Page:Ninety-nine homilies of S. Thomas Aquinas upon the epistles and gospels for forty-nine Sundays of the Christian year (IA ninetyninehomili00thom).pdf/91

 Jesus gave to us a threefold water—(1) The water of Baptism for the cleansing of sins: Ezek. xxxvi. 25, “ Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean.” (2) The water of wisdom for the extinction of spiritual thirst: Ecclus. xv. 3, “And give him the water of wholesome wisdom to drink.” S. John iv. 14, “ Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst.” S. Austin says, that “ if anyone has drank of the water of Paradise—of which one drop is larger than the ocean—it results that the thirst of earthly desire would be extinguished in him.” (3) The refreshing water of the Holy Spirit: S. John vii. 37-39, “If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink. But this spake He of the Spirit.”

II. On the second head it is to be noted, that by the shedding of blood seven benefits were wrought for us (see Lenten Homily IX. for Passion Sunday, p. 17).

III. On the third head it is to be noted, that He breathed forth His Spirit for three ends—(1) That He might quicken us: S. John x. 15, “I lay down My life for the sheep.” (2) That He might deliver the saints from hell. The soul of Christ, with His Divinity, descended into hell, and delivered the saints who were there at that time : Zech. ix. 11, “I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.” (3) That He might give us an example of laying down our lives. For whosoever desires to follow Christ, ought entirely to surrender his life: S. Luke ix. 23, “ If any man will come after Me.” 2 Cor. v. 15, “ He died for all, that they who live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him Who died for them.” He who so dies will come to that life in which no one dies; to which life may Christ, Who is our life, bring us.

In this Gospel is mentioned that threefold peace which the Lord brought to His Disciples for the purpose of showing that for three reasons it is necessary for us. Firstly, peace with God: S. John xvi. 33, “ In Me ye might have peace,