Glossa Ordinaria — Commentary on Scripture

Matthew 9:1-8

(ap. Anselm.) These words That ye may know, may be either Christ's words, or the Evangelist's words. As though the Evangelist had said, They doubted whether He could remit sins, But that ye may know that the Son of Man hath the power to remit sins, he saith to the paralytic. If they are the words of Christ, the connection will be as follows; You doubt that I have power to remit sins, But that ye may know that the Son of Man hath power to remit sins—the sentence is imperfect, but the action supplies the place of the consequent clause, he saith to the paralytic, Rise, take up thy bed.

(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274) Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Matthew 9:9-13

(ap. Anselm.) He says, sitting at the receipt of custom, that is, in the place where the tolls were collected. He was named Telonarius, from a Greek word signifying taxes. (non occ.) Matthew places his calling among the miracles; for a great miracle it was, a Publican becoming an Apostle. (ap. Anselm.) As a meet return for the heavenly mercy, Matthew prepared a great feast for Christ in his house, bestowing his temporal goods on Him of whom he looked to receive everlasting goods. It follows, And it came to pass as he sat at meat in the house. (ap. Anselm.) The Publicans were they who were engaged in public business, which seldom or never can be carried on without sin. And a beautiful omen of the future, that he that was to be an Apostle and doctor of the Gentiles, at his first conversion draws after him a great multitude of sinners to salvation, already performing by his example what he was shortly to perform by word. (ord.) Tertullian says that these must have been Gentiles, because Scripture says, There shall be no payer of tribute in Israel, as if Matthew were not a Jew. But t…

(ap. Anselm.) He says, sitting at the receipt of custom, that is, in the place where the tolls were collected. He was named Telonarius, from a Greek word signifying taxes.

(non occ.) Matthew places his calling among the miracles; for a great miracle it was, a Publican becoming an Apostle.

(ap. Anselm.) As a meet return for the heavenly mercy, Matthew prepared a great feast for Christ in his house, bestowing his temporal goods on Him of whom he looked to receive everlasting goods. It follows, And it came to pass as he sat at meat in the house.

(ap. Anselm.) The Publicans were they who were engaged in public business, which seldom or never can be carried on without sin. And a beautiful omen of the future, that he that was to be an Apostle and doctor of the Gentiles, at his first conversion draws after him a great multitude of sinners to salvation, already performing by his example what he was shortly to perform by word.

(ord.) Tertullian says that these must have been Gentiles, because Scripture says, There shall be no payer of tribute in Israel, as if Matthew were not a Jew. But the Lord did not sit down to meat with Gentiles, being more especially careful not to break the Law, as also He gave commandment to His disciples below, Go not into the way of the Gentiles.

(ap. Anselm.) Yet does not God contemn sacrifice, but sacrifice without mercy. But the Pharisees often offered sacrifices in the temple that they might seem to men to be righteous, but did not practise the deeds of mercy by which true righteousness is proved.

(ap. Anselm.) Or; Those who were righteous, as Nathanael and John the Baptist, were not to be invited to repentance. Or. I came not to call the righteous, that is, the feignedly righteous, those who boasted of their righteousness as the Pharisees, but those that owned themselves sinners.

(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274) Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Matthew 9:14-17

(ap. Anselm.) When He had replied to them respecting eating and converse with sinners, they next assault Him on the matter of food; Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but thy disciples fast not?

(ap. Anselm.) As much as to say, An undressed patch, that is, a new one, ought not to be put into an old garment, because it often takes away from the garment its wholeness, that is, its perfection, and then the rent is made worse. For a heavy burden laid on one that is untrained often destroys that good which was in him before.

(non occ.) This shows that the Apostles being hereafter to be replenished with newness of grace, ought not now to be bound to the old observances.

(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274) Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Matthew 9:18-22

(ap. Anselm.) This must be understood as the time in which she touched the hem of His garment, not in which Jesus turned to her; for she was already healed, as the other Evangelists testify, and as may be inferred from the Lord's words.

(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274) Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Matthew 9:23-26

(non occ.) After the healing of the woman with the issue of blood, follows the raising of the dead; And when Jesus was come into the ruler's house.

(non occ.) The fame, namely, of the greatness and novelty of the miracle, and its established truth; so that it could not be supposed to be a forgery.

(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274) Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Matthew 9:36-38

(non occ.) He taught in their synagogues the Gospel of the Kingdom, as it follows, Preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom.

(ap. Anselm.) By disease we may understand complaints of long standing, by sickness any lesser infirmity.

(ap. Anselm.) Or, troubled by dæmons, and sick, that is, benumbed and unable to rise; and though they had shepherds, yet they were as though they had them not.

(ap. Anselm.) The harvest are those men who can be reaped by the preachers, and separated from the number of the damned, as grain is beaten out from the chaff that it may be laid up in granaries.

(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274) Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Matthew 10:1-4

(ord.) From the healing of Peter's wife's mother to this place there has been a continued succession of miracles; and they were done before the Sermon upon the Mount, as we know for certain from Matthew's call, which is placed among them; for he was one of the twelve chosen to the Apostleship upon the mount. He here returns to the order of events, taking it up again at the healing of the centurion's servant; saying, And calling to him his twelve disciples.

