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What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
Cyril of Alexandria
And the Lord also brings forward an argument which convinces us that nothing is better than devotion towards Him. For, He says, love for the poor is very praiseworthy, only let it be put after veneration of God. And what He says amounts to this: The time, He says, which has been appointed for My being honoured, that is to say, the time of My sojourn on earth, does not require that the poor should be honoured before Me. And this He said with reference to the Incarnation. …
Theophylact of Ohrid
The Lord does not rebuke Judas, although He knows that he said this with the intention of a thief. For He did not wish to put him to shame, teaching us also to bear with such people for a long time. Nevertheless, the Lord covertly reproaches Judas for the betrayal and for the fact that he would betray Him to death out of covetousness. …
Western Saints
Augustine of Hippo
"For the poor ye have always with you, but me ye will not have always." We can certainly understand, "the poor ye have always;" what He has thus said is true. When were the poor wanting in the Church? "But me ye will not have always;" what does He mean by this? How are we to understand, "Me ye will not have always"? Don't be alarmed: it was addressed to Judas. Why, then, did He not say, thou wilt have, but, ye will have? Because Judas is not here a unit. …
Thomas Aquinas
Then when he says, the poor you always have with you, he rejects the spiritual reason which Judas feigned when he said: "Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor." Our Lord answered, the poor you always have with you. Here it might be remarked that sometimes one should do what is less needful if the opportunity remains for doing what is more needful. …
Bonaventure
For the poor you will always have with you; Deuteronomy fifteen: "The poor shall not be wanting in the land of your habitation." But me you will not always have, according to bodily presence; below in chapter sixteen: "I go to the Father, and you shall see me no longer"; and therefore it is more expedient that a benefit of kindness be shown to me: therefore you should not be troublesome: Matthew twenty-six: "Why do you trouble this woman? For she has wrought a good work upon me."
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