Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 02-16-19

USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 02-16-19 | Revised New American Bible

[Salvation]

February 16 2019

Saturday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Gn 3:9-24

The LORD God called to Adam and asked him, “Where are you?”
He answered, “I heard you in the garden;
but I was afraid, because I was naked,
so I hid myself.”
Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked?
You have eaten, then,
from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!”
The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with meB
she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.”
The LORD God then asked the woman,
“Why did you do such a thing?”
The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.”

Then the LORD God said to the serpent:

“Because you have done this, you shall be banned
from all the animals
and from all the wild creatures;
On your belly shall you crawl,
and dirt shall you eat
all the days of your life.
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
He will strike at your head,
while you strike at his heel.”

To the woman he said:

“I will intensify the pangs of your childbearing;
in pain shall you bring forth children.
Yet your urge shall be for your husband,
and he shall be your master.”

To the man he said: “Because you listened to your wife
and ate from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat,

“Cursed be the ground because of you!
In toil shall you eat its yield
all the days of your life.
Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to you,
as you eat of the plants of the field.
By the sweat of your face
shall you get bread to eat,
Until you return to the ground,
from which you were taken;
For you are dirt,
and to dirt you shall return.”

The man called his wife Eve,
because she became the mother of all the living.

For the man and his wife the LORD God made leather garments,
with which he clothed them.
Then the LORD God said: “See! The man has become like one of us,
knowing what is good and what is evil!
Therefore, he must not be allowed to put out his hand
to take fruit from the tree of life also,
and thus eat of it and live forever.”
The LORD God therefore banished him from the garden of Eden,
to till the ground from which he had been taken.
When he expelled the man,
he settled him east of the garden of Eden;
and he stationed the cherubim and the fiery revolving sword,
to guard the way to the tree of life.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 90:2, 3-4abc, 5-6, 12-13

R. (1) In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Before the mountains were begotten
and the earth and the world were brought forth,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
You turn man back to dust,
saying, “Return, O children of men.”
For a thousand years in your sight
are as yesterday, now that it is past,
or as a watch of the night.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
You make an end of them in their sleep;
the next morning they are like the changing grass,
Which at dawn springs up anew,
but by evening wilts and fades.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O LORD! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

Alleluia Mt 4:4b

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
One does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mk 8:1-10

In those days when there again was a great crowd without anything to eat,
Jesus summoned the disciples and said,
“My heart is moved with pity for the crowd,
because they have been with me now for three days
and have nothing to eat.
If I send them away hungry to their homes,
they will collapse on the way,
and some of them have come a great distance.”
His disciples answered him, “Where can anyone get enough bread
to satisfy them here in this deserted place?”
Still he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?”
They replied, “Seven.”
He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground.
Then, taking the seven loaves he gave thanks, broke them,
and gave them to his disciples to distribute,
and they distributed them to the crowd.
They also had a few fish.
He said the blessing over them
and ordered them distributed also.
They ate and were satisfied.
They picked up the fragments left over–seven baskets.
There were about four thousand people.

He dismissed the crowd and got into the boat with his disciples
and came to the region of Dalmanutha.

[Salvation]

For your reading, reflection, faith-sharing, comments, questions, discussion.

[Salvation]

KEYWORDS: catholic; mk8; ordinarytime; prayer;

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[Salvation]

From: Genesis 3:9-24

Temptation and the First Sin (Continuation)

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[9] But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” [10]
And he said, “I heard the sound of thee in the garden, and I was afraid, because
I was naked; and I hid myself.” [11] He said, “Who told you that you were naked?
Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” [12] The man
said, “The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree,
and I ate.” [13] Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have
done?” The woman said, “The serpent beguiled me, and I ate.” [14] The Lord God
said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all cattle,
and above all wild animals; upon your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat
all the days of your life. [15] I will put enmity between you and the woman, and
between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise
his heel.”

[16] To the woman he said, “I will greatly multiply your pain in childbearing; in
pain you shall bring forth children, yet your desire shall be for your husband, and
he shall rule over you. [17] And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to
the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you,
‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat
of it all the days of your life; [18] thorns and thistles it shall bring forth to you;
and you shall eat the plants of the field. [19] “In the sweat of your face you shall
eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.”

