Introduction As Aristotle says, wonder is the beginning of philosophy («Quia homines propter admirari inceperunt philosophari»; 5T), the same happens to the Jews during the exodus in front of the manna and to the citizens of Jerusalem at the arrival of Jesus (cfr. thema). Which is the most astonishing visible thing done by God? Three possible answers: creation; mercy towards sinners, which let them live and repent in this world; incarnation. The latter is clearly the answer chosen by the sermon and it is developed by quoting and commenting upon the first verses of Dante’s prayer to the Virgin Mary (Commedia, Paradiso, 33,1-9 – in Latin) [Dante is not mentioned but presented as «quidam sapiens» and «poeta» - poets]. The admired contemplation of the prodigy of the incarnation must move to love God so to reply to the question of the thema with the profession of faith. Division [Its introduction concerns only the second of the three parts] First part In the entrance to Jerusalem, Jesus is revealed as saviour of the humanity (connection with the singing of the Hosanna). Direct prayer directed towards Jesus, who is acknowledged as: «potens es ad liberandum promptus es ad adiuvandum clemens es ad indulgendum» (6A). 1.1. Doctrine of the redemption («solus Iesus»), according to Anselm (Cur deus homo). It is introduced the story of Codrus, king of Athens, which is interpreted as an allegory of Christ’s voluntary incarnation and sacrifice for the salvation of the militant Church. [All the section depends on Robert Holcot]  1.2. The affirmation that Christ was ready to help the humanity prompts the explanation of why the incarnation did not occur earlier. 1.3. Christ’s mercy asks to discuss whether God wants to save everybody and what does it mean exactly. The sermon relies on Nicholas of Lyra triple explanation of 1 Timothy 2.3 and argues for a balance between mercy and justice. This leads to the quaestio whether the damned are more then the saved. The reply is built again on Augustine and Anselm - with the addition of Franciscan theologians, namely François de Meyronnes and Bonaventure. Interesting the remark on the salvation of non-Christian, which is imagined through the grace  of a sudden and complete repentance at the moment of their death  («Volunt etiam multi doctores quod deus multis gentilibus virtutes excellentibus hanc faciat gratiam ut unum gemitum emittant et malorum actuum recognitionem et quod sic eorum extremam penitentiam acceptet»; 6F). Yet, it remains that the damned are more than the saved. Second part The expulsion of the merchants and money changers from the temple, highlight that opposite things cannot coexist. The scene is symbol of the expulsion of the «nogotiatores de ecclesia». The discourse turns to the actual merchants and their sins, which open with a quite radical opening sentence («Mercator nunquam potet placere deo»), since they are usually fraudulent in in their work, particularly in three ways: «Species diversas comiscendo Pondera et mensura variando. Defectus et rerum fracturas celando» (6H). The sermon presents a series of situations and frauds common at the marketplace (including also frauds committed by buyers). Noteworthy: a positive reference to alchemy; description of adulterations of wine, with terminology given in German [macaronic / vernacular]; Beda’s description of a vision of saint Fursey, who sees three symbolic fires that represents the inextinguishable corruption prompted by merchants to all the world: falsity, greed, impiety. [Use of a quite old source to discuss about economic ethics - yet it is readapted to target the merchants]. Third part Jesus teaches to separate oneself from the evil people, this must be done – on a moral level – through three transitions: «De rebellione ad reconciliationem De dissolutione ad religionem De peregrinatione ad quietationem» (6N). The first is the transition from sin to grace through penance, since Christ welcomes in his kingdom those who come back. Second, the entrance in the religious life, which is reserved to the most promising (image of the plants that are put in the viridarium so that they can produce more fruit) – the sermon discusses the simile between religious life and the vineyard, yet underlining that the transition must be complete, i.e. the roots must be planted there and not left in the world. It follows a brief quaestio on the superiority of the religious life on the secular life (again a reference to Anselm, to point out that the difference is between giving a fruit or giving the entire tree). The third transition is from this world to heaven, answering why God does not call people there while they are still completely innocent, i.e. as kids. The end of the sermon emphasise that God is ready to kindle the fire of charity and penance, as said by Revelation 3.15 and shown by Peter’s conversion.

