Introduction  Using an analogy with Aristotelian natural and violent motions, it is shown how the human works, if done with free will, are more fruitful and more praiseworthy than those done out of necessity or obligation 39Z. In the same way, Christ's redemption was accomplished without constraint and by his will, with an increasing dedication from his childhood until martyrdom. 40A  Questio: whether soldiers who fight for the common good are to be considered virtuous. The answer is affirmative: those who fight for justice exercise the cardinal virtue of fortitude, as opposed to those who fight for revenge, who commit sin. Just as a painted man resembles, but is not, a man, likewise those who act virtuously only in a fictitious manner are not strong, nor do they exercise the virtue of fortitude. Such dissimulation manifests itself on three occasions: - Those who fight out of recklessness of danger because they are emboldened by previous victories or overconfident in their military skills. - Those who fight under the impulse of sadness or anger. - Those who fight to acquire temporal goods or dignities.    40B  Questio: whether spiritual people lack the virtue of fortitude, since they cannot bear arms or shed blood. The answer is negative, since clergymen fight a spiritual battle bearing spiritual weapons (tears, prayers) against the (carnal) traps of the devil: “Iustorum fortitudo est carnem vincere, propriis voluptatibus contraire, delectationem presentis vite extinguere”. First part Jesus went to Bethany and dined at the house of Simon the Leper together with Martha  and Lazarus of Bethania to refresh people's memory about the miracle of Lazarus' resurrection. 40C Participation in the communal table is a sign of love. As the episode of the Samaritan woman (John 4) manifests, enemies neither drink nor eat together. Likewise, Christians must not eat with Jews since they are enemies of Christ. Moreover, a banquet is more insidious than a conversation, since it is easier to deceive between meals, as happened to Herod in the episode of the beheading of John the Baptist. 40D Here the preacher introduces an exhortation to believe by faith and to accept preaching. “Ad hunc igitur sincerissimum amicum anime recipiendum ad pulsationem eius statim sine mora persona devota debet ancillas tres scilicet: Fidem mittere ut ianuam cordis aperiat. Spem substituere ut cenam et locum disponat. Caritatem dirigere ut fercula apponat”. The theme of the banquet symbolizes the reception of Christ in the soul, with the help of the three handmaidens: faith, hope, and charity. 1.1. About faith (40E). Without faith it is impossible to please God; indeed, the virtues of philosophers and the sacrifices of Jews and pagans are sterile without it and do not lead to eternal life: “Hec cum sola est fecunda filia Dei [i.e. fides] vivam prolem procreans, sine qua omnes alie virtutes steriles sunt et abortiva producunt”. The same possibility of procreating a child was made possible for Sarah and Abraham by the latter's faith in the promise of God (Genesis 15). 40F The sermon addresses two doubts: a) If faith precedes charity in the natural order; b) If faith is the virtue that leads to eternal life because it precedes charity. 40G The answers are formulated based on the concepts of formless faith and faith formed by charity (fides caritate formata). 1.2. 40H About hope. After Christ has been received as a guest, through faith and charity, the believer will firmly trust in his Word, and must therefore hope that what one does for Christ will be rewarded with the inestimable prize of eternal life. One would wash the feet of Christ [as Mary Magdalene in the pericope of the day] by realising how, by sinning he/she has driven the divine guest out from his dwelling; by repenting, one wets the feet of Christ with tears and, through the admonitions of the handmaid Hope, begins his/her own good works, clothing the needy and not shunning anyone from his table. Reference to Matthew 25.40: “Quicquid uni ex fratribus meis minimis fecistis mihi fecistis”. 40I No one should hope for or expect the eternal life except those who do good works, for hope consists in the certain expectation of future eternal beatitude by the grace of God and by the merits gained beforehand: who is not deserving, must receive nothing.  1.3. About charity [which has been indeed discussed together with faith]. Charity must handle the courses at Christ's banquet. They must be prepared with love so that they will have flavour: “Tolle caritatem et odium tenet”. The sermon  introduces a further subdivision: “Debet ergo Caritas Christo primo offerre: 1) Gressibilia per sedulitatem operacionis. 2) Aquatica per sinceritatem religionis. 3) Altilia per suavitatem contemplationis”. The first course will be the meat of the earthly animals, symbolising the Christian's work of obeying the Ten Commandments. Clear and pure wine must be added to this course, symbolising the intention to fulfil the divine precepts due to filial respect and not servile fear. Can one have access to eternal life without faith? Christ answers that anyone who wants to be saved must put the Catholic faith before any other (Athanasius). To the question whether then Abraham and Isaac, who kept the commandments, were condemned, the answer is negative, since they had faith infused in their spirit and believed beforehand in Christ’s coming.  