Father Noel Alexandre's Literal Commentary on 1 Peter 1:3-9

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 Translated by Qwen. 1 Pet 1:3–4: The Blessing of Regeneration "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has regenerated us unto a living hope, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, unto an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and unfading, reserved in heaven for you." We ought to give immortal thanks to God, to offer Him continually the sacrifice of praise, on account of His infinite goodness toward His elect. It belongs to the Eternal Father to choose the members of His Son, the adopted children who are co-heirs with the Only-Begotten. Let us seek no other reason for this election than mercy, whose greatness cannot be worthily expressed in human words. He who spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all. Us, unworthy sinners, His enemies, deserving of eternal punishments, He has regenerated through Baptism; and, the oldness which we had contracted from Adam in our first birth being abolished, He ...
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St Bruno of Segni's Commentary on John 12:1-11

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 ST BRUNO OF SEGNI'S COMMENTARY ON JOHN 12:1-11

Jn 12:1-2 Therefore, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus had been dead, whom Jesus raised. They made him a supper there, and Martha served.

It would be surprising if the evangelist wished to relate all these things so diligently without some significance. For Bethany is interpreted as "house of obedience." Therefore, be Bethany; be obedient to God, so that the Lord, coming to you, may deign to lodge in the house of your heart. Prepare a supper for him. Believe in him. Observe his commandments. For the Lord is delighted by such a supper. Whence he himself says: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man shall open to me, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Apoc. 3:20).

Do not seek these things outside yourself. For you yourself can be both Bethany, and Martha, and Lazarus, and Mary. If you serve well, if you give alms, clothe the naked, visit the sick, and do other things similar to these, you will be Martha. For all these things pertain to the active life, which is signified by Martha. Do you wish to be Lazarus? Flee death, come to life, do penance, and you shall be raised, and you shall be numbered among the guests of Christ. For it is said here that Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him. For the sinner, in whatever hour he shall be converted and shall groan, he shall live and not die (Ezek. 18:21).

But if this perhaps is not enough for you, but wishing to ascend higher you wish to be Mary, go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and despising all things which are of the world, strive to be free for reading and prayer and divine contemplation alone. For Mary chose this part, which shall not be taken away from her (Luke 10:42).

Jn 12:3 It follows: Mary therefore took a pound of ointment of spikenard, pure, precious, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair, and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment. For this ointment signifies faith. Whence also it is rightly called pisticum, since pistis is interpreted as faith. Jesus is delighted by no ointment more than this. Without this ointment, it is not permitted to approach him and touch him. For it is impossible to please God without faith (Heb. 11:6). With this ointment the house is filled. The whole Church smells of this. Therefore, unbelievers stink to the Lord because they do not bear this ointment. Moreover, in that she anoints the feet and wipes them with her hair, he understands him to be God and man, beginning and end. For he who believes him to be God and man joins the head to the feet in a certain way. Whence this woman is narrated to have anointed not only the feet but also the head of our Savior.

Jn 12:4-6 Therefore, one of his disciples says, Judas Iscariot, who was about to betray him: Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor? But lest he be thought to have said this out of affection for piety and zeal for mercy, the evangelist added, saying: Now he said this, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and having the money box, he carried the things that were put in. Therefore, let no one rebuke us if we tolerate wicked men and do not separate them quickly from the communion of the Church, since our Savior himself tolerated Judas, whom he knew to be not only a traitor but also a thief and sacrilegious.

Jn 12:7-8 Therefore Jesus said: Let her alone, that she may keep it for the day of my burial. But this is as if he should say: It is a mystery which is being done, in which my death and burial are signified to happen soon. Whence another evangelist says: She has come beforehand to anoint my body for the burial. For the poor you will always have with you, but me you will not always have (Mark 14:7-8).

What is it therefore that he says elsewhere: Behold, I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world (Matt. 28:20)? For if he is with them all days, how will they not always have him? The solution is easy if we are mindful of the two natures in Christ. For what he says, me you will not always have, we ought to understand concerning the presence of the flesh, which after the resurrection on the fortieth day ascended into heaven.

Jn 12:9-11 Therefore, a great crowd of the Jews knew that he was there, and they came not only on account of Jesus, but that they might see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. These were led not by love but by admiration, and as the desire of men holds, they wished to see and hear new things. But the chief priests thought to kill Lazarus also, because many on account of him were going away from the Jews and believing in Jesus. Foolish Jews, they wished to kill him whom the Lord had recently raised, as if He could not raise him again.

CONTINUE

 

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