Introduction The sermon opens by presenting the duty that parents have towards their children and exposing the cases in which a father can legitimately disinherit his son. The detailed list of seven cases is a vademecum on matters of inheritance (e.g. filial violence against his father, sexual intercourse with his mother or his father’s concubine, attempts to prevent the father from making a testament; do not care to set his father free from prison) serves to point out that the initial request of the prodigal son was legitimate. The sermon next presents three quaestiones that revolve around the restoration of the sinner after penance, with specific attention to the issue «whether the deeds that were alive through charity and mortified by sin will live again through penance» («Queritur tercio an opera per caritatem viva et mortificata ex peccato per penitentiam reviviscant»; 16R), underlining also the positive effects of the good works that one does in the condition of mortal sin. Drawing on Bonaventure, the sermon insists on the importance that one – even in mortal sin – should not desist from doing good because God will find the right way to remunerate him/her with his grace. Main division (see above) First part Far from God, the human being cannot have rest (reference to the Confessiones of Augustine: «my heart is restless until it would come to you, God» (Inquietum est cor meum donec veniat ad te; 16V). Hence, the sinner must return to the house of the Father (God), i.e. the church, where he will find also his mother, i.e. the Virgin Mary: “Through penitence, the sinner must return to the house of God the Father, which is the holy Church, where he will be safe from all his enemies. There he will find a graceful father and a mother, who is the glorious and clement Virgin May, because she welcomes those who seek refuge in the womb of her mercy, she protects them from all enemies, and she nourishes them with the milk of grace” («Debet ergo peccator redire ad domum dei patris, scilicet sanctam ecclesiam, in qua securatur ab omnibus adversariis, et hoc per penitentiam, et inveniet patrem graciosum, matrem scilicet virginem gloriosam clementem, que refugientes ad gremium sue misericordie suscipit et ab hostibus defendit et lacte gracie nutrit»; 16X). It follows a long digression on the Virgin who, as a mother, fosters the return of the sinners (the texts build upon several quotations of Anselm and Bernard of Clairvaux). Second part The fruitful return of the penitent to the state of grace («fructuosa reversio penitentisa ad statum gracie»; 17B). Sinners are invited to identify with the prodigal son: «the sinner is far away and separated from God and, in the same way of this prodigus, he must come to himself and think of his actual extreme misery and the great mercy of God the Father; he must lament and not rest until he will come to the father of mercy, God of full consolation» («Moraliter peccator, longe a deo divisus et separatus, debet instar huius prodigi per conversionem in se reverti, pensare propriam miseriam et inopiam et dei patris maximam pietatem, dolere et non quiescere donec ad eum veniat, qui est pater misericordiam et deus totius consolationis»). This exhortation to imitate the prodigal son is reiterated, in a process that involves heart, mouth and action («Ad hunc patrem pium et benignum debet peccator ad instar filii prodigi: in corde recurrere ad eius benignitatem; in ore proponere propriam iniquitatem; in opere intendere satisfactionis humilitatem»; 17C). This threefold division is connected with the three parts of penitence: contrition, confession, and satisfaction. The first point puts on the forefront not the memory of the sins but of the benefits received from God. This positive memory of God’s mercy is the starting point for the conversion, yet, mercy cannot be separated from justice. The listeners have to recall that God will punish those who do not convert from their sin, even though this goes against his merciful nature (17D). Dealing with confession, the sermon provides the listeners with a formulary to start an oral confession. Next, it considers the relationship between contrition and confession. Why is outward confession necessary? Is «contrition and confession of the heart» not sufficient? Per se, the contrition joined with the intention to confess and provide satisfaction as soon as possible already purifies the sinner. Later on, if he/she does not confess and satisfy, the previous sin cannot return. However, in that event he/she commits a new mortal sin by breaking the Church commandments (17E). Yet, if through contrition God already cancels the sin, what effect has confession? The sermon states that – since each sin is «against both God and the Church» – there is an ecclesiastical/social dimension of sin that, consequently, needs an ecclesiastical reconciliation «through confession, imposed satisfaction and the priest’s absolution» (Dum enim peccator peccat mortaliter, peccat contra deum et ecclesiam. […] peccat contra ecclesiam quam contemnit et scandalisat, et ligatur altero vinculo, quod solum per confessionem et satisfactionem iniunctam et absolucionem presbiteri ydonei relaxatus»; 17.F). Moreover, aural confession is necessary to tackle the problem of rightly establishing the measure of satisfaction: to solve it, God appointed the priest as arbiter and gave him the power to evaluate and impose penances (potentia arbitrandi et taxandi). Third part The final part deals with the amorosa receptio patris. It opens with a complex exemplum taken from the Gesta Romanorum (the story of the son of Alexander the Great, who revolted against his father – a story whose moral interpretation was already based on the parable of the prodigal son). The reaction of the father of the parable points out that God goes to the penitent rapidly (velociter), embraces him sweetly (dulciter), and dresses him nobly (nobiliter). Here, the sermon discusses prevenient grace and its accord with the human responsibility in the process of conversion. Grace is compared with the sun that shines but illuminates only those who open the doors, or with the indulgence that the pope offers to everybody but that are acquired only by those who go to Rome (17N). In the text, remains some tension between the free gift of God and human initiative, whose importance is clearly outlined by emphasising the importance of the first step