January 31, 2014
Memorial of Saint John Bosco, Priest
At the turn of the year, when kings go out on campaign,
David sent out Joab along with his officers
and the army of Israel,
and they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah.
David, however, remained in Jerusalem.
One evening David rose from his siesta
and strolled about on the roof of the palace.
From the roof he saw a woman bathing, who was very beautiful.
David had inquiries made about the woman and was told,
“She is Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam,
and wife of Joab’s armor bearer Uriah the Hittite.”
Then David sent messengers and took her.
When she came to him, he had relations with her.
She then returned to her house.
But the woman had conceived,
and sent the information to David, “I am with child.”
David therefore sent a message to Joab,
“Send me Uriah the Hittite.”
So Joab sent Uriah to David.
When he came, David questioned him about Joab, the soldiers,
and how the war was going, and Uriah answered that all was well.
David then said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and bathe your feet.”
Uriah left the palace,
and a portion was sent out after him from the king’s table.
But Uriah slept at the entrance of the royal palace
with the other officers of his lord, and did not go down
to his own house.
David was told that Uriah had not gone home.
On the day following, David summoned him,
and he ate and drank with David, who made him drunk.
But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his bed
among his lord’s servants, and did not go down to his home.
The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab
which he sent by Uriah.
In it he directed:
“Place Uriah up front, where the fighting is fierce.
Then pull back and leave him to be struck down dead.”
So while Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah
to a place where he knew the defenders were strong.
When the men of the city made a sortie against Joab,
some officers of David’s army fell,
and among them Uriah the Hittite died.
R. (see 3a) Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
For I acknowledge my offense,
and my sin is before me always:
“Against you only have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight.”
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
I have done such evil in your sight
that you are just in your sentence,
blameless when you condemn.
True, I was born guilty,
a sinner, even as my mother conceived me.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Let me hear the sounds of joy and gladness;
the bones you have crushed shall rejoice.
Turn away your face from my sins,
and blot out all my guilt.
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Jesus said to the crowds:
“This is how it is with the Kingdom of God;
it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land
and would sleep and rise night and day
and the seed would sprout and grow,
he knows not how.
Of its own accord the land yields fruit,
first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once,
for the harvest has come.”
He said,
“To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God,
or what parable can we use for it?
It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground,
is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.
But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants
and puts forth large branches,
so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.”
With many such parables
he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it.
Without parables he did not speak to them,
but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.
26. And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;
27. And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knows not how.
28. For the earth brings forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.
29. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest is come.
PSEUD-CHRYS. A parable occurred, a little above, about the three seeds which perished in various ways, and the one which was saved; in which last He also shows three differences, according to the proportion of faith and practice Here however, He puts forth a parable concerning those only who are saved. Wherefore it is said, And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground, &c.
PSEUDO-JEROME; The kingdom of God is the Church which is ruled by God, and herself rules over men, amid treads down the powers which are contrary to her, and all wickedness.
PSEUD-CHRYS. Or else He calls by the name of kingdom of God, faith in Him, and in the economy of His Incarnation; which kingdom indeed is as if a man should throw seed. For He Himself being God and the Son of God, having without change been made man, has cast seed upon time earth, that is, He has enlightened the whole world by the word of divine knowledge.
PSEUDO-JEROME; For the seed is the word of life, the ground is the human heart, and the sleep of the man means the death of the Savior. The seed springs up night and day, because after the sleep of Christ, the number of Christians, through calamity and prosperity, continued to flourish more and more in faith, and to wax greater in deed.
PSEUD-CHRYS. Or Christ himself is the man who rises, for He sat waiting with patience, that they who received seed should bear fruit. He rises, that is, by, the word of His love, He makes us grow to the bringing forth fruit, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand, by which is meant the day, and on the left, by which is meant the night of persecution; for by these the seed springs up and does not wither.
THEOPHYL. Or else Christ sleeps, that is, ascends into heaven, where, though He seem to sleep, yet He rises by night, when through temptations He raises us up to the knowledge of Himself; and in the day time, when on account of our prayers, He sets in order our salvation.
PSEUDO-JEROME; But when He says, He knows not how, He is speaking in a figure; that is, He does not make known to us, who amongst us will produce fruit to the end.
