Page:Ninety-nine homilies of S. Thomas Aquinas upon the epistles and gospels for forty-nine Sundays of the Christian year (IA ninetyninehomili00thom).pdf/178

 Vulg. “Who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine, they that go to seek mixed wine," Prov. xxxiii. (3) The grief of the hypocrites and evil-doers: “ There shall the great owl make her nest” [Vulg. “ hole”], Isa. xxxiv. 15, Gloss. The owl signifies the double dealers, who hide intentions under the thorns of duplicity. “ The foxes have holes,” &c., S. Matt. viii. 20. On account of the danger of snares, we ought ever to walk cautiously before the Lord, that He Himself may draw our feet out of the trap. S. Augustine says, “ I resist the seducers that my feet may not be entangled by which I walk in Thy way, and I will lift up to Thee the invisible eyes that Thou mayest draw my feet out of the snare. Whence dost Thou draw them, for if they seek Thee Thou ceasest not to lift them up. But I, therefore, run where the snares are scattered abroad.” On account of the danger of robbers we ought to walk cautiously, armed for walking with all spiritual arms. “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand in the evil day, and having done all to stand,” Eplies. vi. 13. On account of the dangers of pit-falls, we ought to walk cautiously, ever walking with gravity and by the light of grace : “ Let us walk honestly as in the day,” Rom. xiii. 30.

In these words the Lord speaks in a parable of the perdition of the ungodly which is about to be in the judgment, and marks here three things. Firstly, the great power of God : “ He sent forth His armies.” Secondly, His severe justice: “ He destroyed His murderers.” Thirdly, the perverse wickedness of the reprobate : “ those murderers.”

I. On the first head it is to be noted, that God sends great armies in the day of judgment for the punishment of