[20] The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all
living.

Adam and Eve are Expelled from Paradise

---

[21] And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins, and
clothed them.

[22] Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us, kno-
wing good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree
of life, and eat, and live for ever”—[23] therefore the Lord God sent him forth from
the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken. [24] He drove out
the man; and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim, and a
flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

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

3:7-13. This passage begins the description of the effects of the original sin. Man
and woman have come to know evil, and it shows, initially, in a most direct way—
in their own bodies. The inner harmony described in Genesis 2:25 is broken, and
concupiscence rears its head. Their friendship with God is also broken, and they
flee from his presence, to avoid their nakedness being seen. As if his Creator
could not see them! The harmony between man and woman is also fractured: he
puts the blame on her, and she puts it on the serpent. But all three share in the
responsibility, and therefore all three are going to pay the penalty.

“The harmony in which they found themselves, thanks to original justice, is now
destroyed: the control of the soul’s spiritual faculties over the body is shattered;
the union of man and woman becomes subject to tensions (cf. Gen 3:7-16), their
relations henceforth marked by lust and domination. Harmony with creation is
broken: visible creation has become alien and hostile to man (cf. Gen 3:17, 19).
Because of man, creation is now subject ‘to its bondage to decay’ (Rom 8:21).
Finally, the consequence explicitly foretold for this disobedience will come true:
man will ‘return to the ground’ (Gen 3:19), for out of it he was taken. “Death
makes its entrance into human history” (cf. Rom 5:12)” (”Catechism of the Ca-
tholic Church”, 400).

3:14-15. The punishment God imposes on the serpent includes confrontation be-
tween woman and the serpent, between mankind and evil, with the promise that
man will come out on top. That is why this passage is called the “Proto-gospel”:
it is the first announcement to mankind of the good news of the Redeemer-
Messiah. Clearly, a bruise to the head is deadly, whereas a bruise to the heel
is curable.

As the Second Vatican Council teaches, “God, who creates and conserves all
things by his Word, (cf. Jn 1:3), provides men with constant evidence of himself
in created realities (cf. Rom 1:19-20). And furthermore, wishing to open up the
way to heavenly salvation, by promising redemption (cf. Gen 3:15); and he has
never ceased to take care of the human race. For he wishes to give eternal life
to all those who seek salvation by patience in well-doing (cf. Rom 2:6-7)” (”Dei
Verbum”, 3).

Victory over the devil will be brought about by a descendant of the woman, the
Messiah. The Church has always read these verses as being messianic, refer-
ring to Jesus Christ; and it was seen in the woman the mother of the promised
Savior; the Virgin Mary is the new Eve. “The earliest documents, as they are
read in the Church and are understood in the light of a further and full revelation,
bring the figure of a woman, Mother of the Redeemer, into a gradually clearer
light. Considered in this light, she is already prophetically foreshadowed in the
promise of victory over the serpent which was given to our first parents after their
fall into sin (cf. Gen 3:15) [...]. Hence not a few of the early Fathers gladly assert
with Irenaeus in their preaching: ‘the knot of Eve’s disobedience was untied by
Mary’s obedience: what the virgin Eve bound through her disbelief, Mary loosened
by her faith’ (St Irenaeus, “Adv. Haer.” 3, 22, 4). Comparing Mary with Eve, they
call her ‘Mother of the living’ (St Epiphanius, “Adv. Haer. Panarium” 78, 18) and
frequently claim: ‘death through Eve, life through Mary’ (St Jerome, “Epistula”
22, 21; etc.)” (Vatican II, “Lumen Gentium”, 55-56).

So, woman is going to have a key role in that victory over the devil. In his Latin
translation of the Bible, the “Vulgate”, St Jerome in fact reads the relevant pas-
sage as “she [the woman] shall bruise your head”. That woman is the Blessed
Virgin, the new Eve and the mother of the Redeemer, who shares (by anticipa-
tion and pre-eminently) in the victory of her Son. Sin never left its mark on her,
and the Church proclaims her as the Immaculate Conception.

