EASTER DAY HOMILY. (FROM THE ANTHEM.)
"Christ Our Passover is sacrified for us: therefore let us keep the feast."– 1 Cor. v. 7.
OUR Lord Jesus Christ in a threefold manner showed Himself to us in eating. Firstly, sacramentally: S. Matt. xxvi. 26, 27, "Take, eat; this is My Body," &c. Secondly, spiritually: "For what hast thou designed teeth and stomach? Believe, and thou hast eaten" (S. Austin). Thirdly, eternally: "There Thou wilt satiate me of thee with a wonderful satiety" (S. Austin). According to this, He made to us a threefold Paschal Feast (1) bodily; (2) spiritual; (3) eternal. These three mystical Passovers were those which the children of Israel celebrated the first in the Exodus from Egypt (Ex. xii. 21 et seq.); the second in the desert (Numb. ix. 3-5); the third in the land of promise (Jos. v. 10). For the celebrating of the first Passover, in which we eat a Lamb without blemish, sacrified for all, the Apostle in this epistle shows five things to be necessary (1) That we should be cleansed from carnal concupiscence: "Purge out, therefore, the old leaven." The "old leaven" is carnal concupiscence, which from our first parent begun to corrupt the lump of human nature: 1 Cor. v. 6, "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump." (2) That we may be cleansed from pride: "Neither with the leaven of malice." Malice is another term to express pride, which is the beginning of all malice: Ecclus. x. 15, "Pride is the beginning of every sin." (3) That we may be cleansed from an evil covetousness, "And wickedness." Covetousness is called wickedness because it desires that which is not; for all love the riches of the world, which they can never obtain: Ecclus. x. 10, "Nothing is more wicked than to love money." (4) A cleansing of the heart is necessary, "But with the unleavened bread of sincerity." For he who wishes to celebrate this solemn Passover ought himself to be most cleansed: Numb, xviii. 11, "Everyone that is clean in thy house shall eat of it." (5) Truth of life is necessary: Ephes. iv. 15, "And of truth," "speaking the truth in love." He who wishes, therefore, to celebrate this ineffable Passover must be purged from the sin of carnal concupiscence, and of avarice, and of pride; and must be delighted in purity of mind, in truth of life, and will come to that Passover which does not follow the Lenten fast, but will be there a perpetual and eternal solemnity. To which may Jesus Our God bring us. Amen.
St. Thomas Aquinas