The second course will be fish, symbolising the adversities in which the perfect people must 'swim', since “Deus solum illos quos amat castigat” (cf. Revelation 3.19). This course will be accompanied by red wine, the symbol of Christ's Passion. Can one enter the Kingdom of heaven without adversity? Christ answers that only through great tribulations one can gain access (cf. Acts of the Apostles 14).  The third course will be noble poultry meat [birds], as symbol of extraordinary achievements and of following the consilia of Christ [Evangelical counsels], not common to all people but only to the most perfect. This course will be accompanied by aromatic wine (claretum), symbol of joy. Second part The sermon reprises the biblical episode of Christ's supper with Lazarus and Magdalene. The theme of the separation of the soul from the body is presented, with a comparison between what Lazarus of Bethania experienced and what Christ would experience. 40K Discussion on the value of the anointing of Jesus by the Magdalene and the gifts sent by Jacob  to his brother Esau (Genesis 32): It is only through the 'hidden' works of piety and almsgiving towards the poor that we can atone for the sins that anger God against us. Thus, aware of her own guilt, the Magdalene appeased Jesus through anointing (40L). “De quibus operibus pietatis hodie proponitur unum de unctione. Debemus et nos Christum de receptis beneficiis spiritualiter inungere triplici nobili unguento scilicet: 1) Dolentis contritionis. 2) Gementis compassionis. 3) Ferventis devotionis”. 2.1. The ointment of sorrowful contrition is portrayed by depicting the preparation of the ointment using the vile herbs, symbols of sins born of evil intentions and collected in one's conscience. The ointment produced from this juice will be curative for mortal wounds and will cleanse the sinful soul and satisfy God in face of the offences committed. Exemplification through the episode in which Judith washed and anointed herself with myrrh. 40M Several questions are discussed, namely whether a confession without bitter repentance and without the intention not to sin again can be allowed; what is the relationship between the greatness of sin and the purity of contrition and, finally, (40N) whether the intensity of pain can be excessive in contrition. 2.2. The second ointment (40O) is to be prepared from bitter herbs in memory of the bitter Passion of Christ. These are to be gathered from the garden of the Church, where the weaknesses of poor Christians abound. The ointment is likened to that used by the Good Samaritan to heal wounds (Luke 10.34); theme of compassion for one's neighbour. 2.3. The third ointment (40P) of fervent devotion is produced from the noble and salutary plants that are the works of God's piety and especially the bitter and salvific death of Christ. It is represented as the ointment used by Mary Magdalene [the pericope of the day]. Third part  The invective of Judas against Mary Magdalene's actions is discussed (40Q) . He is moved by avarice although he claims to be interested in the poor. A warning is thus given about the danger of detractors of the righteous (detractio), who disguise their intentions under the guise of charity and piety. The concept of infidelity is analysed in three points: “Infedelitas autem ut in plurimum in tribus solet comitti, scilicet: 1) Fractione promissionis. 2) Deceptione commissionis. 3) Suppletione omissionis”. 3.1. Discussion on those who break their word, with some cautions to be taken against the treacherous. 40R As positive exemplum, the myth of Damon and Pythias exemplify the values of trust and friendship. 40S It is stated that falsity reigns everywhere, making every human action unsafe. Similar to a wolf are those who in times of trouble invoke God and the saints but, once freed from danger, forget their promises. Not keeping one’s word, particularly towards the deity, is exemplified through the myth of Hercules and Laomedon, narrated by Ovid 40T. Questio on which is the greater obligation between an oath and a vow. 3.2. The second type of infidelity manifests itself whenever one performs a duty (commissio). Rare are the faithful servants who spend faithfully and without personal profit the master’s goods (cf. Luke 12). Various are the types of unfaithful servants and administrators: - those who rob their master; - guardians and curators who disperse the assets of pupils and, similarly, procurators of churches and monasteries, tax officials, etc. Two virtuous exampla of administrators are presented: the consul Lucius Valerius (Agostine, De Civitate Dei) and Joseph (patriarch) (Genesis 41); - the fraudulent. Exemplum (Augustine in De Trinitate) of the mime who identifies the desire to buy cheaply and sell dearly as what accomunate all his spectators: “Vile vultis emere et care vendere” (40Y). Questio: whether it is possible to resell at an increased price what one has bought. Distinction between the sale of objects that required additional work and speculation; those who speculate are liked to the merchants driven out of the temple by Jesus. 3. The third infidelity (40Z) consists in deprivation, especially regarding restitution of fraudulent gains, not returned goods, or partial restitutions. Questio: whether one who has been damaged in the body should be compensated. Distinction between irreparable and curable damage (with references to the lex talionis). 41A Questio: Whether one should be rewarded if one is damaged in the goods of the soul (inclining to sin). 41B Discussion of three modes of defamation, according to Duns Scotus.

