2Cana.-There are disputes about its proper position on the map, but tradition points out the very spot upon which the first miracle was performed, and the ruins of a church, built in its remembrance, are about the best guarantee of its authenticity.

His disciples. He had but five just now, and they were not formally enlisted, as we should say. Peter, and Andrew and John, and Nathanael and Philip were all who followed Him as yet. Speculations have been made about who the bridegroom was, and even SS. Jerome and Bonaventure have lent their authority to a supposition which rests upon no solid basis. No one knows who he was, and it is likely he was one of those relations of Our Lord who did not care much about Him, and got this extra act of charity. This is a surmise, but such people lived in Nazareth.

*They have no wine.-How gently and nicely the request is made!

"My hour is not yet come.-The time for miracles is not come, but as you wish it, I cannot refuse. Patrizi observes that many things are done, and many things done otherwise than would be, or was decreed, because of Our Lady's interposition.

"Do ye.-Obey Him, that is all I want ye to do.

Six water-pots.-They contained seven gallons and a half each, on account of the various washings, etc. He made forty-five gallons of excellent wine for the guests.

8Fill the water-pots.-All his supplies, by miracle, were on a plentiful scale.

"Draw out now.-He took charge of the matter at present.

10Chief steward.—We can scarcely tell what office of ours corresponds with it.

11Good wine till now.-What comes from the hands of God is always best of its kind.

12His disciples believed in Him.-It is likely this was done in order to confirm the new vocation. Occasions arose when prearranged by His providence for such proofs of His Divinity.

Ist. Performed His first

Ist. What she asks she gets. miracle at Mary's request.

2nd. She minds domestic

griefs and troubles.

3rd. Be devout and she will remember you.

2nd. Changed the time to please her.

3rd. Gave good wine and plenty of it.

21. Ille autem dicebat de templo corporis sui.

22. Cùm ergò resurrexisset à mortuis, recordati sunt discipuli ejus quia hoc dicebat: et crediderunt Scripturæ et sermoni quem dixit Jesus.

21. But he spoke of "the temple of his body.

22. When therefore he was risen again from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this: and they believed the Scripture, and the word that Jesus had said.

We have now to fill up the gaps in the history of Our Lord's life, left empty by the three synoptic Evangelists. From them we learn by statement that Our Lord went to Jerusalem just before His death. They let us know by implication that He went several times. "Jerusalem. . . how often." He had besides, many friends in Judea, Lazarus and Martha and Mary-Nicodemus of whom we shall treat anon. He had the man who prepared the cœnaculam, Joseph of Arimathea, and a great number of others. Indeed so well were He and His doctrines known in Jerusalem that the High Priests and Scribes and Ancients sent various emissaries and deputations to spread reports about Him in Galilee, and undermine His influence.

Before going to Jerusalem for the Pasch He removes with His mother to Capharnaum, not for her residence, but that she might see where He chose to dwell. Tradition has it that she dwelt still in Nazareth; and even the other gospels tell us that she came with Our Lord's relations to Capharnaum, as a place in which she was not accustomed to dwell. The house Our Lord chose to stop at seems to have been Peter's. In Domo Petri.

Caphernaum - Kefr Nahum—is scarcely recognisable now even in its ruins. Tell Hùm is supposed to be the spot where that thriving city once stood. The vae have had their effects both upon it and Bethsaida. It was, at the time of Our Lord (as we remarked on S. Matthew), the business city, the emporium of Palestine. It lay in the way of the great caravans from the Mediterranean away to Damascus and Persia. Every sort of people was gathered there and nearly every tongue was spoken. It was situated on the margin of the Lake or Sea of Galilee-called in S. John's time, Tiberias-in a very fertile nook and sheltered from north and east winds by craggy, bold, barren mountains. In the clefts of these fierce rocks Our Lord used to commune with His

Eternal Father during the nights, when He retired from His daily work of miraculous cures and preaching. Near to it He formed the College of the Apostles, and on one of the verdant slopes in its vicinity, He began His formal teaching by the Sermon on the Mount.

When the caravan for the Pasch was made up He went up to Jerusalem and cleansed the Temple. The Augean Stables were nothing to the Court of the Gentiles at that time. Anyone may imagine what a tesselated pavement would be like on which a few thousand sheep and some hundreds of oxen had been stabled for nearly a week. The lowing and bleating of these cribbed animals would be anything but harmonious.

The money-changers, who made so much per cent. profit in giving orthodox coins for the strange medley of idolatrous numismata which pilgrims carried in their girdles, were doing a great trade.

This unknown young Galilean walks into the place, takes a few cords, twists them into a whip, and almost in less time than it takes to write it, turned the whole unhallowed herd out of the sacred precincts.

All obeyed Him by instinctive fear. There was something in His mien which cowed them. The money changers, whilst rummaging for their scattered coins amid sheep-dung and straw, said nothing.

The Priests and Scribes, who lost money by the transaction, wanted to know what authority He could show for this summary proceeding and He gives them a sign which they did not then understand; but remembered when He was dead, and they asked Pilate for a guard to prevent the Resurrection.

This seems to have been His first public visit to the Temple since he was twelve years old. Of course He went privately.

1Down to Capharnaum.—Nazareth was higher above the level of the sea, and Capharnaum was sheltered by mountains.

Not many days.-Mary went back to Nazareth and Our Lord went to Jerusalem. His disciples went also, if we may judge from verse 17.

Pasch of the Jews.-S. John is writing when this had ceased. The word Jews in S. John's Gospel means the enemies of Our Lord. The Scribes and Pharisees existed no more as sects.

'Sitting. This seems to refer only to the money changers.

"The changers' money.-This must have been gall and vinegar to a Jew, and yet we hear of no complaint.

"Take these things.-He would not hurt the poor doves, or throw down their cages. He told their owners to take them away.

"The disciples.-He was very likely attended by His new disciples, amongst whom was the narrator.

The Jews.-These were the Rabbis, who wanted Him to present His diploma.

"Destroy this Temple.-An answer which it is likely some of the older priests understood. It was brought in accusation against Him before Pilate, and it made them ask for the guard. The Apostles, of course, did not understand it.

10 Six-and-forty years. It was that length of time since Herod the Great began it, and it was not yet finished.

11The temple of His body.-In which God dwelt.

12 Risen from the dead.—Then and then only did they understand.

Casting the profaners of the Temple out, gave Our Lord's disciples great respect and awe for Him. He proceeds then to