St. Joseph's Catholic Church

Weekly Bulletin and Mass Intentions

Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

By the Fathers of the Church

ST JOHN CHRYSOSTOM, BISHOP AND DOCTOR

Mutual Need

The Rule of Conduct regarding our Neighbour: For all things therefore whatsoever you would that men should do to you, do you also to them. This law contains nothing that is heavy, nothing tedious. What you would have done to you, it says, this let you do. Let the giving be mutual. The law does not say: what you would not that men should do to you; let you not do this! It says more. For this latter phrase would mean only to abstain from evil doing. But Christ's law is that we also do good; and in this the other law is contained.

Nor does the Lord say: Let you also wish them; but, do you to them. And what is the gain? For this is the law of the prophets. Do you wish that others should show mercy to you? Let you show mercy to them. Do you wish to be forgiven? Then let you also forgive. Do you wish to hear no evil spoken of you? Then do not speak evil of others. Do you wish to secure the approval and praise of others? Then bestow it yourself. Do you desire that no man shall rob you? Then rob no man. You see how He makes clear to us that virtue is a kind of natural good, and that we have little need of outward laws or teachers? For in that which we desire to receive or not to receive from our neighbour we impose a law upon ourselves. So if you do to another what you would not have done to yourself; or if you would have something done for you, but which you would not do for another, you are condemning yourself by your own standard, and you cannot be excused on the grounds that you did not know what you ought to have done.

Let us then, I beg of you, give serious thought to this, that we who lay down this law within our own minds, reading it so clearly and distinctly written within us, must always be to our neighbours as we would have them be to us, so that we may live in peace in this life, and may attain to the blessings of the life to come, through the grace and loving mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to Whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be there glory, honour and empire now and for ever world without end. Amen.

EXPOSITION FROM THE CATENA AUREA

V. 15. Beware of false prophets.

CHRYSOSTOM, Op. Imp. 19: Earlier the Lord had told the Apostles they should not pray, give alms, or fast, before other men as hypocrites do. And that they may know that all these things can be done out of hypocrisy He says: Beware of false prophets.

AUGUSTINE, Sermon on the Mount, 2, 24, 78: When the Lord said that they are few who enter the narrow gate and the strait way, lest heretics, who sometimes pride themselves on their fewness in numbers, should put themselves in this place, He immediately adds: Beware of false prophets.

CHRYSOSTOM, Hom. 24 in Matt: Because it is said that the gate is narrow, and that they are many who block the way that leads to it, He adds: Beware of false prophets. And so that in this they might exercise great caution He reminds them of what happened in their fathers' time, using the phrase, false prophets. For then such things happened.

CHRYSOSTOM, Op. Imp. on Mt. Hom. 19: What was written a little later; namely, that the prophets and the Law prophesied until John (Mt. xi. 13) was said because there would be no prophecy regarding Christ after He came. Prophets there were and are; but they do not prophecy of Christ, they interpret what was foretold of Christ by the ancients: that is, the Teachers of the Churches. Nor can any one interpret the meaning of prophecy unless through the Spirit of prophecy.

The Lord therefore, knowing that there would be false teachers, warns them of the various heresies to come, by saying: Beware of false prophets. And as these would not be obvious unbelievers, but persons cloaked with the name of Christian, He did not say: Look well at them, but, Beware. For where a thing is certain it is seen; that is, it may readily be seen. But when it is uncertain it is looked at, or watched carefully. And again He says, Beware: for to know whom to shun is a firm safeguard of security. He does not warn us to beware as though the devil will introduce heresies against God's will, and not by His permission. For since He will not choose His servants without trial, He permits them to be tempted. And as He wills that they should not suffer through ignorance He therefore warns them.

And so that no heretical teacher may say, that He did not say here they were the false prophets, but rather the teachers from both Gentiles and Jews, He goes on to add: Who come to you in the clothing of sheep. For Christians are spoken of as sheep; and the sheep's clothing is their outward pretence of Christianity and pretended religion. There is nothing that so menaces what is good as pretence. For evil that is hidden under the outward appearance of Good is not guarded against, since it is not known.

And that heretics may not here say that He is speaking of those who are true teachers, but also sinners, He adds this: But inwardly they are ravening wolves. Catholic teachers, though they may have been sinners, are not spoken of as ravening wolves, but as servants of the flesh: for they do not seek to destroy Christians. He therefore is manifestly speaking of heretical teachers: for it is to this end that they put on the garb of Christian; that they may rend Christians with the evil fangs of their seductions. And of these the Apostles said: I know that after my departure, ravening wolves will enter in among you, not sparing the flock (Acts xx. 29).

CHRYSOSTOM, Hom. 24 in Matt: Yet He seems to imply that the false prophets are not the heretics, but those who put on the cloak of virtue, while in heart they are corrupt. So He therefore says:

V. 16. By their fruits you shall know them etc.

For often you will find goodness of life among heretics; but among those I speak of this is never the case.

