Translated by Qwen.
St. Bruno of Segni's Commentary on John Chapter 11
Jn 11:1: There was a certain man sick, Lazarus of Bethany, of the castle of Mary and Martha, his sister.
Jn 11:2: Mary, however, was she who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped His feet with her hair. Whose brother Lazarus was sick.
In great praises of Mary the Evangelist wrote these things, who merited to anoint the Lord and to touch His feet. Blessed are those souls who, after the likeness of this Mary, approach the Lord with aromatics, with ointment, and with good odor. This is she who speaks in the Song of Songs, saying: "While the king was at his table, my nard gave forth its fragrance" (Cant 1:11).
We read that the Lord raised three dead men: namely, the daughter of the prince of the synagogue in the house; the son of the widow woman outside the gate of the city; and this Lazarus in the sepulcher, dead four days (cf., v. 39). For by these three dead men three kinds of death are signified.
For a man dies by thinking wicked and unlawful things; he dies by acting evilly; he dies by persevering in sins. You think of doing something which is not lawful—your soul is dead, but it still lies in the house and in secret, because the sin is hidden and not yet made public. But if you bring your thought to effect, not only is it dead, but now it has been carried out even beyond the gate of the city and separated from the Church by sin, near to the sepulcher and to perdition. But indeed he who has committed some great sin and has persevered in it for a long time is not only dead and buried, but already stinks, because all around abhor to hear his most shameful fame.
Nevertheless, Jesus raises all these, if they cease from their sins and repent of them in heart, and if parents and sisters and a widowed mother intercede for them. Whence it is written: "Confess your sins one to another, and pray one for another, that you may be saved. For the assiduous supplication of a just man avails much" (James 5:16).
But what is signified by the four days during which Lazarus lay dead in the sepulcher, except the four ages of life? For by four ages, as by four days, he lies dead, stinking in the sepulcher of sin, who perseveres in the evil which he began in childhood, adolescence, youth, and old age. For infancy, because it is full of ignorance, is not reckoned among these days. Consider therefore how great is the benignity of our Savior, who after such perseverance in evil does not disdain to raise one putrid and stinking.
Jn 11:3: His sisters therefore sent to Him, saying: Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.
You hear therefore that the Lord loves sinners—certainly those already repenting. For such sinners Lazarus signifies. Concerning whom the Lord Himself says: "I rejoice over one sinner repenting more than over ninety-nine just who need not repentance" (Luke 15:7).
Jn 11:4: But Jesus hearing, said to them: This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified by it.
Lazarus does not die, He says, that he may remain in death, but that he may rise from the dead for the glory of God.
Jn 11:5: Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister Mary, and Lazarus.
For the Lord loves both the active life and the contemplative life, and sinners converted to repentance. But concerning these things it will be disputed elsewhere.
Jn 11:6: When therefore He had heard that he was sick, then indeed He remained in the same place two days.
Jn 11:7: Then after this, He said to His disciples: Let us go into Judea again.
Jn 11:8-10: The disciples say to Him: Rabbi, now the Jews sought to stone You, and again You go there? Jesus answered: Are there not twelve hours of the day? If a man walk in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if he walk in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.
What is it, He says, that you say? "Follow Me, come after Me. I am the light of the world" (John 8:12). "I am the day; you are the hours. Are there not twelve hours of the day? Therefore I chose you twelve because there are twelve hours of the day. What therefore? Since you are hours, follow the day." For this is proper to hours. But if anyone follow this day, if anyone walk in it, if anyone believe in Me, he shall not stumble. Why? Because he sees the light of this world. "I am the light of the world." But if he walk in the night, if he follow error and the prince of darkness—for this is to walk in the night—he shall stumble and fall. Why? Because the light is not in him, because the darkness of error has blinded his eyes.
Jn 11:11: These things He said, and after this He said to them: Lazarus our friend sleeps, but I go that I may awaken him from sleep.
