Bede the Venerable: Passover, Pentecost and Jubilee Monday, May 20 2013

Behold how the Jewish feast of the Law is a foreshadowing of our feast today.

When the children of Israel had been freed from slavery in Egypt by the offering of the paschal lamb, they journeyed through the desert toward the Promised Land, and they reached Mount Sinai.

On the fiftieth day after the Passover, the Lord descended upon the mountain in fire, and with the sound of a trumpet and with thunder and lightning, He gave them the ten commandments of the Law.

[...] We already know that the Passover Lamb and the deliverance from Egypt foreshadow the death of Christ and our deliverance from sin, as it is written: “Christ our Passover Lamb is sacrificed for us” (1 Cor 5:7).

He is “the true Lamb Who has taken away the sins of the world” (John 1:29), Who has redeemed us from the slavery of sin at the price of His blood, and by the example of His resurrection has shown us the hope of life and everlasting liberty.

The Law was given on the fiftieth day after the slaying of the lamb, when the Lord descended upon the mountain in fire; likewise on the fiftieth day after the resurrection of our Redeemer, which is today, the grace of the Holy Spirit, descending in the outward appearance of fire, was given to the disciples as they were assembled in the upper room.

The height of the mountain, and the elevation of the upper room, both indicate the sublimity of the commands and of the gifts.

At the sealing of the first covenant, the people remained at the base of the mountain, a handful of elders went partway up, and only Moses ascended to the summit.

At the sealing of the second covenant, the whole community of God’s people was gathered at the summit, in the upper room.

[...] In the law, the fiftieth year was ordered to be called the Year of Jubilee. During that year, all debts were to be cancelled, all slaves to be set free, the very beasts of burden to be eased from their yokes, and the year given over to celebrating the Divine praises.

Therefore, by this number is rightly indicated the tranquillity of that greatest peace when, at the sound of the trumpet, the dead shall be raised imperishable, and we shall all be changed into glory.

Then, when we are freed from every yoke of sin…the entire company of the people of God will give themselves over to contemplating the Heavenly Vision, and the command of the Lord will be fulfilled: “Be still, and know that I am God.”

The Venerable Bede (672/4-735): Homily on the Feast of Pentecost @ Society of Archbishop Justus.

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Bede the Venerable: St Cuthbert and the Otters Wednesday, Mar 20 2013

March 20^th is the Feast of St Cuthbert (c 635-687)

When this holy man (St Cuthbert) was thus acquiring renown by his virtues and miracles, Ebbe, a pious woman and handmaid of Christ, was the head of a monastery at a place called the city of Coludi, remarkable both for piety and noble birth, for she was half-sister of King Oswy.

She sent messengers to the man of God, entreating him to come and visit her monastery. This loving message from the handmaid of his Lord he could not treat with neglect, but, coming to the place and stopping several days there, he confirmed, by his life and conversation, the way of truth which he taught.

Here also, as elsewhere, he would go forth, when others were asleep, and having spent the night in watchfulness return home at the hour of morning-prayer.

Now one night, a brother of the monastery, seeing him go out alone, followed him privately to see what he should do.

But he when he left the monastery, went down to the sea, which flows beneath, and going into it, until the water reached his neck and arms, spent the night in praising God.

When the dawn of day approached, he came out of the water, and, falling on his knees, began to pray again.

Whilst he was doing this, two quadrupeds, called otters, came up from the sea, and, lying down before him on the sand, breathed upon his feet, and wiped them with their hair after which, having received his blessing, they returned to their native element.

Cuthbert himself returned home in time to join in the accustomed hymns with the other brethren.

The brother, who waited for him on the heights, was so terrified that he could hardly reach home; and early in the morning he came and fell at his feet, asking his pardon, for he did not doubt that Cuthbert was fully acquainted with all that had taken place.

To whom Cuthbert replied, “What is the matter, my brother? What have you done? Did you follow me to see what I was about to do? I forgive you for it on one condition – that you tell it to nobody before my death.”

In this he followed the example of our Lord, who, when He showed his glory to his disciples on the mountain, said, “See that you tell no man, until the Son of man be risen from the dead.”

When the brother had assented to this condition, he gave him his blessing, and released him from all his trouble. The man concealed this miracle during St. Cuthbert’s life; but, after his death, took care to tell it to as many persons as he was able.

