This was the festival of Tabernacles, on which the Jews made tents, in imitation of those which were their habitations during their sojournment in the wilderness, for forty years. See Leviticus xxiii. 34. The Jews called it a festival day; though it consisted not of one, but of many days successivel... [ Continue Reading ]
These brethren of Christ were the relatives of the blessed Virgin, not her children. For, as in the sepuchre, were the body of our Saviour was deposited, no other mortal lay either before or since; so neither did the womb of Mary ever either before or after bear any other body but that of her divine... [ Continue Reading ]
_Neither did his brethren believe in him; by his brethren here, we are to understand his kindred, this townsmen or countrymen, at or about Nazareth. (Witham)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Go you up to this festival day, which lasted eight days. --- I go not with you, nor to be there at the first day, nor in that public manner as you desire. But when the feast was half over, about the fourth day, Jesus went thither in a private manner, yet so that when he arrived, he spoke publicly i... [ Continue Reading ]
But why does he ascend to the festival day, when he said he would not? He did not say, I _will not ascend, but only, I do not ascend; that is, in your company. (St. John Chrysostom, hom. xlvii. in Joan.) --- Or, I do not go up to this festival, viz. the first or second day of the feast, which lasted... [ Continue Reading ]
It was the people that held the favourable opinion of Christ, whilst on the contrary, the Scribes and Pharisees speak ill of him, saying, he seduceth not us, but he seduceth the multitude. (St. John Chrysostom, hom. xlviii. in Joan.)... [ Continue Reading ]
No one publicly took the part of Jesus, however favourable were their private sentiments; for the Jews hated and persecuted such as sided with him. (Bible de Vence)... [ Continue Reading ]
Whilst the Jews proceeded no further than to admire the wisdom of our Saviour, when they could easily have seen that what he taught he knew by the power of God, Christ himself reveals to them the source of his wisdom, saying: _My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. (St. John Chrysostom, hom.... [ Continue Reading ]
_My doctrine is not mine; i.e. not mine only, but also the Father's; from whom I proceed, and with whom I am always. (Witham)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_He is true: seeketh truth, and not his own glory. (Witham)_... [ Continue Reading ]
The law of Moses prescribes that you shall not kill, but this law you transgress; for, why do you seek to kill me? You do not observe the law; otherwise you would learn from that law, that I am the Christ, and not seek to put me to death, when I appear amongst you. (St. Augustine, tract. 30, in Joan... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thou hast a devil: art possessed with a devil, mad, &c. (Witham)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_One work I have done. He means by healing the man at the pond, who had been ill thirty-eight years. (Witham) --- Jesus here speaks of the cure that he had performed on the paralytic, eighteen months before, and which had scandalized the Jews. See Chap. v, ver. 9. et dein. of this gospel. (Bible de... [ Continue Reading ]
_Have the rulers, &c. the chief priests, elders, and all the members of the great sanhedrim. (Witham)_... [ Continue Reading ]
We know this man whence he is. They looked upon him as no more than a man, and they thought they knew his father to be St. Joseph; they knew his Mother and kindred. --- But when the Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is. Thus said some of the people; but, doubtless, the more learned knew Christ... [ Continue Reading ]
_You both know me; i.e. you know me as man, and where I have been educated. --- But him that sent me, from whom I proceeded, and who sent me into this world to be its Redeemer, you know not; because you know not, that he was always, and from all eternity, my eternal Father, and I his eternal Son. (W... [ Continue Reading ]
The faith of these was not at all sound, as appears from the following words, which they spoke. (St. John Chrysostom, hom. xlix. in Joan.)... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Pharisees understood well enough that his words signified he was their Messias, and the true Son of God. And they sent some servants to seize him, and bring him to them. (Witham)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Yet a little while and I am with you: and then I go, and return to him that sent me, with whom I am always; but as man, I shall leave the world. (Witham)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_And shall not find me. Some understand it, you shall wish me conversing with you, as at present, healing diseases, &c. but as I shall suffer death shortly, you shall not find me. Others expound it, you shall seek for your Messias, but not owning me, who am truly he, you shall not find your Messias;... [ Continue Reading ]
_Will he go to the dispersed among the Gentiles, or to the dispersed Gentiles, and Jews among them to preach to them? (Witham)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. By this living water, are signified the gifts of the Holy Ghost, which were promised to the faithful. (Witham)_... [ Continue Reading ]
As yet the spirit was not given, in that particular and extraordinary manner, because Jesus was not yet glorified by his ascension and the coming of the Holy Ghost. (Witham) --- It is said that the Baptist was filled with the Holy Ghost from the womb of his mother; that Zacharias, when he prophesied... [ Continue Reading ]
A prophet does not come from Galilee, but the Lord of the prophets does. (St. Augustine, tract. 38. in Joan.) --- Without faith, without advantage, they again return to their habitations of infidelity and impiety. (Alcuin)... [ Continue Reading ]
_But this multitude... are accursed; i.e. falls under the curses of the law, by being seduced and led away by false preachers. (Witham)_... [ Continue Reading ]
They say to Nicodemus: _Art thou also a Galilean, who defendest this Galilean, whereas no prophet, nor especially the Messias, comes from Galilee? (Witham) --- A prophet, properly the prophet: for they could not be ignorant that the prophet Jonas was from Galilee. We have not indeed the article the... [ Continue Reading ]