Chapter 28
“For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption,” exclaimed David (Psalm 15:10), as he was a type of the Messiah. This great event truly forms (1 Corinthians 1:14-22) the foundation of our faith and of the Christianity entire. – If the rationalists have attacked violently miracles The ordinary accounts of Jesus, it can be said, were unleashed with veritable fury against the miracle of his Resurrection. And this was to be expected; how could those who sought to annihilate the Christian religion not have tried to overturn the fundamental pillar that has supported it for eighteen centuries? To achieve their ends, they stopped at nothing and did not hesitate to accuse the evangelists of lying or even more underhanded maneuvers. – Faithful to our role as mere commentators, we will not follow them through the obscure labyrinths of their entirely negative criticism. It will suffice to point out here the most serious of their grievances and briefly demonstrate their inanity. Based on the sometimes quite considerable variations that exist between the four Gospel accounts regarding the fact of the ResurrectionThey claim that these are real contradictions; from which they conclude that the narratives deserve no credence. To this assertion, we oppose the following considerations: 1. It is true that there are discrepancies among the four evangelists concerning the miracle of the Resurrection, some rather significant differences. 2° These differences are explained in the simplest way: they stem from the fact that the evangelists all give only an incomplete account, each from their own particular point of view, of the events that took place between the Resurrection of Jesus and his Ascension. 3. These divergences, of which frequent examples are found in all independent writers who have written on the same subject, have absolutely nothing in common with outright contradictions. Harmony is even established quite easily between the four accounts, as anyone not under the influence of preconceived ideas will admit, and as proven by the numerous attempts at reconciliation that have taken place from the first Christian centuries to the present day. Cf. St. Augustine, De Consensus of the Gospels 3, 61-85; Tischendorf, Synopsis of the Gospels, p. 49 ff. 4. On essential points, there is perfect agreement among the evangelists; the differences concern only secondary details. The account, as well as the event itself, therefore remains unshakeable. In his account, which is the shortest and least detailed of the four, St. Matthew confines himself to the main features: he only mentions the visit of the holy women to the tomb, the flight of the guards and an appearance of Jesus to his disciples.
28, 1-10. Parallel. Mark. 16, 1-8, Luke. 24, 1-8.
Mt28.1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Married they went to visit the tomb. – The first part of this verse is rather obscure, especially in the Vulgate: fortunately, it can be clarified with the help of other accounts. The Sabbath has passedThis expression does not refer to Saturday evening; but, as the context shows, to the beginning of the following day. We can agree with Maldonat that this expression metaphorically represents all the time elapsed between Saturday evening and Sunday morning: “What the evangelist calls the evening of the Sabbath is not the vesperal time that passes between day and night, but the entire night, at the end of which, that is to say, at dawn, it is said that women came to the tomb.” At dawnThe twilight of morning, the first glimmers of day. The "first day of the week" is a technical term borrowed from the liturgical language of the ancient Jews, to designate the day after the Sabbath, the Lord's Day (from which we get Sunday), as the Church later named it. Just as we take Sunday as the starting point in the Christian counting of days, so too did the Hebrews relate all subsequent days of the week to the Sabbath. The first day after the Sabbath is therefore the Jewish name for Sunday, which remained in use in Christendom for a number of years. Cf. Acts of the Apostles 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2; John 20:1. – From all the preceding explanations, it follows that the obscure phrase of St. Matthew could be translated simply by these words: at dawn on Sunday. Cf. Luke 14:1; John 20:1. Mary Magdalene…Here we find the two holy women who were mentioned earlier, 28:61. Having remained last at the tomb on Friday evening, they arrive first on Sunday morning. It is true that St. Mark 16:1 and St. Luke 14:10 name several other friends of Jesus. visit the tomb. More precisely, they came to embalm the body of the Savior, and to complete his burial which the approach of the Sabbath had interrupted.