St Thomas explains that the reason why God did not prevent the first man from
sinning was because “God allows evils to be done in order to draw forth some
greater good. Thus St Paul says, ‘Where sin increased, grace abounded all the
more’ (Rom 5:20); and the “Exultet” sings, ‘O happy fault,...which gained for us
so great a Redeemer’” (”Summa Theologiae”, 3, 1, 3 and 3; cf. “Catechism of
the Catholic Church”, 412).

3:16. Turning to the woman, God tells her what effects sin is going to have on
her, as a mother and a wife. The pain of childbirth also points to the presence
of physical pain in mankind, as a consequence of sin. Sin is also the cause of
disorder in family life, especially between husband and wife: the text expressly
instances a husband’s despotic behavior towards his wife. Discrimination against
women is here seen as the outcome of sin; it is something, therefore, that the
Bible regards as evil. Sin is also the reason why people fail to appreciate the
dignity of marriage and the family—a widespread failing denounced by the Se-
cond Vatican Council: “the dignity of these partnerships is not reflected every-
where, but is overshadowed by polygamy, the plague of divorce, so-called free
love, and similar blemishes: furthermore, married love is too often dishonored
by selfishness, hedonism, and unlawful contraceptive practices. Besides, the
economic, social, psychological, and civil climate of today has a severely dis-
turbing effect on family life” (”Gaudium Et Spes”, 47).

3:17-19 The effects of sin that man is warned about are closely connected with
his God-given mission—to till and keep the garden, or, to put it another way, to
master the earth by means of his activity, work. The harmony between man and
nature has been shattered through sin: from now on man is going to find work
burdensome and it will cause him much distress. Thus, the effects of sin are
all the various kinds of injustice which are to be found in the world of work and
in man’s control over the goods of the earth. God meant the earth and all that it
contains benefit all mankind, but what in fact happens is that “in the midst of
huge numbers deprived of the absolute necessities of life there are some who
live in riches and squander their wealth; and this happens in less developed
areas as well. Luxury and misery exist side by side. While a few individuals en-
joy an almost unlimited opportunity to choose for themselves, the vast majority
have no chance whatever of exercising personal initiative and responsibility, and
quite often have to live and work in conditions unworthy of human beings” (Vati-
can II, “Gaudium Et Spes”, 63)

The consequences of sin will stay with man until he returns to the earth, that is,
until he dies. However, God does not immediately put into effect what he threa-
tened in Genesis 2:17; man continues to live on earth, but he is destined to die.
It is in this sense that St Paul explains human existence, in the light of the work
of Christ whom he sees as being the second Adam: ‘Therefore as sin came into
the world through one man and death through sin, [...] so death spread to all
men because all men sinned. [..] If, because of one man’s trespass death
reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance
of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus
Christ” (Rom 5:12, 17).

3:21-24. Even after the fall, God still takes care of man. Man will continue to po-
pulate the earth, in spite of death, thanks to woman’s role as mother. God comes
to the rescue of man’s nakedness, which made him feel so afraid and ashamed.
Man’s place in history emerges with his expulsion from paradise. He now knows
good and evil; he is deprived of the happiness for which he was created and, with
death as his fate, he yearns for the immortality which in fact belongs to God alone.
This is the human condition; it affects everyone and its cause lies in sin. Thus,
“we do know by Revelation that Adam had received original holiness and justice
not for himself alone, but for all human nature. By yielding to the tempter, Adam
and Eve committed a personal sin, but this sin affected “the human nature” that
they would then transmit “in a fallen state” (cf. Council of Trent, “De Peccato Ori-
ginali”). It is a sin which will be transmitted by propagation to all mankind, that is,
the transmission of a human nature deprived of original holiness and justice. And
that is why original sin is called ‘sin’ only in an analogical sense: it is a sin ‘con-
tracted’ and not ‘committed’—a state and not an act” (”Catechism of the Catholic
Church”, 404).

*********************************************************************************************
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.

