---
title: "Catena Aurea: The Four Gospels"
author: "Thomas Aquinas"
translator: "John Henry Newman (ed.)"
languages: [en]
shelf: "Commentaries"
section: 133 of 394
url: https://scriptura.si/works/thomas-aquinas-catena-aurea-the-four-gospels/133/
cite: "Thomas Aquinas, tr. John Henry Newman (ed.), Catena Aurea: The Four Gospels, section 133. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/thomas-aquinas-catena-aurea-the-four-gospels/133/"
---

# Catena Aurea: The Four Gospels

*Thomas Aquinas, tr. John Henry Newman (ed.)*

The four Gospels read through chains of quotations from the Church Fathers.

## 133. Matthew 25 · 4 of 5

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/thomas-aquinas-catena-aurea-the-four-gospels/133/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/thomas-aquinas-catena-aurea-the-four-gospels/133/#p-N

[¶0] Aug., City of God, book xx, ch 24: This gathering shall be executed by the ministry of Angels, as it is said in the Psalm, "Gather to him his saints." [[Psa 50:5]]

[¶1] Origen: Or, we need not understand this of a local gathering together, but that the nations shall be no more dispersed in divers and false dogmas concerning Him. For Christ’s divinity shall be manifested so that not even sinners shall any longer be ignorant of Him. He shall not then shew Himself as Son of God in one place and not in another; as He sought to express to us by the comparison of the lightning. So as long as the wicked know neither themselves nor Christ, or the righteous "see through a glass darkly," [[1Co 13:13]] so long the good are not severed from the evil, but when by the manifestation of the Son of God all shall come to the knowledge of Him, then shall the Saviour sever the good from the evil; for then shall sinners see their sins, and the righteous shall see clearly to what end the seeds of righteousness in them have led.

[¶2] They that are saved are called sheep by reason of that mildness which they have learnt of Him who said, "Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly," [[Mat 11:29]] and because they are ready to go even to death in imitation of Christ, who "was led as a sheep to the slaughter." [[Isa 53:7]]

[¶3] The wicked are called goats, because they climb rough and rugged rocks, and walk in dangerous places.

[¶4] Chrysostom: Or, He calls the one sheep and the other goats, to denote the unprofitableness of the one, and the fruitfulness of the other, for sheep are greatly productive in fleece, milk, and lambs.

[¶5] Gloss., non occ.: Under the figure of a sheep in Scripture is signified simplicity and innocence. Beautifully then in this place are the elect denoted by sheep.

[¶6] Jerome: Also the goat is a salacious animal, and was the offering for sins in the Law; and He says not ’she goats’ which can produce young, and "come up shorn from the washing. [[Son 4:2]]

[¶7] Chrysostom: Then He separates them in place.

[¶8] Origen: For the Saints who have wrought right works, shall receive in recompense of their right works the King’s right hand, at which is rest and glory; but the wicked for their evil and sinister deeds have fallen to the left hand, that is, into the misery of torments. Then shall the King say to those who are on "his right hand, Come," that in whatsoever they are behind they may make it up when they are more perfectly united to Christ. He adds, "ye blessed of my Father," to shew how eminently blessed they were, being of old "blessed of the Lord, which made heaven and earth." [[Psa 115:15]]

[¶9] Rabanus: Or, they are called "blessed," to whom an eternal blessing is due for their good deserts. He calls it the kingdom of His Father, ascribing the dominion of the kingdom to Him by whom Himself the King was begotten. For by His royal power, with which He shall be exalted alone in that day, He shall pronounce the sentence of judgment, "Then shall the King say."

[¶10] Chrysostom: Observe that He says not ’Receive,’ but "possess," or "inherit," as due to you from of old.

[¶11] Jerome: This "prepared for you from the foundation of the world," is to be understood as of the foreknowledge of God, with whom things to come are as already done.

[¶12] Aug., City of God, book xx, ch. 9: Besides that kingdom of which He will say in the end, "Inherit the kingdom prepared for you," though in a very inferior manner, the present Church is also called His kingdom, in the which we are yet in conflict with the enemy until we come to that kingdom of peace, where we shall reign without an enemy.

