Lessons 1 - 3 from the Divine Office of Monday of Passion Week (Monday in the Fifth Week of Lent) John 7: 32-39; From Treatise 31 on John by St. Augustine the Bishop.
Lessons 1 - 3 from the Divine Office of Monday of Passion Week (Monday in the Fifth Week of Lent) John 7: 32-39; From Treatise 31 on John by St. Augustine the Bishop.
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At that time, the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take Jesus. Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto Him that sent Me. Ye shall seek Me, and shall not find Me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come. Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will He go, that we shall not find Him? will He go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles? What manner of saying is this that He said, Ye shall seek Me, and shall not find Me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come? In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive.
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How could they take Him until such time as He willed to be taken? But if they could not take Him until He willed to be taken, then these words must mean that the officers were sent to watch His teaching. And what was this teaching? Then said Jesus unto them: Yet a little while am I with you. That is, What ye now seek to do, ye shall do after a little while, but it is contrary to My will that ye should do it now. And why is it contrary to My will? Because yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto Him that sent me. First I must fulfil that which I am sent to do, and thus attain unto My Passion.
Then the Lord added : Ye shall seek Me, and shall not find me; and where I am, thither ye cannot come. In these words He foretold that He would rise from the dead, and that as long as He was with them, they would not acknowledge Him; but that afterwards, when they saw that the multitude already believed in Him, they would seek after Him. For great were the signs which were wrought when the Lord rose again, and ascended up into heaven. Great also were the signs which were afterwards wrought through the disciples. Yea, He that wrought great signs by Himself, wrought the very same also by them, according as He had said: Without Me ye can do nothing. When that lame man (who was laid daily at the temple gate which was called Beautiful) stood up at the voice of Peter and walked on his feet, so that all the people were filled with wonder, then Peter bade them know that it was not by his own power that he had made him to walk, but by the power of Him Whom they had killed. It was in such wise that many were pricked in their heart, and said: What shall we do?
For they saw that they were burdened with the guilt of an exceeding great sin of impiety, in that they had killed Him Whom it was their duty to worship and adore. For such guilt they knew of no propitiation. Yea, their sin was indeed exceeding great, and the consideration of it made them to despair. But they needed not to despair, seeing that the Lord, when He hung upon the Cross, was pleased to pray for them, saying: Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. At that hour He saw amongst the many that were aliens some that were His own. For such He asked forgiveness, albeit as yet He had received from them nought but insult. For He took no thought that He was dying by them, but only that He was dying for them.