PSEUD-CHRYS. Or else He says, He knows not, that He may show free-will of those who receive the word, for He commits a work to our will, and does not work the whole Himself alone, lest the good should seem involuntary. For the earth brings forth fruits of its own accord, that is, she is brought to hear fruit without being compelled by a necessity contrary to inner will. First the blade.
PSEUDO-JEROME; That is, fear. For the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Then the full corn in the ear; that is, charity, for charity is the fulfilling of the Law.
PSEUD-CHRYS. Or, first it produces the blade, in the law of nature, by degrees growing up to advancement; afterwards it brings forth the ears, which are to be collected into a bundle, and to be offered on an altar to the Lord, that is, in the law of Moses; afterwards the full-fruit, in the Gospel. Or because we must not only put forth leaves by obedience, but also learn prudence, and, like the stalk of corn, remain upright without minding the winds which blow us about. We must also take heed to our soul by a diligent recollection, that, like the ears, we may bear fruit, that is, show forth the perfect operation of virtue.
THEOPHYL. For we put forth the blade, when we show a principle of good; then the ear, when we can resist temptations; then comes the fruit, when a man works something perfect. It goes on: and when it has brought forth the fruit, immediately he sends the sickle, because the harvest is come.
PSEUDO-JEROME; The sickle is death or the judgment, which cuts down all things; the harvest is the end of the world.
GREGORY; Or else; Man casts seed to the ground, when he places a good intention in his heart; and he sleeps, when he already rests in the hope which attends on a good work. But he rises night and day because he advances amidst prosperity and adversity, though he knows it not for he is as yet unable to measure his increase, and yet virtue, once conceived, goes on increasing. When therefore we conceive good desires, we put seed into the ground; when we begin to work rightly, we are the blade. When we increase to the perfection of good works, we arrive at the ear; when we are firmly fixed in the perfection of the same working, we already put forth the full corn in the ear.
30. And he said, Whereto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?
31. It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:
32. But when it is sown, it grows up, and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.
33. And with many such parables spoke he the word to them, as they were able to hear it.
34. But without a parable spoke he not to them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.
GLOSS. After having narrated the parable concerning the coming forth of the fruit from the seed of the Gospel, he here subjoins another parable, to show the excellence of the doctrine of the Gospel before all other doctrines. Wherefore it is said, And he said, Whereto shall life liken the kingdom of God?
THEOPHYL. Most brief indeed is the word of faith; Believe in God, and you shall he saved. But the preaching of it has been spread far and wide over the earth, and increased so, that time birds of heaven, that is, contemplative men, sublime in understanding and knowledge, dwell under it. For how many wise men among the Gentiles, quitting their wisdom, have found rest in the preaching of the Gospel! Its preaching then is greater than all.
CHRYS. And also because the wisdom spoken amongst the perfect expands, to a extent greater than all other sayings, that which was told to men in short discourses, for there is nothing greater than this truth.
THEOPHYL. Again, it put forth great boughs, for the Apostles were divided off as the boughs of a tree, some to Rome, some to India, some to other parts of the world
PSEUDO-JEROME; Or else, that seed is very, small in fear, but great when it has grown into charity, which is greater than all herbs; for God is love, whilst all flesh is grass. But the boughs which it puts forth are those of mercy and compassion, since under its shade the poor of Christ, who are meant by the living creatures of the heavens, delight to dwell.
BEDE; Again, the man who sows is by many taken to mean the Savior Himself, by others, man himself sowing in his own heart.
CHRYS. Then after this, Mark, who delights in brevity, to show the nature of the parables, subjoins, And with many such parables spoke he the word to them as they could hear him.
THEOPHYL. For since the multitude was unlearned, he instructs them from objects of food and familiar names, and for this reason he adds, But without a parable spoke he not to them, that is, in order that they might be induced to approach and to ask Him. It goes on And when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples, that is, all things about which they were ignorant and asked Him, not simply all, whether obscure or not.
PSEUDO-JEROME; For they were worthy to hear mysteries apart, in the most secret haunt of wisdom, for they were men, who, removed from the crowds of evil thoughts, remained in the solitude of virtue; and wisdom is received in a time of quiet.
Catena Aurea Mark 4