[Salvation]

From: Mark 8:1-10

Second Miracle of the Loaves

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[1] In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing
to eat, He (Jesus) called His disciples to Him, and said to them, [2] “I have com-
passion on the crowd, because they have been with Me now three days, and
have nothing to eat; [3] and if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will
faint on the way; and some of them have come a long way.” [4] And His disci-
ples answered Him, “How can one feed these men with bread here in the desert?”
[5] And He asked them, “How many loaves have you?” They said, “Seven.” [6]
And He commanded the crowd to sit down on the ground; and He took the seven
loaves, and having given thanks He broke them and gave them to His disciples
to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd. [7] And they had a
few small fish; and having blessed them, He commanded that these also should
be set before them. [8] And they ate, and were satisfied; and took up the bro-
ken pieces left over, seven baskets full. [9] And there were about four thousand
people. [10] And He sent them away; and immediately He got into the boat with
His disciples, and went to the district of Dalmanutha.

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

1-9. Jesus repeats the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and the fish: the
first time (Mark 6:33-44) He acted because He saw a huge crowd like “sheep with-
out a shepherd”; now He takes pity on them because they have been with Him for
three days and have nothing to eat.

This miracle shows how Christ rewards people who persevere in following Him:
the crowd had been hanging on His words, forgetful of everything else. We should
be like them, attentive and ready to do what He commands, without any vain con-
cern about the future, for that would amount to distrusting Divine Providence.

10. “Dalmanutha”: this must have been somewhere near the Lake of Gennesaret,
but it is difficult to localize it more exactly. This is the only time it is mentioned
in Sacred Scripture. In the parallel passage in St. Matthew (15:39) Magadan
(sometime Magdala) is mentioned.

*********************************************************************************************
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.

[Salvation]

Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible by Darton, Longman & Todd

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Green.

---

First reading	Genesis 3:9-24 ©

The expulsion from the Garden of Eden

The Lord God called to the man. ‘Where are you?’ he asked.

  ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden;’ he replied ‘I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.’

  ‘Who told you that you were naked?’ he asked ‘Have you been eating of the tree I forbade you to eat?’

  The man replied, ‘It was the woman you put with me; she gave me the fruit, and I ate it.’

  Then the Lord God asked the woman, ‘What is this you have done?’

  The woman replied, ‘The serpent tempted me and I ate.’

  Then the Lord God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this,

‘Be accursed beyond all cattle,

all wild beasts.

You shall crawl on your belly and eat dust

every day of your life.

I will make you enemies of each other:

you and the woman,

your offspring and her offspring.

It will crush your head

and you will strike its heel.’

To the woman he said:

‘I will multiply your pains in childbearing,

you shall give birth to your children in pain.

Your yearning shall be for your husband,

yet he will lord it over you.’

To the man he said, ‘Because you listened to the voice of your wife and ate from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat,

‘Accursed be the soil because of you.

With suffering shall you get your food from it

every day of your life.

It shall yield you brambles and thistles,

and you shall eat wild plants.

With sweat on your brow

shall you eat your bread,

until you return to the soil,

as you were taken from it.

For dust you are

and to dust you shall return.’

The man named his wife ‘Eve’ because she was the mother of all those who live. The Lord God made clothes out of skins for the man and his wife, and they put them on. Then the Lord God said, ‘See, the man has become like one of us, with his knowledge of good and evil. He must not be allowed to stretch his hand out next and pick from the tree of life also, and eat some and live for ever.’ So the Lord God expelled him from the garden of Eden, to till the soil from which he had been taken. He banished the man, and in front of the garden of Eden he posted the cherubs, and the flame of a flashing sword, to guard the way to the tree of life.

---

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 89(90):2-6,12-13 ©

O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.

Before the mountains were born

  or the earth or the world brought forth,

  you are God, without beginning or end.

O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.

You turn men back to dust

  and say: ‘Go back, sons of men.’

To your eyes a thousand years

  are like yesterday, come and gone,

  no more than a watch in the night.

O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.

You sweep men away like a dream,

  like the grass which springs up in the morning.

In the morning it springs up and flowers:

  by evening it withers and fades.

O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.

Make us know the shortness of our life

  that we may gain wisdom of heart.

Lord, relent! Is your anger for ever?

  Show pity to your servants.

O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.

---

Gospel Acclamation	Mt4:4

Alleluia, alleluia!

Man does not live on bread alone,

but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Alleluia!

