(Vers. 46.)
(Verse 46.) Someone touched me; for I felt power go out from me.
58. It is evident proof that wisdom, enclosed within the confines of the human condition and imprisoned within the body, is limited: it is not captured by bodily limitations, nor is it confined, but its eternal power surpasses the boundaries of our mediocrity. For the liberation of the people of the nations does not come through human effort, but rather it is the gift of God, the gathering of nations, which even in a short moment of faith inclines towards eternal mercy. Now if we consider how great our faith is, and understand how great the Son of God is, we see that in comparison we only touch the fringe, but we are unable to touch the higher parts of his garment. Therefore, if we also want to be healed, let us touch the fringe of Christ with faith.
59. He is not hidden from whoever touches the fringe, he who touches the back; for God does not need eyes to see, nor does he feel corporeally, but he has knowledge of all things within himself. Therefore, blessed is he who touches even the farthest part of the Word; for who can comprehend the whole? But let us return to that which is still sick, lest through our delay in dwelling with Christ for a long time, it be believed to have died:
(Vers. 49.)
(Verse 49.) They came, he said, the servants saying to the ruler: Do not trouble him, your daughter is dead.
And first let us consider that in order to raise the dead, he took care to create a hemorrhage to establish faith. And so that you may know, for example, blood flow was halted when it was sought, and what was sought was healed. In the same way, temporal resurrection is celebrated in the Lord's passion, so that the eternal resurrection may also be believed. In the same way, Mary, about to give birth, is indicated as barren, so that she may be believed to conceive as a virgin. Finally, Elizabeth heard that she would give birth and did not doubt her own ability to conceive.
61. The servants came, saying to the master: Do not trouble him. Even these unbelievers in the resurrection, which Jesus predicted in the Law, fulfilled in the Gospel. Therefore, when he came into the house, he chose a few witnesses of the future resurrection; for resurrection was not immediately believed by many. Finally, with the Lord saying:
(Verse 52, 53.) The girl is not dead, but sleeping. They mocked him, he said.
62. For whoever does not believe scoffs. Therefore let those who believe in the dead, flee from their dead: where there is faith in the resurrection, there is not the appearance of death, but of rest. Nor does what Matthew says seem strange, that there were flute players in the ruler's house, and a crowd making a commotion (Matthew 9:23): either because in ancient times flute players seemed to be employed to kindle and arouse mourning, or because the synagogue could not grasp the spiritual joy of the Law and the letter's melody.
63. (Verses 54-56.) So, holding the girl's hand, Jesus healed her and commanded that she be given something to eat. This is a testimony of life, so that it may be believed not to be a ghost but the truth. Blessed is the one whose hand is held by wisdom. May it also hold my actions, hold the hand of justice, hold the Word of God, lead me into its innermost chambers, turn away the spirit of error, convert to salvation, and command me to be given something to eat! For the heavenly bread is the Word of God. Hence also that wisdom which filled the holy altars of the divine body and blood with nourishments: Come, he says, eat my bread and drink the wine which I have mixed for you (Proverbs 9:5).
64. But what is the cause of such great diversity? Above, a widow's son is raised publicly (Luke 7:12), here several judges are removed. But I suppose that even in this the compassion of the Lord is shown, because the mother of the only begotten Son would not tolerate delay, and therefore, so that she would not be further burdened, maturity is added. It is also a wise arrangement, that in the son of a widow the Church would quickly believe, in the daughter of the archisynagogue the Jews would indeed believe, but fewer out of many.
(Chap. IX. — Vers. 5.)
(Chapter 9, verse 5) And whoever does not receive you, when you leave that city, shake off even the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.
65. The person who preaches the kingdom of God is described by the precepts of the Gospel: that he be without staff, without bag, without sandals, without bread, without money (Verse 3), that is, not seeking the support of worldly means, but dedicated to faith, and the less he desires temporal things, the more he hopes that they can be provided for him. Those who want to discuss this can derive the following principles from it: that this place seems to form only a spiritual disposition, that it appears to have shed a certain kind of clothing, not only rejecting power and despising wealth, but also renouncing the allurements of the flesh.
66. To them is first given the general command of peace and steadfastness (Verse 4); that they may bring peace, maintain steadfastness, and uphold the rights of hospitable relationships; warning against wandering through houses, preaching the kingdom of heaven, and disregarding the inviolable rights of hospitality. But if they are not received, they are to shake off the dust and leave the city. In order that not only peace be provided to guests, but also that any earthly shadows of offenses of levity be removed, after the footsteps of apostolic preaching have been received, the guests should be taught a not insignificant reward of kindness in hospitality. And according to the Gospel of Matthew, it is decreed that the house that the apostles enter be read (Matthew 10:12), so that there is no lack of reason to change the bond of hospitality and violate it. However, the same caution is not given to the recipient of hospitality, so that while a guest is chosen, hospitality itself is not diminished.
