Dominica in quinquagesima. Evangelium secundum Lucam. In illo tempore:1 Assumpsit Jhesus duodecim disciplis suis et ait illis: Ecce ascendimus Jerosolimam et consummabuntur. Et cetera.2
5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120 125 130 135 140 145 150 155 160 165 170 175 180 185 190 195 200 205 210 215 220 225 230 235 240	Saynte Luke tellis us that Criste himselve Toke to him his dissiples twelve And saide, “To Jerusalem we wende And all thinge bese broght to ende. That es writen in prophecye Of Goddes Sonne that man sall bye. To haythen men he bese bekende That sare sall pyne him with thair hende. For all sall him with schenschip schende And do him wa als men unhende; And when thai have done him this wa Than sall tay atte laste him sla, And he sall rise the thrid daie.” Bot what Criste ment never wist thaie: Wist thai noght what Criste walde mene For nane of thaim had fandid bene. When Jhesu Criste had saide this sawe, Towarde a cytee gon he drawe That Jericho was callid than, And with him many a man. And als thai yede be the strete A pure blynde man gon thai mete, And he spirid wha yede be the waie? “Jesus the prophete,” for sothe saide thaie. And he cryed als blynde er wone And sayde, “A, Jhesu, David sone, Of me that es blinde have mercye.” And the folk bad him be still his crye, Bot mare and mare aye cryed he, And saide, “Jesue, thou rewe on me.” And Jhesus stinte and stude him still And bad bringe the blind man him till. When he was nere Criste saide him to “What will tow that I to thee do?” “Lorde,” he saide, “gife me my sight.” And Criste thare schewid Goddes might And saide, “I bid thee that thou se For thi trouthe has savid thee.” And als swithe had he his sight, And folowid Criste and louid his might. And all the folk that sawe that dede Loued God and his godhede. This es the Gospell of todaye, Als man in Ynglisse tonge mai saye.    Here on spekis Saynte Gregorye, And saise that Criste schewid openlye His passyoune lange before the tyme, To gerre the apostles trowe in hyme. For he schewid on whatkin wyse He suld first dye and sithen ryse Fra dede to lyve, to gere thaim fande And se that all his worde suld stande, When thai sawe him right swa be graythid Als he before to thaim had saide: That thai might trowe thorghe pinynge And be right sikir of his risinge; For when thai sawe his pynes all Als he said suld on him fall Of his risinge borde thaim be sikir And therof nouther doute ne flikir For he saide he suld first drye Full harde paynes, and sithen dye And ryse apon the thrid daie Fra dede to lyve, als wha saye “Sikir maye ye of mi risinge be When ye all this with eye se.” Yitt es thare another enchesoune Whi Criste thaim schewid his passyoune: For his dissiples suld be resoune To thole harde dede be balde and boune, When thai sawe thaire maistire take Gladli his dede withouten sake. Forthi before thaim warnid he And talde thaim all how it suld be: First pynid and sithen slayne To ger thaim to thaire dede be bayne. Before thaim to dede he yede, And gave thaim ensaumpil of his dede, How thai suld thole willfulli For his lufe pyne, and sithen dye. For thaire hele than tholid he Harde pyne apon the rude tre. Bot for thai might noght undirstande What he ment with worde tellande, With dede he schewid thaim his might And gave a blynd man his sight. Forthi will we luke forthermare What oure Gospel menes thare, Thare it is saide Criste yede into A towne that was callid Jericho, And fand bi the gate sittand A blynde man on him fast calland. And Criste stude and gave him sight, And schewid bi this dede full right, That all mankynde with synne was blynde, For na man coude the right waie fynde To hevene, or Crist come to do Oure aller nedes in Jerycho. Jericho, es for to saye On Ynglis, mone that chaunges aie And it betaknes the werld thatt es Chaungeand with synne and wickidnes. This wickid werld es so chaungeabile That nathinge es tharein stabile For now es leve and now es lathe, And now er we gladde and now wrathe. Now er we hale, now er we seke, And now wode and now meke, Now calde and now hate; And swa dwellis never a thinge in state And for this werld es swa chaungeande Be the mone we may it undirstand. For the mone ye wate wele chaunges aye Swa duse this werld bath night and daye And Jerycho betaknes the mone On Ynglihsse when it es undone: And forthi may we undirstand Bi Jericho this werld chaungeand. Thidirward yede Criste full right And gafe a blynde man his sight. When he come for to hele mankynde That Adam synne made gasteli blynde; For gasteli blynde may be callde He that canne noght the right wai halde. That was sene on oure fadir Adame That broght his ospringe all in blame: For thorghe him yede mankynde ille Aye to Jesus come us till, And broght us into the right waie Unto the blisse that lastis aie; And gave us sight this waie to halde For right trouthe gasteli sight es callde. For trouthe of Hali Kirk es sight That ledes man to lemes light, Into the blisse that graithid es To thaim that lives in rightwisnes. Bot for mankynde held noght the waie, Forthi sais oure Gospell todaie That this blind man gon noght sete In the waie, bot all besyde the strete. Als to saie mankynde was oute gane Of the strete for sight was fra him tane, Aye to God gave him gasteli sight And broght hin into wayes right. In synne