(vid. Greg. Hom. in Ev. xvii. 1.) And this doubling seems to have some reference to the two precepts of charity, or to the two Testaments.

(non occ.) They are named two and two to express their union as yoke-fellows.

(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274) Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Matthew 10:5-8

(non occ.) Because the manifestation of the Spirit, as the Apostle speaks, is given for the profit of the Church, after bestowing His power on the Apostles, He sends them that they may exercise this power for the good of others; These twelve Jesus sent forth. (non occ.) When He sends them, He teaches them whither they should go, what they should preach, and what they should do. And first, whither they should go; Giving them commandment, and saying, Go ye not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not; hut go ye rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. (ap. Anselm.) The Samaritans were Gentiles who had been settled in the land of Israel by the king of Assyria after the captivity which he made. They had been driven by many terrors to turn to Judaism, and had received circumcision and the five books of Moses, but renouncing every thing else; hence there was no communication between the Jews and the Samaritans. (non occ.) Having told them to whom they should go, He now introduces what they should preach; Go and preach, saying, The kingdom of…

(non occ.) Because the manifestation of the Spirit, as the Apostle speaks, is given for the profit of the Church, after bestowing His power on the Apostles, He sends them that they may exercise this power for the good of others; These twelve Jesus sent forth.

(non occ.) When He sends them, He teaches them whither they should go, what they should preach, and what they should do. And first, whither they should go; Giving them commandment, and saying, Go ye not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not; hut go ye rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

(ap. Anselm.) The Samaritans were Gentiles who had been settled in the land of Israel by the king of Assyria after the captivity which he made. They had been driven by many terrors to turn to Judaism, and had received circumcision and the five books of Moses, but renouncing every thing else; hence there was no communication between the Jews and the Samaritans.

(non occ.) Having told them to whom they should go, He now introduces what they should preach; Go and preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

(non occ.) This He says, that Judas who had the bag might not use the above power for getting money; a plain condemnation of the abomination of the simoniacal heresy.

(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274) Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Matthew 10:9-10

(non occ.) Whence He adds, Neither money in your purses. For there are two kinds of things necessary; one is the means of buying necessaries, which is signified by the money in their purses; the other the necessaries themselves, which are signified by the scrip.

(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274) Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Matthew 10:11-15

(interlin.) As much as to say, Pray ye for peace upon the master of the house, that all resistance to the truth may be pacified.

(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274) Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Matthew 10:16-18

(ap. Anselm.) Ye have indeed need to be wise as serpents, for, as they are wont to do, they will deliver you to councils, forbidding you to preach in My name; then if ye be not corrected, they will scourge you, and at length ye shall be brought before kings and governors.

(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274) Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Matthew 10:21-22

(ap. Anselm.) Having placed the comfort first, He adds the more alarming perils; Brother shall deliver up brother to death, and the father the son; children shall rise against parents, to put them to death.

(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274) Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Matthew 10:24-25

(ord.) As much as to say, Be not indignant that ye suffer things, which I also suffer, because I am your lord, who do what I will, and your master, who teach you what I know to be profitable for you.

(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274) Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Matthew 10:26-28

(ord.) Otherwise; What I say unto you while you are yet held under carnal fear, that speak ye in the confidence of truth, after ye shall be enlightened by the Holy Spirit; what you have only heard, that preach by doing the same, being raised above your bodies, which are the dwellings of your souls.

(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274) Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Matthew 10:34-36

(interlin.) Or connect it with what has gone before, As the fear of death ought not to draw you away, so neither ought carnal affection.

(interlin.) Otherwise; He means, I am not come among men to strengthen their carnal affections, but to cut them off with the sword of the Spirit; whence it is rightly added, And a man's foes are they of his household.

(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274) Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Matthew 10:37-39

(non occ.) It seems to happen in many cases that the parents love the children more than the children love the parents; therefore having taught that His love is to be preferred to the love of parents, as in an ascending scale, He next teaches that it is to be preferred to the love of children, saying, And whoso loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274) Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Matthew 10:40-42

(non occ.) Note, that God looks more to the pious mind of the giver, than to the abundance of the thing given.

(ord.) Or, the least are they who have nothing at all in this world, and shall be judges with Christ.

(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274) Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Matthew 11:1-6

(non occ.) The Evangelist had shown above how by Christ's miracles and teaching, both His disciples and the multitudes had been instructed; he now shows how this instruction had reached even to John's disciples, so that they seemed to have some jealousy towards Christ; John, when he had heard in his bonds the works of Christ, sent two of his disciples to say unto him, Art thou he that should come, or look we for another?

(non occ.) But it ought to be observed, that Jerome and Gregory did not say that John was to proclaim Christ's coming to the world beneath, to the end that the unbelievers there might be converted to the faith, but that the righteous who abode in expectation of Christ, should be comforted by His near approach.

(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274) Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Matthew 11:7-10

(interlin.) That is, shall open the hearts of Thy hearers by preaching repentance and baptizing.

(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274) Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Matthew 11:11-15

(non occ.) That what He had last said should not lead any to suppose that John was an alien from the kingdom of heaven, He corrects this by adding, From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.

(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274) Catena Aurea by Aquinas