Introduction  Final cause governs actions. Jesus went to the desert to be tempted by the devil. Did the devil know incarnation in advance? When he was an angel, he saw it mirrored in God, yet after his fall, his mind is clouded and he was doubting since he saw contradictory sings about Jesus (nativity: singing of the angels and the star vs. poverty and fragility). Hence, the devil tempted Jesus to discover the truth and to avoid the human salvation (4AB). Division The previous Gospel pericopes indicated the virtues and the dress that need to equip the penitent, now it is time to see the adversary’s attack and his attempt to strip the soul of the eternal reward: «qualiter adversarius tales aggreditur ut eos mercede possit eterna privare». The division follows the Gospel narrative (see above). First part «Circa litteram»: Jesus was brought to the desert between Jerusalem and Jericho (the same of the parable of the good Samaritan) as a place apt for doing penance. «Et vocatur quarentena» since Jesus was fasting for forty days and nights. Human beings have free will, otherwise there would be no merit in good works. Reference to Peter Lombard, Lib. Sen. II, II, 23 c. 1 and to the commentary of Bonaventure to it: “Deus ideo permittere voluit hominem a dyabolo impugnari, si fortiter et viriliter ageret, maiorem gloriam inde consequeretur” (4D).The temptations serve:  Ad probitatis probationem Ad iniquitatis corretionem Ad humilitatis eruditionem Temptations serve to prove the believers. Biblical exempla (Job and Abraham) and an extensive quotation from the story of Judith: «Vos frates, qui presbiteri estis...» (Judith 8.21-28), where the heroine recalls how God used to tempt the patriarchs and how one needs to keep trust in God. Temptations and tribulations serve to purify (as with gold, as with martyrs) and to avoid spiritual pride. Where does a temptation come from? From interior is the most dangerous, from the exterior is weaker (it does not have power if not joining an interior temptation), from the devil is the weakest, as said by Augustine and a rhymed verse: «Augustinus: Debilis est hostis, qui non vincit nisi volentem. Et ideo metrice dicitur: Hostis non ledit nisi cum tentatus obedit. Est leo dum cedit, si stat quasi musca recedit” (4G – comparison with lion and fly). However, the devil tempts more the penitent  then the sinner, since the latter is already in his power. Second part  Ample explanation ad litteram. Three temptations are the same used by Satan to overcome the humanity at the beginning (gluttony, vainglory and avarice), for this reason he is allowed to assault Jesus in this way. The reply to the second temptations (that upon the pinnacle of the temple, i.e. «locum ubi doctores legis consueverant populo legem exponere» serves to clarify that it is wrong to expect a miracle for something can be done normally (in this case, to go down using the staircase; 4H). The traps of the devil are without number, one needs to strike back with every kind of caution and virtue. In particular, the devil: Abstinentia maceratos tentat gulositate Pietatis assiduos, superbia et vanitate In divinis celicos, symoniaca pravitate (4K) In a mallow and rational way, the devil invites to moderate fasting and abstinence, arguing that they are weakening the person and are irrational. Reference to an exemplum taken from the life of saint Francis (source Bonaventure). Again, the image of the devil that tempts people in three ways (allegory of Daniel 7.5: the bear with three rows of threats as the devil that aims to swallow the devout souls  and to break their good purposes; 4L). Avarice – as a form of idolatry - is a form of adoration of the devil. The sermon connects it with simony, lamenting the present situation: «Heu multos hodie...» (4N). Issue of the offers for the sacraments: an offer cannot be requested or binding, but they can be accepted as free and as a laudable custom, yet the celebration of sacraments must not be postponed for it.  Third part Help of the angels  to people. As a person going to a battle needs someone who instructs and leads him, in the same way God sent a guardian angel to everyone as teacher – reference to Peter Lombard and Psalm 90. Three key aspects of the angel: Nobilitatem Dignitatem Utilitatem (4O). The last part underlines how the angels «a peccatis retrahant; ab inimicis defendant; ad paradisum perducant» (4T). Discussion whether Jesus and the Virgin Mary had a guardian angel. Jesus no but the angels served him. About the Virgin there are different positions: the sermon prefers the position of François de Meyronnes who sates that the Virgin was protected directly by the Trinity and so could not be attacked by the devil, so the angels only pay homage to her (4T). The angels assist the humans also to accelerate the full restauration of their status after the fall of the rebel angels, hence they help the conversion of sinners and rejoice for it. Finally, the sermon lists six characteristics that one has to learn from the angels to live like them.