[¶13] Aug., Serm. 351, 8: But one will say, I desire not to reign, it is enough for me that I be saved. Wherein they are deceived, first, because there is no salvation for those whose iniquity abounds; and, secondly, because if there be any difference between those that reign, and those that do not reign, yet must all be within the same kingdom, lest they be esteemed for foes or aliens, and perish while the others reign. Thus all the Romans inherit the kingdom of Rome, though all do not reign in it.

[¶14] Chrysostom: For what the Saints obtain the boon of this heavenly kingdom He shews when He adds, "I was an hungred, and ye gave me to eat."

[¶15] Remigius: And it is to be noted, that the Lord here enumerates six works of mercy which whoso shall study to accomplish shall be entitled to the kingdom prepared for the chosen from the foundation of the world.

[¶16] Rabanus: Mystically, He who with the bread of the word and the drink of wisdom refreshes the soul hungering and thirsting after righteousness, or admits into the home of our mother the Church him who is wandering in heresy or sin, or who strengthens the weak in faith, such an one discharges the obligations of true love.

[¶17] Greg., Mor. xxvi, 27: These, to whom as they stand on His right hand the Judge at His coming shall say, "I was an hungred etc." are they who are judged on the side of the elect, and who reign; who wash away the stains of their life with tears; who redeem former sins by good deeds following; who, whatever unlawful thing they have at any time done, have covered it from the Judge’s eyes by a cloak of alms. Others indeed there are who are not judged, yet reign, who have gone even beyond the precepts of the Law in the perfection of their virtue.

[¶18] Origen: It is from humility that they declare themselves unworthy of any praise for their good deeds, not that they are forgetful of what they have done. But He shews them His close sympathy with His own.

[¶19] Rabanus: "Lord, when saw we thee etc." This they say not because they distrust the Lord’s words, but they are in amaze at so great exaltation, and at the greatness of their own glory; or because the good which they have done will seem to them to be so small according to that of the Apostle, "For the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed in us." [[Rom 8:18]]

[¶20] Jerome: It were indeed free to us to understand that it is Christ in every poor man whom we feed when he is hungry, or give drink to when he is thirsty, and so of other things; but when He says, "In that ye have done it to one of the least of these my brethren," He seems to me not to speak of the poor generally, but of the poor in spirit, those to whom He pointed and said, "Whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother." [[Mat 12:50]]

[¶21] Chrysostom: But if they are His brethren, why does He call them "the least?" Because they are lowly, poor, and outcast. By these He means not only the monks who have retired to the mountains, but every believer though he should be secular, though an hungred, or the like, yet He would have him obtain merciful succours, for baptism and communication of the Divine mysteries makes him a brother.

[¶22] Origen: As He had said to the righteous, "Come ye," so He says to the wicked, "Depart ye," for they who keep God’s commandment are near to the Word, and are called that they may be made more near; but they are far from it, though they may seem to stand hard by, who do not His commands; therefore it is said to them, "Depart ye," that those who seemed to be living before Him, might be no more seen.

[¶23] It should be remarked, that though He had said to the Saints, "Ye blessed of my Father," He says not now, "Ye cursed of my Father," because of all blessing the Father is the author, but each man is the origin of his own curse when he does the things that deserve the curse. They who depart from Jesus fall into eternal fire, which is of a very different kind from that fire which we use. For no fire which we have is eternal, nor even of any long continuance.

[¶24] And note, that He does not say, ’the kingdom prepared for the Angels,’ as He does say "everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels;" because He did not, as far as in Him lay, create men to perdition, but sinners yoke themselves to the Devil, so that as they that are saved are made equal to the holy Angels, they that perish are made equal with the Devil’s Angels.