The Venerable Bede (672/4-735): Life of St Cuthbert, 10 @ Mediaeval Sourcebook.

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Bede the Venerable: Christ Dwells in the Hearts of His Chosen Ones through the Grace of His Love Friday, Mar 15 2013

(The Latin phrase “miserando atque eligendo” used by Bede to describe the way in which Jesus looked on Matthew is the episcopal motto of Pope Francis.)

Jesus saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax office, and he said to him: Follow me. Jesus saw Matthew  more with the interior gaze of his love than with corporal eyes.

He saw the tax collector and, because he saw him through the eyes of mercy and chose him (miserando atque eligendo), he said to him: Follow me.

This following meant imitating the pattern of his life – not just walking after him. St. John tells us: Whoever says he abides in Christ ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

And he rose and followed him. There is no reason for surprise that the tax collector abandoned earthly wealth as soon as the Lord commanded him.

Nor should one be amazed that neglecting his wealth, he joined a band of men whose leader had, on Matthew’s assessment, no riches at all.

Our Lord summoned Matthew by speaking to him in words. By an invisible, interior impulse flooding his mind with the light of grace, he instructed him to walk in his footsteps.

In this way Matthew could understand that Christ, who was summoning him away from earthly possessions, had incorruptible treasures of heaven in his gift.

As he sat at table in the house, behold many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples.

This conversion of one tax collector gave many men, those from his own profession and other sinners, an example of repentance and pardon.

[...] To see a deeper understanding of the great celebration Matthew held at his house, we must realise that he not only gave a banquet for the Lord at his earthly residence, but far more pleasing was the banquet set in his own heart which he provided through faith and love.

Our Savior attests to this: Behold I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

On hearing Christ’s voice, we open the door to receive him, as it were, when we freely assent to his promptings and when we give ourselves over to doing what must be done.

Christ, since he dwells in the hearts of his chosen ones through the grace of his love, enters so that he might eat with us and we with him.

He ever refreshes us by the light of his presence insofar as we progress in our devotion to and longing for the things of heaven. He himself is delighted by such a pleasing banquet.

The Venerable Bede (672/4-735): Homily on the Call of Saint Matthew, the Tax Collector, (Hom. 21: CCL 122, 149-151) from the Office of Readings for the Feast of St. Matthew, apostle and evangelist on September 21 @ Crossroads Initiative (slightly adapted).

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Bede the Venerable: Turbulent Thoughts During Prayer Thursday, Feb 28 2013

(On Matthew 15:21-28 – the story of the Canaanite woman).

There are some who, upon entering a church, stretch out their psalm-singing or their prayer with many words, but because their heart is directed elsewhere, they do not even reflect upon what they are saying.

They pray, to be sure, with their mouths, but they deprive their mind, which is wandering outside, of all the fruit of their prayer.

The ancient enemy…is aware of the benefit of praying, and he envies human beings the gift of having their requests granted, so he sends upon those who are praying many kinds of frivolous thoughts, and sometimes too phantasms of things that shameful and harmful.

By these he can interfere with prayer in such a way that occasionally, when we are prostrated in prayer, we may endure great surges of thoughts which run every which way.

[...] We must take care to triumph over the acknowledged malice of the devil, clearing our mind, as far as we can, of every sort of cloud which the enemy rejoices in sprinkling about, and begging for the continuing protection of the benevolent Defender, who is able to grant to those entreating him, no matter how unworthy they are, both the grace of praying in a pure way, and that of having their requests granted completely.

It will help the purity of our prayer a great deal if in every place and time we restrain ourselves from forbidden acts, if we always check our hearing along with our speaking with regard to idle conversation, if we habituate ourselves to walking in the law of the Lord and scrutinizing his testimonies with all our heart (Psalm 118:1-2).

Whatever things we are accustomed to do, speak, or hear most often, these same things will necessarily return to our mind most often as though to their accustomed and proper place.

And just as pigs are accustomed to frequent marshy wallowing places, and doves to frequent clear flowing streams, so too impure thoughts disturb an unclean mind, and spiritual thoughts sanctify a chaste one.

If, after the example of the Caananite woman, we continue resolutely in our praying, and remain of fixed purpose, certainly the grace of our Maker will be with us to correct everything in us which is wrong, to sanctify everything unclean, and to make serene everything which is turbulent.