Introduction
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Divisio
1) First part: various reasons why Christ went to Jerusalem:  1. Ad presentandum;  2. Ad disputandum;   3. Ad adorandum;   4. Ad extirpandum; 5. Ad predicandum; 6. Ad manifestandum suam divinitatem;  7. Ad sacrificandum seipsum. Six circumstantiae (or cerimoniae) of which this solemnity consists: 1. Christ wanted to enter Jerusalem riding on a donkey, thus fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah 9, 9. The interpretation of the Gospel text follows: the asina ligata symbolizes the Jewish people, bound with triple thread (= precepta cerimonialia, precepta iudicialia e precepta moralia) to the Jewish Law; the pullus that had never been tied symbolises the Gentiles. Christ therefore wanted to ride first the asina and then the pullus, that is, he wanted first to free the Jewish people from the bondage of the Mosaic law and then to tame the Gentiles. 2. Christ wanted to enter Jerusalem in a procession (processionaliter), preceded and followed by the people; same pattern as the processions in the Christian ritual (sicut facimus nos hodie in processione, in qua multi precedunt et multi sequuntur, et episcopus vel sacerdos qui representat Christum in medio cum presbyteris). Both the crowd that precedes and the one that follows greet Christ by saying “Osanna filio David", and together they represent the whole of humanity, from the beginning until the end of time, converting to Christ in order to obtain salvation. 3. The whole way from Mount Olivet to Jerusalem was covered by the clothing of the crowd, and this, according to Ferrer, is a figuration of the future martyrs, since in the Scripture the human bodies - which the martyrs sacrificed to bear witness to their faith in God - are referred to as “vestes anime”. 4. It concerns the arborum rami lying on the ground together with their flowers and leaves, a figuration, according to Ferrer, of the good and meritorious works that human beings - defined in the Scripture as arbores (cf. Mark 8, 24) - must offer to Christ. 5. Christ wanted to be praised and blessed by the great as well as the small; 6. Everybody, great as well as small, unanimously said “Benedictus qui venit in nomine domini”, recognising Christ as the redeemer. 2) Second part: Sicut Christus hodie cum solennitate et processione venit ad locum passionis sue, sic etiam nos hodie cum magna solennitate et processione venimus ad passionem que hodie legitur in missa, because Christ's passion must generate sadness and grief in the hearts of the faithful; in this regard, it is pointed out that Christ's passion and death can be considered in four ways (consideration of the first three causes sadness and grief; consideration of the last, on the other hand, causes joy and consolation and is the reason why, on Palm Sunday, Christ's passion is treated with joy): 1. Secundum personalem dignitatem, i.e. considering the person who suffered; 2. Secundum humanalem necessitatem, i.e. considering humanity's need to atone for its sins; 3. Secundum iudaicalem perversitatem; 4. Secudum finalem utilitatem, i.e. the salvation of humanity. Six Palm Sunday leticiae contrasted with six Good Friday tristiciae: 1. Bell ringing (absent on Good Friday); 2. Chanting of the priests (absent on Good Friday and replaced by the sound of the tabule); 3. Display of the Cross (covered on Good Friday); 4. Joy and gladness in the memory of the Passion of Christ (remembered on Good Friday with weeping and lamentations); 5. People proceeding joyfully (on the contrary, on Good Friday they proceed distressed); 6. Solemn and orderly procession, symbolising humanity united in salvation (in contrast, on Good Friday passio cantatur sine processione et ordine). 3) Third part: six stages of Christ's journey on Palm Sunday, symbolising the path that human beings take by sinning and then returning to grace through penance: 1. Christ leaves Bethany, i.e. human being abandons, by sin, obedience to God; 2. Christ goes to Bethphage que interpretatur domus bucce sive domus oris, ecce hic oris confessio, i.e. human being, once he has abandoned obedience to God, must confess his sins; 3. Christ ascends Mount Olivet, i.e. operis satisfactio; the three characteristic elements of Mount Olivet (the asperitas, the altitudo and the oleum medicinalem) represent the works by which human beings can perform penance, respectively fasting, prayer and almsgiving. 4. Christ goes to the valley of Iosaphat, i.e. human being submits to God's judgement: it’s the moment of the debitorum restitutio (invitation to settle one's debts in two ways, spiritualiter and temporaliter); 5. Christ goes to Jerusalem, which is interpreted as “pacifica”: it’s the moment of the iniuriarium remissio, that is, when human being makes peace with his enemies; 6. Jesus goes to the Temple of the Lord: it’s the moment of the eucharistie communio, that is, when human being, having completed the previous stages, must communicate himself to God.