Mt28.2 And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and rolled back the stone and sat on it. Verses 2-4 recount events that occurred before the arrival of the holy women. It was while they were on their journey that the angel descended from heaven and opened the tomb: they found him sitting on the stone; therefore, he did not make his first appearance before their eyes. And there you have it.…This particle announces a dazzling miracle. On Friday evening, at the moment Jesus breathed his last, a violent commotion was felt in the vicinity of Calvary (cf. 27, 51, 54); a similar tremor occurred on Sunday morning near the tomb. Its purpose was to demonstrate to the Roman watchmen, stationed there by the Sanhedrin, the supernatural and divine nature of all that was happening. For an angel of the Lord… explains the relationship that existed between the earthquake and the appearance of the angel. He knocked over the stoneBreaking the seals of the Great Council, the heavenly messenger rolled aside this enormous stone and thus opened the tomb of Jesus. It is generally accepted, following the Church Fathers, that the resurrection The Savior's death had occurred a few moments earlier. The tomb was not opened for Him, but for the holy women and the disciples. This sign was meant to tell them, as soon as they approached: "He is not here; He has risen!" (cf. v. 6). As for the very fact of the ResurrectionIt is completely passed over in silence by the sacred writers: it is a mystery whose details the Holy Spirit has not seen fit to reveal to us. The Fathers compare it to the miraculous birth of Jesus. “The perfidious Jews sealed the stone of the monument so that Christ would have no way out. But how could he not emerge from the tomb, he who came forth from his mother’s undefiled womb, preserving his virginity?” (St. Augustine, Sermon 138, De tempore; cf. Euthymius, in 11). Glorious triumph, before which we must still worship and remain silent. He sat down The angel thus takes on the attitude of a conqueror who tramples his vanquished enemies underfoot; he is now the true guardian of the holy tomb, but of the empty tomb.
Mt28.3 Its appearance was like lightning, and its garment was white as snow. – After recounting the actions of the divine messenger, the evangelist describes in a few words his outward appearance. His entire being, and especially his face, was dazzlingly bright. He resembled in every way a transfigured man. This is how they usually manifest themselves the angelsCf. Daniel 10:5, 6; Acts of the Apostles 1, 10; 10, 10; Revelation 10, 1, etc.
Mt28.4 At the sight of him, the guards were struck with terror and became as if dead. – The effect this sudden appearance had on the Roman soldiers was an irresistible panic. struck with terror : in the Greek text, the verb denotes an extremely violent fear; cf. 21, 10. Moreover, the following detail clearly shows the extent to which the guards were terrified: they became like the dead, that is to say, they fell backward and remained lying on the ground for some time, unable or at least daring to get up.
Mt28.5 And the angel, addressing the women, said: «Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. – The angel responds to the feeling of terror felt by the holy women, and speaks to end their distress. YOU is emphatic: You, the friends of the Savior, have no reason to be afraid: it is joyNot fear, which should agitate you. Leave that feeling to the enemies of Christ. This pronoun "you" is therefore opposed to "guards" of the preceding verse. Because I knowThe angel continues to reassure Married Madeleine and her companions, telling them that he knew the pious reason for their visit to the tomb of Jesus. Jesus, who was crucifiedHe does not hesitate to mention this circumstance, which is now a source of glory for the Redeemer; cf. 1 Corinthians 1:23 ff.: it serves, moreover, to make the contrast between Christ's recent humiliation and his triumph mentioned in the following verse all the more striking. "The angel teaches the name, names the cross, speaks of the passion, acknowledges death, but he soon confesses afterward the resurrection "Without delay he confesses the Lord," St. Peter Chrysologus, sermon 76.
Mt28.6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where the Lord was laid., – The angel's language is swift and vivid. It is reproduced in almost the same terms by the three Synoptic Gospels. Cf. Mark 16:6; Luke 24:6. As he had said. «And if you do not believe me, remember his own words,» St. John Chrysostom, Hom. in hl. It is not an unheard-of event that the angel announces; had not Jesus long ago predicted to his disciples that he would rise again on the third day? Behold, his predictions have been gloriously fulfilled. Come and see. A gentle invitation intended to further strengthen the faith of the holy women. They saw the body of Jesus placed in the tomb; they can now convince themselves with their own eyes that this tomb is empty. The divine Master has therefore truly risen. The Lord The disciples frequently referred to Jesus Christ by this title. Cf. John 20:18; 21:7; etc. But, as he deserves it more than ever since his victory over death, henceforth the sacred writers will take pleasure in attributing it to him constantly.
