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Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 01-06-20, OM, St. Andre Bessette
USCCB/org/RNAB ^ | 01-06-20 | Revised New American Bible

Posted on 01/05/2020 8:28:29 PM PST by Salvation

January 6 2020

Monday After Epiphany

Reading 1 1 JN 3:22–4:6

Beloved:
We receive from him whatever we ask,
because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.
And his commandment is this:
we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,
and love one another just as he commanded us.
Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them,
and the way we know that he remains in us
is from the Spirit whom he gave us.
Beloved, do not trust every spirit
but test the spirits to see whether they belong to God,
because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
This is how you can know the Spirit of God:
every spirit that acknowledges Jesus Christ come in the flesh
belongs to God,
and every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus
does not belong to God.
This is the spirit of the antichrist
who, as you heard, is to come,
but in fact is already in the world.
You belong to God, children, and you have conquered them,
for the one who is in you
is greater than the one who is in the world.
They belong to the world;
accordingly, their teaching belongs to the world,
and the world listens to them.
We belong to God, and anyone who knows God listens to us,
while anyone who does not belong to God refuses to hear us.
This is how we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit.

Responsorial Psalm PS 2:7BC-8, 10-12A

R. (8ab) I will give you all the nations for an inheritance.
The LORD said to me, “you are my Son;
this day I have begotten you.
Ask of me and I will give you
the nations for an inheritance
and the ends of the earth for your possession.”
R. I will give you all the nations for an inheritance.
And now, O kings, give heed;
take warning, you rulers of the earth.
Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice before him;
with trembling rejoice.
R. I will give you all the nations for an inheritance.

Alleluia MT 4:23

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of the Kingdom
and cured every disease among the people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 4:12-17, 23-25

When Jesus heard that John had been arrested,
he withdrew to Galilee.
He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea,
in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,
that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet
might be fulfilled:
Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles,
the people who sit in darkness
have seen a great light,
on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death
light has arisen.

From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say,
“Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
He went around all of Galilee,
teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness among the people.
His fame spread to all of Syria,
and they brought to him all who were sick with various diseases
and racked with pain,
those who were possessed, lunatics, and paralytics,
and he cured them.
And great crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, and Judea,
and from beyond the Jordan followed him.

For the readings of the Optional Memorial of Saint André Bessette, please go here.



TOPICS: Catholic; General Discusssion; Prayer; Worship
KEYWORDS: catholic; christmas; mt4; prayer; romancatholic; saints
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1 posted on 01/05/2020 8:28:29 PM PST by Salvation
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KEYWORDS: catholic; christmas; mt4; prayer; saints;


2 posted on 01/05/2020 8:29:33 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/3805647/posts

Epiphany


3 posted on 01/05/2020 8:36:10 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: nickcarraway; NYer; ELS; Pyro7480; livius; ArrogantBustard; Catholicguy; RobbyS; marshmallow; ...
Alleluia Ping

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4 posted on 01/05/2020 8:37:22 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All

From: 1 John 3:22-4:6

We are Children of God (Continuation)


[22] And we receive from him whatever we ask, because we keep his command-
ments and do what pleases him. [23] And this is his commandment, that we
should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as
he has commanded us. [24] All who keep his commandments abide in him, and
he in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit which he has
given us.

Faith in Christ, Not Antichrist


[1] Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they
are of God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world. [2] By this you
know the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come
in the flesh is of God, [3] and every spirit which does not confess Jesus is not of
God. This is the spirit of anti-christ, of which you heard that it was coming, and
now it is in the world already. [4] Little children, you are of God, and have over-
come them; for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. [5] They
are of the world, therefore what they say is of the world, and the world listens to
them. [6] We are of God. Whoever knows God listens to us, and he who is not
of God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of
error.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

1-24. This entire chapter shows how moved the Apostle is when he contemplates
the marvelous gift of divine filiation. The Holy Spirit, who is the author of all Sa-
cred Scripture, has desired John to pass on to us this unique revelation: we are
children of God (v. 1).

It is not easy to divide the chapter into sections, because the style is very cyclic
and colloquial and includes many repetitions and further thoughts which make
for great vividness and freshness. However, we can distinguish an opening pro-
clamation of the central message (vv. 1-2) and emphasis on two requirements of
divine filiation — rejection of sin in any shape or form (vv. 3-10), and brotherly love
lived to the full (vv. 11-24).

19-22. The Apostle reassures us: God knows everything; not only does he know
our sins and our frailties, he also knows our repentance and our good desires,
and he understands and forgives us (St Peter, on the Lake of Tiberias, made the
same confession to Jesus: “Lord, you know everything, you know that I love you”:
Jn 21:17).

St John’s teaching on divine mercy is very clear: if our conscience tells us we
have done wrong, we can seek forgiveness and strengthen our hope in God; if
our conscience does not accuse us, our confidence in God is ardent and bold,
like that of a child who has loving experience of his Father’s tenderness. The love
of God is mightier than our sins, Pope John Paul II reminds us: “When we realize
that God’s love for us does not cease in the face of our sin or recoil before our of-
fenses, but becomes even more attentive and generous; when we realize that this
love went so far as to cause the Passion and Death of the Word made flesh who
consented to redeem us at the price of his own blood, then we exclaim in grati-
tude: ‘Yes, the Lord is rich in mercy’, and even: ‘The Lord is mercy”’ (”Reconcilia-
tio Et Paenitentia”, 22).

