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Post by Admin on Mar 12, 2018 9:34:20 GMT
MONDAY IN THE FOURTH WEEK OF LENT.
LESSON. (iii Kings iii. 16 — 28.) In those days, Two women that were harlots, came to king Solomon, and stood before him, and one of them said: I beseech thee, my Lord, I and this woman dwelt in one house, and I was delivered of a child with her in the chamber. And the third day after that I was delivered, she also was delivered, and we were together, and no other person with us in the house, only we two. And this woman's child died in the night; for in her sleep she overlaid him. And rising in the dead time of the night, she took my child from my side, while I thy handmaid was asleep, and laid it in her bosom: and laid her dead child in my bosom. And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold it was dead: but considering him more diligently when it was clear day, I found that it was not mine which I bore. And the other woman answered: It is not so as thou sayest, but thy child is dead, and mine is alive. On the contrary she said: Thou liest: for my child liveth, and thy child is dead. And in this manner they strove before the king. Then said the king: This one saith, My child is alive, and thy child is dead. And the other answereth: Nay, but thy child is dead, and mine liveth. The king therefore said: Bring me a sword. And when they had brought a sword before the king, Divide, said he, the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other. But the woman, whose child was alive, said to the king (for her bowels were moved upon her child): I beseech thee my Lord, give her the child alive, and do not kill it. But the other said: Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it. The king answered, and said: Give the living child to this woman, and let it not be killed: for she is the mother thereof. And all Israel heard the judgment which the king had judged, and they feared the ting, seeing that the wisdom of God was in him to judgment:
INSTRUCTION. In a sinful life one sin usually gives rise to another. Thus one of these wretched woman was not afraid to lie impudently, and to propose the death oi her companion's child, forgetful that we can deceive man, but not God. Guard. Christian, against the first step to sin, and consider that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, (Prov. i. 7.) the foundation of a pious, godly life.
GOSPEL. (John ii. 13 — 25.) At that time, The Pasch of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem: and he found in the temple them that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting. And when he had made as it were a scourge of little cords, he drove them all out of the temple, the sheep also and the oxen, and the money of the changers he poured out, and the tables he overthrew. And to them that sold doves, he said: Take these things hence, and make not the house of my Father, a house of traffic. And his disciples remembered that it was written: The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up. The Jews therefore answered and said to him: What sign dost thou shew unto us, seeing thou dost these things. Jesus answered and said to them: Destroy this temple, and in three days! will raise it up. The Jews then said: Six and forty years was this temple in building, and wilt thou raise it up in three days? But he spoke of the temple of his body. When therefore he was risen again from the dead, his disciples remembered, that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had said. Now when he was at Jerusalem at the Pasch, upon the festival day, many believed in his name, seeing his signs which he did. But Jesus did not trust himself unto them, for that he knew all men, and because he needed not that any should give testimony of man: for he knew what was in man.
INSTRUCTION. Like Jesus we also should be consumed by zeal for the house of God; that is, we should always endeavor to appear in church, before the face of God, with a heart purified from all worldly, revengeful, envious, proud, and sensual thoughts; giving ourselves to God with all reverence in devotion, assisting according to our circumstances to keep the house of God always neat, and the necessary decorations for the services properly provided. "Whatever is done with good motives for the adornment of the church, is done for Christ Himself, who, day and night, dwells there in the most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. |
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Post by Admin on Mar 13, 2018 9:26:52 GMT
TUESDAY IN THE FOURTH WEEK OF LENT .LESSON. (Exod. xxxii. 7 — 14.) In those days, The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Go, get thee down: thy people, which thou hast brought out of the land of Egypt, has sinned. They have quickly strayed from the way, which thou didst shew them: and they have made to themselves a molten calf, and have adored it, and sacrificing victims to it, have said: These are thy gods O Israel, that have brought thee out o£ the land of Egypt. And again the Lord said to Moses: I see that this people is stiff-necked: let me alone, that my wrath may be kindled against them, and that I may destroy them, and I will make of thee a great nation. But Moses besought the Lord his God saying: Why, O Lord, is thy indignation enkindled against thy people, whom thou hast brought out of the land of Egypt, with great power, and with a mighty hand? Let not the Egyptians say, I beseech thee: He craftily brought them out, that he might kill them in the mountains, and destroy them from the earth: let thy anger cease, and be appeased upon the wickedness of thy people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel thy servants, to whom thou sworest by thy own self, saying: I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven: and this whole land that I have spoken of, I will give to your seed, and you shall possess it forever. And the Lord was appeased from doing the evil which he had spoken against his people.
