OF THE CALL OF THE APOSTLES

St. Luke writes in the fourth Chapter [1-14] and St. Matthew fourth Chapter [1-12].

First Point. First: After being baptized, He went to the Desert, where He fasted forty days and forty nights.

Second Point. Second: He was tempted by the enemy three times. "The tempter coming to Him said to Him: If Thou be the Son of God, say that these stones be turned into bread.' Cast Thyself down from here.' If prostrate on the earth Thou wilt adore me, I will give Thee all this which Thou seest.'"

Third Point. Third: "The Angels came and ministered to Him."

First Point. First: it seems that [26] St. Peter and St. Andrew were called three times: first, to some knowledge; this is clear from St. John in the first Chapter: secondly, to follow Christ in some way with the purpose of returning to possess what they had left, as St. Luke says in the fifth Chapter: thirdly, to follow Christ our Lord forever, as St. Matthew says in the fourth Chapter and St. Mark in the first.

Second Point. Second: He called Philip, as is in the first Chapter of St. John, and Matthew as Matthew himself says in the ninth Chapter.

Third Point. Third: He called the other Apostles, of whose special call the Gospel does not make mention.

And three other things also would be to be considered:

The first, how the Apostles were of uneducated and low condition;

The second, the dignity to which they were so sweetly called;

The third, the gifts and graces by which they were raised above all the Fathers of the New and Old Testaments.

[26] It seems that is added in the hand of St. Ignatius.