Cornelius a Lapide

Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God ; i.e., in the resurrection of the just, of which Christ had made mention in the preceding verse. & Cyril in the Catena, says, “ This man was carnal, for he thought the reward of the saints was to be bodily.” He must therefore have been one of the Pharisees, for they believe in the resurrection, which the Sadducees deny. Acts xxiii. 8. For in heaven God feeds, satisfies, and fills (inebriat) the blessed with all delights. So the Psalmist : “ I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Thy likeness. Ps. xviL 15. And again, “They shall be satisfied with the plenteousness of Thy house, and Thou shalt give them drink of Thy pleasures as out of the river.” Ps. xxxvi. 8. This joy & Augustine describes at length in his Soliloquies and Meditations. Mystically “He was sighing for something which was afar off, and the bread itself was lying before him. For who is that Bread of the kingdom of God but He who says, I am the living bread which came down from heaven.” S. John vi 51. VQL vi. z Digitized by Google 354 Yer. 1 6. Thai He said unto him , A certain man made a great supper. This parable is very similar to that recorded by S. Matthew. See commentary on S. Matt xxii. 2. But you will ask, What was this supper? 1. Some understand by it, the incarnation of the Word of God, the preaching of His Gospel, and the redemption wrought by Him. For this is the great supper to which Christ, when He became incarnate, invited us. S. Matthew calls it a dinner. It is a dinner as regards the Church Militant ; a supper with respect to the Church Triumphant In this sense Leonidas addressed his comrades before the battle : “ Let us dine, fellow-soldiers, for we shall sup in the nether (or rather the upper) world.” For the Church Militant here on earth is striving eagerly to attain the Church Triumphant in Heaven. 2. S. Cyril, in the Catena , understands the Eucharist by the supper. “ The man,” he says, “ is God the Father, who has prepared for us a great supper in Christ, for He has given us His own body to eat Whence the Church makes choice of this parable for the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament” 3. But in its literal sense, the supper is the happiness and glory of heaven. It is called a supper, because it will be given in the evening, i.e. at the end of the world, when life and its troubles are over : because, also, it will be our only and everlasting refreshment. The great supper, says S. Gregory (Hon u 36), is the full enjoyment of eternal sweetness ; for after it no guest is cast out. A great. For nothing greater than it can be imagined, since God Himself will be our food and feast. Hence, Euthymius says, “ Hereby is signified the unspeakable fruition of God, who will fulfil the utmost expectations of the blessed. For 1 eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.’ ” 1 Cor. ii. 9. And bade many : e.g.9 the whole nation of the Jews, who were the Church and the chosen people of God, and specially their rulers, who were bidden to “ repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” S. Matt iil 2