INSTRUCTION. This lesson caused St. Ambrose to marvel at the great meekness of Moses who, forgetting all the wrongs done to him by the people of Israel, declined God's offer to make him the leader of another great people, and so fervently prayed for the Israelites, that they loved him for his meekness, more than they wondered at his great deeds. Practice this virtue always, O Christian, to which Jesus Himself invites us, by saying: Learn from me, be- cause I am meek, and, Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the land, that is, they shall win the hearts of their fellow men.
GOSPEL. (John vii. 14 — 31.) At that time, About the midst of the feast, Jesus went up into the temple, and taught. And the Jews wondered, saying: How cloth this man know letters, having never learned? Jesus answered them and said: My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do the will of him, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. He that speaketh of himself, seeketh his own glory; but he that seeketh the glory of him that sent him, he is true and there is no injustice in him. Did not Moses give you the law: and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why seek you to kill me? The multitude answered, and said: Thou hast a devil: who seeketh to kill thee? Jesus answered and said tho them: One work I have done, and you all wonder: therefore Moses gave you circumcision: (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers,) and on the Sabbath-day, you circumcise a man. If a man receive circumcision on the Sabbath-day, that the law of Moses may not be broken: are you angry at me because I have healed the whole man on the Sabbath- day? Judge not according to the appearance, but judge just judgment. Some therefore of Jerusalem said: Is not this he whom they seek to kill? And behold he speaketh openly, and they say nothing to him. Have the rulers known for a truth that this is the Christ? But we know this man whence he is: but when the Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is. Jesus there- fore cried out in the temple teaching and saying: You both know me, and you know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true whom you known not. I know him, because I am from him, and he hath sent me. They sought there- fore to apprehend him: and no man laid hands on him because his hour was not yet come. But of the people many believed in him.
EXPLANATION. He who has always faithfully followed the teachings of our Lord, has experienced the truth of Jesus' words, that His doctrine is from God, for it alone satisfies the desire of the soul for knowledge, peace, and happiness. The Saviour further proves the divinity of His doctrine by saying: U I seek not my own glory, but that of my Father." All the inventors of new doctrines and errors, are usually impelled by the spirit of pride, seeking only their own glory, thus plainly showing that the Spirit of God works not with them. Had the Jews but taken these words of Christ to heart, they would not have judged Him so unjustly, nor reproached Him for healing the sick on the Sabbath, since they circumcised even on that day. But hatred, prejudice and envy blinded the Jews,so that they did not recognize the divine mission of Christ, and sought to kill Him. O how happy is the man who believes in Jesus, and lives according to His doctrine; he will enjoy sweet peace in his life, and nameless glory in eternity!  |
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Post by Admin on Mar 14, 2018 10:59:47 GMT
WEDNESDAY IN THE FOURTH WEEK OF LENT.
LESSON. (Isai. i. 16 — 19.) Thus saith the Lord God: Wash yourselves, be clean, take away the evil of your devices from my eyes: cease to do perversely, learn to do well: seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge for the fatherless, defend the widow. And then come, and accuse me, saith the Lord: if your sins be as scarlet, they shall be made as white as snow: and if they be red as crimson, they shall be white as wool. If you be willing, and will hearken to me, you shall eat the good things of the land.
EXPLANATION. In this lesson God shows plainly that He forgives and; all the sins of the man who firmly resolves to depart from his perverse ways, to purify his heart, and turn penitently to God. Grace and forgiveness follow only the sincere amendment of heart. Those who think that all is accomplished when the formula of contrition is thoughtlessly recited, and a careless accusation of the sins in confession is made, should remember that grace and forgiveness will not be obtained. The Jews fancied themselves purified by frequently washing their hands.