He is faithful and just, so that he will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from every iniquity, if with the attentive voice of our mind we cry out to him who lives and reigns with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for all ages and ages.

The Venerable Bede (672/4-735): Homilies on the Gospels, 1:22 (Lent), “Homilies on the Gospels, Book One, Advent to Lent”, trans. Lawrence T. Martin and David Hurst OSB (Kalamazoo: Cistercian Publications, 1991) @ Lectionary Central.

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Bede the Venerable: God was Born as a Man to Restore Us to the Image and Likeness of His Divinity Friday, Dec 28 2012

(On Luke 2:15-20)

And they came hurrying and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in a manger….  Once they saw they acknowledged the word that had been said to them about this child.

And let us in the meantime…hurry to perceive with pious faith and to embrace with full love those things which have been said to us about our Savior, who is true God and true human being, so that we may be capable of comprehending these things in the future vision which is perfect recognition.

For indeed this is the only true life of the blessed, not only of human beings, but of angels as well, to continually behold the face of their Creator.

[...] And the shepherds went back glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen, just as it was said to them.

Let us also learn…how to be turned from contemplation of the Lord’s divinely-arranged plan, by which he deigned to come benevolently to our aid, to giving thanks always for his kindnesses.

For if they, who as yet knew only about his nativity, went back glorifying and praising God in everything which they had seen and heard, we who know about the whole progress of his incarnation in succession, and who are imbued with his sacraments, are all the more obliged to proclaim his glory and praise in everything, not only in words but also in deeds, and never to forget that the reason why God was born as a human being was so that he might restore us through our being born anew to the image and likeness of his divinity.

The reason he was baptized with water was so that he might make the flowing of all waters fruitful for the cleansing of our wicked deeds.

The reason he was tempted in the desert was so that by being victorious over the tempter he might bestow upon us too knowledge and power to make us victorious.

The reason he died was so that he might destroy the sovereignty of death.

The reason he rose and ascended into heaven was so that he might present to us a hope and an example of rising from the dead and reigning perpetually in heaven.

Having “gone back” to gaze upon the most benevolent divinely-arranged plan, let us for the sake of each of these actions glorify and praise God himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit for all ages.

The Venerable Bede (672/4-735):Homilies on the Gospels, 1:7 (Christmas), “Homilies on the Gospels, Book One, Advent to Lent”, trans. Lawrence T. Martin and David Hurst OSB (Kalamazoo: Cistercian Publications, 1991).

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Bede the Venerable: St Matthew Gave a Banquet for the Lord at in His Heart through Faith and Love Friday, Sep 21 2012

Jesus saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax office, and he said to him: Follow me. Jesus saw Matthew, not merely in the usual sense, but more significantly with his merciful understanding of men.

He saw the tax collector and, because he saw him through the eyes of mercy and chose him, he said to him: Follow me. This following meant imitating the pattern of his life – not just walking after him.

St. John tells us: Whoever says he abides in Christ ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

And he rose and followed him. There is no reason for surprise that the tax collector abandoned earthly wealth as soon as the Lord commanded him.

Nor should one be amazed that neglecting his wealth, he joined a band of men whose leader had, on Matthew’s assessment, no riches at all. Our Lord summoned Matthew by speaking to him in words.

By an invisible, interior impulse flooding his mind with the light of grace, he instructed him to walk in his footsteps.

In this way Matthew could understand that Christ, who was summoning him away from earthly possessions, had incorruptible treasures of heaven in his gift.

As he sat at table in the house, behold many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. This conversion of one tax collector gave many men, those from his own profession and other sinners, an example of repentance and pardon.

[...] To see a deeper understanding of the great celebration Matthew held at his house, we must realise that he not only gave a banquet for the Lord at his earthly residence, but far more pleasing was the banquet set in his own heart which he provided through faith and love.

Our Saviour attests to this: Behold I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

On hearing Christ’s voice, we open the door to receive him, as it were, when we freely assent to his promptings and when we give ourselves over to doing what must be done.

Christ, since he dwells in the hearts of his chosen ones through the grace of his love, enters so that he might eat with us and we with him.

He ever refreshes us by the light of his presence insofar as we progress in our devotion to and longing for the things of heaven. He himself is delighted by such a pleasing banquet.