This confidence in God makes for confidence in prayer: “If you abide in me, and
my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you” (Jn
15:7; cf. 14:13f; 16:23, 26-27).

23-24. The commandments of God are summed up here in terms of love for Je-
sus and love for the brethren. “We cannot rightly love one another unless we be-
lieve in Christ; nor can we truly believe in the name of Jesus Christ without bro-
therly love” (St Bede, “In I Epist. S. Ioannis, ad loc.”). Faith and love cannot be
separated (cf. Gal 5:6); our Lord himself told us what would mark his disciples
out — their love for one another (Jn 13:34-35).

Keeping the commandments confirms to the Christian that he is abiding in God:
“If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love” (Jn 15:10). Moreover,
it ensures that God abides in his soul, by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit: “If you
love me you will keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he will
give you another Counselor, to be with you for ever” (Jn 14:15-16).

“May God be your house and you God’s; dwell in God that God may dwell in you.
God dwells in you to support you; you dwell in God in order not to fall. Keep the
commandments, have charity” (”In I Epist. S. loannis, ad loc.”).

1-6. In the third part of the letter (4:1-5:12), the sacred writer expands further on
the two things which sum up God’s commandments (3:23) — faith in Jesus (4:1-
6; 5:1-12) and brotherly love (4:7-21).

He begins by giving criteria for recognizing the true spirit of God and for identi-
fying false teachers (4:1-6), clearly echoing what he said in the second chapter
(cf. 2:18-29). There the heretics were called “antichrists”, here “false prophets”.
There he underlined the indwelling of the Blessed Trinity in believers (”you will
abide in the Son and in the Father”: 2:24), the anointing “abides in you” (2:27);
here he emphasizes rather the fact of belonging to God or not. This idea is de-
veloped in three points: 1) he who confesses Jesus Christ “is of God”; 2) he
who does not confess him “is not of God” (vv. 2-3); you “are of God”, they “are
of the world” (vv. 4-5); 3) we (he must surely mean the Apostles) “are of God”,
and therefore apostolic teaching merits attention and must be listened to (v. 6).

“Being of God”, in St John’s language, does not refer to originating from God, be-
cause in fact everyone, good and bad, faithful or not, comes from God. It means,
rather, belonging to a group (”to my sheep”: Jn 10:26) and it also means a mode
of existence: “he who is from the earth ..of the earth speaks” (Jn 3:31); “you are
from below, I am from above” (Jn 8:23); “Everyone who is of the truth hears my
voice” (Jn 18:37). Faith, therefore, is not a superficial thing, something that af-
fects us on the outside only: it actually changes a person’s inner life; belonging
to the community of the children of God involves a new way of being, which can
be seen from the fact that we live in accordance with the faith we profess.

2-3. “Every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh ...”:
according to this translation (which fits certain Greek manuscripts) the Apostle
would be emphasizing the fact that the Incarnation really happened, as if the
false prophets opposed to the faith were saying that Christ’s human nature was
not real but only apparent (that was the position of the Docetists).

In the context, the alternate reading — “every spirit which confesses Jesus Christ
come in the flesh” — may fit in better, since St John often insists that the Chris-
tian’s faith centers on the person of Jesus Christ, who, being God, became man
(cf. 2:22; 4:15; 5:1-5). By emphasizing this he is taking issue with the Gnostics
particularly, who were saying that Jesus was the Son of God only from his Bap-
tism onwards (cf. note on 1 Jn 5:6).

On the antichrist, see the note on 2:18.

4. St John repeats his conviction that Christians are assured of victory in their
battle against the evil one (cf. 2:13; 5:4, 18). But what makes them victorious is
the power of Christ working in them; so, while bolstering their faith he is also cal-
ling on them to be humble: “Do not become proud; recognize who has conquered
in you. Why did you win? ‘Because he who is in you is more powerful than he
who is in the world.’ Be humble; carry your Lord; be a little donkey for your rider.
It is in your best interest to have him guide and direct you; because if you do not
have him as your rider, you will be inclined to toss your head and kick out; but
woe to you if you have no guide! That freedom would mean your ending up as
prey for wild beasts” (St Augustine, “In Epist. Ioann. ad Parthos”, 7, 2).

6. “Whoever knows God listens to us”: as elsewhere in the letter, there is a
change from “you” to “we” (cf. 2:18, 28; 3:13-14). One could argue that the Apos-
tle is simply including himself in the Christian community as a whole, as if to say
“Whoever knows God listens to the Christians.” However, the obvious interpreta-
tion is that the “us” refers to those in authority in the Church, bringing it perfectly
into line with what Jesus says: “He who hears you hears me” (Lk 10:16). Obe-
dience to the living Magisterium of the Church is, therefore, the rule for distingui-
shing the spirit of truth from the spirit of error. It could not be otherwise, for it is
the Holy Spirit himself who guides the Church in its teaching and leads the faith-
ful to accept that teaching: “the assent of the Church can never be lacking to
such definitions [of the Supreme Magisterium] on account of the same Holy Spi-
rit’s influence, through which Christ’s whole flock is maintained in the unity of the
faith and makes progress in it” (Vatican II, “Lumen Gentium”, 25).