---

Gospel	Mark 8:1-10 ©

The feeding of the four thousand

A great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat. So Jesus called his disciples to him and said to them, ‘I feel sorry for all these people; they have been with me for three days now and have nothing to eat. If I send them off home hungry they will collapse on the way; some have come a great distance.’ His disciples replied, ‘Where could anyone get bread to feed these people in a deserted place like this?’ He asked them, ‘How many loaves have you?’ ‘Seven’ they said. Then he instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground, and he took the seven loaves, and after giving thanks he broke them and handed them to his disciples to distribute; and they distributed them among the crowd. They had a few small fish as well, and over these he said a blessing and ordered them to be distributed also. They ate as much as they wanted, and they collected seven basketfuls of the scraps left over. Now there had been about four thousand people. He sent them away and immediately, getting into the boat with his disciples, went to the region of Dalmanutha.

[trisham]

Thank you, Salvation!

[annalex]

Mark
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Mark 8
1.	IN those days again, when there was a great multitude, and had nothing to eat; calling his disciples together, he saith to them:	In diebus illis iterum cum turba multa esset, nec haberent quod manducarent, convocatis discipulis, ait illis :	εν εκειναις ταις ημεραις παμπολλου οχλου οντος και μη εχοντων τι φαγωσιν προσκαλεσαμενος ο ιησους τους μαθητας αυτου λεγει αυτοις
2.	I have compassion on the multitude, for behold they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat.	Misereor super turbam : quia ecce jam triduo sustinent me, nec habent quod manducent :	σπλαγχνιζομαι επι τον οχλον οτι ηδη ημεραι τρεις προσμενουσιν μοι και ουκ εχουσιν τι φαγωσιν
3.	And if I shall send them away fasting to their home, they will faint in the way; for some of them came from afar off.	et si dimisero eos jejunos in domum suam, deficient in via : quidam enim ex eis de longe venerunt.	και εαν απολυσω αυτους νηστεις εις οικον αυτων εκλυθησονται εν τη οδω τινες γαρ αυτων μακροθεν ηκουσιν
4.	And his disciples answered him: From whence can any one fill them here with bread in the wilderness?	Et responderunt ei discipuli sui : Unde illos quis poterit saturare panibus in solitudine ?	και απεκριθησαν αυτω οι μαθηται αυτου ποθεν τουτους δυνησεται τις ωδε χορτασαι αρτων επ ερημιας
5.	And he asked them: How many loaves have ye? Who said: Seven.	Et interrogavit eos : Quot panes habetis ? Qui dixerunt : Septem.	και επηρωτα αυτους ποσους εχετε αρτους οι δε ειπον επτα
6.	And taking the seven loaves, giving thanks, he broke, and gave to his disciples for to set before them; and they set them before the people.	Et præcepit turbæ discumbere super terram. Et accipiens septem panes, gratias agens fregit, et dabat discipulis suis ut apponerent, et apposuerunt turbæ.	και παρηγγειλεν τω οχλω αναπεσειν επι της γης και λαβων τους επτα αρτους ευχαριστησας εκλασεν και εδιδου τοις μαθηταις αυτου ινα παραθωσιν και παρεθηκαν τω οχλω
7.	And they had a few little fishes; and he blessed them, and commanded them to be set before them.	Et habebant pisciculos paucos : et ipsos benedixit, et jussit apponi.	και ειχον ιχθυδια ολιγα και ευλογησας ειπεν παραθειναι και αυτα
8.	And they did eat and were filled; and they took up that which was left of the fragments, seven baskets.	Et manducaverunt, et saturati sunt, et sustulerunt quod superaverat de fragmentis, septem sportas.	εφαγον δε και εχορτασθησαν και ηραν περισσευματα κλασματων επτα σπυριδας
9.	And they that had eaten were about four thousand; and he sent them away.	Erant autem qui manducaverunt, quasi quatuor millia : et dimisit eos.	ησαν δε οι φαγοντες ως τετρακισχιλιοι και απελυσεν αυτους
10.	And immediately going up into a ship with his disciples, he came into the parts of Dalmanutha.	Et statim ascendens navim cum discipulis suis, venit in partes Dalmanutha.	και ευθεως εμβας εις το πλοιον μετα των μαθητων αυτου ηλθεν εις τα μερη δαλμανουθα

[annalex]

1. In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said unto them,
2. I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat:
3. And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far.
4. And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness.
5. And he asked them, How many loaves have you? And they said, Seven.
6. And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and broke, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people.
7. And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them.
8. So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets.
9. And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away.