The Venerable Bede (672/4-735):takenfrom a sermon, and used in the Roman Office of Readings for the feast of St Matthew (September 21^st) @ Universalis.

 

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Bede the Venerable: The Zeal and Tears of St Cuthbert Tuesday, Sep 4 2012

(September 4^th is the Memorial of St Cuthbert in England and Wales, except for the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle)

Cuthbert was so zealous in watching and praying, that he is believed to have sometimes passed three or four nights together therein.

During this time he neither went to his own bed, nor had any accommodation from the brethren for reposing himself.

For he either passed the time alone, praying in some retired spot, or singing and making something with his hands, thus beguiling his sleepiness by labour.

Or, perhaps, he walked round the island, diligently examining everything therein, and by this exercise relieved the tediousness of psalmody and watching.

Lastly, he would reprove the faintheartedness of the brethren, who took it amiss if any one came and unseasonably importuned them to awake at night or during their afternoon naps.

“No one,” said he, “can displease me by waking me out of my sleep, but, on the contrary, give me pleasure; for, by rousing me from inactivity, he enables me to do or think of something useful.”

So devout and zealous was he in his desire after heavenly things, that, whilst officiating in the solemnity of the Mass, he never could come to the conclusion thereof without a plentiful shedding of tears.

But whilst he duly discharged the mysteries of our Lord’s passion, he would, in himself, illustrate that in which he was officiating; in contrition of heart he would sacrifice himself to the Lord.

And whilst he exhorted the standers-by to lift up their hearts and to give thanks unto the Lord, his own heart was lifted up rather than his voice, and it was the spirit which groaned within him rather than the note of singing.

In his zeal for righteousness he was fervid to correct sinners, he was gentle in the spirit of mildness to forgive the penitent.

Thus he would often shed tears over those who confessed their sins, pitying their weaknesses, and would himself point out by his own righteous example what course the sinner should pursue.

He used vestments of the ordinary description, neither noticeable for their too great neatness, nor yet too slovenly.

Wherefore, even to this day, it is not customary in that monastery for anyone to wear vestments of a rich or valuable colour, but they are content with that appearance which the natural wool of the sheep presents.

The Venerable Bede (672/4-735):Life of St Cuthbert, 16 @ Mediaeval Sourcebook.

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Bede the Venerable: Parable of the Good Samaritan (3) Tuesday, Aug 7 2012

(Continued from here…)

And the next day he took out two pence and gave to the host and said: Take care of him. 

The next day is, after the Resurrection of the Lord. For even before this He had, by the grace of His Gospel, enlightened those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death (Lk. i. 79), but after His Resurrection there shone out the mightier splendour of His Perpetual Light.

The two pence are the Two Testaments, in which are contained the Name and Image of the Eternal King. For the end of the Law is Christ (Rom. x. 4).

These He took out next day, and gave them to the host: for it was then He opened their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures (Lk. xxiv. 45).

The next day the innkeeper received the denarii, as payment for taking care of the wounded man; for the Holy Spirit coming down, taught the Apostles all truth (Jn. xvi. 13), by means of which they would be able to preach the Gospel and to stand secure in instructing the Gentiles.

And whatsoever thou shalt spend over and above, I, at my return, will repay thee.  

[...] At His return, the Debtor will repay what He promised; for the Lord, coming in judgement, shall say: Because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will place thee over many things. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord (Mt. xxv. 23).

Which of these three in thy opinion was neighbour to him that fell among robbers? But he said: He that showed mercy to him.
From these words Christ’s mind has been made clear to us: That no one is more a neighbour to us than he who shows us mercy.

[...] Receiving this in its more sacred sense, since no one is more our neighbour than He who has healed our wounds let us love Him as the Lord our God, let us love Him as our neighbour.

For nothing is so close as the head is to the members. Let us also love him who is an imitator of Christ. For this is what follows.

And Jesus said to him: Go, and do thou in like manner; that is, show that you truly love your neighbour as yourself; doing with love whatever you can do to help him, also in his spiritual necessities, to the praise and glory of God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, Amen.

The Venerable Bede (672/4-735):Commentary on St Luke’s Gospel (PL 92, Lib. III, Cap. X, col. 467); Translated by M.F. Toale, D.D. @ Lectionary Central.

