Da humilia de sam Gregorio sobre o Evangelho de recumbentibus undecim discipullis.
The Purpose of Apostolic Doubt
The disciples' initial hesitation to believe in the Resurrection serves to strengthen the faith of future believers through the evidence of the Lord's physical presence.
But the fact that the disciples were slow to believe in the resurrection of the Lord was not so much their weakness as it was our firmness later on; for they doubted the resurrection, which was demonstrated to them through many arguments, and when we read those arguments, we realize that there could be no other reason than that through their doubt we were confirmed. Less did Mary Magdalene benefit me, for she, hearing early, believed, while Thomas, who doubted for a long time, certainly touched the signs of the Lord's wounds, and cut the wound of our doubt from our hearts. Furthermore, to declare the truth of the Lord's resurrection, we must note what St. Luke recounts: 'While eating, he commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem.' It goes on to say that while they were present, he rose up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. Note the words and consider the mysteries. While eating, he rose up, ate, and ascended; namely, that by the effect of eating, the truth of the flesh would be demonstrated. But St. Mark recounts that before the Lord ascended to heaven, he rebuked the disciples for their hardness of heart and unbelief. In this matter that we have to consider, is it not that the Lord rebuked the disciples for their hardness of heart when he physically departed from them, so that the words he spoke to them while departing would remain more deeply impressed?
Preaching to Every Creature
The command to preach to every creature is explained through the unique nature of man, who shares attributes with all levels of creation.
Regarding the hardness of heart that was rebuked, let's listen to what he said while admonishing them: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." However, if we consider carefully, we will find that man is called the name of every creature; for stones are indeed, but they neither live nor feel; and herbs and trees are, and they live but do not feel; they live, I say, not by a soul of sense, but by greenness, as Paul says: "And you, man, without knowing, what you sow will not be vivified unless it first dies; it lives, therefore, that which dies so that it may be vivified; and thus stones are, but do not live; and trees are and live, but do not feel; brute animals are, live, and feel, but they have no discernment; and angels are, live, and feel, and have discernment. But if we consider it well, we'll find that man has something in common with every creature: he shares existence with stones, life with trees, feeling with animals, and understanding with angels. And indeed, he has something in common with every creature, regarding some part; for man is called every creature. Therefore, to every creature, he has preached, because he is taught by that through which all things on earth are created, and of which all things by a similarity are not. Thus, he has preached to every creature, because he is taught by that through which all things on earth are created, and of which all things by a similarity are not.
Read the original Latin
Pero que os discipullos tarde creerom a resurreiçom do Senhor, nom foy tanto sua fraqueza como foy depois nossa firmeza; ca elles duvidando a resurreiçom per muytos argumentos lhe foy demostrada, os quaes quando os nos leendo conhecemos, que outra cousa seer nom pode senom que per sua duvida fomos confirmados? Menos me aproveitou Maria Magdallena, a qual ouvindo cedo creeo, que Tomas que longo tempo duvidou, ca por certo elle duvidando os signaaes das chagas do Senhor palpou, e do nosso peito a chaga da nossa duvida cortou. Mais para declarar a verdade da resurreiçom do Senhor devemos de notar aquello que sam Lucas conta, dizendo: En comendo lhes mandou que de Jherusalem se nom partissem. E mais adiante diz, que presente elles se levantou, e hũa nuvem o recebeo dante os seus olhos. Notade as pallavras, consiiradeos mesterios. Comendo se levantou, comeo e ascendeo; scilicet, que pollo efeito do comer a verdade da carne se demostrasse. Mas sam Marco conta que ante que o Senhor subisse aos ceeos reprehendeo os discipullos de dureza de coraçom e de infidellidade. Em a qual cousa que avemos al de consiirar, senom que por tanto o Senhor estonce os discipollos reprehendeo, quando se corporalmente delles partio, por tal que as pallavras, que partindosse lhes dizia, mais ardentemente ficassem impressas?
A qual dureza de coraçom assy reprehendida, ouçamos aquello que amoestandoos lhes disse: Hidevos per todo mundo e preegade o avangelho a toda criatura. Per ventuira, irmaãos muyto amados, o sancto avangelho avya de seer preegado aas cousas sem siso, ou aas animalias brutas por aquello que se diz: Preegade a toda criatura? Mas se bem consiirarmos acharemos que o homem por nome he chamado toda criatura; ca as pedras ham seer, mas nom vivem nem sentem; e as hervas e as arvores ham seer e vivem mas nom sentem; vivem digo, nom per alma de sentido, mas per verdura, ca sam Paullo diz: E tu homem sem saber, aquello que semeas nom sera vivificado se primeiro nom morrer, vive por tanto aquello que morre para que seja vivificado; e assy as pedras som, mas nom vivem; e as arvores som e vivem, mas nom sentem; as brutas anymallias som, vivem, e sentem, mas nom ham discriçom; e os angeos som, vivem, e sentem, e ham discriçom. Porem de toda criatura algũa cousa tem o homem; ca el tem comũu seer com as pedras, viver com as arvores, sentir com as anymallias, entender com os angeos. E pois tem algũa cousa comũu com toda criatura, acerca dalgũa parte ho homem he chamado toda criatura. Ergo a toda criatura he preegado, porque aquele he ensynado pollo qual todallas cousas em a terra som criadas, e do qual todas per hũa semelhança alheas nom som.
The Loyal Counselor — Opening companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit