out with a loud voice, and said, “O eternal God, who dost discern what is secret, who art aware of all things before they come to be.” [43] Thou knowest that these men have borne false witness against me. And now I am to die! Yet I have done none of the things that they have wickedly invented against me!”
[44] The Lord heard her cry.
Daniel Intervenes
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[45] And as she was being led away to be put to death, God aroused the holy spirit of a young lad named Daniel; [46] and he cried with a loud voice, “I am innocent of the blood of this woman.”
[47] All the people turned to him, and said, “What is this that you have said?” [48] Taking his stand in the midst of them, he said, “Are you such fools, you Sons of Israel? Have you condemned a daughter of Israel without examination and without learning the facts? [49] Return to the place of judgment. For these men have borne false witness against her.”
[50] Then all the people returned in haste. And the elders said to him, “Come, sit among us and inform us, for God has given you that right.” [51] And Daniel said to them, “Separate them far from each other, and I will examine them.”
[52] When they were separated from each other, be summoned one of them and said to him, “You old relic of wicked days, your sins have now come home, which you have committed in the past, [53] pronouncing unjust judgments, condemning the innocent and letting the guilty go free, though the Lord said, “Do not put to death an innocent and righteous person” [54] Now then, if you really saw her, tell me this: Under what tree did you see them being intimate with each other?” He answered, “Under a mastic tree." [55] And Daniel said, “Very well! You have lied against your own head for the angel of God has received the sentence from God and will immediately cut you in two.”
[56] Then he put him aside, and commanded them to bring the other. And he said to him, “You offspring of Canaan and not of Judah, beauty has deceived you and lust has perverted your heart. [57] This is how you both have been dealing with the daughters of Israel, and they were intimate with you through fear; but a daughter of Judah would not endure your wickedness. [58] Now then, tell me: "Under what tree did you catch them being intimate with each other?” He answered, “Under an evergreen oak.” [59] And Daniel said to him, “Very well! You also have lied against your own head, for the angel of God is waiting with his sword to saw you in two, that he may destroy you both.”
[60} Then all the assembly shouted loudly and blessed God, who saves those who hope in him. [61] And they rose against the two elders for out of their own mouths Daniel had convicted them of bearing false witness; [62] and they did to them as they had wickedly planned to do to their neighbor; acting in accordance with the law of Moses, they put them to death. Thus innocent blood was saved that day.
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Commentary:
13:1-14:42. These chapters which, as we have said, are to be found only in the Greek manuscripts, form an end-piece to the book of Daniel that has been passed down to the Church. It fits in with the rest of the book because it, too, has Daniel as the main protagonist; but here he is not an interpreter of dreams or a seer of visions: he is a judge raised up by God to save the innocent (chap. 13), a wise man who shows how ridiculous it is to worship idols, as pagans do (chap. 14). Taken together, these two chapters set at the end of the book show that life goes on and that God ensures that justice is done, and that he exposes idols for what they are.
13:1-64. The episode of Daniel in the lions’ den, and this story of Susanna, with its well-drawn characters and scenarios, are the two most popular passages in the book of Daniel. The Susanna story is set in a Jewish community, and it forms an independent narrative; it probably existed on its own originally, independent of the other stories in the book. The version of Theodotion puts it at the start of the book, to act as an introduction to Daniel, whose name in fact means “God is my judge”. There are notable differences between the Septuagint and the Theodotion texts, in the latter, the emphasis is put on Susanna's innocence, in the former, it is on the wickedness of the two elders. Throughout the book of Daniel we have been shown that Daniel knows the secrets about the End, in the story of Susanna we see that he can read men’s hearts and judge accordingly.
