Original Douay–Rheims AnnotationsLuke 17
English College of Douai–Rheims
Read Luke 17 in the BibleLuke 17:14
To the priests.
◦ This leprosy signifieth sin, which though God may and can heal without any man's means, yet he doth it not ordinarily but by the Priest's ministry: therefore let no man despise God's ordinance, nor say that it is enough to confess to God though he never come at the priest. li. de visit. infirm. apud August.
- ◦ Confession to the Priest.
As they went.
A man may sometimes be so contrite and penitent, that his sin is forgiven before he come to the Priest, but then also he must notwithstanding go to the Priest, as these lepers did: specially whereas we are never sure how contrite we are, and because there is no true contrition, but with desire also of the Sacrament in time and place.
Original Douay–Rheims Annotations — English College of Douai–Rheims. CC0 1.0
Luke 17:10
Unprofitable servants.
[1] If our Saviour had said that the keeping of God's commandments had been unprofitable and not available to ourselves, then might the Protestants have truly argued thereby that our works deserve not Heaven or any reward at God's hand: but so he said not, but that our service is to God unprofitable, who calleth for it as duty, and not as a thing needful or profitable to himself. And though here our Master teach us so humbly to conceive of our own doings toward him, yet himself elsewhere calleth not his servants unprofitable when they have done their labour, but speaketh thus, [2] Good and faithful servant, because thou wast faithful in a little, I will place thee over much: enter into the joy of thy Lord. Yea of such as serve him in the grace of the new Testament, he affirmeth that he will not now [3] name them servants but friends, yea and take them for his own children, and as his friends and sons he counteth of us and our works towards heaven, though we in humility and truth must confess always that we be to him unprofitable servants. Yea and S. Paul saith plainly, that by cleansing ourselves from sinful works, we shall be profitable vessels to our Lord. 2 Timot. 2, 21.