But deliver us from evil . This is the last petition: deliver us from evil past, present, and future, of guilt and of punishment, and from every evil. Augustine: "Every Christian in whatever tribulation pours forth tears and utters groans in these words": "Deliver me from my enemies" (Ps 59:1); "Who are you that you should be afraid?" (Is 51:12).
Amen , i.e., so be it. No one wished to translate this word out of reverence, because the Lord frequently used it. In this is given the assurance of obtaining, provided that what has been said is observed.
It should be known that in the Hebrew three words are added which Chrysostom expounds: the first is "for thine is the kingdom," then "and the power and the glory. Amen." And these seem to correspond to three preceding petitions: "thine is the kingdom" to Thy kingdom come ; "the power" to Thy will be done ; "the glory" to Our Father and to all the other things that pertain to the honor of God. Or, in another way, as though to say: these other things you can do because you are King, and therefore no one else can; yours is the "power," and therefore you can give the kingdom; yours the "glory," and therefore: "Not to us, O Lord, not to us" (Ps 115:1).
(14) For if you will forgive men their offences . The Lord had added a certain condition in the prayer, namely, forgive us ; but this condition could seem burdensome to someone. And therefore the Lord shows the reason for it, and regarding this he does two things: first, he shows this condition to be useful; secondly, necessary. It is useful because through it we obtain the remission of sins, and this is: For if you will forgive men their offences which they committed against you, he will forgive you those which you committed against him: "Forgive your neighbor" (Sir 28:2).
But note that he says if you will forgive men ; for men, as long as they live innocently, are gods; but when they sin, they fall into the human condition: "I said, you are gods" (Ps 82:6), and then: "But you shall die like men" (Ps 82:7). Therefore you who are gods and spiritual will forgive sinful men .
Likewise, note that he says your heavenly Father ; for offenses that are committed among men are committed on account of something earthly. On the contrary, heavenly men who have their Father in heaven should have nothing of discord on account of earthly things: "Be merciful" (Lk 6:36).
(15) This condition is also necessary, because without it there is no remission of sins; hence: But if you will not forgive , etc. Nor is this surprising, because no sin can ever be forgiven without charity: "Charity covers all offenses" (Pr 10:12). For he who harbors hatred toward anyone is not in charity, and therefore his sin is not forgiven: "Man harbors anger against man" (Sir 28:3); "Judgment without mercy" (Jas 2:13).
But someone might believe that since the offense must be forgiven, the Church sins when it does not forgive. It must be said that if the offender seeks pardon, one would sin by not forgiving. But if he does not seek pardon, then one either does not forgive on account of hatred, and so sins; or on account of the good of that person or of others, so that evil may not become habitual, and so does not sin.
6—4
Mt 6:16-18
16. And when you fast, be not as the hypocrites, sad. For they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Amen I say to you, they have received their reward. 17. But thou, when thou fastest anoint thy head, and wash thy face; 18. That thou appear not to men to fast, but to thy Father who is in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret, will repay thee.
(16) And when you fast . After he determined the manner of praying and giving alms, here he determines the manner of fasting, and first he excludes the unfitting manner; secondly, he establishes the true manner, at the words But thou .
Regarding the first, he does three things. First, he teaches us to avoid the example of the manner of the hypocrites; secondly, he makes it plain; thirdly, he assigns the reason for his instruction. The second at the words For they disfigure ; the third at the words Amen .
It is quite fitting that after prayer he treats of fasting, because prayer is weak when fasting does not accompany it. And this is because prayer is "the raising of the mind to God." But the more the flesh is strengthened, the more the mind is weakened: "Prayer is good with fasting" (Tob 12:8); and wherever we read of any solemn prayer being made, there mention is made of fasting (Dan 9:3; Joel 2:15): "Sanctify a fast."
