Whatever we offer to the Almighty with a good intention is acceptable to him; for he regards not the gift, but the heart of the giver. (Ven. Bede) --- God does not appreciate the smallness of the gift, but the greatness of the affection with which it is offered. (St. John Chrysostom, hom. i. ad Hebr... [ Continue Reading ]
It was by the divine dispensation of Providence that his city and temple were destroyed; for had the ancient rites and sacrifices continued, some that were but weak in their faith, might have been filled with astonishment at the sight of these different modes of worship, existing at the same time, a... [ Continue Reading ]
_Master, when shall these things be? &c. See the annotations, Matthew xxiv. 3. (Witham)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_In my name. They shall not say that they belong to me, or that I sent them: but they shall take to themselves my name, viz. Christ, or Messias, which title is incommunicable to any but myself. In effect, in less than two centuries, there appeared many false Christs and impostors, who pretended to b... [ Continue Reading ]
_Terrors from heaven. Josephus, in his history of this war, in which Jerusalem was destroyed by Titus, (lib. vii. chap. 12) relates, at length, many of the prodigies which were the forerunners of the dreadful end of this unfortunate city. During a whole year a meteor, like a flaming sword, was seen... [ Continue Reading ]
This verse is spoken to the apostles alone; and was verified, by most of them having been martyred and put to death, before the destruction of Jerusalem. (Calmet)... [ Continue Reading ]
_I will give, &c. In some parts it is said, that Christ himself will speak by the mouths of his disciples, as in this passage of St. Luke; in other places, as St. Matthew Chap. xvi. that the Father will speak; and St. Matthew Chap. x. that the Spirit of the Father will speak. In these different text... [ Continue Reading ]
_A hair of your head, &c. A hair shall not perish from the head of the disciples of Christ; because not only their most heroic actions, and their public confessions of his name, but even their passing thoughts shall be crowned with adequate rewards. (Ven. Bede)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_In your patience, &c. We then truly possess our souls, when we live in all things perfect, and from the citadel of virtue command and control all the motions of the mind and heart. (St. Gregory, Mag. Moral. v. chap. 13.)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Days of vengeance, &c. These are truly the days of vengeance; days, that will arise to punish this people for having spilt the blood of the Lord. (Ven. Bede)_... [ Continue Reading ]
Whoever reads Josephus's history of the calamities which befall Jerusalem before its destruction, will find none of these terrible menaces unfulfilled. Seventy thousand were carried away captives in this war. After the soldiers were weary of killing, Titus ordered the finest of the young men to be k... [ Continue Reading ]
_The powers of heaven, &c. Some explain this of the angels, who shall be terrified and tremble at the sight of so many calamities. Others understand it of the heavenly bodies, the sun, moon, stars, &c. which shall in some sort, likewise, be confused in the general dissolution. The prophets often mak... [ Continue Reading ]
The Jews shall not see him corporally, but at the last judgment. Then, says the Scripture, (Zacharias xii. 10.) _They shall see him whom they pierced with nails. But in the ruin of Jerusalem, all who will compare his predictions with the event, can evidently see that this was the day of his coming,... [ Continue Reading ]
_In the mount that is called Olivet. In this last week, Christ, after preaching in the day-time in the temple, when constantly in the evenings to pray in the garden of Gethsemani, as Judas knew very well. See Chap. xxii. ver. 39. (Witham)_... [ Continue Reading ]