Mark
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Mark 9
2.	9:1 AND after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter and James and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves, and was transfigured before them.	9:1 Et post dies sex assumit Jesus Petrum, et Jacobum, et Joannem, et ducit illos in montem excelsum seorsum solos, et transfiguratus est coram ipsis.	και μεθ ημερας εξ παραλαμβανει ο ιησους τον πετρον και τον ιακωβον και [τον] ιωαννην και αναφερει αυτους εις ορος υψηλον κατ ιδιαν μονους και μετεμορφωθη εμπροσθεν αυτων
3.	9:2 And his garments became shining and exceeding white as snow, so as no fuller upon earth can make white.	9:2 Et vestimenta ejus facta sunt splendentia, et candida nimis velut nix, qualia fullo non potest super terram candida facere.	και τα ιματια αυτου εγενοντο στιλβοντα λευκα λιαν ως χιων οια γναφευς επι της γης ου δυναται λευκαναι
4.	9:3 And there appeared to them Elias with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus.	9:3 Et apparuit illis Elias cum Moyse : et erant loquentes cum Jesu.	και ωφθη αυτοις ηλιας συν μωσει και ησαν συλλαλουντες τω ιησου
5.	9:4 And Peter answering, said to Jesus: Rabbi, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.	9:4 Et respondens Petrus, ait Jesu : Rabbi, bonum est nos hic esse : et faciamus tria tabernacula, tibi unum, et Moysi unum, et Eliæ unum.	και αποκριθεις ο πετρος λεγει τω ιησου ραββι καλον εστιν ημας ωδε ειναι και ποιησωμεν σκηνας τρεις σοι μιαν και μωσει μιαν και ηλια μιαν
6.	9:5 For he knew not what he said: for they were struck with fear.	9:5 Non enim sciebat quid diceret : erant enim timore exterriti.	ου γαρ ηδει τι λαλησει ησαν γαρ εκφοβοι
7.	9:6 And there was a cloud overshadowing them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying: This is my most beloved son; hear ye him.	9:6 Et facta est nubes obumbrans eos : et venit vox de nube, dicens : Hic est Filius meus carissimus : audite illum.	και εγενετο νεφελη επισκιαζουσα αυτοις και ηλθεν φωνη εκ της νεφελης ουτος εστιν ο υιος μου ο αγαπητος αυτου ακουετε
8.	9:7 And immediately looking about, they saw no man any more, but Jesus only with them.	9:7 Et statim circumspicientes, neminem amplius viderunt, nisi Jesum tantum secum.	και εξαπινα περιβλεψαμενοι ουκετι ουδενα ειδον αλλα τον ιησουν μονον μεθ εαυτων
9.	9:8 And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them not to tell any man what things they had seen, till the Son of man shall be risen again from the dead.	9:8 Et descendentibus illis de monte, præcepit illis ne cuiquam quæ vidissent, narrarent : nisi cum Filius hominis a mortuis resurrexerit.	καταβαινοντων δε αυτων απο του ορους διεστειλατο αυτοις ινα μηδενι διηγησωνται α ειδον ει μη οταν ο υιος του ανθρωπου εκ νεκρων αναστη
10.	9:9 And they kept the word to themselves; questioning together what that should mean, when he shall be risen from the dead.	9:9 Et verbum continuerunt apud se : conquirentes quid esset, cum a mortuis resurrexerit.	και τον λογον εκρατησαν προς εαυτους συζητουντες τι εστιν το εκ νεκρων αναστηναι
11.	9:10 And they asked him, saying: Why then do the Pharisees and scribes say that Elias must come first?	9:10 Et interrogabant eum, dicentes : Quid ergo dicunt pharisæi et scribæ, quia Eliam oportet venire primum ?	και επηρωτων αυτον λεγοντες οτι λεγουσιν οι γραμματεις οτι ηλιαν δει ελθειν πρωτον
12.	9:11 Who answering, said to them: Elias, when he shall come first, shall restore all things; and as it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things and be despised.	9:11 Qui respondens, ait illis : Elias cum venerit primo, restituet omnia : et quomodo scriptum est in Filium hominis, ut multa patiatur et contemnatur.	ο δε αποκριθεις ειπεν αυτοις ηλιας μεν ελθων πρωτον αποκαθιστα παντα και πως γεγραπται επι τον υιον του ανθρωπου ινα πολλα παθη και εξουδενωθη
13.	9:12 But I say to you, that Elias also is come, (and they have done to him whatsoever they would,) as it is written of him.	9:12 Sed dico vobis quia et Elias venit (et fecerunt illi quæcumque voluerunt) sicut scriptum est de eo.	αλλα λεγω υμιν οτι και ηλιας εληλυθεν και εποιησαν αυτω οσα ηθελησαν καθως γεγραπται επ αυτον

Catena Aurea by St. Thomas Aguinas

CHAP. 9

9:1–8

1. And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.

2. And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.

3. And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.

4. And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.

5. And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

6. For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid.

7. And there was a cloud that overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.

8. And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves.

PSEUDO-JEROME. After the consummation of the cross, the glory of the resurrection is shewn, that they, who were to see with their own eyes the glory of the resurrection to come, might not fear the shame of the cross; wherefore it is said, And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and led them up into an high mountain apart by themselves, and he was transfigured before them.

