First Reading — Genesis 27:1-5, 15-29
Philo of Alexandria
On 27:20
XVII. Let us then, with reference to our gratitude to and honouring of the omnipotent God, be active and ready, deprecating all sluggishness and delay ; for those who are passing over from obedience to the passions to the contemplation of virtue, are enjoined to keep the passover with their loins girded up, being ready to do service, and binding up the burden of the flesh, or, as it is expressed, their shoes, " standing upright, and firmly on their feet, and having in their hands a staff, "f that is to say education, with the object of succeeding without any failure in all the affairs of life ; and lastly, " to eat the passover in haste." For, by the passover, is signified the crossing over of the created and perishable being to God : — and very appropriately ; for there is no single good thing which does not belong to God, and which is not divine. Seek it therefore, quickly, 0 my soul ! as did that practiser of contemplation, Jacob, who, when his father asked him, " Howfound you this so quickly, 0 my son?" J answered, with a doctrine concealed underneath his words, " The Lord God brought it before me." For he, being well skilled in many matters, knew that whatever creation bestows on the soul is Exodus xii. 34. f Exodus xii. 11. J Genesis xxvii. 20. confirmed by long time, as those men know who give to their pupils arts, and lessons in arts : for their case is not like that of men who pour water into a vessel, they are not in a moment able to fill their minds with the lessons which have been brought before them. But when the fountain of wisdom, that is to say, God, gives knowledge of the sciences to the race of mankind, he gives it to them without any limitation of time. But they, as being disciples of the only wise Being, and being competent by nature, quickly accomplish the discovery of the things which they seek to understand. XYIII. But the principal virtue of pupils is to endeavour to imitate their perfect master, as far as those who are imperfect can imitate a perfect man. But the master is more rapid than any time, which did not even co-operate with him when he was creating the universe, since it is plain that time itself was created at the same moment that the world was made. For God, while he spake the word, did at the same moment create ; nor did he allow anything to come between the word and the deed ; and if one may advance a doctiine which is pretty nearly true, His word is his deed. But among the race of mankind nothing is more easily moved than the word ; for by its rapidity and by the volubility of its nouns and verbs, it outstrips even the comprehension which hastens to overtake them. As, therefore, everlasting springs, which are poured down in rivers, have a course which never ceases, the stream as it comes on continually taking up the cessation of the waves which have preceded, so too the abundant flow of words, when they begin to be poured forth, keep pace with the most swiftly-moving of all the qualities which are in us, namely, the mind, which can itself outstrip even flying natures. As therefore the uncreated God outstrips all creation, so also does the word of the uncreated God outrun the word of creation, and is borne on with exceeding swiftness in the clouds. On which account God speaks freely, saying. " Now you shall see, because my word shall overtake you." As the divine word can outstrip and overtake everything, but if his word can thus outstrip everything, much more can he who utters it, as he testifies in another place, where he says, " Here am I, I stood here before you."f For he declares here that he stood before any created being : and lie who is here is also there, Numbers xi. 23. t Exodus xvi. 6. 222 and in other places, and every where, having filled every place in every direction, and having left nothing whatever destitute of himself: for he does not say, " Here I stand and there, but now also when I am present do I stand there also at the same moment ;" not being moved or changing his place so as to occupy one place and to quit another, but using one intense motion. Very properly therefore do his subject children, imitating the nature of their father, do all that is right without any delay, and with all diligence, their most excellent employment being the paying prompt and unremitting honour to God.
On 27:20
XXXI. There are also particular gifts which it is suitable both to God to give, and to men to receive. And these must be the virtues and the energies in accordance with them, at the discovery of which, being almost without any connexion with time, by reason of the surpassing rapidity of the giver which he is accustomed to exhibit in his gifts, every one is full of admiration, even those to whom nothing else in the world appears great. On which account also, the question is put, " How didst thou find it so quickly, O my son? "t the questioner marvelling at the promptness of the virtuous disposition; and he who has received the benefit answers felicitously, " Because the Lord God gave it to me." For the gifts and explanations of men are slow, but those of God are most rapid, outstripping the motion of even the most speedy time. Therefore those who by their strength and courage have become chiefs and leaders of the chorus which raises the song of triumph and of gratitude, are those who have been already mentioned ; but those who, by reason of having been put to flight, and of their weakness, are companions of the song of lamentation which is raised on occasion of defeat, are men whom one ought to look upon as cowards, rather than to pity ; like those who have a body labouring under some natural defect, to whom any ordinary occasion of sickness is a great hindrance to their cure. But some persons have succumbed contrary to their inclinations, not because the energies of their souls are more effeminate, but because they have been overwhelmed by the more vigorous strength of their adversaries ; and imitating those who are willing slaves, they have voluntarily cast themselves down before either masters, though they were freemen by birth ; on which account being unable to be sold they have, which is the most incredible of all things, bought masters for themselves and so become slaves, doing the very same thing with those who are insatiably eager for drunkenness with wine; for they This passage is certainly corrupt. Markland thinks that some words at least have been lost, f Genesis xxvii. 20. ON DRUNKENNESS. 479 also of their own free will and without any compulsion, drink unmixed wine, so that of their own accord they eradicate sobriety from their souls, and choose folly ; for, says the scripture, " I hear the voice of those who are beginning revelry and drunkenness;" that is to say, of men who are exhibiting a madness which is not involuntary, but who injure themselves with a voluntary and deliberate frenzy.