Mt28.7 »And go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead. Look, he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, as I have told you.” – After a short pause during which the holy women entered the tomb, as the angel had instructed them, he resumed his address. Hurry. They must go as quickly as possible to the disciples and bring them the good news they themselves have just learned. He precedes you … Another piece of comforting news, which is, moreover, only the confirmation of an earlier prediction by Jesus; cf. 26:32. We must not exaggerate the meaning of the verb in the present tense, as if the angel meant to say: "Behold, he is already on the way to Galilee to go and meet you in that province." According to the natural meaning of the sentence, Jesus will be in Galilee when his disciples arrive there. He precedes you. The heavenly messenger concludes his brief speech by assuring everyone that everything will truly happen as he has said. The holy women will soon have the joy of seeing the divine Risen One: he gives his angelic word that it will really be so.
Mt28.8 Immediately they came out of the tomb with fear and great joy, and they ran to tell the disciples. – The Savior's friends immediately carried out the angel's recommendation. In a vivid detail, the narrator shows them, emerging from the tomb, hurrying towards, fluent to the place where the apostles were gathered, to announce to them the resurrection of Jesus. He also adds a very interesting psychological detail: with fear and with great joy The association of fear and joy in the same heart and at the same time may at first seem an impossible phenomenon, because it resembles a contradiction. However, it is quite common to experience both of these feelings simultaneously upon receiving unexpected good news. "I do not know myself," exclaims a character in Terence's *The Woman of Andria*, 5.4.34, "so agitated is my mind at once by fear, by joy and by hope, when I consider this happiness so great and so unexpected.” Or perhaps the holy women’s fear had been caused by the sight of the angel (cf. v. 5), while their joy stemmed from the happy news they had heard. The adjective large falls back on the two nouns, which it determines in the same way.
Mt28.9 And behold, Jesus stood before them and said to them, « Greetings. » They approached, and kissed his feet, prostrating themselves before him. This verse and the following one contain the abridged account of the appearance that Jesus made to the holy women shortly after their exhumation. On how to reconcile the account of St. Matthew with those of St. Mark 16:9-11 and St. John 20:11-18, see the explanation of these two passages. Jesus came to meet them. Since they were going to the city, it seemed he was coming from there himself. He probably uttered the Hebrew phrase "peace be with you." They approached . That was their first impulse: as soon as they saw Jesus, they approached him with love. They kissed her feetThey respectfully grasped her feet to kiss them. This was in the same way that the Sunnamite had shown her veneration to the prophet Elisha, 2 Kings 4:27. And they adored him. They remained prostrate for some time, in a feeling of profound adoration for the resurrected Son of God.
Mt28.10 Then Jesus said to them, «Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.» – Don't be afraidWords of encouragement that accompanied several of Christ's appearances. Cf. Luke 24:36. The love that his disciples had for him and joy The fear they felt upon seeing him did not prevent them from experiencing an initial, quite natural, reaction of dread when he suddenly appeared at their side. Come on, say…The language is moving and rapid. It reproduces, on the whole, the angel's recommendations, v. 7; but with delicate variations, truly worthy of Jesus. The principal one consists in the title of brothers that the divine Master deigned to address to his disciples; cf. John 20:19. Shortly before his death, he had called them his friends, John 15:14-15; but this name was not enough for his heart, he needed another, sweeter and more tender, to express all the affection he had for his own. To leave. The angel had only announced to the Apostles that they would find Jesus in Galilee: the Savior commanded them to go and join him there. However, there was no urgency in this instruction: it was to be carried out only after the feast. That's where they'll see meThat very evening of the day of the resurrectionJesus was to appear to his followers on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13ff.) and in Jerusalem (John 20:19ff.); but these were only fleeting appearances, taking place before only a small number of close friends. In Galilee, on the other hand, he would gather around him the entire scattered flock of his disciples to give them his final instructions. This faithful province, where he had found so much love, was far more suitable than the hostile capital for these sacred gatherings, which were to exert such a great influence on the foundation of the Church.
