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From: 1 Peter 4:7-13

A call for charity

[7] The end of all things is at hand; therefore keep sane and sober for your pra-
yers. [8] Above all hold unfailing your love for one another, since love covers a
multitude of sins. [9] Practice hospitality ungrudgingly to one another. [10] As
each has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good stewards of God’s
varied grace; [11] whoever speaks, as one who utters oracles of God; whoever
renders service, as one who renders it by the strength which God supplies: in
order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him be-
long glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

The Christian meaning of suffering

[12] Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which comes upon you to
prove you, as though something strange were happening to you. [13] But rejoice
in so far as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad
when his glory is revealed.

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Commentary:

1-6. The Apostle continues his exposition, possibly following the pattern of baptis-
mal instruction. Christians have to identify with Christ, dead and risen: they have
died with him, to rise with him (cf. Rom 6:3); their lives can no longer be the way
they were before Baptism, even if the change of lifestyle results in their being mis-
understood and reviled. They should remember that they will in due course
appear before the Judge of the living and the dead, Jesus Christ.

“Whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin” (v. 1): this looks like a
legal adage, meaning that one who has suffered the pain of death has paid for
all his crimes (cf. Rom 6:7). St Peter would have adapted it to give it a theologi-
cal meaning: Christians, by dying mystically with Christ in Baptism, have had
all their sins forgiven and therefore it does not make sense to continue to live in
them (cf. Rom 6:1ff; 1 Jn 3:9; 5:18).

This new mode of behaviour has led to opposition from pagans, who cannot un-
derstand why they have given up the vices they previously indulged in. Some of
the sins mentioned (sins not common among Jews), and the reference to abuse
by Gentiles, suggest that the letter was originally written to Christian converts
from paganism. The reaction of the pagans to their behaviour, constituting as it
does a moral reproach for their sinful lives, is nothing new: Why did Cain kill A-
bel, St John asks himself, and he replies, “Because his deeds were evil and his
brother’s righteous” (1 Jn 3:12). This type of reaction is always liable to occur.

In this connexion the Apostle reminds them that Judgment is nigh (cf. note on
4:7), and that judgment will show everything up in its true light. He who “is ready
to judge the living and the dead” (v. 5) is Jesus Christ; in many other passages
of the New Testament it reads “who will come to judge” (cf. 5:4; Acts 10:42; 2
Tim 4:1): this must have been a standard formula in early Christian catechesis,
which passed into the Apostles’ Creed.

6. “The gospel was preached even to the dead”: it is not easy to work out what
this means; it may be an allusion to our Lord descending into the bosom of Abra-
ham (cf. 3:19-20). However, St Peter is possibly referring to Christians who have
already died without seeing, in this life, the final victory of Christ: the preaching
they heard, and their lives according to the Gospel (which brought them insults
from their contemporaries), have not been in vain.

In either case, St Peter would be referring to those who remained faithful to God,
whose life seemed folly to people without supernatural outlook. This passage is
evocative of the following text from the Book of Wisdom: “The souls of the right-
eous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them. In the eyes of
the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be an
affliction, and their going from us to be their destruction; but they are at peace.
For though in the sight of men they were punished, their hope is full of immorta-
lity” (Wis 3:1-4).

7-11. “The end of all things is at hand”: the incarnation of Jesus Christ marked
the beginning of the last days, a period which extends to the end of the world
and the Last Judgment (cf. note on 1 Jn 2:18). That is why the last stage of the
world “is at hand”, or, as some translate it, “has arrived”. Because the End is
imminent (cf. 4:5), St Peter urges them to practise prayer and charity, Christ’s
“new commandment” (cf. Jn 13:34-35), and also hospitality, which was highly
valued among the Semites and encouraged among Christians (cf., e.g., Rom
12:13; 1 Tim 3:2; 5:10).

This readiness to make available to others the gifts one has received from God,
will cause God to be glorified in everything through Jesus Christ (v. 11). The pas-
sage ends with a doxology or hymn in praise of Christ (possibly as a formula
used in early liturgy and familiar to the first Christians). As elsewhere in the New
Testament, the doxology does not appear at the end of the letter (cf. Rom 1:25;
9:5; Gal 1:5; Eph 3:21); in fact only three epistles end with a doxology (Romans,
Jude and 2 Peter). Therefore, the fact that the doxology comes at this point does
not mean that it originally marked the end of the letter; it may indicate that St Pe-
ter has been following up to this point the structure of an early form of baptismal
catechesis. The themes dealt with in the rest of the letter, the style, and even
the vocabulary, all support the view that the same author is writing throughout.