AUGUSTINE, Sermon on the Mount, 2, 24, pars. 80, 81: And for this reason it may rightly be asked: What fruits does He wish us to seek for? For many hold as fruit certain things that belong to the sheep's clothing, and in this way they are deceived by the wolves. As for example: fasting, alms, prayer, which they practise before men who seek to find favour with those to whom such things seem difficult. These practices therefore are not the fruits by which, He warns us, they are to be known. For such actions, done with a right intention, are part of the clothing of the sheep. When they are done with evil purpose, in deception, they clothe none other than wolves. But sheep must not for this hate their own clothing; because it sometimes conceals a wolf What the fruits are by which we may know an evil tree the Apostle then teaches us: The works of the flesh are manifest, which are fornication, uncleanness. And what the fruits are by which we shall know a good tree, the same Apostle makes known to us, saying: But the fruit of the Spirit is charity, joy, peace (Gal. v. 19, 22).

Séptimo Domingo después Pentecostés

Palabras de los Padres de la Iglesia

SAN JUAN CRISÓSTOMO, OBISPO Y DOCTOR

Necesidad mutua

La norma de conducta respecto al prójimo: «Así pues, todo cuanto queráis que los hombres os hagan, hacédselo también vosotros a ellos». Esta ley no contiene nada gravoso ni tedioso. Dice: haz a los demás lo que quisieras que te hicieran a ti. Que el intercambio sea mutuo. La ley no dice: «No hagas a los demás lo que no quisieras que te hicieran a ti». Dice más. Pues esta última frase significaría únicamente abstenerse de hacer el mal; pero la ley de Cristo exige que también hagamos el bien, y en esto se incluye la otra ley.

El Señor no dice: «Deseadles el bien», sino: «Hacedles el bien». ¿Y cuál es la recompensa? Pues esta es la ley de los profetas. ¿Quieres que los demás tengan misericordia de ti? Tenla tú con ellos. ¿Quieres ser perdonado? Perdona tú también. ¿No quieres que se hable mal de ti? No hables mal de los demás. ¿Quieres obtener la aprobación y la alabanza de los demás? Ofrécelas tú mismo. ¿Deseas que nadie te robe? No robes a nadie. ¿Ves cómo nos aclara que la virtud es una especie de bien natural y que apenas necesitamos leyes externas o maestros? Pues nos imponemos una ley a nosotros mismos en aquello que deseamos recibir —o no recibir— de nuestro prójimo. Así pues, si haces a otro lo que no quisieras que te hicieran a ti, o si deseas que se haga algo por ti que tú no harías por otro, te condenas según tu propio criterio y no puedes excusarte alegando que desconocías lo que debías hacer. Reflexionemos seriamente, pues —os lo ruego—, sobre esto: que nosotros, al establecer esta ley en nuestra propia mente —ley escrita en nuestro interior de manera tan clara y distinta—, debemos comportarnos siempre con el prójimo tal como quisiéramos que ellos se comportaran con nosotros; para que así vivamos en paz en esta vida y alcancemos las bendiciones de la vida venidera, por la gracia y la amorosa misericordia de nuestro Señor Jesucristo, a quien, junto con el Padre y el Espíritu Santo, sean la gloria, el honor y el imperio, ahora y por siempre, por los siglos de los siglos. Amén.

EXPOSICIÓN DE LA CATENA AUREA

V. 15. Guardaos de los falsos profetas.

CRISÓSTOMO, *Opus Imperfectum* 19: Anteriormente, el Señor había dicho a los Apóstoles que no debían orar, dar limosna ni ayunar ante los hombres, como hacen los hipócritas. Y para que sepan que todas estas cosas pueden hacerse por hipocresía, dice: Guardaos de los falsos profetas.

AGUSTÍN, *Sermón de la Montaña*, 2, 24, 78: Cuando el Señor dijo que son pocos los que entran por la puerta estrecha y el camino angosto, para evitar que los herejes —que a veces se enorgullecen de su escaso número— se atribuyeran este lugar, añadió inmediatamente: Guardaos de los falsos profetas.

CRISÓSTOMO, Homilía 24 sobre Mateo: Puesto que se dice que la puerta es estrecha y que son muchos los que obstruyen el camino que conduce a ella, añade: Guardaos de los falsos profetas. Y para que en esto ejercieran gran cautela, les recuerda lo sucedido en tiempos de sus padres, empleando la expresión «falsos profetas», pues entonces ocurrieron tales cosas.

CRISÓSTOMO, *Opus Imperfectum* sobre Mateo, Homilía 19: Lo que se escribió poco después —a saber, que los profetas y la Ley profetizaron hasta Juan (Mt 11, 13)— se dijo porque no habría profecía sobre Cristo una vez que Él hubiera venido. Hubo y hay profetas, pero no profetizan sobre Cristo; más bien interpretan lo que los antiguos —es decir, los Maestros de las Iglesias— predijeron acerca de Él. Y nadie puede interpretar el sentido de la profecía sino mediante el Espíritu de profecía.