Mt28.11 While they were on their way, some of the guards came into the city and told the Princes of the priests everything that had happened. The holy women had only just left the tomb to deliver the twofold message from the angel and Jesus to the Apostles when the following occurred. Some of the guards. Having recovered from their initial terror (see verse 4), the guards had undoubtedly returned to the city. They then sent some of their number to the chief priests to report the supernatural events they had witnessed. Since Pilate had placed them, for the forced labor they had performed during the night, under the direct jurisdiction of the Jewish priests (see verses 27, 62, 65, 66), it was to these officials that they would report what had happened.
Mt28.12 They gathered the Elders, and, having held council, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, – The subject suddenly changes, as often happens in Greek narratives. It was about Roman soldiers, and now it's about priests. They summon the members of the Sanhedrin for a new session which, by its purpose, will be the worthy culmination of all the previous ones. Having taken counsel. These words indicate an official resolution, adopted after deliberation by the assembly. A large sumThey bought the traitor's cooperation; now they are buying the silence of the Roman soldiers, which was just as easy, though much more costly. The Sanhedrin, true to form, will stop at nothing to achieve their shameful ends. Remarkably, they don't even try to accuse the guards of being disloyal or negligent. This means they themselves believed in the resurrection of Jesus. Otherwise, they would have first resorted to this method to spread the error they wished to promote. But the soldiers undoubtedly proved that they were perfectly within the rules. In Rome, in fact, each guard, upon heading to his assigned post, received a tablet on which his shift time was marked. He then handed it to the overseer, who ensured the sentinels were vigilant. There was therefore tangible proof that everything had gone smoothly.
Mt28.13 telling them, "Say that his disciples came by night and took him away while you were sleeping. – The chief priests are instructing the soldiers on how to spread error among the people regarding the fact of the Resurrection of the Savior. They will say that Jesus' disciples came during the night and took away his body to make people believe it was a miracle. They took him away. Stealing an object protected by well-armed soldiers might seem quite improbable; therefore, the instructors were careful to add: You will say that it happened while you were asleep. While we slept. Yet this was yet another absurdity, for one could object with St. Augustine, in Psalm 63:7, «If they were asleep, what could they have seen? If they saw nothing, how can they testify?» But it was the fulfillment of that word of Scripture, Psalm 26:12: «Iniquity has lied to itself.» And besides, lie, lie, something will always stick. A despicable piece of advice, which has not only been practiced in our time.
Mt28.14 And if the governor finds out, we will appease him and protect you.» – If the governor finds out This is not about the shameful bargain the priests had just made with the Roman soldiers, but about the theft of Jesus' body while the latter were supposedly asleep. Had Pilate learned that his soldiers had thus failed in their duty, they would have been in grave danger, as a sentry's lack of vigilance was always considered a kind of treason punishable by the most severe penalties. The Romans had even taken special measures to prevent their sentries from falling asleep: for example, they ordered them to put down their shields before going to their posts, because it sometimes happened that soldiers on guard, when they were tired, would doze off with their heads resting on the edge of their shields (Titus Liv. 24, 33; cf. Seneca, Letter 36). Erasmus and other exegetes interpret the verb "learns" to mean "if he brings you before a council of war." But this interpretation seems a bit contrived. It's better to translate it using the most common meaning: if this noise reaches his ears. We will persuade him. They will work this persuasion on him, either by using their influence to calm him down, or by winning him over in turn with money, for the Roman magistrates placed at the head of the provinces were far from being immune to venality. Under cover, that is to say unharmed; The Sanhedrin therefore promise impunity to the guardians of the tomb in all circumstances.
Mt28.15 The soldiers took the money and did as they were told, and the rumor they spread is still repeated among the Jews today. Having nothing to fear and much to gain, the soldiers accepted the money and the Sanhedrin's conditions. "If money has prevailed over a disciple... it is no wonder that he prevailed over soldiers" (St. John Chrysostom, Hom. 90 in Matth.). The lie spread, however absurd it was. The Jewish authorities, according to St. Justin, Dialogue with Trypho, c. 108, even took the precaution of sending messengers to spread it among the Israelite communities scattered throughout the world. To this day, That is, up to the time of the composition of the first Gospel; see the Preface. – The rationalists have found this whole episode, vv. 11-15, completely implausible, and for this reason they have removed it from what they call the original redaction of the first Gospel. On the contrary, it is very natural and in perfect accordance with the character of the Sanhedrin, as it appeared to us in the preceding pages of St. Matthew. We refer their audacious denial to our adversaries without further examination.