Responsorial Psalm — Psalm 135:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6
Augustine of Hippo
On 134:1
Very pleasant ought it be to us, and we should rejoice because it is pleasant, to which this Psalm exhorts us. For it says, "Praise the name of the Lord" [Psalm 135:1]. And it immediately appends the reason, why it is just to praise the name of the Lord. "Praise the Lord, you servants." What more just? What more worthy? What more thankful?...For if He teaches His own servants who have deserved well of Him, the preachers of His Word, the rulers of His Church, the worshippers of His name, the obeyers of His command, that in their own conscience they should possess the sweetness of their life, lest they be corrupted by the praise or disheartened by the reproach of men; how much the more is He above all, the unchangeable One, who teaches these things, neither the greater if you praise, or the less if you reproach. For you will do nothing out of place, by praising your Lord, as servants. And if you were to be for ever only servants, you ought to praise the Lord; how much more ought ye servants to praise the Lord, that you may hereafter gain the privilege of sons?
On 134:2
...Therefore, "Ye who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God, praise the Lord" (ver. 2). Be thankful; ye were without, and ye stand within. Since then ye stand, is it a small thing for you to think where He should be praised, who raised you when you were cast down, and caused you to stand in His house, to know Him, and to praise Him? Is it a small boon, that we stand in the house of the Lord? ...If one thinks of this, and is not unthankful, he will utterly despise himself in comparison with the love of his Lord, who hath done so great things for him. And since he hath nothing wherewith to repay God for so great benefits, what remains for him but to give Him thanks, not to repay Him? It belongs to the very act of thanksgiving, to "receive the cup of the Lord, and to call upon His name." For what can the servant repay the Lord for all that He hath given him?
On 134:2
But you say to me, "What am I going to do? If there will be no use for my members there, what am I going to do?" Does existing, seeing, loving, praising seem idleness to you? Behold! These holy days that are celebrated after the resurrection of the Lord signify the life that is to come after our resurrection. For just as the forty days before Easter symbolized the life full of suffering in this mortal period of distress, so these joyful days point to the future life, where we are destined to reign with the Lord. The life that is signified by the forty days before Easter is our burden now; the life that is symbolized by the fifty days after Easter is not possessed now but is an object of hope and is loved while it is hoped for. By that very love we praise God, who promised this eternal life to us, and our praises are Alleluias. For what does "Alleluia" mean? It is a Hebrew word signifying "praise God," allelu meaning "praise" and Ia meaning "God." Therefore, by our "Alleluia" we cry out, "Praise God," and we arouse one another to praise God. We sing praises to God, we chant our "Alleluias" with hearts attuned to harmony far better than with the chords of the lyre. When we have sung our praises, impelled by our weakness we withdraw to refresh our bodies. Why do we do this, except because we are faint? Furthermore, the weakness of the flesh is so great and the annoyance of this life so oppressive that everything, no matter how great it be, eventually leads to aversion. When these days were drawing to a close, how we longed for those of the coming year, and with how much eagerness we approached them after a lapse of time! But, if we were given the command "Sing Alleluias without ceasing," we would excuse ourselves. Why? Because in our weariness we would not be able to do so, because even in the face of such a good we would be overcome by our distaste. There [in the risen life] no weakness, no aversion will exist. Stand and give praise, you "who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God." Why do you question what you are going to do there? The psalmist says, "Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord; they shall praise you forever and ever."
On 134:3
What reason shall I give why you should praise Him? "Because the Lord is good" (ver. 3). Briefly in one word is here explained the praise of the Lord our God. "The Lord is good;" good, not in the same manner as the things which He here made are good. For God made all things very good; not only good, but also very good. He made the sky and earth, and all things which are in them good, and He made them very good. If He made all these things good, of what sort is He who made them? ...How far can we speak of His goodness? Who can conceive in his heart, or apprehend how good the Lord is? Let us however return to ourselves, and in us recognise Him, and praise the Maker in His works, because we are not fit to contemplate Him Himself. And in hope that we may be able to contemplate Him, when our heart hath been purified by faith, that hereafter it may rejoice in the Truth; now as He cannot be seen by us, let us look at His works, that we may not live without praising Him.
