He commendeth the poor widow for her two mites, above all. (5) Having said that the Temple shall be quite destroyed, (7) he foretelleth first many things that shall go before, (20) then a sign also when it is near, after which shall come the destruction itself in most horrible manner, without hope of restitution, until all Nations of the Gentiles be gathered into his Church in the very end of the world. (25) And then what signs shall come of the last day, terrible to the world, (28) but comfortable to us of his Church, (34) so that we be always watchful.
AND beholding, he saw them that did cast their gifts into the treasury, rich persons. 2And he saw also a certain poor widow casting two brass mites. 3And he said: Verily I say to you, that this poor widow hath cast more than all. 4For all these of their abundance have cast into the gifts of God; but she • of her penury, hath cast in all her living that she had.
5And certain saying of the Temple that it was adorned with goodly stones and donaries, he said: 6These things which you see, * the days will come wherein [a] there shall not be left a stone upon a stone that shall not be destroyed. 7And they asked him, saying: Master, when shall these things be; and what shall be the sign when they shall begin to come to pass? 8Who said: See you be not seduced for [b] many will come in my name, saying that I am he; and the time is at hand, go not therefore after them. 9And when you shall hear of wars and seditions, be not terrified; these things must first come to pass, but the end is not yet by and by. 10Then he said to them: Nation shall rise against Nation, and Kingdom against Kingdom. 11And there shall be great earth-quakes in places, and pestilences and famines, and terrors from Heaven, and there shall be great signs. 12But before all these things they will [c] lay their hands upon you; and persecute you delivering you into Synagogues and prisons, drawing you to Kings and Presidents for my name. 13And it shall happen unto you for testimony. 14Lay up this therefore in your hearts, not to pre-meditate how you shall answer. 15For I will give you mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to resist and gainsay. 16And you shall be delivered up of your parents and brethren, and kinsmen and friends; and they will put to death of you. 17And you shall be odious to all men for my name; 18and a hair of your head shall not perish. 19In your patience you shall possess your souls.
20And when you shall see Jerusalem compassed about with an army, then know that the desolation thereof is at hand. 21Then they that are in Jewry, let them flee to the mountains; and they in the midst thereof, let them depart; and they in the countries, let them not enter into it. 22For these are the days of vengeance, that all things may be fulfilled that are written. 23But woe to them that are with child and that give suck in those days. For there shall be great affliction upon the land, and wrath on this people. 24And they shall fall by the edge of the sword; and shall be led captive into all Nations; and Jerusalem shall be trodden of the Gentiles, till the times of Nations be fulfilled.
25 * And there shall be signs in the sun and the moon and the stars; and upon earth distress of Nations, for the confusion of the sound of sea and waves, 26men withering for fear and expectation, what shall come upon the whole world. For the powers of Heaven shall be moved; 27and then they shall see the Son of man coming in a cloud with great power and majesty. 28But when these things begin to come to pass, look up and lift up your heads; because your redemption is at hand. 29And he spoke to them a similitude: See the figtree and all trees; 30when they now bud forth fruit out of themselves, you know that summer is nigh. 31So you also when you shall see these things come to pass, know that the Kingdom of God is nigh. 32Amen I say to you, that this Generation shall not pass, till all be done. 33Heaven and earth shall pass; but my words shall not pass.
34And look well to yourselves, lest perhaps your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkeness and cares of this life; and that day come upon you suddenly. 35For as a snare shall it come upon all that sit upon the face of all the earth. 36Watch therefore, praying at all times, that you may be * accounted worthy to escape all these things that are to come, and to stand before the Son of man.
37And the days he was teaching in the Temple; but the nights going forth, he abode in the [d] mount that is called Olivet. 38And all the people in the morning went unto him in the Temple to hear him.
Footnotes
- ↑ This was fulfilled, 40 years after the death of Christ, the 19th of August, being the very month and day wherein the Babylonians burnt it: from the first building thereof by Salomon 1130 years: from the re-edifying thereof under Cyrus 639 years. Josep. de bel. Jud. lib. 7. chap. 10.
- ↑ Many false prophets and Heretikes. See Annot. Mat. 24. Mar. 13.
- ↑ Great persecution of Catholic men.
- ↑ Solitariness or eremitage (as St. Gregory Nazian. saith) is a goodly thing: this doth the mount Carmel of Elias teach, John’s desert, and that mount unto which JESUS often retired, and was quietly alone with himself. Ser. 26. de amore pauperum.
ANNOTATIONS. CHAP. XXI.
↑ 4. Of her penury.) To offer or give alms of our superfluities, is not so acceptable nor meritorious, as to bestow some of that which is of our necessary provision and which we may hardly spare from ourselves: for, that proceedeth of greater zeal, will, and intention, which be more respected of God than the substance of the gift.
Margin Notes
- 9–19. The Ghospel upon Sts. Vincentius and Anastasius day, Jan. 22. And for many other Martryrs.
Margin References
- 1. Mar. 12, 14.
- 5. Tuesday night
- 6. Mat. 24, 1. Mar. 13, 1.
- 25. Eze. 32, 7. Joel. 3, 15.
- 36. ινα καταξιωθητε See Annot. c. 20, 35.