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.


5 posted on 01/05/2020 8:38:37 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All

From: Matthew 4:12-17; 23-25

Preaching in Galilee. The First Disciples are Called


[12] Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee;
[13] and leaving Nazareth he went and dwelt in Capernaum by the sea, in the ter-
ritory of Zebulun and Naphtali, [14] that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah
might be fulfilled: [15] “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, toward the
sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles — [16] the people who sat in dark-
ness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of
death light has dawned.” [17] From that time Jesus began to preach, saying,
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

[23] And he went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching
the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every infirmity among
the people. [24] So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him
all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epilep-
tics, and paralytics, and he healed them. [25] And great crowds followed him
from Galilee and the Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the
Jordan.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

15-16. Here St Matthew quotes the prophecy of Isaiah 8:23 - 9:1. The territory
referred to (Zebulun, Naphtali, the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan),
was invaded by the Assyrians in the period 734-721 B.C., especially during the
reign of Tilgathpilneser III. A portion of the Jewish population was deported and
sizeable numbers of foreigners were planted in the region to colonize it. For this
reason it is referred to in the Bible henceforward as the “Galilee of the Gentiles”.

The evangelist, inspired by God, sees Jesus’ coming to Galilee as the fulfillment
of Isaiah’s prophecy. This land, devastated and abused in Isaiah’s time, will be
the first to receive the light of Christ’s life and preaching. The messianic meaning
of the prophecy is, therefore, clear.

17. See the note on Mt 3:4. This verse indicates the outstanding importance of
the first step in Jesus’ public ministry, begun by proclaiming the imminence of
the Kingdom of God. Jesus’ words echo John the Baptist’s proclamation: the se-
cond part of this verse is the same, word for word, as Matthew 3:2. This under-
lines the role played by St John the Baptist as prophet and precursor of Jesus.
Both St John and our Lord demand repentance, penance, as a prerequisite to
receiving the Kingdom of God, now beginning. God’s rule over mankind is a main
theme in Christ’s Revelation, just as it was central to the whole Old Testament.
However, in the latter, the Kingdom of God had an element of theocracy about it:
God reigned over Israel in both spiritual and temporal affairs and it was through
him that Israel subjected other nations to her rule. Little by little, Jesus will un-
fold the new-style Kingdom of God, now arrived at its fullness. He will show it to
be a Kingdom of love and holiness, thereby purifying it of the nationalistic mis-
conceptions of the people of his time.

The King invites everyone without exception to this Kingdom (cf. Mt 22:1-14).
The Banquet of the Kingdom is held on this earth and has certain entry require-
ments which must be preached by the proponents of the Kingdom: “Therefore
the eucharistic celebration is the center of the assembly of the faithful over
which the priest presides. Hence priests teach the faithful to offer the divine Vic-
tim to God the Father in the sacrifice of the Mass, and with the Victim to make
an offering of their whole lives. In the spirit of Christ the pastor, they instruct
them to submit their sins to the Church with a contrite heart in the sacrament
of Penance, so that they may be daily more and more converted to the Lord,
remembering his words: ‘Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand”’ (Vati-
can II, “Presbyterorum Ordinis”, 5).

23. “Synagogue”: this word comes from the Greek and designates the building
where the Jews assembled for religious ceremonies on the sabbath and other
feast days. Such ceremonies were non-sacrificial in character (sacrifices could
be performed only in the temple of Jerusalem). The synagogue was also the
place where the Jews received their religious training. The word was also used
to designate local Jewish communities within and without Palestine.

24. “Epileptic” (or, in some translations, “lunatic”). This word was applied in a
very general way to those who had illnesses related to epilepsy. The disease
was popularly regarded as being dependent on the phases of the moon (Latin:
“luna”).

23-25. In these few lines, the evangelist gives us a very fine summary of the va-
rious aspects of Jesus’ work. The preaching of the gospel or “good news” of the
Kingdom, the healing of diseases, and the casting out of devils are all specific
signs of the Messiah’s presence, according to Old Testament prophecies (Is
35:5-6; 61:1; 40:9; 52:7).

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.


6 posted on 01/05/2020 8:39:29 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible by Darton, Longman & Todd

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: White.

These readings are for the Vigil Mass on the evening before the feast:


First reading Isaiah 60:1-6 ©

Above you the glory of the Lord appears

Arise, shine out, Jerusalem, for your light has come,
the glory of the Lord is rising on you,
though night still covers the earth
and darkness the peoples.
Above you the Lord now rises
and above you his glory appears.
The nations come to your light
and kings to your dawning brightness.
Lift up your eyes and look round:
all are assembling and coming towards you,
your sons from far away
and your daughters being tenderly carried.
At this sight you will grow radiant,
your heart throbbing and full;
since the riches of the sea will flow to you,
the wealth of the nations come to you;
camels in throngs will cover you,
and dromedaries of Midian and Ephah;
everyone in Sheba will come,
bringing gold and incense
and singing the praise of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 71(72):1-2,7-8,10-13 ©
All nations shall fall prostrate before you, O Lord.
O God, give your judgement to the king,
  to a king’s son your justice,
that he may judge your people in justice
  and your poor in right judgement.
All nations shall fall prostrate before you, O Lord.
In his days justice shall flourish
  and peace till the moon fails.
He shall rule from sea to sea,
  from the Great River to earth’s bounds.
All nations shall fall prostrate before you, O Lord.
The kings of Tarshish and the sea coasts
  shall pay him tribute.
The kings of Sheba and Seba
  shall bring him gifts.
Before him all kings shall fall prostrate,
  all nations shall serve him.
All nations shall fall prostrate before you, O Lord.
For he shall save the poor when they cry
  and the needy who are helpless.
He will have pity on the weak
  and save the lives of the poor.
All nations shall fall prostrate before you, O Lord.

