Jour 3 de 33

Matthew 7:1—14

[1] Nolite judicare, ut non judicemini.[2] In quo enim judicio judicaveritis, judicabimini : et in qua mensura mensi fueritis, remetietur vobis.  
[3] Quid autem vides festucam in oculo fratris tui, et trabem in oculo tuo non vides? [4] aut quomodo dicis fratris tuo : Sine ejiciam festucam de oculo tuo, et ecce trabs est in oculo tuo? [5] Hypocrita, ejice primum trabem de oculo tuo, et tunc videbis ejicere festucam de oculo fratris tui. 
[6] Nolite dare sanctum canibus : neque mittatis margaritas vestras ante porcos, ne forte conculcent eas pedibus suis, et conversi dirumpant vos. 
[7] Petite, et dabitur vobis : quaerite, et invenietis : pulsate, et aperietur vobis. [8] Omnis enim qui petit, accipit : et qui quaerit, invenit : et pulsanti aperietur. [9] Aut quis est ex vobis homo, quem si petierit filius suus panem, numquid lapidem porriget ei? [10] aut si piscem petierit, numquid serpentem porriget ei?
[11] Si ergo vos, cum sitis mali, nostis bona data dare filiis vestris : quanto magis Pater vester, qui in caelis est, dabit bona petentibus se? [12] Omnia ergo quaecumque vultis ut faciant vobis homines, et vos facite illis. Haec est enim lex, et prophetae. 
[13] Intrate per angustam portam : quia lata porta, et spatiosa via est, quae ducit ad perditionem, et multi sunt qui intrant per eam. [14] Quam angusta porta, et arcta via est, quae ducit ad vitam : et pauci sunt qui inveniunt eam! 

Jesus teaches His disciples. JJ Tissot. Brooklyn Museum

Notes

[1] Judge not, that you may not be judged,

• 632. ... and now as regards judgments. First, therefore, he ordains that there be not rash judgment, and he says, do not judge, i.e., out of the bitterness of hatred; you have turned judgment into bitterness (Amos 6:13). 
• Or in this way: do not judge as regards those things which are not entrusted to our judgment. Judgment is the Lord’s; he has charged us to judge about exterior things, but he has reserved the interior things for himself. Therefore do not judge about these things. Therefore do not judge before the time (1 Cor 4:5); the heart is perverse above all things, and unsearchable, who can know it? (Jer 17:9–10), for no one should judge about another that he is a bad man; for the doubtful things should be interpreted on the good side. 
• Likewise, judgment should be fitting as regards the person of the one judging. Hence if you are in the same sin, or a greater, you should not judge; for wherein you judge another, you condemn yourself (Rom 2:1).

[2] For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged: and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again. 

• 633. There follows for with what judgment you judge, you will be judged, i.e., you will be judged for what judgment you judged. His sorrow will be turned on his own head (Ps 7:17). And below, all who take the sword will perish with the sword (Matt 26:52).
• Or in this way: those who judge should fear, lest the Lord permit them to be punished with the same judgment, woe to you that spoil, will not you yourself also be spoiled? (Isa 33:1).

[3] And why seest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye; and seest not the beam that is in thy own eye? [4] Or how sayest thou to thy brother: Let me cast the mote out of thy eye; and behold a beam is in thy own eye? [5] Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam in thy own eye, and then shalt thou see to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

• 637. But it is asked whether one who is in mortal sin can correct another. And why do you see the mote, a light sin, in your brother’s eye, i.e., in his conscience, and do not see the beam, i.e., a grave sin, in your own eye? By the beam and the mote he teaches us to consider the quantity of sins: for often those who commit grave sins reproach those who commit light sins.
• Chrysostom: with what spirit does a man love another more than himself? For if you correct him in the spirit of correction, first correct yourself; but you do this out of hatred, or for vainglory. 
•  637. But it is asked whether one who is in mortal sin can correct another. I say that either he was in sin at some time, or not: if he was never in sin, he should fear lest he fall, and therefore he should correct another reluctantly; if he was in sin at some time, he should reproach another with meekness. And perhaps the Lord permitted Peter to fall for this reason, he who was to be the pastor of the Church, so that he might bear himself more gently toward sinners. And Paul says about Christ, for we have not a high priest, who cannot have compassion on our infirmities: but one tempted in all things like as we are, without sin (Heb 4:15).

[6] Give not that which is holy to dogs; neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest perhaps they trample them under their feet, and turning upon you, they tear you.

• Therefore one should note what is signified by holy things, and what by pearls. Augustine: the holy things are the inviolate and unstained things to be safe-guarded; and the pearls are precious things which should not be despised. The dogs, which wound with their teeth, signify heretics; the pigs, which trample with their feet, signify the unclean. So to give holy things to the dogs is to supply holy things to heretics. Likewise, if something spiritual is said and it is despised, it is given to pigs.
• Or, holy things signify the ecclesiastical sacraments; pearls, the mysteries of truth. The dog is an animal entirely unclean; the pig is partly unclean, partly not. The dogs signify infidels; the pigs signify those faithful who are evil. Do not give therefore that which is holy to dogs, i.e., do not give the sacraments to infidels. Pearls, i.e., the spiritual senses, should not be given to pigs; but the sensual man does not perceive these things that are of the Spirit of God (1 Cor 2:14), i.e., lest perhaps he should despise them. A soul that is full will tread upon the honeycomb (Prov 27:7). Hence turning to sin, they tear you, because they despise you, or bring in a false accusation.

[7] Ask, and it shall be given you: seek, and you shall find: knock, and it shall be opened to you.