THEOPHYL. After the Lord had performed the former miracle concerning the multiplication of the loaves, now again, a fitting occasion presents itself, and He takes the opportunity of working a similar miracle; wherefore it is said, In those days, the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said to them,

I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat. For He did not always work miracles concerning the feeding of the multitude, lest they should follow Him for the sake of food; now therefore He would not have performed this miracle if He had not seen that the multitude was in danger.

Wherefore it goes on: And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint on the way: for divers of them came from far.

BEDE; Why they who came from afar hold out for three days Matthew says more fully: And he went up to a mountain and sat down there, and great multitudes came to him having with them many sick persons, and cast them down at Jesus feet, to be healed them.

THEOPHYL. The disciples cannot yet understand, nor did they believe in His virtue, notwithstanding former miracles, wherefore it continues, And his disciples said to him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness? But the Lord Himself does not blame them teaching us that we should not he grieviously angry with ignorant men and those who do not understand, but bear with their ignorance.

After this it continues, And He asked them, How many loaves have you? and they answered, Seven.

REMIG. Ignorance was not His reason for asking them, but that from their answering seven, the miracle might he noised abroad, and become more known in proportion to the smallness of the number. It goes on: And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground. In the former feeding they lay on grass, in this one on the ground. It continues, And he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks and broke. In giving thanks, He has left us an example, that for all gifts conferred on us from heaven we should return thanks to Him. And it is to be remarked, that our Lord did not give the bread to the people, but to His disciples, and the disciples to the people; for it goes on, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did Set them before the people. And not only the bread, but the fish also He blessed, and ordered to he set before them.

For there comes after, And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them.

BEDE; In this passage then we should notice, in one and the same our redeemer, a distinct operation of Divinity and our Manhood; thus the error, of Eutyches, who presumes to lay down the doctrine of one only operation in Christ, is to he cast out far from the Christian pale. For who does not here see that the pity of our Lord for the multitude is the feeling and sympathy of humanity; and that at the same time His satisfying four thousand men with seven loaves and a few fishes, is a work of Divine virtue?

It goes on, And they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets.

THEOPHYL. The multitudes who ate and were filled did not take with them the remains of the loaves, but the disciples took them up, as they did before the baskets. In which we learn according to the narration, that veve should be content with what is sufficient, and not look for anything beyond. The number of those who ate is put down, when it is said, And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away; where we may see that Christ sends no one away fasting, for He wishes all to be nourished by His grace.

BEDE; The typical difference between this feeding and the other of the five loaves and two fishes, is, that there the letter of the Old Testament, full of spiritual grace, is signified, but here the truth and grace of the New Testament, which is to be ministered to all the faithful, is pointed out. Now the multitude remains three days, waiting for the Lord to heal their sick as Matthew relates, when the elect, in the faith of the Holy Trinity, supplicate for sins, with persevering earnestness; or because they turn themselves to the Lord in deed, in word, and in thought.

THEOPHYL. Or by those who wait for three days, He means the baptized; for baptism is called illumination, and is performed by trine immersion. GREG. He does not however wish to dismiss them fasting, lest they should faint by the way; for it is necessary that men should find in what is preached the word of consolation, lest hungering through want of the food of truth, they sink under the toil of this life.

AMBROSE; The good Lord indeed whilst He requires diligence, gives strength; nor will He dismiss the fasting, lest they faint by the way, that is, either in the course of this life, or before they have reached the fountain-head of life, that is, the Father, and have learnt that Christ is of the Father, lest haply, after, receiving that He is born of a virgin, they begin to esteem His virtue not that of God, but of man. Therefore the Lord Jesus divides the food, and His will indeed is the give to all, to deny none; He is the Dispenser of all things, but if you refuse to stretch forth your hand to receive the food, you will faint by the way, nor can you find fault with Him, who pities and divides.