Some Fathers of the Church read this story as an allegory. St Hippolytus, for example, writes: "Susanna suffered at the hands of the elders what we still suffer today from the kings Of Babylon. Susanna is a figure of the Church; Joakim, of Christ. The garden beside their house is an image of the dwelling-place of the faithful, who are planted like fruitful trees in the Church. Babylon is the power of this world. The two elders stand for the two enemies of the Church--the Jews and the pagans. The words, [they] "were judges, who were supposed to govern the people", mean that they handed down unjust sentences against the just” ("Commentarium In Danielem", 1, 15).
13:1-14: This passage describes the context of the story--a well-to-do Jewish family, all God-fearing people. Susanna could be taken as a symbol of Israel. And then there two wicked judges, who are supposed to give people leadership. These two elders may have some link with the two false prophets who committed adultery and who are denounced in Jeremiah 29:21-23. The point is clearly made that what leads them astray is lust. A work attributed to St John Chrysostom comments on this passage: “If no passion undermines and corrupts it, the soul will remain clean and unstained. But if he does not guard his eyes, and looks at whatever he wants around him in the world, [...] the poison of desire will enter through a man’s sight and strike to the bottom of his heart; and he who once a sober and modest man will be overwhelmed by a whirlwind of passions” ("De Susanna", col. 591).
13:15-44. The dramatic tension reaches its climax with the sentence passed on Susanna. Faced with the dilemma of saving her life by sinning against the Lord, or dying by staying faithful to her husband and to God, Susanna opts for the second course of action. She is a model for the the people in the trials they have to endure. She cannot prove her innocence to the people, but she can certainly assert it to God, who knows all hidden things; and then she waits (v. 42). “How often does the trickery of those moved by envy and intrigue force many noble Christians. into the same corner? They are offered only one choice--offend God or ruin their reputation. The only acceptable and upright solution is, at the same time, highly painful. Yet they must decide: ‘Let me rather fall into your power through no act of mine, than commit sin in the Lord’s sight’ (St Josemaria Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 68).
13:45-64. Nothing can be hidden from God (“He is a great eye, ever watchful: nothing that happens in the world can be hidden from him”: St Hippolytus, "Commentarium In Danielem", 1, 33) and his judgments are just and true. Here he acts by rousing the spirit of prophecy (here called “the holy spirit”) in Daniel, who as a young man is very different to the elders. Daniel criticizes the people for being taken in so easily by the elders, and he convinces them to reopen the case. He tries to discover the truth, without being overawed by the seniority of the two judges. He uses a simple trick to divine the truth. All come to see that Susanna is a virtuous woman, true to her husband. She thus becomes a symbol of Israel’s faithfulness to her God. In the earlier part of the book Daniel was esteemed by foreign kings; now the text shows that his own people, too, hold him in high regard. This is a further reason for accepting the revelations made through him.
Gospel Reading: From: John 8:1-11
Different Opinions About Jesus (Continuation)
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[1] But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
The Adulterous Woman
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[2] Early in the morning He came again to the temple; all the people came to Him, and He sat down and taught them. [3] The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst [4] they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. [5] Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such. What do you say about her?" [6] This they said to test Him, that they might have some charge to bring against Him. Jesus bent down and wrote with His finger on the ground. [7] And as they continued to ask Him, He stood up and said to them, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her." [8] And once more He bent down and wrote with His finger on the ground. [9] But when they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the eldest, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before Him. [10] Jesus looked up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" [11] She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and do not sin again."
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Commentary:
1-11. This passage is absent from many ancient codexes, but it was in the Vulgate when the Magisterium, at the Council of Trent, defined the canon of Sacred Scripture. Therefore, the Church regards it as canonical and inspired, and has used it and continues to use it in the liturgy. It is also included in the New Vulgate, in the same position as it occupied before.
St. Augustine said that the reason doubts were raised about the passage was that it showed Jesus to be so merciful that some rigorists thought it would lead to a relaxation of moral rules--and therefore many copyists suppressed it from their manuscripts (cf. "De Coniugiis Adulterinis", 2, 6).
