The history of Our Lord's apparitions seems to be as follows. He first, according to universal tradition, went to visit His mother; and, it is supposed he stopped with her, in the intervals between His various apparitions, during the forty days. His next, and the first recorded in the Gospel was to Mary Magdalene in the garden. Then He appeared to the women, as S. Matthew records here. He next appeared to Peter and then to the disciples going to Emmaus; for when these came back to tell the eleven, these latter told them He had appeared to Peter.

Holy writers says that it was meet that Our Lord should first appear to a woman. By a woman was the first sin committed and death brought into the world, and therefore she should be the first to see life brought in as well. The first man to whom Jesus appeared was Simon Peter, and He appeared to him alone and afterwards to ten of His disciples, Thomas being absent.

Quickly.-There was a fear over them because of the earthquake and they rejoiced at the news that their Lord was risen.

2To tell His disciples.-Magdalene had told them already, and two were on their way to see the place after He had appeared to Magdalene.

3Behold, Jesus met them saying: All hail!-They were rewarded with these visions because of their attention to the tomb and the offices they were about to perform.

4Took hold of His feet.—He forbade Magdalene to touch Him and here we see these women touch Him. It is likely that Magdalene did the same. The prohibition was one of those acts of humility, like forbidding cured people to publish miracles, which were better observed in the breaking than the observing.

"Galilee. This is the place chosen for His great public appearance to thousands.

14. "Et si hoc auditum fuerit à præside nos suadebimus ei, et securos vos faciemus."

15. At illi, acceptà pecuniâ, fecerunt sicut erant edocti. Et divulgatum est verbum istud apud Judæos, usquè in hodiernum diem.

14. And if the governor shall hear of this, we will 'persuade him, and secure you.

15. So they, taking the money, did as they were taught. And this word was spread abroad among the Jews even unto this day.

One should have thought that the evidence of Our Lord's Resurrection was most complete. All bore evidence to it-the soldiers, the angels, the women, the Apostles-and the best evidence which could be was that every one of the Apostles died for the truth of it. So important was the Resurrection, that it seemed to S. Paul to be the very hinge upon which faith itself turned. "If Jesus be not risen from the dead."

S. Matthew wrote more immediately for the converts to Christianity from Judaism, and, as the report to which he alludes in verse 15 was spread among their neighbours, he accounts for the manner in which it originated. He is the only one of the Evangelists who records this matter of which S. Augustine says: Stulta insania; si vigilasti quare permisisti: si dormisti unde scisti! Foolish madness. If thou wert awake, why didst thou let them? if asleep, how dost thou know?

Some of the guards, and not

1They were departed, namely, the women. all of them, came into the city and told the news.

The chief priests.-These employed the guards as Pilate told them.

3A great sum of money.—Such was their hardness of heart. They must have believed it, and then bribed the men to tell a lie!

4When we were asleep.-Guards asleep in a Roman army! Their lives would pay for it. If they were asleep, how did they know what happened? Our Lord passed out without any noise. It was the earthquake which startled them.

"Persuade. This means that they would either bribe or impose their will upon Pilate. It was easy to do one or the other, as we have seen.

"Unto this day.-S. Matthew wrote eight years after the Resurrection, and the report existed then; we believe it has not died yet among the Jews, except those who think that he escaped, and left Simon of Cyrene to be crucified in his place.

18. Et accedens JESUS, locutus est eis dicens: "Data est mihi omnis potestas in cœlo et in terrâ.

19. "Euntes ergò, docete omnes gentes, baptizantes eos in nomine Patris et Filii et

Spiritûs-Sancti;

20. "Docentes eos servare omnia quæcumque mandavi vobis. Et ecce ego vobiscum sum omnibus diebus, usquè ad consummationem sæculi."

16. And 1the eleven disciples went into Galilee, unto the 'mountain where Jesus had appointed them.

17. And seeing him, they adored: but some 'doubted.

18. And Jesus, coming, spoke to them, saying: All power is given to me in 'heaven and in earth.

19. Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations; "baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost;

20. Teaching them to observe 'all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and, "behold, I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.

During the forty days Our Divine Lord instructed His apostles, arranged the matter and form of the Sacraments, and engraved upon their minds all that was needed for the foundation and cohesion of His Church.

They now go out to Galilee, where hundreds assemble; and, in the presence of all He comes to His eleven. All power is

given to me in heaven and on earth. I can now exercise in its plenitude the power I always had. He solemnly then commissions them to teach the whole world-no longer are they confined to the Jews-whatsoever He had taught them. It is all oral in the Church's teaching. Faith comes by hearing. He then promises to be with them and their successors until the consummation of the world. Catholics believe that He kept and is keeping His word.

1The eleven. We know from other Evangelists and S. Paul, 1 Cor., xv., that there were more than five hundred here.

2Mountain.-There is no mention of this mountain in any Gospel. Indeed there is very little written about the forty days; but all kept in mind.

3Doubted. Not the Apostles; but some in the crowd. The Apostles had doubted long enough, and were very hard of conviction, but after S. Thomas's trial they ceased to doubt.

Heaven and earth.-The power He had and was conferring concerned both places.

"All nations.-The whole world is their school.

"Baptizing. It was by immersion generally in the first ages of the Church.

"All things whatsoever I' commanded.-Then things had reference to the Seven Sacraments and various ordinances regarding Councils, Faith and Discipline.

Behold I am with you.-He calls their attention to a great fact, which they are never to lose sight of. He gives them a great charge but He promises His Own assistance to ease it and this unconditionally. May we all render ourselves worthy of His promises in this life and so fit ourselves for life everlasting. Amen.