BEDE; But they who return to repentance after the crimes of the flesh, after thefts, violence, and murders, come to the Lord from afar; for in proportion as a man has wandered farther in evil working, so he has ventured farther from Almighty God. The believers amongst the Gentiles came from afar to Christ, but the Jews from near, for they had been taught concerning Him by the letter of the law and the prophets. In the former case, however, of time feeding with five loaves, the multitude lay upon the green grass; here, however, upon the ground, because by the writing of the law, we are ordered to keep under the desires of the flesh, but in the New Testament we are ordered to leave even the earth itself and our temporal goods.

THEOPHYL. Further, the seven loaves are spiritual discourses, for seven is the number which points out the Holy G host, who perfects all things; for our life is perfected in the number of seven days.

PSEUDO-JEROME; Or else, the seven loaves are the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the fragments of the loaves and the mystical understanding of the first week.

BEDE; For our Lord's breaking the bread means the opening of mysteries; His giving of thanks shows how great a joy He feels in the salvation of the human race; His giving the loaves to His disciples that they might set them before the people, signifies that He assigns the spiritual gifts of knowledge to the Apostles, and that it was His will that by their ministry the food of life should be distributed to the Church.

PSEUDO-JEROME. The small fishes blessed are the books of the New Testament, for our Lord when risen asks for a piece of broiled fish; or else in these little fishes, we receive the saints, seeing that in the Scriptures of the New Testament are contained the faith, life, and, sufferings of them who, snatched away from the troubled waves of this world, have given us by their example spiritual refreshment.

BEDE; Again, what was over and above, after the multitude was refreshed, the Apostles take up, because the higher precepts of perfection, to which the multitude cannot attain, belong to those whose life transcends that of the generality of the people of God; nevertheless, the multitude is said to have been satisfied, because though they cannot leave all that they possess, nor come up to that which is spoken of virgins, yet by listening to the commands of the law of God, they attain to everlasting life.

PSEUDO-JEROME; Again, the seven baskets are the Seven Churches. By the four thousand is meant the year of the new dispensation, with its four seasons. Fitly also are there four thousand, that in the number itself it might be taught us that they were filled with the food of the Gospel.

THEOPHYL. Or there are four thousand, that is, men perfect in the four virtues; and for this reason, as being more advanced, they ate more, and left fewer fragments. For in this miracle, seven baskets full remain, but in the miracle of the five loaves, twelve, for there were five thousand men, which means men enslaved to the five senses, and for this reason they could not eat, but were satisfied with little, and many remains of the fragments were over and above.

10. And straightway he entered into a ship with his disciples, and came into the parts of Dalmanutha.

THEOPHYL. After that our Lord had worked the miracle of the loaves, He immediately retires into another spot, lest on account of the miracle, the multitudes should take Him to make Him a king; wherefore it is said, And straightway He entered into a ship with his disciples, and came in to the parts of Dalmanutha.

AUG. Now in Matthew we read that He entered into the parts of Magdala. But we cannot doubt that it is the same place under another name; for several manuscripts even of St. Mark have only Magdala. It goes on, And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question to with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him.

Catena Aurea Mark 8

[annalex]

The Feeding of the Multitude

Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry
ca. 800
1411-1416

[Salvation]

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[Salvation]

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[Salvation]

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[Salvation]

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[Salvation]

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[Salvation]

Pray the Rosary!

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[Salvation]

 

Jesus, High Priest

 

We thank you, God our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry.

Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill your priests with the sure knowledge of your love.

Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit.

Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.

Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.

Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holiness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will.

O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son.

Intercede for our priests, that offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be conformed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Saint John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests

This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.

The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.

The border contains an altar and grapevines, representing the Mass, and icons of Melchizedek and St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney.

Melchizedek: king of righteousness (left icon) was priest and king of Jerusalem.  He blessed Abraham and has been considered an ideal priest-king.

St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests.

[Salvation]

Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)

5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

6. Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.

Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.

End with the Hail Holy Queen:
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Final step -- The Sign of the Cross

The Mysteries of the Rosary By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary. The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.