He says, therefore, when you fast . Chrysostom: He does not say "do not be" sad, because it is impossible for those who fast not to experience the emotions of sadness, just as conversely those who eat and drink are rendered joyful. But he says be not as the hypocrites, sad , i.e., do not take pains to become outwardly sad, but rather be inwardly sorrowful for sins: "The sorrow of the world" works death (2 Cor 7:10); "Give not up your soul to sadness, and afflict not yourself in your own counsel" (Sir 30:21). As the hypocrites , i.e., with that intention. "Hypocrites" are called pretenders who simulate the person of a just man, as was expounded above. When they become sad he adds: For they disfigure their faces . Jerome: This word "disfigure" is improperly used, as though metaphorically, because to "disfigure" properly means "to put outside the boundaries." Hence it is taken from exiles of cities; thus it is said that Saul banished the magicians and soothsayers from the land. But here it is properly taken to mean that they demolish their appearance. Or it should be said that they "disfigure their faces" by putting them outside their normal appearance. That they may appear unto men to fast : "A man is known by his appearance, and one is recognized by his face" (Sir 19:29).
Here note, according to Augustine, that glory is sought not only from the pomp of clothing but also from the vileness of clothing; and according to him, this is more dangerous, because the deception of those who use pomp of clothing and the like cannot harm since it is recognized, but when glory is sought from bodily squalor there can be danger, because if a man is not spiritual he can easily be led into error. Yet Augustine says that such a person can be discerned from other actions, because if on one hand he follows the contempt of the world and on the other acquires profits, he is a pretender. But should those who act for God's sake abandon humble clothing because some hypocrites usurp vileness of clothing to conceal their malice? It must be said that they should not, because as the Gloss says, the sheep should not abandon its own skin even though the wolf sometimes covers himself with it.
Amen I say to you . He assigns the reason for his instruction. For it is foolish to lose the eternal reward for the praise of men: "I am God, your exceedingly great reward" (Gen 15:1).
(17) But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face . Here the fitting manner of fasting is set forth, and regarding this he does three things. First, he sets forth the manner; secondly, he assigns the reason; thirdly, the benefit. He says, therefore, But thou ; similarly Ecclesiastes (9:8): "At all times let your garments be white, and let not oil be lacking on your head." And here Augustine raises a question, that although it is the custom among many to wash their face daily, yet to anoint the head is considered wanton. Does the Lord therefore desire this?
Likewise, Chrysostom says that fasting ought to be done secretly. But whenever we see someone anointed, we will say that he is fasting.
To these objections they respond in three ways. Jerome says, and I believe this is the more literal meaning, that it was the custom among the Palestinians at that time for men to anoint their head with oil daily and wash their face. Hence she said in Kings: "I have nothing but a little oil to anoint myself" (cf. 2 Kgs 4:2). Hence this custom was counted among necessities. Therefore the Lord means that he who fasts should not change his way of living, which is to anoint the head and wash the face.
Or, in another way, according to Chrysostom: The Lord speaks by way of excess, just as above, But when thou dost alms ; as if to say: if it were fitting, you should do what hypocrites commonly do.
Thirdly, according to Augustine and also Chrysostom, the Lord speaks in a likeness, and this exposition is mystical. By "head" two things are understood: "The head of every man is Christ" (1 Cor 11:3). You anoint the head, then, when you bestow mercy on your neighbor: "What you did to one of these least" (Mt 25:40). Or the head of a man is his reason or spirit, according to Augustine, which is the man, as if to say: You should so afflict the flesh that the spirit within is refreshed by devotion: "Although our outer man is being destroyed, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day" (2 Cor 4:16).
He says, moreover, wash thy face , i.e., your conscience. For just as a man is rendered pleasing to men by an honest face, so he is pleasing to God by a pure conscience: "Those who love cleanness of heart" (Pr 22:11); "Is not this the fast that I have chosen?" (Is 58:6). And he says anoint thy head and not "wash," because Christ does not need washing, and neither does our conscience.
(18) That thou appear not to men to fast . This is the reason. It should be understood of individual fasting, not of communal fasting. But to thy Father who is in secret , of eternity: "It is hidden from the eyes" (Job 28:21); or "in the secret" of conscience, because God dwells in us through faith (Eph 3:17). Will repay thee : "He will render to every man according to his works" (Rom 2:6); "Searching hearts and minds" (Ps 7:9).
To Reportatio Leodegarii Bissuntini