Second reading
Ephesians 3:2-3,5-6 ©

It has now been revealed that pagans share the same inheritance

You have probably heard how I have been entrusted by God with the grace he meant for you, and that it was by a revelation that I was given the knowledge of the mystery. This mystery that has now been revealed through the Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets was unknown to any men in past generations; it means that pagans now share the same inheritance, that they are parts of the same body, and that the same promise has been made to them, in Jesus Christ, through the gospel.

Gospel Acclamation Mt2:2
Alleluia, alleluia!
We saw his star as it rose
and have come to do the Lord homage.
Alleluia!

Gospel Matthew 2:1-12 ©

The visit of the Magi

After Jesus had been born at Bethlehem in Judaea during the reign of King Herod, some wise men came to Jerusalem from the east. ‘Where is the infant king of the Jews?’ they asked. ‘We saw his star as it rose and have come to do him homage.’ When King Herod heard this he was perturbed, and so was the whole of Jerusalem. He called together all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, and enquired of them where the Christ was to be born. ‘At Bethlehem in Judaea,’ they told him ‘for this is what the prophet wrote:
And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
you are by no means least among the leaders of Judah,
for out of you will come a leader
who will shepherd my people Israel.’
Then Herod summoned the wise men to see him privately. He asked them the exact date on which the star had appeared, and sent them on to Bethlehem. ‘Go and find out all about the child,’ he said ‘and when you have found him, let me know, so that I too may go and do him homage.’ Having listened to what the king had to say, they set out. And there in front of them was the star they had seen rising; it went forward, and halted over the place where the child was. The sight of the star filled them with delight, and going into the house they saw the child with his mother Mary, and falling to their knees they did him homage. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. But they were warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, and returned to their own country by a different way.

7 posted on 01/05/2020 8:42:35 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation
Matthew
  English: Douay-Rheims Latin: Vulgata Clementina Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
  Matthew 4
12 And when Jesus had heard that John was delivered up, he retired into Galilee: Cum autem audisset Jesus quod Joannes traditus esset, secessit in Galilæam : ακουσας δε ο ιησους οτι ιωαννης παρεδοθη ανεχωρησεν εις την γαλιλαιαν
13 And leaving the city Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capharnaum on the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim; et, relicta civitate Nazareth, venit, et habitavit in Capharnaum maritima, in finibus Zabulon et Nephthalim : και καταλιπων την ναζαρετ ελθων κατωκησεν εις καπερναουμ την παραθαλασσιαν εν οριοις ζαβουλων και νεφθαλειμ
14 That it might be fulfilled which was said by Isaias the prophet: ut adimpleretur quod dictum est per Isaiam prophetam : ινα πληρωθη το ρηθεν δια ησαιου του προφητου λεγοντος
15 Land of Zabulon and land of Nephthalim, the way of the sea beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: Terra Zabulon, et terra Nephthalim, via maris trans Jordanem, Galilæa gentium : γη ζαβουλων και γη νεφθαλειμ οδον θαλασσης περαν του ιορδανου γαλιλαια των εθνων
16 The people that sat in darkness, hath seen great light: and to them that sat in the region of the shadow of death, light is sprung up. populus, qui sedebat in tenebris, vidit lucem magnam : et sedentibus in regione umbræ mortis, lux orta est eis. ο λαος ο καθημενος εν σκοτει ειδεν φως μεγα και τοις καθημενοις εν χωρα και σκια θανατου φως ανετειλεν αυτοις
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say: Do penance, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Exinde cœpit Jesus prædicare, et dicere : Pœnitentiam agite : appropinquavit enim regnum cælorum. απο τοτε ηρξατο ο ιησους κηρυσσειν και λεγειν μετανοειτε ηγγικεν γαρ η βασιλεια των ουρανων
[...]
23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom: and healing all manner of sickness and every infirmity, among the people. Et circuibat Jesus totam Galilæam, docens in synagogis eorum, et prædicans Evangelium regni : et sanans omnem languorem, et omnem infirmitatem in populo. και περιηγεν ολην την γαλιλαιαν ο ιησους διδασκων εν ταις συναγωγαις αυτων και κηρυσσων το ευαγγελιον της βασιλειας και θεραπευων πασαν νοσον και πασαν μαλακιαν εν τω λαω
24 And his fame went throughout all Syria, and they presented to him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and such as were possessed by devils, and lunatics, and those that had palsy, and he cured them: Et abiit opinio ejus in totam Syriam, et obtulerunt ei omnes male habentes, variis languoribus, et tormentis comprehensos, et qui dæmonia habebant, et lunaticos, et paralyticos, et curavit eos : και απηλθεν η ακοη αυτου εις ολην την συριαν και προσηνεγκαν αυτω παντας τους κακως εχοντας ποικιλαις νοσοις και βασανοις συνεχομενους και δαιμονιζομενους και σεληνιαζομενους και παραλυτικους και εθεραπευσεν αυτους
25 And much people followed him from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judea, and from beyond the Jordan. et secutæ sunt eum turbæ multæ de Galilæa, et Decapoli, et de Jerosolymis, et de Judæa, et de trans Jordanem. και ηκολουθησαν αυτω οχλοι πολλοι απο της γαλιλαιας και δεκαπολεως και ιεροσολυμων και ιουδαιας και περαν του ιορδανου

