Saint of the Day : Saint John of Capistrano
23 October
On the way of this present life, before you come before the eternal Judge, be reconciled through penance: for after this life there is no place for mercy, but for justice alone.
– John of Capistrano.
Gospel Reading : Luke 12:54-59
He also said to the multitudes, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming’; and so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat’; and it happens.
You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky; but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?
“And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?
As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison.
I tell you, you will never get out till you have paid the very last copper.”
What do the Fathers say?
The Venerable BEDE. They who from the change of the elements can easily, when they like, predetermine the state of the weather, might if they wished also understand the time of our Lord’s coming from the words of the Prophets.
St CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA. For the prophets have in many ways foretold the mystery of Christ; it became them therefore, if they were wise, to stretch their prospect beyond to the future, nor will ignorance of the time to come avail them after the present life. For there will be wind and rain, and a future punishment by fire; and this is signified when it is said, A shower cometh. It became them also not to be ignorant of the time of salvation, that is, the coming of the Saviour, through whom perfect piety entered into the world. And this is meant when it is said, You say that there will be heat. Whence it follows in censure of them, You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky; but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?
The Venerable BEDE. But lest any of the people should allege their ignorance of the prophetical books as a reason why they could not discern the courses of the times, He carefully adds, And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? showing them that although unlearned they might still by their natural ability discern Him, who did works such as no other man did.
Or else, our adversary in the way is the word of God, which opposes our carnal desires in this life; from which he is delivered who is subject to its precepts. Else he will be delivered to the judge, for of contempt of God’s word the sinner will be accounted guilty in the judgment of the judge.
The judge will deliver him to the officer, that is, the evil spirit for punishment.
He will then be cast into prison, that is, to hell, where because he will ever have to pay the penalty by suffering, but never by paying it obtain pardon, he will never come out from thence, but with that most terrible serpent the devil, will expiate everlasting punishment.
St AMBROSE. Or our adversary is the devil, who lays his baits for sin, that he may have those his partners in punishment who were his accomplices in crime; our adversary is also an evil conscience, which affects us both in this world, and will accuse and betray us in the next.
Let us then give heed, while we are in this life’s course, that we may be delivered from every bad act as from an evil enemy. Nay, while we are going with our adversary to the magistrate, as we are in the way, we should condemn our fault.
But who is the magistrate, but He in whose hands is all power?
But the Magistrate delivers the guilty to the Judge, that is, to Him, to whom He gives the power over the quick and dead, namely, Jesus Christ, through Whom the secrets are made manifest, and the punishment of wicked works awarded.
He delivers to the officer, and the officer casts into prison, for He says, Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into outer darkness. (Matt. 22:12.)
And he shows that His officers are the angels, of whom he says, The angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire; (Matt. 13:49.) but it is added, I tell you, you will never get out till you have paid the very last copper.” For as they who pay money on interest do not get rid of the debt of interest before that the amount of the whole principal is paid even up to the least sum so, by the compensation of love and the other acts, or by each particular kind of satisfaction the punishment of sin is cancelled
Sources:
Bible readings from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Second Catholic Edition, copyright © 2006 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA
Quotes of the Fathers from
Thomas Aquinas’ Catena Aurea Translated by St John Henry Newman
Artwork ex Wikimedia Commons