And Jesus answered, and spoke to them again in parables, saying:

The Kingdom of Heaven is like to a man, being a king, who made a marriage for his son.

And he sent his servants to call them that were invited to the marriage; and they would not come.

Again he sent other servants, saying: Tell them that were invited: Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my beeves and fatlings are killed, and all things are ready; come ye to the wedding.

But they neglected, and went their ways, one to his farm, and another to his merchandise.

And the rest laid hands on his servants, and having treated them contumeliously, put them to death.

But when the king heard of it, he was angry, and sending his armies, he destroyed those murderers, and burnt their city.

Then he saith to his servants: The wedding, indeed, is ready; but they that were invited, were not worthy.

Go ye, therefore, into the highways, and as many as you shall find, invite to the wedding.

And his servants going out into the highways, gathered together all that they found, both bad and good; and the wedding was filled with guests.

And the king went in to see the guests; and he saw there a man who had not on a wedding-garment.

And he saith to him: Friend, how camest thou in hither, not having a wedding-garment? But he was silent.

Then the king said to the waiters: Having bound his hands and feet, cast him into the exterior darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

For many are called, but few are chosen.-(St. Matt. xxii.)

The Pharisees now determined to seize Jesus, and to do so on the ground of sedition, that He had stirred up the people against the Roman yoke. Our Lord baffled their malice by one of those answers full of wisdom, which at the present time we often hear stigmatised as "craft."

Then the Pharisees going away, consulted among themselves how to ensnare Him in His speech.

And they send to Him their disciples with the Herodians,* saying: Master, we know that thou art a true speaker, and teachest the way of God in truth; neither carest Thou for any man; for Thou dost not regard the person of men.

Tell us, therefore, what dost Thou think: is it lawful to give tribute to Cæsar, or not?

But Jesus, knowing their wickedness, said: Why do you tempt Me, ye hypocrites ?

Show Me the coin of the tribute. And they offered Him a penny.

And Jesus saith to them: Whose image and inscription is this? They say to Him: Cæsar's? Then He saith to them : Render, therefore, to Cæsar the things that are Cæsar's; and to God the things that are God's.

The Syriac gives "persons from Herod's court." Probably some time-serving courtiers, friends of the Pharisees.

And when they heard this, they wondered; and leaving Him, went their way.—(St. Matt. xxii.)

After them, the Sadducees, or Free-thinkers, came to seduce Him to say something contrary to the law, but they also were refuted by the Eternal Wisdom.

The same day the Sadducees came to Him, who say there is no resurrection; and asked Him,

Saying: Master, Moses said: If a man die, having no son, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up issue to his brother.

Now, there were with us seven brethren; and the first having married a wife, died; and not having issue, left his wife to his brother.

In like manner the second, and the third, and so on to the seventh.

And last of all the woman died also.

At the resurrection, therefore, whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her.

And Jesus, answering, said to them: You err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God.

For in the resurrection they shall neither marry, nor be given in marriage; but shall be as the Angels of God in Heaven. But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have you not read that which was spoken by God, saying to you:

I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Israel, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.

And when the multitude heard this, they were in admiration at His doctrine.

And when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they came together.

And one of them, a doctor of the law, asked Him, tempting Him:

Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

Jesus said to him: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind.

This is the greatest and first commandment.

And the second is like to this: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

On these two commandments dependeth the whole law and the prophets.

And the Pharisees being gathered together, Jesus asked them, Saying: What think you of Christ? whose Son is He? They say to Him: David's.

He saith to them: How then doth David in spirit call Him Lord, saying:

The Lord said to My Lord: Sit on My right hand until I make Thy enemies Thy footstool?

If David then call Him Lord, how is He his son ?

And no man was able to answer Him a word; neither durst any man from that day forth ask Him any more questions.(St. Matt. xxii.)

Our Lord then publicly condemned the Pharisees and their friends in the Temple.

And in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples:

Beware of the Scribes, who desire to walk in long robes, and love salutations in the market-place, and the first chairs in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts;

Who devour the houses of widows, feigning long prayer. These shall receive greater damnation.-(St. Luke xx.)

While sitting in the Temple, the Sacred Heart of Jesus was consoled by seeing the generosity of a poor widow; and immediately He called His Apostle sround Him, and commemorated her act in that beautiful sentence which for ever lays down that all true love and generosity are founded upon sacrifice, and that this is their test.

And looking on, He saw the rich men cast their gifts into the treasury.

And He saw also a certain poor widow casting in two brass mites.

And he said: Verily, I say to you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all.

For all these have of their abundance cast into the offerings of God; but she of her want hath cast in all her living that she had. (St. Luke xxi.)

About this time Jesus preached His last sermon upon His own mission and office, declaring that He was the Light of the world.

And whereas He had done so many miracles before them, they believed not in Him.

That the saying of Isaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he said: Lord, who hath believed our hearing? And to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed ?

Therefore they could not believe: for Isaias said again :

He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their hearts; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

These things said Isaias, when He saw His glory, and spoke of Him.

However, many of the chief men also believed in Him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess it, that they might not be cast out of the synagogue.

For they loved the glory of men, more than the glory of God. But Jesus cried out, and said: He that believeth in Me, doth not believe in Me, but in Him that sent Me.

And he that seeth Me, seeth Him that sent Me.

I the Light am come into the world; that whosoever believeth in Me may not remain in darkness.

And if any man hear My words, and keep them not, I do not judge him; for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.

He that despiseth Me, and receiveth not My words, hath One that judgeth him. The word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

For I have not spoken of Myself; but the Father Who sent Me, He gave Me command what I should say, and what I should speak.