Original Douay–Rheims AnnotationsMatthew 8

Priest.

The Priests of the old law (saith S. Chrysostome) had authority and privilege only to discern who were healed of leprosy, and to denounce the same to the people: but the Priests of the new law have power to purge in very deed the filth of the soul ^◦. Therefore whosoever despiseth them, is more worthy to be punished than the rebel Dathan and his complices. S. Chryso. li. 3. de Sacerd.

• ◦ Priests forgive sins.

Gift

Our Saviour willeth him to go and offer his gift or sacrifice according as Moyses prescribed in that case, because the other sacrifice being the holiest of all holies, which is his body, was not yet begun. So saith S. Aug. li. 2. q. Evang. q. 3. & Cont. Advers. leg. & Proph. li. 1. c. 19. 20.

Not worthy.

Orig. ho. 5. in divers. When thou eatest (saith he) and drinkest the body and blood of our Lord, he entereth under thy roof. Thou also therefore humbling thyself, say: ^[1] Lord I am not worthy. &c. so said ^[2] S. Chrysostom in his Mass, and so doth the Cath. Church use at this day in every Mass. See S. Augustine ep. 118. ad Ianu.

• 1 DOMINE, non sum dignus.
• 2 * Liturg. S. Chrys. Græc. sub finem.

His wife's mother.

^[1] Of Peter specially among the rest, it is evident that he had a wife, but (as S. Hierom saith) after they were called to be Apostles, they had no more carnal company with their wives, as he proveth there by the very words of our Saviour, ^[2] He that hath left wife &c. And so in the Latin Church hath been always used, that married men may be and are daily made Priests, either after the death of the wife, or with her consent to live in perpetual continency. And if the Greeks have Priests that do otherwise, S. Epiphanius a Greek Doctor telleth them, that they do it against the ancient Canons, and ^[3] Paphnutius plainly signifieth the same in the first Councel of Nice. But this is most plain, that there was never either in the Greek Church or the Latin, authentical example of any that married after Holy Orders.

• 1 Priests' marriage.
• 2 Lib. 1. adv. Iov. C. 14. Mt. 19, 29. Epiph. hæ. 59.
• 3 * Sozom. li. 1. c. 22. Socrat. li. 1. c. 8.

Let the dead.

By this we see that not only no worldly or carnal respect, but no other laudable duty toward our parents, ought to stay us from following Christ, and choosing a life of greater perfection.

He commanded.

The Church (here signified by the boat or ship) and Catholics, are often tossed with storms of persecution, but Christ who seemed to sleep in the mean time, by the Church's prayers awaketh, and maketh a calm.