•  641. He says then, ask. And see that two false opinions are removed by this. (a) The first is that of the proud, who think to fulfill the precepts by their own powers. But he says that it is necessary to ask it from God. Or what have you that you have not received? (1 Cor 4:7). (b) Likewise, he removes the opinion of many who say that God does not attend to prayers, and that they would not obtain if they were to ask; so he adds, and it will be given to you.
• It is explained following Augustine, by referring to those things Christ said of himself: I am the way, and the truth, and the life (John 14:6): if you wish to travel on this way, ask of him, that he may direct your ways, saying with the Psalmist, show, O Lord, your ways to me, and teach me your paths (Ps 24:4). If you wish to know the truth, seek, and you will find; but it is not enough to be familiar with the path, and to seek the truth, unless we come to life, i.e., knock, that you may enter into it; hence, you will bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of your inheritance (Exod 15:17).
  Likewise, in another way, it is explained by referring to diverse actions, ask by praying, seek by studying, knock by working.

[8] For every one that asketh, receiveth: and he that seeketh, findeth: and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.  

• I say that there are four cases in which a man asks and is not heard. 
• (1) For either he asks what is not expedient; you do not know what you ask (Matt 20:22); so one should ask for what is necessary for salvation. 
• (2) Likewise, second, because he does not ask well; you ask, and receive not; because you ask amiss (Jas 4:3); so one should ask piously, i.e., with faith.   Again, one should ask humbly; hence, he has regarded the humility of his handmaid (Luke 1:48). Again, piously, i.e., devoutly. Likewise, sometimes he is not heard when he prays for another whose merits speak against the prayer; Moses and Samuel will stand before me, my soul is not towards this people (Jer 15:1). 
• (3)  Likewise, he is not heard because he does not persevere; and he spoke also a parable to them, that we ought always to pray (Luke 18:1), and perseveringly, because the Lord desires that the desire should grow. 
• (4) Likewise it happens that the Lord hears, but it is not seen, because the Lord gives what is useful, and not what is desired, as happened to Paul. Augustine: the Lord is good, who often does not give what we ask, that he may give what we would prefer: and because we ourselves call him ‘Father,’ he gives us what a father would give to a son.
  

[9] Or what man is there among you, of whom if his son shall ask bread, will he reach him a stone? [10] Or if he shall ask him a fish, will he reach him a serpent?

• By bread is understood Christ; I am the living bread which came down from heaven (John 6:51). Likewise, the bread is sacred doctrine; with the bread of life and understanding, she will feed him (Sir 15:3). Likewise, charity; and the bread of the corn of the land will be most plentiful, and fat (Isa 30:23).
• On the other hand, the stone is the devil; his heart will be as hard as a stone (Job 41:15). Similarly, the stone names hardness; hence it is said: I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and will give you a heart of flesh (Ezek 36:26). It also names false teaching; the stone also that is in the dark and the shadow of death the flood divides (Job 28:3). Hence if someone asks God, as a Father, for bread, i.e., Christ, he will not give him the devil.
• Or the fish name the faith, which hides under water, i.e., under the protection of the spirit; but by the serpent is understood the false doctrines of the heretics. He says then, or if he will ask him for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 
• The other Evangelist sets down a third, namely an egg (Luke 11:12). In this way, by bread is understood charity, by fish is understood faith, and by the egg, hope.

[11] If you then being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children: how much more will your Father who is in heaven, give good things to them that ask him?

• But someone will say: he said this to the apostles, who were not evil. And Chrysostom resolves it: indeed they were, in comparison to the divine goodness. As it is written: all our justices as the rag of a menstruous woman (Isa 64:6). Jerome says: even if not all are evil according to deed, yet all are evil according to an inclination to evil. Hence it is said, and God seeing that the wickedness of men was great on the earth, and that all the thought of their heart was bent upon evil at all times (Gen 6:5). And, behold every one of you walks after the perverseness of his evil heart (Jer 16:12).

[12] All things therefore whatsoever you would that men should do to you, do you also to them. For this is the law and the prophets. [13] Enter ye in at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there are who go in thereat. [14] How narrow is the gate, and strait is the way that leadeth to life: and few there are that find it!

• 649. Enter in at the narrow gate. Lest perhaps someone should think that because he had said, ask, and it will be given to you, that a man would get everything from God without good works, he teaches that this also comes about through good works.
•  650. He says then, enter in, i.e., make an effort at entering in.
• Augustine explains this in two ways. Christ is the gate; I am the door (John 10:9), because without him no one comes to the kingdom. This gate is narrow through humility, because he humbled himself even unto death. And so it is necessary for us. Hence, through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God (Acts 14:21).
• Similarly, this gate is called charity; this is the gate of the Lord, the just will enter into it (Ps 117:20). This is the narrow divine law; and through this we should enter by keeping the law and the precepts.
• This gate is wide, because that which receives all is wide; for there is nothing which would fill it. Likewise, this gate names iniquity or vice; and this is wide, because it happens in many ways. For virtue is said in one way, but vice in many ways; cursing, and lying, and killing, and theft, and adultery have overflowed, and blood has touched blood (Hos 4:2). .And many there are who go in there. Here he touches upon the number, because literally, the number of fools is infinite (Sir 1:15).
• 653. And few there are who find it! Here he mentions that the discovery of the way of the spirit is difficult and rare, but not the discovery of the way of the flesh. And there is a reason: because the way of the flesh is pleasure, and this is ready at hand; but the way of the spirit is hidden. Hence, O how great is the multitude of your sweetness, O Lord, which you have hidden for those who fear you! (Ps 30:20). For since it is hidden, few there are who find it! But some also find it, and fall back, of whom it is said, no man putting his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God (Luke 9:62).

Prières

Veni Creator Spiritus (for chant, see here).
Ave Maris Stella
Magnificat (for choral version see here, starting at 30 minutes).
Gloria