GOSPEL. (John ix. i — 38.) At that time, Jesus passing by, saw a man who was blind from his birth: and his disciples asked him: Rabbi, who hath sinned, this man. or his parents, that he should be born blind? Jesus answered: Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents; but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. 1 must work the works of him that sent me, whilst it is day: the night cometh when no man can work: as long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. When he had said these things. he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and spread the clay upon his eyes, and said to him: Go, wash in the pool of Siloe, (which is interpreted. Sent.) He went therefore, and washed, and he came seeing. The neighbors therefore, and they who had seen him before that he was a beggar, said: Is not this he that sat, and begged? Some said: This is he. But others said: No, but he is like him. But he said: I am he. They said therefore to him: How were thy eyes opened? He answered: That man that is called Jesus, made clay, and anointed my eyes, and said to me: Go to the pool of Siloe, and wash. And 1 went, I washed, and I see. And they said to him: Where is he? He saith: I know not. They bring him that had been blind, to the Pharisees. Now it was the Sabbath when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes. Again therefore the Pharisees asked him how he had received his sight. But he said to them: He put clay upon my eyes , and I washed, and I see. Some therefore of the Pharisees said: This, man is not of God, who keepeth not the Sabbath. But others said: How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them. They say therefore to the blind man again: What sayest thou of him that hath opened thy eyes? And he said: He is a prophet. The Jews then did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of him that had received his sight: and asked them, saying: Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then doth he now see? His parents answered them, and said: We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind: but how he now seeth, we know not: or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: ask himself: he is of age, let him speak for himself. These things his parents said, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had already agreed among themselves, that if any man should confess him to be Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue. Therefore did his parents say: He is of age, ask him. They therefore called the man again that had been blind, and said to him: Give glory to God; we- know that this man is a sinner. He said therefore to them: If he be a sinner, I know not: one thing I know, that whereas 1 was blind, now I see. They said then to him: What did he to thee? How did he open thy eyes ? He answered them : I have told you already, and you have heard: why would you hear it again? will you also become his disciples? They reviled him therefore, and said: Be thou his disciple: but we are the disciples of Moses. We know that God spoke to Moses: but as to this man, we know not from whence he is. The man answered, and said to them: Why herein is a wonderful thing that you know not from whence he is, and he hath opened my eyes: now we know that God doth not hear sinners: but if a man be a server of God, and doth his will, him he heareth. From the beginning of the world it hath not been heard, that any man hath opened the eyes of one born blind. Unless this man were of God, he could not do any thing. They answered, and said to him: Thou wast wholly born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out. Jesus heard that they had cast him out: and when he had found him, he said to him: Dost thou believe in the Son of God? He answered, and said: Who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him? And Jesus said to him: Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said: I believe, Lord. And falling down he adored him.
EXPLANATION. It was the universal opinion of the Jews that bodily disease was the consequence of the sins either of the sufferer or of his parents; although this is often, yet it is not always the case. In restoring sight to the man born blind Christ manifested His divine power and mission. The day on which Christ was to do the work of His Father, was the day of His life on earth; in the night, that is, after death, no one can do anything meritorious for the honor of God, or for the salvation of his own soul. The healing of the blind man showed Jesus to be the light of the world, which dispels physical and spiritual darkness; for with light to his eyes the poor beggar received at the same time the light of faith in Christ. The eyes of the Pharisees were not opened, pride kept them closed. In their eyes Jesus was a sinner, and because they could in no other way deny the miracle, they made the uncharitable and false declaration, that God hears not the prayers of a sinner, whereas we know God never rejects the prayer of true repentance. — Learn from this, O Christian, to scorn the terrible malice of sin, and to emulate the poor blind man, who received so readily the light of faith, and from the profession of which he could be deterred by no persecution on the part of Christ's enemies. ![]() |
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Post by Admin on Mar 15, 2018 9:47:57 GMT
THURSDAY IN THE FOURTH WEEK OF LENT.
