47. Vidit JESUS Nathanael venientem ad se, et dicit de eo: "Ecce verè Israelita, in quo dolus non est."

48. Dicit ei Nathanael: "Undè me nôsti ?" Respondit JESUS et dixit ei: "Priusquàm te Philippus vocaret, cùm esses sùb ficu vidi te.”

49. Respondit ei Nathanael et ait: "Rabbi, tu es Filius DEI, tu es Rex Israel!"

50. Respondit JESUS et dixit ei: "Quia dixi tibi Vidi te sub ficu, credis: majus his videbis."

51. Et dicit ei: "Amen, amen dico vobis, videbitis cœlum apertum, et angelos DEI Ascendentes et descendentes suprà Filium Hominis."

47. Jesus 'saw Nathanael coming to him; and he saith of him: Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile!

48. Nathanael said to him: Whence knowest thou me ? Jesus answered, and said to him: Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast 'under the fig-tree, I saw thee.

49. Nathanael answered him and said: Rabbi, thou art "the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.

50. Jesus answered and said to him: Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the figtree, thou believest: 'greater things than these shalt thou

see.

51. And he saith to him: Amen, amen I say to you, you shall see the heaven opened, and the 'Angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.

Simplicity and sublimity are combined here in a most engaging manner. Our Lord sees Nathanael coming towards Him and shows him that he knows his interior. Then to prove this, He reminds him of secret acts of virtue or wishes which could be known to God only. This surprises the young man, who never saw Jesus before; and, who, he was sure, never saw him.

He immediately repeats what was told him by Philip, who heard it from John the Baptist, that Our Lord is the Son of God. Our Lord seems to smile at the effect of one look into the human heart, and tells him that he will see extraordinary things yet, before the friendship formed to-day, comes to a mortal termination. Our Lord's Divinity becomes revealed to us in a childlike

manner.

1Saw. When Nathanael was within hearing of Him. He saw Him long before, but not with the corporeal eye.

2Israelite. . . . no guile.-Was there generally guile in Israelites? Or did Our Lord refer to Jacob, who was a simple man dwelling in tents? The latter seems the more probable opinion, and the reference to the angels further down, confirms it.

Whence knowest thou me ?-He does not mind the compliment, which was the truth, but has his curiosity excited.

4Under the fig-tree.-People rested there in the heat of the sun, and chatted or talked or arranged plans for the future. Nathanael must have thought, wished, said or did something very good.

"The Son of God. . . . the King of Israel.-We might suppose that Nathanael believed in his divinity (and Cardinal Franzelin thinks so from this), only that the King of Israel destroys it. The general opinion is, that Peter was the first of the Apostles who knew, believed, and confessed His Divinity.

Answered.-We meet the Hebraisms again. This is taking up the

discourse.

"Greater things.-The miracles and wonders which Our Lord had not yet begun.

Amen, Amen.-S. John alone repeats this assertive form. It is verily, verily indeed, indeed—or truly, truly.

Angels of God.-There is great difference of opinion about the meaning of this passage. It is impossible to find the real truth. No such scene is recorded in the Gospels. It may have happened, nevertheless; Nathaniel may have seen it; nay, must have. He wrote no Gospel.

God sees us :

Ist. Our secret thoughts. 2nd. Our words and hidden acts.

3rd. Happy, if they be without guile.

Good dispositions-guileless souls:

Ist. One insight converts him to marvel.

2nd. Miracles could not convert bad men.

3rd. Cavillers and doubleminded, are worse than plain honest sinners.

CHAPTER II.

Christ changes water into wine: He casts the sellers out of the

temple.

9. Ut autem gustavit architriclinus aquam vinum factam, et non sciebat undè esset (ministri autem sciebant qui hauserant aquam), vocat sponsum architriclinus.

10. Et dicit ei: "Omnis homo primùm bonum vinum ponit, et, cùm inebriati fuerint, tunc id quod deterius est: tu autem servâsti bonum vinum usquè adhùc.”

11. Hoc fecit initium signorum JESUS in Canâ Galilææ: et manifestavit gloriam suam, et crediderunt in eum discipuli ejus.

9. And when the 10chief steward had tasted the water made wine, and knew not whence it was, but the waiters knew who had drawn the water; the chief steward calleth the bridegroom,

10. And saith to him: Every man at first setteth forth good wine; and when men have well drank, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the "good wine till now.

II. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee and he manifested his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

There has been a variety of theories invented for the explanation of the short dialogue here recorded between Our Lord and His blessed Mother. Some are hostile, some medium, and some semi-satisfactory.

We have a theory which is partly new and partly old. The TI Eμoi kai σoi or Quid mihi et tibi est, is a very peculiar phrase. Its meaning has to be gathered from the surroundings and the manner of its utterance. In all the instances we see of the expression, the person using it had a deep respect, or fear, for the person addressed, and a separation or adieu immediately followed. The instances in Scripture are: 2 Kings xvi. 10.-3 Kings xvii. 18.-Judges xi. 12.-4 Kings iii. 13, 14.—-Even 4 Kings ix. 18. Matthew viii. 29.-Luke viii. 28.-Matthew xxvii. 19.

Applying this interpretation we find that our Lord respected His mother-because he obeyed her wish-and, at the same time told her that His doing so would cause a separation. In point of fact, He took her to Capharnaum, left her there; and, though other women ministered to Him she was not much with Him until He was dying on the cross. He here gives the grand lesson of His life-detachment from relations no matter how dear they may be to you-for God's work. A lesson faithfully followed by His most noble servants.

The other interpretations are too numerous to be inserted here. The Woman, is known by all scholars to be a term of respect in Greek, in the language Our Lord used, if He said Aisher, it is a term still higher and was the name of Eve before her fall.

The scene, at the same time, is a beautiful one. Our Lord is in Bethania, beyond the Jordan, and he hears from pilgrims to S. John's baptism, or knows divinely (but this knowledge He conceals except when necessary), that one of his relations is getting married. He is invited to the wedding, and the five disciples who now follow Him are invited with Him as a matter of course. They all arrive there in the evening, just as the bride is being conducted to the ceremony, by the paranynpha and bridesmaids, amid sounds of flutes, timbrels, and human voices. It was rather a humble wedding, lasting only for two days instead of seven, and yet the wine ran short.

Our Lady perceives the defect; and, with misgivings we suspect (for she did not like to hasten His entrance into public life, and she knew this would do it, and take Him away from herself), she points it out to Him. That is enough. He says: "You do not know what you ask. Much as I love you I must leave you now, and you are to be to me as if you were a stranger, from this day forth until my work on earth is accomplished." There was the gentle reluctance of a loving Son here. Immediately after He orders the filling of the amphora, and the servants do as Mary bade them.

There is something very touching about the beginning of the miracles of Our Lord. He does not do His first in éclat and splendour before the grand assembly at a Jewish festival. He does it in a quiet family circle, to save the blushes of a poor man who had not sufficient wherewith to regale his guests, at the bidding of His mother, and for the satisfaction of His friends. It is one of those nice touches which S. John (who must have been present) could put before us with his usual delicacy and love for both Mother and Son.

There are writers who find fault here with the conduct both of Mother and Son. It need scarcely be said that we consider them unworthy of quotation or refutation in the pages of a book written by a Christian.

1The third day.-One could travel from Bethany to Cana in two days easily; but this may be taken as the third day after their arrival.