Mt28.16 The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain that Jesus had indicated to them. This passage contains the account of the most important appearance Jesus made to his disciples since his resurrection. It fittingly concludes the story of the Savior in the first Gospel. Eleven disciplesAlas. The sacred number twelve no longer existed; but it will soon be restored. Cf. Acts of the Apostles 1:15-26. The evangelist mentions only the Apostles, from which it has sometimes been concluded that they alone witnessed the appearance recounted in the following lines. However, most commentators admit that many disciples also attended this glorious scene. It is even believed that it did not differ from the one St. Paul mentions in his first Letter to the Corinthians, 15:6. In this case, which seems to us the most probable, the Eleven would be named as the principal figures, as those to whom the words spoken by the risen Christ were most directly addressed, vv. 18-20. They went awayWe stated earlier, in the note to verse 10, that they did not immediately leave Jerusalem to go to Galilee. According to the account in John 20:20-26, they were still in the capital eight days later. the Resurrection. – On the mountain. The mountain on which the meeting was to take place had been clearly identified by Jesus, either the day before his death (cf. 26:32) or during one of the appearances in Jerusalem. Unfortunately, since St. Matthew did not reveal its name, we must leave it to chance to know which one it was. Some have suggested Mount Tabor, the Mount of Beatitudes, and even Mount Carmel, although it is located outside of Galilee. Let us simply say, with the Gospel, that it was a mountain in Galilee.
Mt28.17 When they saw him, they adored him, they who had hesitated to believe. – As soon as the divine Master appeared, the disciples prostrated themselves at his feet, with the most fervent sentiments of faith and love. – The evangelist, however, makes a reservation: Some had doubtsSurely it was not the Apostles who doubted; how could they have, after having already beheld the risen Jesus several times? Cf. Luke 24:19-26. This, then, is further proof that they were not alone on the mountain, but that other disciples, in the broadest sense of the term, had accompanied them. These disciples, although they had been assured of the fact that... the ResurrectionAlthough they were now seeing the Savior with their own eyes, they still hesitated to believe that it was truly him. Had not the Eleven, in a similar circumstance (Luke 24:36-37), assumed that it was a ghost that appeared to them? Therefore, it is not necessary to translate the verb in the pluperfect tense, as is sometimes done: "They all worshiped him," that is, they believed in him, although many had doubted beforehand. This meaning is contrary to the thought St. Matthew intended to express. After presenting the mass of those present kneeling before Jesus, he corrects himself to note that several of the disciples did not yet have perfect faith.
Mt28.18 And Jesus came to them and said, «All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. – Jesus approaches his followers in order to better show everyone, both by voice and gesture, that it is indeed he who is in their presence. He thus answers the doubt that has just been raised. All power. This opening is majestic, imposing. "He shows them his letters patent which testify to the authority with which he creates them apostles and grants them powers," Maldonat in hl – All power Without exception, without any limit, was conferred upon him by his Father. – The following expressions, in heaven and on earth, are no less universal; they represent the kingdom of God in its widest extent. Cf. 3:2 and the commentary. The risen, triumphant Messiah therefore exercises the royal function everywhere. Nothing can escape his dominion. This is the magnificent and complete fulfillment of Psalm 8, which speaks in such beautiful terms of the power of the ideal man, and consequently of the Messiah. It is also the fulfillment of several glorious promises made by God to his Christ in the writings of the prophets: «I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession,» Psalm 2:8. «I saw in the vision at night, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.» He was given dominion, glory, and a kingdom, and all peoples, nations, and languages served him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom one that will never be destroyed., Daniel 713-14. These quotations determine the nature of the power of which Our Lord Jesus Christ speaks here. It is by no means the power he possesses as the Son of God, for that was not given to him, but a new authority, earned through his humiliations and sufferings (cf. Philippians 2:9-10), a power with which he was invested on the day of his Resurrection, as Redeemer and Savior. See Maldonat, in hl