8 posted on 01/06/2020 4:41:34 AM PST by annalex (fear them not)
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To: annalex
12. Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, He departed into Galilee;
13. And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:
14. That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
15. The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nepthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;
16. The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.

RABANUS; Matthew having related the forty days' fast, the temptation of Christ, and the ministry of Angels, proceeds, Jesus having heard that John was cast into prison.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. By God without doubt, for none can effect anything against a holy man, unless God deliver him up. He withdrew into Galilee, that is, out of Judea; both that the might reserve His passion to the fit time, and that he might set us an example of flying from danger.

CHRYS. It is not blameworthy not to throw one's self into peril, but when one has fallen into it, not to endure manfully. He departed from Judea both to soften Jewish animosity, and to fulfill a prophecy, seeking moreover to fish for those masters of the world who dwelt in Galilee. Note also how when he would depart to the Gentiles, he received good cause from the Jews; His forernuner was thrown into prison, which compelled Jesus to pass into Galilee of the Gentiles.

GLOSS. He came as Luke writes to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and there entering into the synagogue, he read and spoke many things, for which they sought to throw Him down from the rock, and thence he went to Capernaum; for which Matthew has only, And leaving the town of Nazareth, He came and dwelt at Capernum.

GLOSS; Nazareth is a village in Galilee near Mount Tabor; Capernaurn a town in Galilee of the Gentiles near the Lake of Gennesaret; and this is the meaning of the word, on the sea coast. He adds further in the borders of Zabulon and Naphtali, where was the first captivity of time Jews by the Assyrians. Thus where the Law was first forgotten, there the Gospel was first preached; and from a place as it were between the two it was spread both to Jews and Gentiles.

REMIG. He left one, viz. Nazareth, that he might enlighten more by His preaching and miracles. Thus leaving an example to all preachers that they should preach at a time and in places where they may do good, to as many as possible. In the prophecy, the words are these, At that first time the land of Zabuiloun and the land of Naphtali was lightened, and at the last time was increased the way of the sea beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.

JEROME; They are said at the first time to be lightened from the burden of sin, because in the country of these two tribes, the Savior first preached the Gospel; at the last time their faith was increased, most of the Jews remaining in error. By the sea here is meant the Lake of Gennesaret, a lake formed by the waters of the Jordan, on its shores are the towns of Capernaum, Tiberias, Bethsaida, and Corozaim, in which district principally Christ preached. Or, according to the interpretation of those Hebrews who believe in Christ, the two tribes Zabulon and Naphtali were taken captive by the Assyrians, and Galilee was left desert; and the prophet therefore says that it was lightened, because it had before suffered the sins of the people; but afterwards the remaining tribes who dwelt beyond Jordan and in Samaria were led into captivity; and Scripture here means that the region which had been the first to suffer captivity, now was the first to see the light of Christ's preaching. The Nazarenes again interpret that this was the first part of the country that, on the coming of Christ, was freed from the errors of the Pharisees, and after by the Gospel of the Apostle Paul, the preaching was increased or multiplied throughout all the countries of the Gentiles.

GLOSS. But Matthew here quotes the passage as to make them all nominative cases referring to one verb. The land of Zabulon, and the land of Naphtali, which is the way of the sea, and which is beyond Jordan, viz. the people of Galilee of the Gentiles, the people which walked in darkness.

GLOSS. Note that there are two Galilees; one of the Jews, the other of the Gentiles. This division of Galilee had existed from Solomon's time, who gave twenty cities in Galilee to Hyram, King of Tyre; this part was afterwards called Galilee of the Gentiles; the remainder, of the Jews.

JEROME; Or we must read beyond Jordan, of Galilee of the Gentiles; so, I mean, that the people who either sat, or walked in darkness, have seen light, and that not a faint light, as the light of the Prophets, but a great light, as of Him who in the Gospel speaks thus, I am the light of the world. Between death and the shadow of death I suppose this difference; death is said of such as have gone down to the grave with the works of death; the shadow of such as live in sin, and have not yet departed from this world; these may, if they will, yet turn to repentance.

PSEUD-CHRYS. Otherwise, the Gentiles who worshipped idols, and demons, were they who sat in the region of the shadow of death; the Jews, who did the works of the Law, were in darkness, because the righteousness of God was not yet manifested to them.

