Evenings With Bede are taken from the Sunday solemn Plainsong Evensong services of Saint Paul’s, New Smyrna Beach, Fla., of which I am Rector. The format is two readings (a Scripture passage and passage of the Venerable S. Bede’s commentary), then a short homily by yours truly expounding upon both. The audio for all three is found above. The text of the two readings is found below.
A Lesson from the Gospel according to S. Matthew 21.1
When Jesus and His disciples drew near to Jerusalem and came to Beth′phage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find an ass tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If any one says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and he will send them immediately.” This took place to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet, saying, “Tell the daughter of Zion, Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on an ass, and on a colt, the foal of an ass.” The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the ass and the foal, and put their garments on them, and he sat thereon. Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
A Lesson from a Homily by the Venerable S. Bede (Homily II.3)
The ass and the foal on which Jesus sat when He came to Jerusalem represent those with a guileless heart from among each of the two peoples, namely the Jews and the gentiles. Directing them and restraining them from harmful freedom of action by His rule, He leads them to the vision of heavenly peace. (“Jerusalem” is interpreted “vision of peace.”) . . . Saint Matthew tells us that the disciples “brought the ass and the foal, and put their garments on them, and Jesus sat thereon.” The garments of the disciples are the works of righteousness, as the Psalmist testifies when he says “Your priests will clothe themselves with righteousness.” The donkeys which the disciples found uncovered they covered with garments, and so placed our Lord thereon. When holy preachers find any persons at all without the clothing of holiness they imbue them with examples of their own virtues so that they gain faith in and love for their Maker. For our Lord did not wish to get on an uncovered donkey, nor did He wish to get on an uncovered foal, because whether Jew or Gentile, unless one be adorned with the sayings and deeds of the saints, he cannot have our Lord as his guide, but instead sin reigns in his mortal body to make him obey its concupiscences.
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