[¶25] Aug., City of God, xxi, 10: It is hence clear, that the same fire will be appropriated to the punishment of men and of daemons. If then it inflicts pain by corporeal touch, so as to produce bodily torment, how will there be in it any punishment for the evil spirits, unless the daemons have, as some have thought, bodies composed of gross and fluid air. But if any man asserts that the daemons have no bodies, we would not pugnaciously contend the point. For why may we not say, that truly, though wonderfully, even incorporeal spirit can feel pain of corporeal fire? If the spirits of men, though themselves incorporeal, can be now inclosed in bodily limbs, they can then be inseparably attached to the bonds of body. The daemons then will be united to a body of material fire, though themselves immaterial, drawing punishment from their body, not giving life to it. And that fire being material will torture such bodies as ours with their spirits; but the daemons are spirits without bodies.

[¶26] Origen: Or it may be that fire is of such nature that it can burn invisible substances, being itself invisible, as the Apostle speaks, "The things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." [[2Co 4:4]] Wonder not when you hear that there is afire which though unseen has power to torture, when you see that there is an internal fever which comes upon men, and pains them grievously.

[¶27] It follows, "I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat." It is written to the believers, "Ye are the body of Christ." [[1Co 12:12]] As then the soul dwelling in the body, though it hungers not in respect of its spiritual substance, yet hungers for the food of the body, because it is yoked to the body; so the Saviour suffers whatever His body the Church suffers, though He Himself be impassible.

[¶28] And observe how in speaking to the righteous He reckons up their good deeds under their several kinds, but to the unrighteous He cuts short the description under the one head, "I was sick and in prison, and ye visited me not," because it was the part of a merciful Judge to enlarge and dwell upon men’s good deeds, but to pass lightly and cursorily over their evil deeds.

[¶29] Chrysostom: Observe how they had failed in mercifulness, not in one or two respects only, but in all; not only did they not feed Him when He was hungry, but they did not even visit Him when He was sick, which was easier. And look how light things He enjoins; He said not, "I was in prison," and ye did not set me free, but, and "ye visited me not." Also His hunger required no costly dainties, but necessary food.

[¶30] Each of these counts then is enough for their punishment. First, the slightness of His prayer, viz. for bread; secondly, the destitution of Him who sought it, for He was poor; thirdly, the natural feelings of compassion, for He was a man; fourthly, the expectation of His promise, for He promised a kingdom; fifthly, the greatness of Him who received, for it is God who receives in the poor man; sixthly, the preeminent honour, in that He condescended to take of men; and, seventhly, the righteousness of so bestowing it, for what He takes from us is our own. But avarice blinds men to all these considerations.

[¶31] Gregory: They to whom this is said are the wicked believers, who are judged and perish; others, being unbelievers, are not judged and perish; for there is no examination of the condition of such as appear before the face of an impartial Judge already condemned by their unbelief; but those who hold the profession of the faith, but have not the works of their profession, are convicted that they may be condemned. These at least bear the words of their Judge, because they have at least kept the words of His faith. The others hear no words of their Judge pronouncing sentence of condemnation, because they have not paid Him honour even in word. For a prince who governs an earthly kingdom punishes after a different manner the rebellion of a subject and the hostile attempts of an enemy; in the former case, he recurs to his prerogative; against an enemy he takes arms, and does not ask what penalty the law attaches to his crime.

[¶32] Chrysostom: Thus convicted by the words of the Judge, they make answer submissively, "Lord, when saw we thee etc."

[¶33] Origen: Mark how the righteous dwell upon each word, while the unrighteous answer summarily, and not going through the particular instances; for so it becomes the righteous out of humility to disclaim each individual generous action, when imputed to them publicly; whereas bad men excuse their sins, and endeavour to prove them few and venial.

[¶34] And Christ’s answer conveys this. And to the righteous He says, "In that ye did it to my brethren," to shew the greatness of their good deeds; to the sinners He says only, "to one of the least of these," not aggravating their sin. For they are truly His brethren who are perfect; and a deed of mercy shewn to the more holy is more acceptable to God than one shewn to the less holy; and the sin of overlooking the less holy is less than of overlooking the more holy.

