Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/545

 of  justification  and  sanctification. This grace  of  justification  enables  man to love  God  still  more. Thus love  is,  at  the  same  time,  the  cause  and the effect  of  the  forgiveness  of  sins.

The Pharisee's  pride  and  hardness  of  heart. It  is  a great  and  noble thing to  repent  of  and  acknowledge  our  sins. The proud  Pharisee, however, despised  the  penitent  woman,  and  was  unmoved  by  her  tears of contrition. x And because  Jesus  showed  Himself  to  be  a true  Saviour, and had  compassion  on  the  penitent  sinner,  Simon  refused  to  believe in Him. Thus, even  the  divine  love  and  compassion  of  Jesus  served as a pretext  for  unbelief.

Magdalen was  not  ashamed  to  do  public  penance, and in  the  midst  of  a joyous  banquet  to  come  forward  as  a penitent sinner. And yet  are  not  you  ashamed  to  own  your  sins  in secret  to  God’s  representative,  who  is  bound  to  silence,  and  make a good and  sincere  confession? Where is  your  contrition? You should say  with  St.  Alphonsus:  “Oh  that  I could  weep  for  ever to think  that  I could  have  sinned  against  Thee,  O God  — to  think that I should  be  faithless  and  ungrateful — to  think  that  I should be a traitor!”

t the  time  of  a certain  festival  Jesus  went  up  again  to  Jerusalem, Now there  was  at  Jerusalem  a pond  called  Probatica,  which in Hebrew  is  named  Bethsaida. It was  surrounded  by  a great building which  had  five  porches,  under  which  lay,  at  times,  a great  multitude  of  the  sick,  the  lame,  the  blind  and  the  infirm, waiting for  the  movement  of  the  water. For, at  certain  times , an angel  came  down  into  the  pond  and  moved  the  water;  and he who  first  went  down  into  the  pool  after  the  angel’s  visit,  was cured of  his  disease.

Among the  crowd  of  those  who  wished  to  be  healed  there was a man  who  had  been  infirm  thirty-eight  years. Jesus, seeing