taken by the prodigal son: «The father would not have come to the prodigal son along the way, if the son had not said before: I will rise and go to the father» («Non enim pater prodigo venisset obviam penitenti, si non prius dixisset: Surgam et ibo ad patrem»; 17N). Still, the sermon clarifies that it is not the penitent’s action that provokes and obtains grace, which remains a gift that is given «after this disposition but not because of this disposition» («post quam [contritionem] non propter quam deus vult dare gratiam»; 17N). Next, it turns to the spiritual theme of the love relationship between God and the soul [spiritual marriage]. The kissing of the father is connected with the kisses mentioned in the Song of Songs and opens the way for a first person discourse of the beloved soul: «The embrace and the kisses are signs of peace and love. […] The soul, bride of Christ, habitually longs for this greatly blessed and mostly beloved kiss; she longs with great desire and frequent sighs and repeats with the Song of Songs: Let him kiss me with kisses of his mouth (1,1), so that she could rejoice and be delighted. As if the soul would say: ‘My mostly beloved groom Jesus, for whose love I am languishing, might give me those grace and mercy that I am longing for with the whole depths of my heart, and might comfort me with the sweetness of his piety and of his divine benediction, so that I could return to life’» («Nam amplexus and oscula sunt signa pacis et amoris. […] Isto osculo superbenedicto et amantissimo magno desiderio et frequenti suspirio anima sponsa Christi appetere solet, et ut iocundetur et letetur dicere illud Cantico 1: Osculetur me osculo oris sui, quasi dicat: ‘Amantissimus sponsus meus Iesus, in cuius amore langueo, immittat mihi gratiam et misercordiam quam totis visceribus cordis desidero et confortet me dulcedine sue pietatis et divine benedictionis et reviviscam’»; 17O).  Playing on the contrast between the two brothers within the parable, the sermon then introduces a final question: whether God loves more the sinner who does penitence than the righteous person who has always been so («queritur an deus plus diligit peccatorem penitentem quam iustum semper benefacientem»; 17R). The discriminating factor is the fervour, so a penitent can surpass a righteous person (examples are Mary Magdalene and Paul). The elder brother of the parable symbolises those who are righteous but tepid (cf. Revelation 3,15). Still, this is not the rule. The sentence of the Gospel that «there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance» (Luke 15,7) applies only to few special cases, while the supreme joy of heaven is indeed reserved for those who did not need to convert, first of all the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist.

Introduction -
Divisio (see above) 1) First part: the person of Christ symbolizes the glory of the blessed consisting in the ability to see the face of God. The human beings feel «singular and excessive pleasure in seeing the face of Christ» (the legend of Veronica's veil and the healing of Tiberius [reference to Historiae Ecclesiasticae (Orderic Vitalis?)] is reported to support this statement). 2) Second part: the person of Moses symbolizes the second glory of the blessed, i.e. the “satisfaction of desires”. Exemplum from Vita dei santi Padri. 3) Third part: it’s said that Elijah still lives in the Terrestrial Paradise, so his person symbolizes the «perpetual and perfect life of the blessed». Life in paradise is free from worries and pains and doesn’t end with death (quotes from Book of Wisdom 3, 1 and 5, 16). 4) Fourth part: Peter means “confessor”, so his person symbolizes the «continuous praise of the blessed to God». 5) Fifth part: Jacob means “supplanter”, so his person symbolizes the «perfect charity and humilty» of the blessed. 6) Sixth part: John is the adopted child of Mary, so his person symbolizes the «contemplation of Mary’s face» by the blessed (reference to Bernard of Clairvaux): «La grande gloria d’i beati doppo Dio serà, o madre sacratta, in veder la tua facia, essere illustratto da te et dimostrar di continuo in tue laude» (quote from Anselm).

Introduction
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Divisio (see above) 1) First part: "slander" is speaking about others secretly, with indignation, hatred, resentment and envy (definitions taken from Alexander of Hales and Hugh of Saint Victor). Seven types of slander: 1. «Occultation», i.e. don’t talk about the good of others because of envy; 2. «Negation», i.e. denying the virtue of others. Slanderers are worse than thieves because they steal an intangible and irrecoverable good, that is, the reputation. 3. «Depravity», i.e. corrupting the good done by others. 4. «Poisoning» or «veneration» (cf. General Notes), i.e. first speaking well of a person, to gain trust, and then badly. 5. «Publication, i.e. speaking badly about someone in public, without respecting the precept of charity (Si peccaverit… solum, cf. thema of sermon T21/3 Tuesday after Oculi); 6. «Augmentation», i.e. magnifying the defects of others. 7. «Invention», i.e. finding falsehoods to shame others. The slanderer deserves a painful death (quotes frome Psalmi and Anselm). Quaestio: is slander always a deadly sin? No, it is such only when done with malicious intent. Circumdederunt me canes multi; concilium malignantium obsedit me (quote from Psalmi 21, 17; slanderers = rabid dogs, cf. infra). 2) Second part: slanderers = rabid dogs. Nine properties of the rabid dog/slanderer: 1. mouth always open; 2. hidden tongue, because poisonous; 3. bloody mouth; 4. poisoned teeth (just as the rabid dog has a worm under its tongue that bites it and causes it to become rabid [reference to Pliny the Elder], so the slanderer has the worm of hatred and envy under his tongue; 5. secret biting; 6. low voice (= absence of barking in the dog); 7. constantly moving; 8. treacherous biting; 9. avoiding family members (regarding this thing the dog is better than human being, because the slanderer speaks badly of everyone without distinction). 3) Third part: six remedies to avoid the sin of slander: 1. «affliction in the face of the enemy», i.e. make the slanderer understand that you don't like listening to slander; 2. «distancing» (Si non erit auditor, non erit detractor, quote from Jerome); 3. «discreet reproach»; 4. «humiliation»; 5. «memory»; 6. «compassion».