Fathers

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What the Fathers say

Luke 11:25

Western Saints

Ambrose of Milan

For Israel being adorned with a mere outward and superficial beauty, remains inwardly the more polluted in her heart. For she never quenched or allayed her fires in the water of the sacred fountain, and rightly did the unclean spirit return to her, bringing with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself. Hence it follows, And he goeth and taketh with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there. Seeing that in truth she has sacrilegiously profaned the seven weeks of the Law, (i. e. …

Catena Aurea by Aquinas ↗

Bede

And when he comes, he finds it swept and garnished, that is, cleansed by the grace of baptism from the stain of sins, but not filled with the industry of good works. Hence Matthew rightly says that he finds the house empty, swept, and garnished: swept, namely from past vices through baptism, empty of good deeds through negligence, and garnished with simulated virtues through hypocrisy.

On the Gospel of Luke ↗

Bonaventure

To this house, however, the simulation of goodness and justice leads back the expelled devil; and therefore he adds: And when he comes, he finds it swept clean and adorned, not within, as the Prophet says in the Psalm: "I was exercised and I swept my spirit"; and again: "All the glory of the king's daughter is from within"; he does not find it swept and adorned in this way, but outwardly, as below in the same Gospel: "Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and the dish; but what is within is full of plunder and wickedness"; …

Commentary on Luke, Chapter 11 ↗