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Bede the Venerable: Parable of the Good Samaritan (2) Tuesday, Aug 7 2012

(Continued from here…)

But a certain Samaritan, being on his journey, came near him; and seeing him was moved with compassion.

The Samaritan, whose name means Defender, stands for the Lord, Whom the Prophet most fittingly implores to save him from falling among these robbers: Keep me from the snare, which they have laid for me, he cries; and from the stumbling-blocks of them that work iniquity (Ps. cxl. 9).

He Who for us men and for our salvation, coming down from heaven, took the road of this present life and came near him who there lay perishing of the wounds inflicted on him.

That is, being made in the likeness of men, and in habit found as man (Phil. ii. 7), He came close to us in His compassion, and became our neighbour through the consolation of His mercy.

And, going up to him, bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine. 

He binds up the sins, which He finds in men, by rebuking them; inspiring with the fear of punishment those who sin, and with hope those who repent.

For He binds up our wounds when He commands us: Do penance.

He pours in oil, when He adds: For the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Mt. iv. 17).

He pours in wine also, when He says: Every tree that doth not yield good fruit, shall be cut down and cast into the fire (Mt. iii. 10).

And, setting him upon his own beast, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 

The beast is His own Flesh, in which He deigned to come to us.

On It He placed wounded man, because He bore our sins in His Body upon the tree (I. Pet. ii. 24); and according to another parable, laid upon his shoulders the lost sheep that was found, and brought it back to the flock (Lk. xv. 4).

And so to be placed upon His own beast, is to believe in the Incarnation of Christ, and to be instructed in Its mysteries, and at the same time to be safeguarded from the assaults of the enemy.

The inn is the present Church, where travellers, returning to their eternal home, are refreshed on their journey.

And well does He bring to the inn the man He placed upon His own beast; for no one, unless he who is baptized, unless he is united to the Body of Christ, shall enter the Church.

The Venerable Bede (672/4-735):Commentary on St Luke’s Gospel (PL 92, Lib. III, Cap. X, col. 467); Translated by M.F. Toale, D.D. @ Lectionary Central.

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Bede the Venerable: Parable of the Good Samaritan (1) Tuesday, Aug 7 2012

And Jesus answering said: A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho.

This man is interpreted as Adam, who stands for mankind. Jerusalem is that heavenly city of peace from whose blessedness he has fallen, and from which he has come down to this mortal and unhappy life.

And well does Jericho, which is interpreted as the moon, stand for this ever-changing present life, since like the moon it is ever uncertain in its wanderings and in its changes.

And fell among robbers.

Here for robbers understand the devil and his angels, among whom, as he came down, he fell.

For had he not first through pride grown big within him, he would not have so easily fallen when tempted from without. True indeed are the words: The spirit is uplifted before a fall (Prov. xvi. i8).

Who also stripped him.

They deprived him of the glory of the garment of immortality and innocence.

For this is that first robe with which, according to another parable, the prodigal son, returning through repentance (Lk. xv. 22), was adorned, and, having lost it, our first parents saw themselves as naked, and put on the skin garments of a nature now mortal.

And having wounded him went away, leaving him half dead. 

The wounds are sins, by means of which they implanted in his weakened body a sort of seedbed (if I may say so) of growing death, profaning the integrity of human nature.

They went away, but not as ceasing from their assaults, but to conceal their attacks by craft.

They left him half dead; for though they were able to strip him of the blessedness of immortal life, they were not able to deprive him of the power of reason.

For in that part of him in which he can taste and know God, man is alive. But in the part that is grown weak from sin and faints from wretchedness, he is dead; defiled by a mortal wound.

And it chanced that a certain priest went down the same way; and, seeing him, passed by. In like manner also a Levite, when he was near the place and saw him, passed by. 

The Priest and the Levite, who seeing the wounded man passed by, signify the priesthood and ministry of the Old Testament, when the wounds of the clean sick could only be pointed out by the decrees of the Law, but could not be cured by them.

For it was impossible (as the Apostle says) that by the blood of calves and lambs or by the blood of goats, sin should be taken away (Heb. x. 4).

The Venerable Bede (672/4-735):Commentary on St Luke’s Gospel (PL 92, Lib. III, Cap. X, col. 467); Translated by M.F. Toale, D.D. @ Lectionary Central.

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