The Joyful Mysteries

(Mondays and Saturdays)

1. The Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38) [Spiritual fruit - Humility]
2. The Visitation (Luke 1: 39-56) [Spiritual fruit - Love of Neighbor]
3. The Nativity (Luke 2:1-20) [Spiritual fruit - Poverty of Spirit]
4. The Presentation (Luke 2:21-38) [Spiritual fruit - Purity of mind & body]
5. The Finding of Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:41-52) [Spiritual fruit - Obedience ]

[Salvation]

St. Michael the Archangel

~ PRAYER ~

St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle
Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
Cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen
+

[Salvation]

February Devotion: The Holy Family

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The month of February has been primarily asociated with the Holy Family, probably due to the feast of Our Lord's presentation at the temple, celebrated on February 2. At the very outset of Christ's work on earth, God showed the world a family in which, as Pope Leo XIII teaches, "all men might behold a perfect model of domestic life, and of all virtue and holiness." The harmony, unity, and holiness which characterized this holy Family make it the model for all Christian families.

INVOCATION
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph most kind, Bless us now and in death's agony.

FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE HOLY FAMILY
Grant unto us, Lord Jesus, ever to follow the example of Thy holy Family, that in the hour of our death Thy glorious Virgin Mother together with blessed Joseph may come to meet us and we may be worthily received by Thee into everlasting dwellings: who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.
Roman Missal

CONSECRATION TO THE HOLY FAMILY
O Jesus, our most loving Redeemer, who having come to enlighten the world with Thy teaching and example, didst will to pass the greater part of Thy life in humility and subjection to Mary and Joseph in the poor home of Nazareth, thus sanctifying the Family that was to be an example for all Christian families, graciously receive our family as it dedicates and consecrates itself to Thee this day. Do Thou defend us, guard us and establish amongst us Thy holy fear, true peace, and concord in Christian love: in order that, by conforming ourselves to the divine pattern of Thy family, we may be able, all of us without exception, to attain to eternal happiness.

Mary, dear Mother of Jesus and Mother of us, by thy kindly intercession make this our humble offering acceptable in the sight of Jesus, and obtain for us His graces and blessings.

O Saint Joseph, most holy guardian of Jesus and Mary, assist us by thy prayers in all our spiritual and temporal necessities; that so we may be enabled to praise our divine Savior Jesus, together with Mary and thee, for all eternity.

Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be, three times.

IN HONOR OF THE HOLY FAMILY
O God, heavenly Father, it was part of Thine eternal decree that Thine only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, should form a holy family with Mary, His blessed mother, and His foster father, Saint Joseph. In Nazareth home life was sanctified, and a perfect example was given to every Christian family. Grant, we beseech Thee, that we may fully comprehend and faithfully imitate the virtues of the Holy Family so that we may be united with them one day in their heavenly glory. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954

Holy Family Chaplet

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I give you my heart.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with me in my last hour.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, may I breathe forth my soul
in peace with you.

Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true man.
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most holy.
Blessed be St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse. Amen.

Say 3 Our Father's, 3 Hail Mary's, and 3 Glory be's.

PRAYER TO
THE HOLY FAMILY
===================================================================== ================

GOD our Heavenly Father, You call all peoples to be united as one family in worshipping You as the one and true God. You willed that Your Son become man, giving Him a virgin mother and a foster father to form the Holy Family of Nazareth.

WE pray: may the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, image and model of every human family unit walk in the spirit of Nazareth and grow in the understanding of its particular mission in society and the Church. May our families be living cells of love, faithfulness and unity, thus reflecting God's covenant with humanity and Christ's redeeming love for His Church.

JESUS, Mary and Joseph protect our families from all evil; keep us, who are away from home, one in love with our dear ones.

Parent's Prayer

Jesus, Son of God, Son of Man, and Son of Mary, I thank you for the gift of life you have entrusted to my care. Help me be a parent both tender and wise, both loving and forgiving.

Mary, Holy Mother of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and our Motherly Queen of Heaven, nourish our family with your heavenly grace. Help us to remain faithful to The Most Holy Trinity, in all our sorrows and joys.

Joseph, Earthly father to our Lord God, guardian and spouse of Mary, keep our family safe from harm. Help us in all times of discouragement or anxiety.

Holy Family of Nazareth, help our family to walk in your footsteps. May we be peace-loving and peace-giving.
Amen.

 

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Lots of Graphics: Post your favorite image of the St. Mary and Child, the Holy Family...