LESSON. (iv Kings iv. 25—38.) In those days, A Sunamitess came to Eliseus on mount Carmel: and when the man of God saw her coming towards, he said to Giezi his servant: Behold that Sunamitess. Go therefore to meet her, and say to her: Is all well with thee, and with thy husband, and with thy son? And she answered: Well. And when she came to the man of God to the mount, she caught hold on his feet: and Giezi came to remove her. And the man of God said: Let her alone, for her soul is in anguish, and the Lord hath hid it from me, and hath not told me. And she said to him: Did I ask a son of my Lord? Did I not say to thee: Do not deceive me? Then he said to Giezi: Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thy hand, and go. If any man meet thee, salute him not: and if any man salute thee, answer him not: and lay my staff upon the face of the child. But the mother of the child said: As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. He arose there- fore, and followed her. But Giezi was gone before them, and laid, the staff upon the face of the child, and there was no voice nor sense: and he returned to meet him, and told him saying: The child is not risen. Eliseus therefore went into the house, and behold the child lay dead on his bed: and going in he shut the door upon him. and upon the child: and he prayed to the Lord. And he went up, and lay upon the child: and he put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he bowed himself upon him. and the child's flesh grew warm. Then he returned and walked in the house, once to and fro: and he went up, and lay upon him: and the child gasped seven times, and opened his eyes. And he called Giezi, and said to him: Call this Sunamitess. And she being called went in to him. And he said: Take up thy son. She came and fell at his feet, and worshipped upon the ground: and took up her son, and went out. And Eliseus returned to Galgal. EXPLANATION. The St. Augustine says the resurrection of the widow's son from the dead by the Prophet Eliseus was a type of the Redemption of mankind from sin and death by Jesus Christ. "Eliseus," he writes, "came and went up to the chamber, Christ came, and ascended the cross; Eliseus bowed down to raise the boy, Christ humbled Himself to raise the world lying in sin; Eliseus laid his eyes and mouth on the eyes and mouth of the boy; behold, beloved brethren, how that man of a ripe age conformed himself to the size of the boy lying there! That which Eliseus prototyped in this boy, Christ fulfilled for the whole of mankind; as the apostle says: "He humbled Himself, and became obedient even unto death." — O let us be grateful to Jesus who has raised us from sin to eternal life, and made us children of God! GOSPEL. (Luke vii. n — 16.) At that time, Jesus went into a city called Naim: and there went with him his disciples and a great multitude. And when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold a dead man was carried out, the only son of his mother: and she was a widow: and a great multitude of the city was with her. Whom when the Lord had seen, being moved with mercy towards her. he said to her: Weep not. And he came near and touched the bier. (And they that carried it, stood still.) And he said: Young man, I say to thee, arise. And he that was dead, sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother. And there came a fear on them all: and they glorified God, saying: A great prophet is risen up among us: and, God hath visited his people.
INSTRUCTION. By the mother of the dead youth St. Augustine and St. Ambrose understand in a spiritual sense, the Church mourning for her children, who by grievous sin have lost the life of the soul, that is, the grace of God, and entreating the Lord by prayers and tears, to come again and give grace and life to them. And Jesus comes, touches the sinner with His cross, that is, by external and internal sufferings exhorts him to penance, assists him to subdue his evil passions, takes away his sin, gives him grace once more, and the sinner lives again, so that all who see his conversion praise and glorify God. Thank God that you are a child of His holy Church, by whose intercession Christ even now raises those, who are spiritually dead, to life. |
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Post by Admin on Mar 16, 2018 9:55:22 GMT
FRIDAY IN THE FOURTH WEEK OF LENT.
