bj. 3: Further, as Augustine says (De Consens. Evang. iii), we read
how Christ appeared five times on the very day of His Resurrection:
first "to the women at the sepulchre; secondly to the same on the way
from the sepulchre; thirdly to Peter; fourthly to the two disciples
going to the town; fifthly to several of them in Jerusalem when
Thomas was not present." Therefore it also seems that He ought to
have appeared several times on the other days before the Ascension.

Obj. 4: Further, our Lord had said to them before the Passion (Matt.
26:32): "But after I shall be risen again, I will go before you into
Galilee"; moreover an angel and our Lord Himself repeated the same to
the women after the Resurrection: nevertheless He was seen by them in
Jerusalem on the very day of the Resurrection, as stated above (Obj.
3); also on the eighth day, as we read in John 20:26. It seems,
therefore, that He did not live with the disciples in a fitting way
after the Resurrection.

_On the contrary,_ It is written (John 20:26) that "after eight days"
Christ appeared to the disciples. Therefore He did not live
constantly with them.

_I answer that,_ Concerning the Resurrection two things had to be
manifested to the disciples, namely, the truth of the Resurrection,
and the glory of Him who rose. Now in order to manifest the truth of
the Resurrection, it sufficed for Him to appear several times before
them, to speak familiarly to them, to eat and drink, and let them
touch Him. But in order to manifest the glory of the risen Christ, He
was not desirous of living with them constantly as He had done
before, lest it might seem that He rose unto the same life as before.
Hence (Luke 24:44) He said to them: "These are the words which I
spoke to you, while I was yet with you." For He was there with them
by His bodily presence, but hitherto He had been with them not merely
by His bodily presence, but also in mortal semblance. Hence Bede in
explaining those words of Luke, "while I was with you," says: "that
is, while I was still in mortal flesh, in which you are yet: for He
had then risen in the same flesh, but was not in the same state of
mortality as they."

Reply Obj. 1: Christ's frequent appearing served to assure the
disciples of the truth of the Resurrection; but continual intercourse
might have led them into the error of believing that He had risen to
the same life as was His before. Yet by His constant presence He
promised them comfort in