Jn 11:12: The disciples therefore said to Him: Lord, if he sleeps, he will be safe.
Sleep is wont to be a sign of health for the sick.
Jn 11:13: But Jesus had spoken of his death; but they thought that He spoke of the repose of sleep.
And such was it as if He said: "Lazarus sleeps, but to others he is dead. More easily can I raise him from death than any man can awaken him from sleep. I go therefore that I may awaken him from sleep."
Jn 11:14: Then therefore Jesus said to them manifestly: Lazarus is dead.
Jn 11:15: And I rejoice for your sakes, that you may believe, because I was not there. But let us go to him.
"I rejoice," He says, "because I was not there." For if Jesus had been there, that dead man would not have died. For where life is, death cannot be. "I," says the Lord, "am the resurrection and the life" (John 11:25). "I rejoice therefore, but for your sakes." Why for your sakes? "That you may believe, that by the resurrection of that one your faith may be strengthened, whose death I, being absent, announce to you."
Jn 11:16: Thomas therefore said, who is called Didymus, to his fellow disciples: Let us also go, that we may die with him.
For Thomas says this because he knew that the Jews were so inflamed with such great hatred against Jesus and His disciples that he expected nothing except death and punishment from them.
Jn 11:17: Jesus therefore came, and found him having been in the monument now four days.
But what the four days signify we have already said above.
Jn 11:18: Now Bethany was near Jerusalem about twelve stadia.
It was not therefore very difficult for the Jews to have come thence to Bethany to console Martha and Mary. Concerning whom it is added:
Jn 11:19: Many however had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their brother.
Jn 11:20: Martha therefore when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him. Mary however sat at home.
But why Martha is everywhere solicitous and Mary quiet, those know who understand that by them the active and contemplative lives are glorified.
Jn 11:21: Martha therefore said to Jesus: Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.
For how could he die if Life were present to him? For concerning Himself the Lord says: "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6).
Jn 11:22: But even now I know that whatever you shall have asked from God, God will give you.
Jn 11:23: Jesus says to her: Your brother shall rise again.
Jn 11:24: She says: I know, she says, that he shall rise again in the resurrection on the last day.
Concerning that resurrection I am certain. That You are able to do this I do not doubt, but whether You will do it I am not certain.
Jn 11:25: Jesus says to her: I am the resurrection and the life.
Through Me they rise and live, whoever live and rise. "Who believes in Me, even if he shall have been dead, shall live." Who therefore does not believe does not live. He will live indeed, but in punishments. But such life ought rather to be called death than life. For true life does not have the bitterness of death. Who therefore believes in Christ, although he die temporally, shall live nevertheless in eternity. Similarly however he who lives and believes in Him—for to believe is to live, because faith is the life of the soul—although he die...
Jn 11:26-27: Do you believe this? She says to Him: Yes, Lord. I have believed that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who into this world have come.
Jn 11:28: And when she had said these things, she went away and called Mary her sister in silence, saying: The Master is present and calls you.
Jn 11:29: She when she heard rose quickly and came to Him.
Jn 11:30: For Jesus had not yet come into the castle but was still in that place where Martha had met Him.
Jn 11:31: The Jews therefore who were with her in the house and were comforting her, when they saw Mary because she rose quickly and went out, followed her, saying that she goes to the monument to weep there.
Jn 11:32: Mary therefore when she had come where Jesus was, seeing Him fell at His feet and said to Him: Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.
Both sisters say the same thing, understand the same thing, and believe that Christ is the true life, in whose presence and by whose will no one dies.
Jn 11:33: Jesus therefore seeing her weeping and the Jews who had come with her weeping, He groaned in spirit and troubled Himself.