CHRYS. But that you may learn that he speaks not of natural day and night, he calls the light, a great light, which is in other places called the true light; and he adds, the shadow of death, to explain what he means by darkness. The words arose, and shined, Show, that they found it not of their own seeking, but God Himself appeared to them they did not first run to the light; for many were in the greatest miseries before Christ's coming; they did not walk but sat in darkness; which was a sign that they hoped for deliverance; for as not knowing what way they should go, shut in by darkness they sat down, having now no power to stand. By darkness he means here, error and ungodliness.

RABAN. In allegory, John and the rest of the Prophets were the voice going before the Word. When prophecy ceased and was fettered, then came the Word, fulfilling what the Prophet had spoken of it, He departed into Galilee, i.e. from figure to verity. Or, into the Church, which is a passing from vice to virtue. Nazareth is interpreted 'a flower,' Capernaum, 'the beautiful village;' He left therefore the flower of figure, (in which was mystically intended the fruit of the Gospel,) and came into the Church, which was beautiful with Christ's virtues. It is by the sea-coast, because placed near the waves of this world, it is daily beaten by the storms of persecution. It is situated between Zabuloin and Naphtali, i.e. common to Jews and Gentiles. Zabulon is interpreted, 'the abode of strength;' because the Apostles, who were chosen from Judaea, were strong. Nephtali, 'extension,' because the Church of the Gentiles was extended through the world.

AUG. John relates in his Gospel the calling of Peter, Andrew, and Nathanael, and the miracle in Cana, before Jesus' departure into Galilee; all these things the other Evangelists have omitted, carrying on the thread of their narrative with Jesus' return into Galilee. We must understand then that some days intervened, during which the things took place concerning the calling of the disciples which John relates.

REMIG. But this should be considered with more care, viz. that John says that the Lord went into Galilee, before John the Baptist was thrown into prison. According to John's Gospel after the water turned into wine and his going down to Capernaum, and after his going up to Jerusalem, he returned into Judea and baptized, and John was not yet cast into prison. But here it is after John's imprisonment that he retires into Galilee, and with this Mark agrees. But we need not suppose any contradiction here. John speaks of the Lord's first coming into Galilee, which was before the imprisonment of John. He speaks in another place of His second coming into Galilee, and the other Evangelists mention only this second coming into Galilee which was after John's imprisonment.

EUSEB. It is related that John preached the Gospel almost up to the close of his life without setting forth anything in writing, and at length came to write for this reason. The three first written Gospels having come to his knowledge, he confirmed the truth of their history by his own testimony; but there were yet some things wanting, especially an account of what the Lord had done at the first beginning of His preaching. And it is true that the other three Gospels seem to contain only those things which were done in that year in which John the Baptist was put into prison, or executed. For Matthew, after the temptation, proceeds immediately, Hearing that John was delivered up; and Mark in like manner. Luke again, even before relating one of Christ's actions, tells that Herod had shut up John in prison. The Apostle John then was requested to put into writing what the preceding Evangelists had left out before the imprisonment of John; hence he says in his Gospel, this beginning of miracles did Jesus.

17. From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand.

PSEUD-CHRYS. Christ's Gospel should be preached by him who can control his appetites, who contemns the goods of this life, and desires not empty honors. From this time began Jesus to preach, that is, after having been tempted, he had overcome hunger in the desert, despised covetousness on the mountain, rejected ambitious desires in the temple. Or from the time that John was delivered up; for had he begun to preach while John was yet preaching, He would have made John be lightly accounted of, and John's preaching would have been thought superfluous by the side of Christ's teaching; as when the sun rises at the same time with the morning star, the star's brightness is hid.

CHRYS. For another cause also he did not preach till John was in prison, that the multitude might not be split into two parties; or as John did no miracle, all men would have been drawn to Christ by His miracles.

RABAN. In this he further teaches that none should despise the words of a person inferior to Him; as also the Apostle, If anything be revealed to him; that sits, let the first hold his peace.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. He did wisely in making new the beginning of His preaching, that he should not trample upon John's teaching, but that he might the rather confirm it and demonstrate him to have been a true witness.

JEROME; Showing also thereby that He was Son of that same God whose prophet John was; and therefore he says, Repent you.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. he does not straightway preach righteousness which all knew, but repentance, which all needed. Who then dared to say, 'I desire to be good, but am not able?' For repentance corrects the will, and if you will not repent through fear of evil, at least you may for the pleasure of good things; hence he says, the kingdom of heaven is at hand; that is, the blessings of the heavenly kingdom. As if He had said, Prepare yourselves by repentance, for the time of eternal reward is at hand.

REMIG. And note, He does not say the kingdom of the Canaanite, or the Jebusite, is at hand; but the kingdom of heaven. The law promised worldly goods, but the Lord heavenly kingdoms.

CHRYS. Also observe how that in this His first address he says nothing of Himself openly; and that very suitably to the case, for they had yet no right opinion concerning Him. In this commencement moreover he speaks nothing severe, nothing burdensome, as John bad concerning the ax laid to the root of the condemned tree, and the like; but he puts first things merciful, preaching the glad tidings of the kingdom of heaven.

JEROME; Mystically interpreted, Christ begins to preach as soon as John was delivered to prison, because when the Law ceased, the Gospel commenced.

23. And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their Synagogues, and preaching the Gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
24. And His fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought to Him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy; and He healed them.
25. And there followed Him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judea, and from beyond Jordan.