LESSON. (iii Kings xvii. 17 — 24.) In those days, The son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick, and the sickness was very grievous, so that there was no breath left in him. And she said to Elias: What have I to do with thee thou man of God? Art thou come to me that my iniquities should be remembered, and that thou shouldst kill my son? And Elias said to her: Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him into the upper chamber where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed. And he cried to the Lord, and said: O Lord my God, hast thou afflicted also the widow, with whom I am after a sort maintained, so as to kill her son? And he stretched, and measured himself upon the child three times, and cried to the Lord, and said: O Lord my God, let the soul of this child, I beseech thee, return into his body. And the Lord heard the voice of Elias: and the soul of the child returned into him, and he revived. And Elias took the child, and brought him down from the upper chamber to the house below, and delivered him to his mother, and said to her: Behold thy son liveth. And the woman said to Elias: Now, by this I know that thou art a man of God, and the word of the Lord in thy mouth is true.
INSTRUCTION. To the humility and the spirit of penance with which this widow accused herself as the cause of her child's death, St. Theodoret ascribes the grace of his restoration to life by the Prophet Elias. Remember that God despises not a humble and contrite heart, bear the afflictions with which He visits you, in humble patience and in the spirit of penance, until it pleases Him to take them from you.
GOSPEL. (John xi. i — 45.) At that time, There was a certain man sick named Lazarus, of Bethania, of the town of Mary and of Martha her sister. (And Mary was she that anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair: whose brother Lazarus was sick.) His sisters therefore sent to him saying: Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest, is sick. And Jesus hearing it, said to them: This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified by it. Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister Mary, and Lazarus. When he had heard therefore that he was sick he still remained in the same place two days; then after that he said to his disciples: Let us go into Judea again. The disciples say to him: Rabbi, the Jews but now sought to stone thee, and goest thou thither again? Jesus answered: Are there not twelve hours of the day? If a man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world: but if he walk in the night, he stumbleth, because the light is not in him. These things he said, and after that he said to them: Lazarus our friend sleepeth: but I go that I may awake him out of sleep. His disciples therefore said:Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. But Jesus spoke of his death and they thought that he spoke ofthe repose of sleep. Then therefore Jesus said to them plainly: Lazarus is dead: and I am glad for your sakes, that I was not there, that you may believe; but let us go to him. Thomas therefore, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow-disciples: Let us also go, that we may die with him. Jesus therefore came, and found that he had been four days already in the grave. (Now Bethania was near Jerusalem about fifteen furlongs off.) And many of the Jews were come to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. Martha therefore, as soon as she heard that Jesus was come, went to meet him: but Mary sat at home. Martha therefore said to Jesus: Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died: but now also I know that whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus saith to her: Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith to him: I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said to her: I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me although he be dead shall live: and every one that liveth, and believeth in me, shall not die for ever. Believest thou this? She saith to him: Yea Lord , I have believed that thou art Christ the Son of the living God, who art come into this world. And when she had said these things, she went, and called her sister Mary secretly, saying: The Master is come and calleth for the. She, as soon as she heard this, riseth quickly and cometh to him: for Jesus was not yet come into the town: but he was still in that place where Martha had met him. The Jews therefore, who were with her in the house and comforted her, when they saw Mary that she rose up speedily and went out, followed her, saying: She goeth to the grave, to weep there. When Mary therefore was come where Jesus was, seeing him, she fell down at his feet , and saith to him: Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. Jesus therefore, when he saw her weeping, and the Jews that were come with her, weeping, groaned in the spirit, and troubled himself, and said: Where have you laid him? They say to him: Lord, come and see. And Jesus wept. The Jews therefore said: Behold how he loved him. But some of them said: Could not he, that opened the eyes of the man born blind have caused that this man should not die? Jesus there- fore again groaning in himself, cometh to the sepulchre; now it was a cave: and a stone was laid over it. Jesus saith: Take away the stone. Martha the sister of him that was dead, saith to him: Lord, by this time he stinketh, for he is now of four days. Jesus saith to her: Did not I say to thee, that if thou believe, thou shalt see the glory of God? They took therefore the stone away: and Jesus lifting up his eyes said: Father, I give thee thanks that thou hast heard me; and I knew that thou hearest me always, but because of the people who stand about, have I said it: that they may believe that thou hast sent me. When he had said these things, he cried with a loud voice: Lazarus, come forth. And presently he that had been dead came forth, bound feet and hands with winding- bands, and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus said to them: Loose him and let him go. Many therefore of the Jews who were come to Mary and Martha, and had seen the things that Jesus did, believed in him.