67. But this form of the precept is venerable, as it were, in the very letter of the religious observance: the heavenly meaning also appears thus. For when a house is chosen, a worthy guest is sought. Let us therefore see lest perhaps the Church and Christ be preferred. For what house is more worthy of the entrance of apostolic preaching than the holy Church (24, quaest. 1, cap. Quae dignior)? Or who seems more worthy to be preferred to all than Christ, who used to wash the feet of His guests, and does not allow those who defile His house to dwell in it, but deigns in the remaining time to cleanse the processes, although they may be stained by a previous way of life? Therefore, this is the only one whom no one should forsake, no one should change. To whom it is rightly said: Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we believe in you (John 6:69-70). You see the executor of heavenly commandments: because he did not change his dwelling, he earned the heavenly fellowship of consecration.
68. Therefore, trust is entrusted primarily to the Church, in which if Christ is the inhabitant, without a doubt it must be read. But if the faithless people or the heretical teacher defiles the dwelling, the communion of heretics is to be avoided, and the synagogue is to be fled. The dust of your feet must be shaken off, lest the footprint of your mind be polluted by the cracks of faithlessness, like dry and sandy ground. For just as the Gospel preacher must take upon himself the bodily infirmities of the faithful people, and alleviate and abolish empty deeds like dust, according to what is written: Who is weak, and I am not weak (II Cor. XI, 29)? Therefore, if there is any Church that rejects the faith and does not possess the foundations of apostolic preaching, it must be abandoned in order to prevent it from spreading any stain of unfaithfulness. This is also clearly affirmed by the Apostle when he says: Avoid a heretical man after the first . . . . correction (Titus 3:10).
(Vers. 13.)
(Verse 13.) And he said to them: Give them something to eat. But they said: We have no more than five loaves.
69. (Verse 8). What is the reason that, while the passion of John is described in the later part, he is already shown as dead in the words of Herod? Lest, perhaps, it is because after the decline of the Law, the Evangelical food begins to feed the hungry hearts of the people? Finally, after she who received the symbol of the Church was healed from the flow of blood, after the apostles were destined to preach the kingdom of God, the nourishment of heavenly grace is imparted. But pay attention to whom it is shared with. Not to those who are idle, not to those who reside in the city as if in a synagogue or in secular dignity, but to those who seek Christ in the desert; for those who do not despise, they are received by Christ, and the Word of God speaks with them not about secular matters, but about the kingdom of God. And if anyone bears the bodily wounds of passion, he willingly provide them with his medicine.
Therefore, it followed that those whom he had healed from the pain of wounds, he also freed from fasting by means of spiritual nourishment. Thus, no one receives the food of Christ unless they have been healed beforehand. And those who are called to the banquet are healed first by being called. If someone was lame, they received the ability to walk in order to come. If someone was deprived of the light of their eyes, they could not enter the Lord's house unless the light was restored.
71. Therefore, everywhere the order of the mystery is preserved; so that first through the remission of sins medicine is given to wounds, afterwards the nourishment of the heavenly table abounds: although this crowd is not yet refreshed by stronger food, nor do the hearts of stronger faith feed on the body and blood of Christ while fasting. By milk, he says, I have given you drink, not food; for you were not yet able, but even now you are not yet able (I Cor. III, 2). In the manner of milk, there are five loaves. However, the food is the more solid body of Christ, the drink is the more fervent blood of the Lord. We do not immediately eat everything at once, nor do we drink everything. This is the first thing, he says, drink (Isaiah IX, 1). So there is a first, and there is also a second thing that you drink. There is a first thing that you eat, and there is also a second, and a third. The first five loaves are the first, the second seven, the third is the body of Christ itself.
72. Therefore, let us never abandon such a Lord, who is willing to provide nourishment for each of us according to our abilities; so that neither a strong food overwhelms the weak, nor meager food fails to satisfy the strong: For whoever is weak, let him eat vegetables (Rom. XIV, 2). And he who seems to have escaped the snares of weakness, let him eat of these five loaves and two fish. Certainly, if he fears to seek stronger food, let him himself leave behind all his things and hasten to the word of God. While beginning to hear, he begins to hunger. The apostles begin to see him hungry. And if they still do not understand what he is hungry for, Christ understands. He knows that he is not hungry for worldly food, but for the food of Christ. Let him say: I do not want to send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way (Matthew XV, 32). The good Lord demands studies, and gives strength.
73. I wish, Lord Jesus, that you would not send away these fasting people with empty stomachs, but that you would nourish them with abundant food from yourself; so that they may not fear weakness from fasting, but rather become stronger through your sustenance. I beg you, also say about us: I do not want to send them away fasting! And tell me the reason why you do not want to send them away fasting; indeed, you have already said that if you send someone away fasting, he will fail on the way, that is, he will fail either in the course of this life, or before he reaches the end of the journey, before he reaches the Father, and understand that Christ is from the Father, understand that Christ is from heaven, and understand that Christ who descends is the same as the one who ascends; so that, perhaps, when he learns that he is born of a Virgin, he may begin to estimate not the power of God, but the essence of man. Therefore, he said, lest they fail.