PSEUD-CHRYS. Kings, when about to go to war with their enemies, first gather an army, and so go out to battle; thus the Lord when about to war against the Devil, first collected Apostles, and then began to preach the Gospel.

REMIG. An example of life for doctors; that they should not be inactive, they are instructed in these words, And Jesus went about.

PSEUD-CHRYS. Because they being weak could not come to their physician, he as a zealous Physician went about to visit those who had any grievous sickness; The Lord went round the several regions, and after His example the pastors of each region ought to go round to study the several dispositions of their people, that for the remedy of each disease some medicine may be found in the Church.

REMIG. That they should not be acceptors of persons the preachers are instructed in what follows, the whole of Galilee. That they should not go about empty, by the word teaching. That they should seek to benefit not few but many, in what follows, in their synagogues.

CHRYS. By which too He showed the Jews that he came not as an enemy of God, or a seducer of souls, but as consenting with his Father.

REMIG. That they should not preach error nor fable, but sound doctrine, is inculcated in the words, preaching the Gospel of the kingdom. 'Teaching' and 'preaching' differ; teaching refers to things present, preaching to things to come; He taught present commandments and preached future promises.

PSEUD-CHRYS. Or, he taught natural righteousness, those things which natural reason teaches, as chastity, humility, and the like, which all men of themselves see to be goods. Such things are necessary to be taught not so much for the sake of making them known as for stirring the heart. For beneath the prevalence of carnal delights the knowledge of natural righteousness sleeps forgotten. When then a teacher begins to denounce carnal sins, his teaching does not bring up a new knowledge, but recalls to memory one that had been forgotten. But He preached the Gospel, in telling of good things which the ancients had manifestly not heard of, as the happiness of heaven, the resurrection of the dead, and the like. Or, He taught by interpreting the prophecies concerning himself; He preached by declaring the benefits that were to come from Himself.

REMIG. That the teacher should study to commend his teaching by his own virtuous conduct is conveyed in those words, healing every sort of disease and malady among the people; maladies of the body, diseases of the soul.

PSEUD-CHRYS. Or, by disease we may understand any passion of the mind, as avarice, lust, and such like, by malady unbelief, that is, weakness of faith. Or, the diseases are the more grievous pains of the body, the maladies the slighter. As he cured the bodily pains by virtue of His divine power, so he cured the spiritual by the word of His mercy. He first teaches, and then performs the cures, for two reasons. First, that what is needed most may come first; for it is the word of holy instruction, and not miracles, that edify the soul. Secondly, because teaching is commended by miracles, not the converse.

CHRYS. We must consider that when some great change is being wrought, as the introduction of a new polity, God is accustomed to work miracles, giving pledges of His power to those who are to receive His laws. Thus when he would make man, he first created a world, and then at length gave man in paradise a law. When he would dispense a law to the holy Noah, he showed truly great wonders; and again when he was about to ordain the Law for the Jews, he first showed great prodigies, and then at length gave them the commandments. So now when about to introduce a sublime discipline of life, He first provided a sanction to His instructions by mighty signs, because the eternal kingdom He preached was not seen, by the things which did appear, he made sure that which as yet did not appear.

GLOSS. Because preachers should have good testimony from those who are without, lest if their life is open to censure, their preaching be contemned, he adds, And the fame of him went abroad through all Syria.

RABAN. Syria here is all the region from Euphrates to the Great sea, from Cappadocia to Egypt, in which is the country of Palestine, inhabited by Jews.

CHRYS. Observe the reserve of the Evangelist; he does not give an account of any one of the various cases of healing, but passes in one brief phrase an abundance of miracles, they brought to him all their sick.

REMIG. By these he would have us understand various but slighter diseases; but when he says, seized with divers sicknesses and torments, he would have those understood, of whom it is subjoined, and who had demons.

GLOSS. 'Sickness' means a hasting ailment; 'tutiment' is an acute pain, as pleurisy, and such like; they who had demons are they who were tormented by the demons.

REMIG. 'Lunatics' are so called from the moon; for as it waxes in its monthly seasons they are tormented.

JEROME; Not really smitten by the moon, but who were believed to be so through the subtlety of the demons, who by observing the seasons of the moon, sought to bring an evil report against the creature, that it might result to the blasphemy of the Creator.

AUG. Demons are enticed to take up their abode in many creatures, (created not by themselves but God,) by delights adapted to their various natures; not that they are animals, drawn by meats; but spirits attracted by signs which agree with each one's taste.

RABAN. Paralytics are those whose bodies have their nerves slackened or resolved from a Greek word, signifying this.

PSEUD-CHRYS. In some places it is, He cured many; but here, He cured them, meaning 'all;' as a new physician first entering a town cures all who come to him to beget a good opinion concerning himself

CHRYS. He requires no direct profession of faith from them , both because he had not yet given them any proofs of His miraculous power, and because in bringing their sick from fat they had shown no small faith.

RABAN. The crowds that followed Him consisted of four sorts of men, some followed for the heavenly teaching as disciples, some for the curing of their diseases, some from the reports concerning Him alone, and curiosity to find whether they were true; others from envy, wishing to catch Him in some matter that they might accuse Him. Mystically, Syria is interpreted lofty Galilee, 'turning:' or ' a wheel;' that is, the Devil and the world; the Devil is both proud and always turned round to the bottom; the world in which the fame of Christ went abroad through preaching: the demoniacs are the idolaters; the lunatics, the unstable; the paralytics, the slow and careless.