In commenting on the episode of the woman caught in adultery Fray Luis de Granada gives these general considerations on the mercy of Christ: "Your feelings, your deeds and your words should be akin to these, if you desire to be a beautiful likeness of the Lord. And therefore the Apostle is not content with telling us to be merciful; he tells us, as God's sons, to put on `the bowels of mercy' (cf. Colossians 3:12). Imagine, then, what the world would be like if everyone arrayed themselves in this way.
"All this is said to help us understand to some degree the great abundance of the goodness and compassion of our Savior, which shine forth so clearly in these actions of His, for [...] in this life we cannot know God in Himself; we can know Him only through His actions. [...] But it should also be pointed out that we should never act in such a way in view of God's mercy, that we forget about His justice; nor should we attend to His justice forgetting about His mercy; for hope should have in it an element of fear, and fear an element of hope" ("Life of Jesus Christ", 13, 4).
1. We know that on a number of occasions our Lord withdrew to the Mount of Olives to pray (cf. John 18:2; Luke 22:39). This place was to the east of Jerusalem; the Kidron Valley (cf. John 18:1) divided it from the hill on which the temple was built. It had from ancient times been a place of prayer: David went there to adore God during the difficult period when Absalom was in revolt (2 Samuel 15:32), and there the prophet Ezekiel contemplated the glory of Yahweh entering the temple (Ezekiel 43:1-4). At the foot of the hill there was a garden, called Gethsemane or "the place of the oil-press", an enclosed plot containing a plantation of olive trees. Christian tradition has treated this place with great respect and has maintained it as a place of prayer. Towards the end of the fourth century a church was built there, on whose remains the present church was built. There are still some ancient olive trees growing there which could well derive from those of our Lord's time.
6. The question put by the scribes and Pharisees has a catch: our Lord had often shown understanding to people they considered sinners; they come to Him now with this case to see if He will be equally indulgent--which will allow them to accuse Him of infringing a very clear precept of the Law (cf. Leviticus 20:10).
7. Jesus' reply refers to the way stoning was carried out: those who witnessed the crime had to throw the first stones, and then others joined in, to erase the slur on the people which the crime implied (cf. Deuteronomy 17:7). The question put to Jesus was couched in legal terms; He raises it to the moral plane (the basis and justification of the legal plane), appealing to the people's conscience. He does not violate the law, St. Augustine says, and at the same time He does not want to lose what He is seeking--for He has come to save that which was lost: "His answer is so full of justice, gentleness and truth. [...] O true answer of Wisdom. You have heard: Keep the Law, let the woman be stoned. But how can sinners keep the Law and punish this woman? Let each of them look inside himself and enter the tribunal of his heart and conscience; there he will discover that he is a sinner. Let this woman be punished, but not by sinners; let the Law be applied, but not by its transgressors" (St. Augustine, "In Ioann. Evang.", 33, 5).
11. "The two of them were left on their own, the wretched woman and Mercy. But the Lord, having smitten them with the dart of justice, does not even deign to watch them go but turns His gaze away from them and once more writes on the ground with His finger. But when the woman was left alone and they had all gone, He lifted up His eyes to the woman. We have already heard the voice of justice; let us now hear the voice of gentleness. I think that the woman was the more terrified when she heard the Lord say, `Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her,' [...] fearing now that she would be punished by Him, in whom no sin could be found. But He, who had driven away her adversaries with the tongue of justice, now looking at her with the eyes of gentleness asks her, `Has no one condemned you?' She replies, `No one, Lord.' And He says, `Neither do I condemn you; I who perhaps you feared would punish you, because in Me you have found no sin.' Lord, can it be that You favor sinners? Assuredly not. See what follows" `Go and sin no more.' Therefore the Lord also condemned sin, but not the woman' (St. Augustine, "In Ioann. Evang.", 33, 5-6).
Jesus, who is the Just One, does not condemn the woman; whereas these people are sinners, yet they pass sentence of death. God's infinite mercy should move us always to have compassion on those who commit sins, because we ourselves are sinners and in need of God's forgiveness.
