Part 709 (1/2)

6:59. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Not as your fathers did eat manna and are dead. He that eateth this bread shall live for ever.

6:60. These things he said, teaching in the synagogue, in Capharnaum.

6:61. Many therefore of his disciples, hearing it, said: This saying is hard; and who can hear it?

6:62. But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at this, said to them: Doth this scandalize you?

6:63. If then you shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?

If then you shall see, etc... Christ by mentioning his ascension, by this instance of his power and divinity, would confirm the truth of what he had before a.s.serted; and at the same time correct their gross apprehension of eating his flesh, and drinking his blood, in a vulgar and carnal manner, by letting them know he should take his whole body living with him to heaven; and consequently not suffer it to be as they supposed, divided, mangled, and consumed upon earth.

6:64. It is the spirit that quickeneth: the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

The flesh profiteth nothing... Dead flesh separated from the spirit, in the gross manner they supposed they were to eat his flesh, would profit nothing. Neither doth man's flesh, that is to say, man's natural and carnal apprehension, (which refuses to be subject to the spirit, and words of Christ,) profit any thing. But it would be the height of blasphemy, to say the living flesh of Christ (which we receive in the blessed sacarament, with his spirit, that is, with his soul and divinity) profiteth nothing. For if Christ's flesh had profitedus nothing, he would never have taken flesh for us, nor died in us nothing, he would never have taken flesh for us, nor died in the flesh for us.

Are spirit and life... By proposing to you a heavenly sacrament, in which you shall receive, in a wonderful manner, spirit, grace, and life, in its very fountain.

6:65. But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that did not believe and who he was that would betray him.

6:66. And he said: Therefore did I say to you that no man can come to me, unless it be given him by my Father.

6:67. After this, many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him.

6:68. Then Jesus said to the twelve: Will you also go away?

6:69. And Simon Peter answered him: Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.

6:70. And we have believed and have known that thou art the Christ, the Son of G.o.d.

6:71. Jesus answered them: Have not I chosen you twelve? And one of you is a devil.

6:72. Now he meant Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon: for this same was about to betray him, whereas he was one of the twelve.

John Chapter 7

Christ goes up to the feast of the tabernacles. He teaches in the temple.

7:1. After these things, Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill him.

7:2. Now the Jews feast of tabernacles was at hand.

7:3. And his brethren said to, him: Pa.s.s from hence and go into Judea, that thy disciples also may see thy works which thou dost.

7:4. For there is no man that doth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, manifest thyself to the world.

7:5. For neither did his brethren believe in him.

7:6. Then Jesus said to them: My time is not yet come; but your time is always ready.

7:7. The world cannot hate you: but me it hateth, because I give testimony of it, that the works thereof are evil,