GLOSS. The crowds that follow the Lord, are they of the Church, which is spiritually designated by Galilee, passing to virtuousness; Decapolis is he who keeps the Ten Commandments; Jerusalem and Judea, be who is enlightened by the vision of peace and confession; and beyond Jordan, he what having passed the waters of Baptism enters the land of promise.

REMIG. Or, they follow the Lord from Galilee, that is, from the unstable world; from Decapolis, (the country of ten towns,) signifying those who break the Ten Commandments and from Jerusalem, because before it was preserved unhurt in peace; and from Jordan, that is, from the confession of the Devil; and from beyond Jordan, they who were first planted in paganism, but passing the water of Baptism came to Christ.

Catena Aurea Matthew 4
9 posted on 01/06/2020 4:42:16 AM PST by annalex (fear them not)
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To: annalex


Christ teaching the Lord's Prayer

AD ca. 1200
Miniature on vellum
Koninklijke Bibliotheek, The Hague

10 posted on 01/06/2020 4:43:36 AM PST by annalex (fear them not)
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To: annalex

Saint André Bessette’s Story

Brother André expressed a saint’s faith by a lifelong devotion to Saint Joseph.

Sickness and weakness dogged André from birth. He was the eighth of 12 children born to a French Canadian couple near Montreal. Adopted at 12, when both parents had died, he became a farmhand. Various trades followed: shoemaker, baker, blacksmith—all failures. He was a factory worker in the United States during the boom times of the Civil War.

At 25, André applied for entrance into the Congregation of Holy Cross. After a year’s novitiate, he was not admitted because of his weak health. But with an extension and the urging of Bishop Bourget, he was finally received. He was given the humble job of doorkeeper at Notre Dame College in Montreal, with additional duties as sacristan, laundry worker and messenger. “When I joined this community, the superiors showed me the door, and I remained 40 years,” he said.

In his little room near the door, he spent much of the night on his knees. On his windowsill, facing Mount Royal, was a small statue of Saint Joseph, to whom he had been devoted since childhood. When asked about it he said, “Some day, Saint Joseph is going to be honored in a very special way on Mount Royal!”

When he heard someone was ill, he visited to bring cheer and to pray with the sick person. He would rub the sick person lightly with oil taken from a lamp burning in the college chapel. Word of healing powers began to spread.

When an epidemic broke out at a nearby college, André volunteered to nurse. Not one person died. The trickle of sick people to his door became a flood. His superiors were uneasy; diocesan authorities were suspicious; doctors called him a quack. “I do not cure,” he said again and again. “Saint Joseph cures.” In the end he needed four secretaries to handle the 80,000 letters he received each year.

For many years the Holy Cross authorities had tried to buy land on Mount Royal. Brother André and others climbed the steep hill and planted medals of Saint Joseph. Suddenly, the owners yielded. André collected $200 to build a small chapel and began receiving visitors there—smiling through long hours of listening, applying Saint Joseph’s oil. Some were cured, some not. The pile of crutches, canes and braces grew.

The chapel also grew. By 1931, there were gleaming walls, but money ran out. “Put a statue of Saint Joseph in the middle. If he wants a roof over his head, he’ll get it.” The magnificent Oratory on Mount Royal took 50 years to build. The sickly boy who could not hold a job died at 92.

He is buried at the Oratory. He was beatified in 1982 and canonized in 2010. At his canonization in October 2010, Pope Benedict XVI said that Saint Andre “lived the beatitude of the pure of heart.”


Reflection

Rubbing ailing limbs with oil or a medal? Planting a medal to buy land? Isn’t this superstition? Aren’t we long past that? Superstitious people rely only on the “magic” of a word or action. Brother André’s oil and medals were authentic sacramentals of a simple, total faith in the Father who lets his saints help him bless his children.


franciscanmedia.org
11 posted on 01/06/2020 4:50:02 AM PST by annalex (fear them not)
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To: annalex

12 posted on 01/06/2020 4:51:09 AM PST by annalex (fear them not)
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To: annalex

One of our beloved deacons preached on St. Andre Bessette today. What a joy!


13 posted on 01/06/2020 10:35:11 AM PST by Mrs. Don-o ("May the LORD bless you and keep you; may the Lord turn to you his countenance, and give you peace.")
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To: Mrs. Don-o

A very special person dedicated to St. Joseph.


14 posted on 01/06/2020 3:44:39 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All

Pray for Pope Francis.


15 posted on 01/06/2020 3:48:12 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation
It's time to kneel down and pray for our nation (Sacramental Marriage)
16 posted on 01/06/2020 4:25:47 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Perpetual Novena for the Nation (Ecumenical)
Novena asking for St Michael The Archangel to stand with us and bring us victory
17 posted on 01/06/2020 4:26:29 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Prayers for The Religion Forum (Ecumenical)
18 posted on 01/06/2020 4:27:11 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
7 Powerful Ways to Pray for Christians Suffering in the Middle East
19 posted on 01/06/2020 4:27:39 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
Pray the Rosary!

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20 posted on 01/06/2020 4:28:10 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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