[¶35] Aug., City of God, book xx, ch. 1: He is now treating of the last judgment, when Christ shall come from heaven to judge the quick and dead. This day of the Divine judgment we call the Last Day, that is, the end of time; for we cannot tell through how many days that judgment will be prolonged; but day, as is the use of holy Scripture, is put for time. And we therefore call it the last or latest judgment, because He both now judges and has judged from the beginning of the human race, when He thrust forth the first man from the tree of life, and spared not the Angels that sinned. But in that final judgment both men and Angels shall be judged together, when the Divine power shall bring each man’s good and evil deeds in review before his memory, and one intuitive glance shall present them to the perception, so that at once we shall be condemned or acquitted in our consciences.

[¶36] Ver. 46. "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."

[¶37] Aug., de Fid. et Op. 15: Some deceive themselves, saying, that the fire indeed is called everlasting, but not the punishment. This the Lord foreseeing, sums up His sentence in these words.

[¶38] Origen: Observe that whereas He put first the invitation, "Come, ye blessed," and after that, "Depart, ye cursed," because it is the property of a merciful God to record the good deeds of the good, before the bad deeds of the bad; He now reverses the order, describing first the punishment of the wicked, and then the life of the good, that the terrors of the one may deter us from evil, and the honour of the other incite us to good.

[¶39] Greg., Mor. xv, 19: If he who has not given to others is visited with so heavy a punishment, what shall he get who is convicted of having robbed others of their own.Aug., City of God, book xix, ch. 11: Eternal life is our chief good, and the end of the city of God, of which the Apostle speaks, "And the end everlasting life." [[Rom 6:22]] But because eternal life might be understood by those who are not well versed in Holy Scripture, to mean also the life of the wicked, because of the immortality of their souls, or because of the endless torments of the wicked; therefore we must call the end of this City in which the chief good shall be attained, either peace in life eternal, or life eternal in peace, that it may be intelligible to all.

[¶40] Aug., de Trin. i, 8: That which the Lord spoke to His servant Moses, "I am that I am," [[Exo 3:14]] this we shall contemplate when we shall live in eternity. For thus the Lord speaks, "This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God. [[Joh 17:3]] This contemplation is promised to us as the end of all action, and the eternal perfection of our joys, of which John speaks, "We shall see him as he is." [[1Jo 3:3]]

[¶41] Jerome: Let the thoughtful reader observe that punishments are eternal, and that that continuing life has thenceforward no fear of fall.

[¶42] Greg., Mor xxxiv, 19: They say that He held out empty terrors to deter them from sin. We answer, if He threatened falsely to check unrighteousness, then He promised falsely to promote good conduct. Thus while they go out of the way to prove God merciful, they are not afraid to charge Him with fraud. But, they urge, finite sin ought not to be visited with infinite punishment; we answer, that this argument would be just, if the righteous Judge considered men’s actions, and not their hearts. Therefore it belongs to the righteousness of an impartial Judge, that those whose heart would never be without sin in this life, should never be without punishment.

[¶43] Aug., City of God, book xxi, ch. 11: And the justice of no law is concerned to provide that the duration of each man’s punishment should be the same with the sin which drew that punishment upon him. There never was any man, who held that the torment of him, who committed a murder or adultery, should be compressed within the same space of time as the commission of the act. And when for any enormous crime a man is punished with death, does the law estimate his punishment by the delay that takes place in putting him to death, and not rather by this, that they remove him for ever from the society of the living? And fines, disgrace, exile, slavery, when they, are inflicted without any hopes of mercy, do they not seem like eternal punishments in proportion to the length of this life? They are only therefore not eternal, because the life which suffers them is not itself eternal.

[¶44] But they say, How then is that true which Christ says, "With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again," [[Mat 7:2]] if temporal sin is punished with eternal pain? They do not observe that this is said with a view, not to the equality of the period of time, but of the retribution of evil, i.e. that he that has done evil should suffer evil. Man was made worthy of everlasting evil, because he destroyed in himself that good which might have eternal.