8. “Love covers a multitude of sins”: this quotation from the Old Testament (Prov
10:12; cf. Jas 5:20) can be taken to refer both to other people’s sins (which chari-
ty understands and forgives) and to one’s own. After teaching us to pray in the
Our Father, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against
us”, our Lord added: “if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father
also will forgive you” (Mt 6:12, 14). And, when he pardoned the sinful woman, he
said, “her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much” (Lk 7:47).

The Church teaches that perfect love for God wins pardon for sins, but it stresses
that that love includes a desire to receive the sacrament of Penance, for one can-
not love God without wanting to do what he has laid down: “The Sacred Council
also teaches that even if it sometimes happens that a person has this contrition
made perfect by charity and becomes reconciled to God prior to receiving this
sacrament, his reconciliation should not be attributed to his contrition but rather
to his desire for the sacrament which is included in his contrition” (Council of
Trent, De Sacramento paenitentiae, chap. 4).

10-11. The Christian receives various gifts from God, that is, charisms or graces
given mainly for the benefit of others: they should not be kept for oneself but used
for the purpose for which they were intended.

Speaking of the apostolic action of the faithful, the Second Vatican Council re-
calls that “the Holy Spirit sanctifies the people of God through the ministry and
the sacraments. However, for the exercise of the apostolate he gives the special
gifts besides (cf. 1 Cor 12:7), ‘apportioning them to each one as he wills’ (1 Cor
12:11), so that each and all, putting at the service of others the grace received,
may be ‘as good stewards of God’s varied grace’ (1 Pet 4:10), for the building up
of the whole body in charity (cf. Eph 4:16). From the reception of these charisms,
even the most ordinary ones, there arises for each of the faithful the right and du-
ty of exercising them in the Church and in the world for the good of men and the
development of the Church” (Apostolicam actuositatem, 3).

12-19. St Peter now returns to the main theme of this part of the letter (3:13 - 4:
19) — the trials Christians unjustly suffer on account of being followers of Christ
(cf. 1: 6-7; 2:18-25; 3:13-17). They should not be surprised or ashamed by this;
rather, it should make them happy and lead them to glorify God, for if they share
in Christ’s suffering it means they will also share in his exaltation. St John of A-
vila wrote: “God wants to open our eyes and have us realize what favours are
being done us in things the world regards as disadvantages, and how honoured
we are to be scoffed at for seeking the honour of God, and what great reward
awaits us for our present depression, and how God’s gentle, sweet and loving
arms are opened wide to receive those wounded in doing battle on his behalf’
(Letter, 58).

Moreover, the “spirit of God” will rest on them (v. 14): our Lord promised the spe-
cial assistance of the Holy Spirit to persecuted Christians hauled before courts
on account of their faith (cf. Mt 10:19-20); St Peter here calls him “the spirit of
glory”, because his indwelling in the Christian is a guarantee and an anticipation
of eternal glory (cf. 2 Cor 1:22).

Before the divine judgment which lies ahead (it is one of the frequent themes of
the letter) no one can be complacent (vv. 17-18). The Apostle’s severe warnings
are reminiscent of those Jesus gave the women of Jerusalem on his way to Cal-
vary: “if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
(Lk 23:31). However, if one has suffered on Christ’s account in this life it is clear
that one can approach the judgment with greater confidence (cf. Mt 5:11-12; 10:
32).

13. “To the prospect of the Kingdom of God,” Bl. Pope John Paul II taught, “is
linked hope in that glory which has its beginning in the Cross of Christ. The Re-
surrection revealed this glory — eschatological glory — which in the Cross of
Christ was completely obscured by the immensity of suffering. Those who share
in the suffering of Christ are also called, through their own sufferings, to share in
glory” (Salvifici doloris, 22).

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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate.

From: Mark 11:11:26

The Messiah Enters Jerusalem (Continuation)

[11] And He (Jesus) entered Jerusalem, and went into the temple; and when He
had looked around at everything, as it was already late, He went out to Bethany
with the Twelve.

The Barren Fig Tree. The Expulsion of the Money-Changers

[12] On the following day, when they came from Bethany, He was hungry. [13]
And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if He could find any-
thing on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the
season for figs. [14] And He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.”
And His disciples heard it.

[15] And they came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began to drive
out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and He overturned the
tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons; [16] and
He would not allow any one to carry anything through the temple. [17] And He
taught, and said to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of
prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” [18] And the
chief priests and the scribes heard it and sought a way to destroy Him; for they
feared Him, because all the multitude was astonished at His teaching. [19] And
when evening came they went out of the city.