Mt28.19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, – After laying the foundation for the superhuman power he was to confer upon the Apostles, Jesus describes both its nature and its exercise. It was in Galilee that he had granted them their first privileges; cf. 10:1 ff.: it is in Galilee that he confirms and completes their titles, concluding with this great act his messianic work on earth. Himself endowed with full powers, he appoints the Apostles his delegates, his representatives. Teach is an inaccurate translation of a Greek verb which properly means "transform into disciples." Undoubtedly, as St. Paul said, there are no disciples without teaching; but this idea is expressed further down, in verse 20. What the Savior indicates first and foremost by this verb is conversion in general, which he will then break down into its two main elements. All nationsFormerly (cf. 10:5), Jesus had set rather narrow limits on the ministry of his apostles; now he sends them to conquer the whole world. All nations belong to the sphere in which they will have to carry out their activity. The history of Christianity And its spread throughout the world proves the extent to which it adapts to all countries without exception, regardless of national character, customs, or civilization. Baptizing themTwo things are necessary to make disciples: first, individuals must be initiated, then instructed; these are successively marked by Jesus. The first consists of baptism, this necessary condition for entry into the kingdom of heaven; Cf. John 3, 3. – In the nameThe Greek text implies a movement; the English translate it as "in the name," the Germans as "on the name," which better expresses the communion established by baptism between the baptized and the Holy Trinity, the participation of the baptized in the divine nature, thanks to the filial adoption of which he becomes the object, his incorporation into Jesus Christ. Cf. Galatians 3:27; 1 Corinthians 12, 13; Romans 63. It is true that, according to several authors, this is not the meaning of the words, which rather indicate the obligation to believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Thus, the Corinthians (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:17) were not baptized in the name of Paul, because their faith was not directed toward the Apostle, but toward Christ. Other commentators adhere to Maldonatus's interpretation: "The meaning of the words is: baptizing them not in your name, but in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. That is to say, they declare and attest that what you do, you do not do in your own person, but in the person of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit." Jesus would thus be designating the authority in whose name the minister of the sacrament of baptism opens the door of the Church to humankind. But we will stick to the first meaning, which is the most beautiful and obvious. of the Father and the Son…Regarding the words “baptizing them in the name of…”, Tertullian said in his Treatise on Baptism, ch. 13, that one finds therein both “the law which obliges all men to receive baptism, and the formula by which it is to be administered.” Other testimonies, no less ancient and no less serious, inform us likewise that, from the earliest times of the ChristianityThe names of the three divine persons were pronounced over the baptized when they were washed with the regenerating water; cf. Just. Mart. Apol. 1; Hom. Clem. 11, 26, etc. This proves that Jesus, by uttering these sacred names in the present circumstance, made the efficacy of the sacrament of baptism dependent on their explicit citation.
Mt28.20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.» Jesus reveals a second condition, no less essential than the first, for truly becoming his disciple. It consists in the complete fulfillment of his will, in the acceptance of his entire doctrine. Indeed, the words "all that I have commanded you" encompass not only Christian morality; they also apply to Christian dogma, which must be accepted in its entirety under penalty of shipwreck in the faith. Cf. St. John Chrysostom, Hom. 90. And here. Jesus concludes his address with a magnificent promise, which contained the most powerful encouragement for the Apostles and their successors: I am with you. I am here now; I remain with you always and faithfully. What could they do alone in the face of so many obstacles that would be unleashed against them? But Jesus would be with them to enlighten them, to defend them in the midst of their difficulties and dangers. Every day. And this intimate, effective presence will last every day, throughout their lives, and even after them, every day still: it will truly be perpetual. Until the end of time. The end of the world, that is, the completion of the work of Redemption, will alone bring these astonishing relationships to a close. Until then, Jesus will not leave for a single moment those he has chosen to represent him on earth. Thus, the Church of Christ, unfailing and infallible, will continue its course through the ages, without having anything to fear from human vicissitudes, always strong, always true, because her divine Spouse protects her. «By promising them that he will be with his disciples until the end of time, he assures them that they will live forever, and that he will never separate himself from those who believe,» St. Jerome. – St. Matthew leaves the reader with this comforting promise.