Therefore He was not troubled from elsewhere, but He Himself troubled Himself, and signified something great to us by this very thing. For this groaning and this troubling teaches us what we also ought to do in such a matter, when we pray to God either for ourselves or for others basely degenerating and stinking in sins. For we, says the Apostle, know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Holy Spirit Himself asks for us with groanings unutterable (Rom 8:26). Whence also the Psalmist: "A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit; a contrite and humbled heart, O God, You will not despise" (Ps 50:19).
Jn 11:34: And He said: Where have you laid him?
For thus also it is said to the first man by God: "Adam, where are you?" (Gen 3:9). Which indeed was such as if He said: "Consider now from how great glory into how great misery you have fallen." And in such manner indeed are they placed who are signified by Lazarus. But by whom are they placed, except by women? For by the counsel of women it came to pass that every man dies and is placed in the sepulcher.
Jn 11:35: And Jesus wept.
Let us therefore weep also for all those whom we perceive to lie in the stench of vices, if perchance by our tears the Lord may deign to raise them.
Jn 11:36: The Jews therefore said: Behold how He loved him.
Jn 11:37: Certain however from themselves said: Could not this one who opened the eyes of the blind born make that this one also not die?
Jn 11:38: Jesus therefore again groaning in Himself came to the monument. Now it was a cave and a stone was superposed to it.
Jn 11:39: Jesus says: Take away the stone.
For they cannot rise who are pressed down and shut in by a stone. This stone is the letter of the law, since it was written and given on stone. "For the letter kills, but the spirit gives life" (2 Cor 3:6). Let the stone therefore be taken away; let the letter which kills be removed, and let the spirit which gives life approach.
His sister says to Him who had been dead: Lord, already he stinks; for he is four days.
But what the stench and what the four days signify we have said above.
Jn 11:40: Jesus says to her: Did I not say to you that if you shall have believed, you shall see the glory of God?
Jn 11:41: They took away therefore the stone. Jesus however having lifted up His eyes said: Father, I give thanks to you because you have heard me.
Jn 11:42: But I knew that you always hear me.
For Jesus, according to that part by which He is man, groans, is troubled, weeps, prays, is heard, and gives thanks.
Jn 11:43: But on account of the people who stand around I said it, that they may believe that you sent me.
This indeed is why He said these things, why He prayed and gave thanks; soon He rendered the cause, saying: "On account of the people who stand around I said it, that they may believe that you sent me." Hence it is that elsewhere He says: "I have not come of Myself, but My Father sent Me" (John 8:42).
When He had said these things, with a loud voice He cried out: Lazarus, come forth!
He who is pressed down by a great sleep must be called with a loud voice. For he is weighed down by a great sleep who, buried in sin, is not awakened either in childhood, or in adolescence, or in youth, or in old age. For this is what those four days signify, during which Lazarus already stinking lay in the sepulcher.
Jn 11:44: And immediately he came forth who had been dead, bound feet and hands with bands, and his face was bound with a sudarium.
No occasion is given to despair when Lazarus, already stinking and four days dead, rises from the dead. And indeed it is very marvelous not only that the dead man rose again, but also that bound in feet and hands he proceeded forth. And perhaps this is the signification, that we may understand that a sinner, in whatever hour he shall have been converted and shall have groaned, shall live with life and shall not die (Ezek 18:21). Nevertheless he seems still to be bound until, loosed by bishops, he be reconciled to the sacraments of the Church. For such a one, although he appear outside, nevertheless within is not bound, because loosed from the bonds of sins, he is now bound to God through repentance. Whence also Lazarus, as if he were not at all bound, went forth free from the sepulcher. Whom nevertheless the Lord ordered to be loosed, that we also may show those to be loosed who, having heard the voice of the Gospel, have merited to be raised in the soul through repentance.
Jn 11;45: Many therefore from the Jews who had come to Mary and Martha and had seen those things which Jesus did believed in Him.
Jn 11:46: Certain however from themselves went away to the Pharisees and said to them those things which Jesus did.
But whether they said this proclaiming His glory or accusing Him can be doubted.
CONTINUE.
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