he fand him blynd sittand, Bot Criste him kende full stiffe to stand With rightwisnes ageyn the fendis, That rightwismen wit schame schendis. The folk that yede be the strete Bad this blynde man his cryinge lete. Thare maye we se that in oure bedes, Bathe in kirk and other stedes. Evyle thoghtes comes us in, And biddes us of oure prayers blynne. Forthi suld we ensaumpile take Of this blinde man prayere to make, That callid on Criste and wald noght lete His cryinge, for folk that yede be the strete. The mare thai bad him leeve his crye, The mare he cryed Criste mercye. And for he callid on Criste swa fast, He gave him his sight atte last; And so duse Criste with Cristen man That callis on him als he can; If he leve noght for thoghtes yll His bedes, Criste grauntis him at his will. Bot now es many a man that prayes And his thoght to wyde strayes, That he ne wote noght what he sayes; For he thinkes on werldes playes: He thinkes of halles and of boures, And now of castelles and now of toures, And now of fayres and marchawndise, And so his prayers he forlyes. How suld Jhesu here his prayere When he himself will it noght here? Of swilk prayers Jhesus ne kepes: Thaire lippis spekis and the hert slepes.    We find writen of Saynte Bernarde That anes fore to a cytee warde Ane erande in his abbaye nedes, And sawe a tyllman do his dedes. And Saynte Bernard bad him wele spede And spake to him of sawle mede; And als he spak on this manere, He askid him what was his prayere. He saide, “Prayere canne I nane Bot the Pater Noster allane.” And Saynte Bernarde answerd than, And sayde unto that ilk tyllman: “What thinkes thou, godeman, all waies, When thou thi Pater Noster sayes?” He saide, “Than es all my thoght On Criste that me on rode boght.” Than Saynte Bernarde sayde him to: “Full wele es thee that so maie do For so ne fares it noght of me That man of ordir suld be; For my thoght flyes ferre and nere Umstonte, when I make my prayere.” This tyllmane saide, “That ware ferlye That thou suld be wers man than I: Thou hase gode pees in thine abbai, Thou suld noght late thi thoghtes straye.” And Saynte Bernard answerd than And saide, “Thou ert a haly man; Bot whether fande if thou maye Withouten any evyle thoght saye A Pater Noster all this daye And I sall give thee my pallfraie.” And wha was fayne bot this tillman? And Pater Noster he began, Bot or he might thre wordes saie His thoght was all on this palfraie. “Lorde,” he thoght, “Whether I sall have, Bathe sadil and bridil and the knave?” This Pater Noster was saide sone, Bot he sawe wele when he had done That he thoght thoghtis tharein, And he wald it eftsones begynne. This hors was in his thoght allwaies, So he it tynt and all the hernayes. For Saynte Bernard wist what he thoght Forthi of him gatte he right noght Thus fares it now of folk full fele That thinkes mare of thaire catele In prayere than of thaire saule hele And swagates thaimself thai tele; For God will noght thaire prayere here That praies him on swilk manere. Forthi es gude that we oute steke Thoghtes that maie oure prayers breke, And sett oure thoghtes in Cristis woundes That for us tholid harde stoundes. For than will he us gladli here Aye when we make oure prayere, And freli graunte us oure bone And all oure langinge gerre be done. Oure Lorde fullfill oure langynge And till his blisse he us all bringe. Amen.	Drew towards him go will be brought to pass shall redeem will be given up sorely; torture; hands bring him to destruction; (t-note) woe; cruel they; slay understood put to the test saying went poor asked who went in truth accustomed have pity stopped commanded do you wish belief at once praised divinity (t-note) (t-note) (see note) revealed make; believe in what manner then death; to make them understand be upheld prepared [his] suffering certain would befall him ought waver suffer as if to say reason So that; according to reason suffer; death; be bold and ready death; guilt Therefore ahead of time tortured; then make; ready went And offered them an example through his death suffer willingly healing; salvation cross But because by speaking words power examine before all that was necessary for us (see note) moon signifies pleasing; hateful angry healthy; sick irritable in one state know explicated spiritually keep to That was shown through offspring went; (t-note) Forever until Because spiritual insight is called true faith rays of light prepared because did not sit As if to say; gone out taken until taught; resolutely (t-note) destroy (see note) cease prayers places tell; cease; (t-note) follow the example stop despite cease; on account of So that; knows worldly pleasures bowers forfeits To such; attends (see note) once; travelled toward his abbey’s business ploughman; work greeted him the soul’s reward know Except for the Our Father alone same do you think about; at any rate it goes not thus for me Who ought to behave like a man in holy orders Frequently; (see note) That would be marvelous But just the same see if you can steed who was happy if not this ploughman before Which of these will I have servant would; again lost; harness knew many are more mindful; possessions thus; deceive; (t-note) thrust out interrupt hard times of suffering request desire; cause [May]

[Homily 17 not included in this edition. See Explanatory Notes.]