Necessity of an attentive and scrupolous preparation to the confession (i.e. exam of conscience), so that the confessio will be fruitful. The sermon presents the rationes, auctoritates et exempla. f. 326rv Dialogue (in the vernacular) between the penitent who did not prepare carefuly for the Easter confession and the priest

Introduction Parallel between illness and sin: one has to remember the sins and present them now to the physician of the soul, without waiting the final judgment when they will be recalled in front of everyone. “Debemus ergo stimulo peccatorum in coscientia cum centurionem Christum invocare” (note the use of plural person). The servant ill at home is the soul wounded by sins in the body that is unable to move, i.e. to perform good works [1U]. - Three questiones “Queritur utrum aliquid peccatum mortale sit ita grave quod per dei misericordiam non possit deleri” [1X]. All type of mortal sin can be forgiven by the divine mercy in this life. It follows the interpretation of the biblical passage on the sin against the Holy Spirit.
“Queritur secundo an sit aliquid peccatum ita leve quod absque dei misericordia possit removeri” [1Y]. Every sin is against God, so even the allegedly lesser sin cannot be forgiven without divine mercy, i.e. it needs the previous intervention of grace, which provokes contrition in conscience: “offensa non remittitur nisi per gratiam que causat benignitatem contritionis in coscientia”. “[Queritur] tertio an unum peccatum mortale sine alio per dei gratiam possit removeri” [1Z]. No mortal sin can be forgiven if other equal sin remains, since the divine grace is incompatible with it. The confession of sins needs to be complete. - Divisio (see above) - First part  First “circa literam” (postil to the pericope) and then moraliter: the servant becomes the soul of a friend in Purgatory (“designari potest amicus defunctus cuiuslibet fidelis viventis [...] quod ut miser in purgatorio detinetur et torquetur”; 2A). In particularly, one must suffrage for the souls of his parents for three reasons: Familiaritatis et caritatis, quia puer sive servus; Debilitatis, quia iacet paraliticus; Penalitatis, quia male torquatur. 1.1 Natural exempla: storks take care of their old parents, covering them with their fathers and feeding them; other birds protect those hit by the sun, with a ¬a fortiori reasoning, “quantomagis homines” need to provide for the relatives and friends in Purgatory with prayer and almsgiving [2B]. Note the use of the first-person plural, inclusive and parenetic. Four types of suffrages: the offer of priests, the prayer of saints, the alms of friends, the fasting of relatives. The power of the mass for the deaths is underlined, referring an exemplum by Gregory the Great: “volens igitur parentes et amicos celeriter a vinculis purgatori liberari faciat pro eis missas celebrari” [2C]. Shorter on almsgiving [2E]. 1.2 Weakness of the souls in Purgatory, since they cannot gain merit and help themselves. Within the mystical body of the Church, one can benefit another. 1.3 Are the pain in purgatory superiors to those on earth? Yes. -  Second part Centurion’s humility, and the goods that derive from it: patris [celestis] furorem placare hominem a dyabolo liberare donum gratie abundanter procreare 2.1. Humility is effective against divine wrath, as a plant able to bow resists to the strongest winds. Fable of the oak and the reed by Aesop: “Propter quod fabulose dicitur [...] inter quercum et arundinem”. Oak is rigid and strong, it does not flex (no humility), is broken by the wind and asks the reed how it survived. In the same way happens in front of the divine wrath one has to humiliate itself opposing no resistance; exemplum of Socrates and the tyrant [2I]. 2.2. The devil has no power on humble people: they are like small fishes that escape from his net [2K]. Reference to the example (figura) of Hezekiah discussed by the epistle of the day. 2.3. Divine grace is like water, which flow towards and fill in the lower places. Example is the humility of the Virgin Mary that became “full of grace”. In the same way, Abraham and the centurion. - Third part Firm faith is the radix, the foundation of every good (“firma fides vel credulitas est fundamentum omnins boni”), since it is said: Iustus ex fide vivit (Galatians 3:11). From faith: Peccatorum remissionem Demoniorum confusionem Optatorum consecutionem 3.1. From faith the remission of sins. Different ways to believe: credere deo, credere deum, credere in deum (i.e. “credendo in eum tendere cum amore”; 2L). 3.2. Faith chases devils away. Reference to “Papias in exphositione super Iuvenalem” (Juvenalis): the shield given to Achilles descends from the sky, which symbolizes Christ who descends from heaven to preach the faith, identified with the shield [2N]. 3.3. How faith allows to reach the desired goals is demonstrated by an exemplum about Alexander the Great: “narrat magister in hystoriis quod cum Alexander magnus venisset ad montem Caspios...”