INSTRUCTION. By the marvellous raising of Lazarus, Christ shows His divinity, and strengthens our belief in a future resurrection of the body, as St. Ambrose writes: "Why did Jesus go to the grave and cry out with a loud voice: Lazarus, come forth, if He did not wish to give testimony of the future resurrection?" The holy Fathers also regard the raising of Lazarus as a type of the resurrection of the sinner from the sleep of sin, which takes place when he confesses his sins with contrition, and is loosed by the priests from their bonds. Beseech the Lord that with a loud voice He may cry to you, and all sinners: "Come forth, awake from the sleep of sin, confess your sins, and live forever!" |
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Post by Admin on Mar 17, 2018 10:07:45 GMT
SATURDAY IN THE FOURTH WEEK OF LENT.
LESSON. (Isai. xlix. 8 — 15.) Thus saith the Lord: In an acceptable time I have heard thee , and in the day of salvation I have helped thee: and I have preserved thee, and given thee to be a covenant of the people, that thou mightst raise up the earth, and possess the inheritances that were destroyed: that thou mightst say to them that are bound: Come forth: and to them that are in darkness: Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in every plain. They shall not hunger, nor thirst, neither shall the heat nor the sun strike them: for he that is merciful to them, shall be their shepherd, and at the fountains of waters, he shall give them drink. And I will make all my mountains a way, and my paths shall be exalted. Behold these shall come from afar, and behold these from the north and from the sea, and these from the south country. Give praise, O ye heavens, and rejoice, O earth, ye mountains give praise with jubilation: because the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy on his poor ones. And Sion said: The Lord hath forsaken me, and the Lord hath forgotten me. Can a woman forget her infant, so as not to have pity on the son of her womb? And if she should forget, yet will not I forget thee, saith the Lord Almighty.
EXPLANATION. These prophecies concerning Christ and His Church direct our attention to the happy condition which Jesus obtained for the whole world by His passion and death, and by the foundation of His Church. All who enter therein , are led by Christ ; their hunger and thirst are appeased by the Sacraments; and the practice of virtues which heretofore was like ascending steep mountains, is made easy through Jesus. O what happiness is ours, to be members of this holy Church in which Jesus acts so mercifully towards us, and bestows so many graces upon us!
GOSPEL. (John viii. 12 — 20.) At that time, Jesus spoke to the multitude of the Jews, saying: I am the light of the world: he that followeth me, walketh not in darkness, but shall have the light of life. The Pharisees therefore said to him: Thou givest testimony of thyself: thy testimony is not true. Jesus answered, and said to them: Although I give testimony of myself, my testimony is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go, but you know not whence I come, or whither I go. You judge according to the flesh: I judge not any man: and if I do judge, my judgment is true: because I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me. And in your law it is written, that the testimony of two men is true. I am one that give testimony of myself: and the Father that sent me, giveth testimony of me, they said therefore to him: Where is thy father? Jesus answered: Neither me do you now, nor my Father: if you did know me, you would know my Father also. These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, teaching in the temple: and no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.
EXPLANATION. Christ calls Himself the light of the world, because by His teachings and example, He brings man to the knowledge of truth, virtue, and eternal happiness, if he will only listen to His voice, and is willing to follow His example. The Pharisees desired a proof of this, but Jesus pointed out to them the testimony of His Father, that is, the great miracles which He wrought in His Father's name. When Christ says: I judge no man, He means He judges not the Pharisees according to the flesh, that is, falsely and wrongly, or, as St. Chrysostom says: He judged no man now because He had come into the world to redeem and save; the time of judgment was not now, but will be at the end of the world.
PETITION. O Jesus, Light of the world! Grant, that I may follow and acknowledge Thee always as the true Son of God, and one day receive a merciful judgment from Thee. Detail on stained glass depicting Jesus: I am the light of the world, Bantry, Ireland.
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