[20] As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its
roots. [21] And Peter remembered and said to Him, “Master, look! The fig tree
which You cursed has withered.” [22] And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in
God. [23] Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and
cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says
will come to pass, it will be done for him. [24] Therefore I tell you, whatever you
ask in prayer, believe that you receive it, and you will. [25] And whenever you
stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against any one; so that your Father
also who is in Heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

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Commentary:

12. Jesus’ hunger is another sign of His being truly human. When we contem-
plate Jesus we should feel Him very close to us; He is true God and true man.
His experience of hunger shows that He understands us perfectly: He has shared
our needs and limitations. “How generous our Lord is in humbling Himself and ful-
ly accepting His human condition! He does not use His divine power to escape
from difficulties or effort. Let’s pray that He will teach us to be tough, to love work,
to appreciate the human and divine nobility of savoring the consequences of self-
giving” (St. J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 161).

13-14. Jesus, of course, knew that it was not the right time for figs; therefore, He
was not looking for figs to eat. His action must have a deeper meaning. The Fat-
hers of the Church, whose interpretation St. Bede reflects in his commentary on
this passage, tells us that the miracle has an allegorical purpose: Jesus had
come among His own people, the Jews, hungry to find fruit of holiness and good
works, but all He found were external practices—leaves without fruit. Similarly,
when He enters the temple, He upbraids those present for turning the temple of
God, which is a house of prayer (prayer is the fruit of piety), into a place of com-
merce (mere leaves). “So you”, St. Bede concludes, “if you do not want to be
condemned by Christ, should guard against being a barren tree, by offering to
Jesus, who made Himself poor, the fruit of piety which He expects of you” (”In
Marci Evangelium Expositio, in loc.”).

God wants both fruit and foliage; when, because the right intention is missing,
there are only leaves, only appearances, we must suspect that there is nothing
but purely human action, with no supernatural depth—behavior which results from
ambition, pride and a desire to attract attention.

“We have to work a lot on this earth and we must do our work well, since it is
our daily task that we have to sanctify. But let us never forget to do everything for
God’s sake. If were to do it ourselves, out of pride, we could produce nothing but
leaves, and no matter how luxuriant they were, neither God nor our fellow man
would find any good in them” (St. J. Escriva, “Friends of God”, 202).

15-18. Our Lord does not abide lack of faith or piety in things to do with the wor-
ship of God. If He acts so vigorously to defend the temple of the Old Law, it indi-
cates how we should truly conduct ourselves in the Christian temple, where He
is really and truly present in the Blessed Eucharist. “Piety has its own good
manners. Learn them. It’s a shame to see those ‘pious’ people who don’t know
how to attend Mass — even though they go daily — nor how to bless themselves
(they throw their hands about in the weirdest fashion), nor how to bend the knee
before the Tabernacle (their ridiculous genuflections seem a mockery), nor how
to bow their heads reverently before a picture of our Lady” (St. J. Escriva, “The
Way”, 541). Cf. note on Matthew 21:12-13.

20-25. Jesus speaks to us here about the power of prayer. For prayer to be effec-
tive, absolute faith and trust are required: “A keen and living faith. Like Peter’s.
When you have it — our Lord has said so — you will move mountains, the human-
ly insuperable obstacles that rise up against your apostolic undertakings” (St. J.
Escriva, “The Way”, 489).

For prayer to be effective, we also need to love our neighbor, forgiving him every-
thing: if we do, then God our Father will also forgive us. Since we are all sinners
we need to admit the fact before God and ask His pardon (cf. Luke 18:9-14).

When Christ taught us to pray He required that we have these predispositions (cf.
Matthew 6:12; also Matthew 5:23 and notes on same). Here is how Theophylact
(”Ennaratio in Evangelium Marci, in loc.”) puts it: “When you pray, if you have any-
thing against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father who is in Heaven may for-
give you [...]. He who believes with great affection raises his whole heart to God
and, in David’s words, opens his soul to God. If he expands his heart before God
in this way, he becomes one with Him, and his burning heart is surer of obtaining
what he desires.”

Even when he is in the state of sin, man should seek God out in prayer; Jesus
places no limitations at all: “Whatever you ask...” Therefore, our personal unwor-
thiness should not be an excuse for not praying confidently to God. Nor should
the fact that God already knows our needs be an excuse for not turning to Him.
St. Teresa explains this when she prays: “O my God, can it be better to keep
silent about my necessities, hoping that Thou wilt relieve them? No, indeed, for
Thou, my Lord and my Joy, knowing how many they must be and how it will al-
leviate them if we speak to Thee of them, dost bid us pray to Thee and say that
Thou will not fail to give” (St. Teresa, “Exclamations”, 5). Cf. notes on Matthew
6:5-6 and Matthew 7:7-11.

26. As the RSV note points out, many ancient manuscripts add a v. 26: but it is
clearly an addition, taken straight from Matthew 6:15. This addition was included
by the editors of the Old Vulgate.

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by Scepter Publishers in the United States.