On 134:4
"For the Lord has chosen Jacob to Himself, Israel for His own possession" [Psalm 135:4]....Let not Jacob therefore extol himself, let him not boast himself, or ascribe it to his own merits. He was known before, predestinated before, elected before, not elected for his own merits, but found out, and gifted with life by the grace of God. So with all the Gentiles; for how did the wild-olive deserve, that it should be grafted in, from the bitterness of its berries, the barrenness of its wildness? It was the wood of the wilderness, not of the Lord's field, and yet He of His mercy grafted the wild-olive into the (true) olive. But up to this time the wild-olive was not grafted in.
On 134:5
..."Because," says he, "I know that the Lord is great, and our God is above all gods" [Psalm 135:5]. If we should say to him, we ask thee, explain to us His greatness; would he not perchance answer us, He whom I see is not so very great, if He be able to be expounded by me. Let him then return to His works, and tell us. Let him hold in his conscience the greatness of God, which he has seen, which he has committed to our faith, whither he could not lead our eyes, and enumerate some of the things which the Lord hath done here; that unto us, who cannot see His greatness as he can, He may become sweet through the works of His which we can comprehend....
On 134:6
"All whatsoever the Lord willed, He made in the heaven, and in the earth, in the sea, and in all its deep places" [Psalm 135:6]. Who can comprehend these things? Who can enumerate the works of the Lord in the heaven and earth, in the sea, and in all deep places? Yet if we cannot comprehend them all, we should believe and hold them without question, because whatever creature is in heaven, whatever is in earth, whatever is in the sea and in all deep places, has been made by the Lord. ...
On 134:6
But since I said that the Omnipotent can only not do what he does not will, lest anyone thinks I rashly said that the Omnipotent cannot do anything, the blessed Apostle also said: If we do not believe, he remains faithful, he cannot deny himself. But because he does not will it, he cannot, for he cannot will it. For justice cannot will to do what is unjust, wisdom cannot will what is foolish, nor can truth will what is false. Hence we are admonished that God is omnipotent, not only in what the Apostle says: He cannot deny himself, but in many things he cannot. Behold, I say, and dare to say in his truth, which I do not dare to deny: God the Omnipotent cannot die, cannot change, cannot be deceived, cannot become miserable, cannot be overcome. These and similar things, far be it from the Omnipotent to be able to do. And therefore, not only does the truth show that he is omnipotent because he cannot do these things, but it also compels the truth to state that he is not omnipotent who can do these things. For God is whatever he wills to be; therefore he is eternal, immutable, truthful, blessed, and invincible as he wills to be. Therefore, if he can be what he does not will, he is not omnipotent; but he is omnipotent, therefore he can do whatever he wills. And thus, what he does not will, he cannot be; for which reason he is called omnipotent, because he can do whatever he wills. Of whom the Psalm also says: In heaven and on earth, he has done all that he willed.
On 134:6
It is not, then, to be doubted that men's wills cannot, so as to prevent His doing what he wills, withstand the will of God, "who hath done all things whatsoever He pleased in heaven and in earth," and who also "has done those things that are to come;" since He does even concerning the wills themselves of men what He will, when He will. Unless, perchance (to mention some things among many), when God willed to give the kingdom to Saul, it was so in the power of the Israelites, as it certainly was placed in their will, either to subject themselves or not to the man in question, that they could even prevail to withstand God. God, however, did not do this, save by the will of the men themselves, because he beyond doubt had the most omnipotent power of inclining men's hearts whither it pleased Him. For thus it is written: "And Samuel sent the people away, and every one went away unto his own place. And Saul went away to his house in Gibeah: and there went away with Saul mighty men, whose hearts the Lord touched. And pestilent children said, Who shall save us? This man? And they despised him, and brought him no presents." Will any one say that any of those whose hearts the Lord touched to go with Saul would not have gone with him, or that any of those pestilent fellows, whose hearts He did not touch to do this, would have gone?
Gospel — Matthew 9:14-17
Hilary of Poitiers
On 9:14
By these examples He shews that neither our souls nor bodies, being so weakened by inveteracy of sin, are capable of the sacraments of the new grace.
On 9:15
Figuratively; This His answer, that while the Bridegroom was present with them, His disciples needed not to fast, teaches us the joy of His presence, and the sacrament of the holy food, which none shall lack, while He is present, that is, while one keeps Christ in the eye of the mind. He says, they shall fast when He is taken away from them, because all who do not believe that Christ is risen, shall not have the food of life. For in the faith of the resurrection the sacrament of the heavenly bread is received.