CHRYSOSTOM. (Hom. in Matt. 65) Luke in saying, After eight days, does not contradict this; for he reckoned in both the day on which Christ had spoken what goes before, and the day on which he took them up. And the reason that he took them up after six days, was that they might be filled with a more eager desire during the space of these days, and with a watchful and anxious mind attend to what they saw.

THEOPHYLACT. And He takes with Him the three chiefs of the Apostles, Peter, as confessing and loving him, John, as the beloved one, James, as being sublime in speech and as a divine; for so displeasing was he to the Jews, that Herod wishing to please the Jews slew him.

PSEUDO-CHRYSOSTOM. (Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.) He does not however shew His glory in a house, but He takes them up into a high mountain, for the loftiness of the mountain was adapted to shewing forth the loftiness of His glory.

THEOPHYLACT. And He took them apart, because He was about to reveal mysteries to them. We must also understand by transfiguration not the change of His features, but that, whilst His features remained as before, there was added unto Him a certain ineffable brightness.

PSEUDO-CHRYSOSTOM. (Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.) It is not therefore fitting that in the kingdom of God any change of feature should take place, either in the Saviour Himself, or in those who are to be made like unto him, but only an addition of brightness.

BEDE. (in Marc. 3, 37) Our Saviour then when transfigured did not lose the substance of real flesh, but shewed forth the glory of His own or of our future resurrection; for such as He then appeared to the Apostles, He will after the judgment appear to all His elect. It goes on, And his raiment became shining.

GREGORY. (Mor. 32, 6) Because, in the height of the brightness of heaven above, they who shine in righteousness of life, will cling to Him; for by the name of garments, He means the just whom He joins to Himself. There follows, And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.

CHRYSOSTOM. (Hom. in Matt. 56) He brings Moses and Elias before them; first, indeed, because the multitudes said that Christ was Elias, and one of the Prophets, He shews Himself to the Apostles with them, that they might see the difference between the Lord, and His servants. And again because the Jews accused Christ of transgressing the law, and thought Him a blasphemer, as if He arrogated to Himself the glory of His Father, He brought before them those who shone conspicuous in both ways; for Moses gave the Law, and Elias was zealous for the glory of God; for which reason neither would have stood near Him, if He had been opposed to God and to His law. And that they might know that He holds the power of life and of death, He brings before them both Moses who was dead, and Elias who had not yet suffered death. Furthermore He signified by this that the doctrine of the Prophets was the schoolmaster to the doctrine of Christ. He also signified the junction of the New and Old Testament, and that the Apostles shall be joined in the resurrection with the Prophets, and both together shall go forth to meet their common King. It goes on, And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

BEDE. (ubi sup.) If the transfigured humanity of Christ and the society of but two saints seen for a moment, could confer delight to such a degree that Peter would, even by serving them, stay their departure, how great a happiness will it be to enjoy the vision of Deity amidst choirs of Angels for ever? It goes on, For he wist not what to say; although, however, Peter from the stupor of human frailty knew not what to say, still he gives a proof of the feelings which were within him; for the cause of his not knowing what to say, was his forgetting that the kingdom was promised to the Saints by the Lord not in any earthly region, but in heaven; he did not remember that he and his fellow-Apostles were still hemmed in by mortal flesh and could not bear the state of immortal life, to which his soul had already carried him away, because in our Father’s house in heaven, a house made with hands is not needed. But again even up to this time he is pointed at, as an ignorant man, who wishes to make three tabernacles for the Law, the Prophets, and the Gospel, since they in no way can be separated from each other.

CHRYSOSTOM.f Again, Peter neither comprehended that the Lord worked His transfiguration for the shewing forth of His true glory, nor that He did this in order to teach men, nor that it was impossible for them to leave the multitude and dwell in the mountain. It goes on, For they were sore afraid. But this fear of theirs was one by which they were raised from their usual state of mind to one higher, and they recognised that those who appeared to them were Moses and Elias. The soul also was drawn on to a state of heavenly feeling, as though carried away from human sense by the heavenly vision.

THEOPHYLACT. Or else, Peter, fearing to come down from the mount because he had now a presentiment that Christ must be crucified, said, It is good for us to be here, and not to go down there, that is, in the midst of the Jews; but if they who are furious against Thee come hither, we have Moses who beat down the Egyptians, we have also Elias, who brought fire down from heaven and destroyed the five hundred.

ORIGEN. (in Matt tom. xii. 40) Mark says in his own person, For he wist not what to say. Where it is matter for, consideration, whether perchance Peter spoke this in the confusion of his mind, by the motion of a spirit not his own; whether perchance that spirit himself who wished, as far as in him lay, to be a stumbling-block to Christ, so that He might shrink from that Passion, which was the saving of all men, did not here work as a seducer and wish under the colour of good to prevent Christ from condescending to men, from coming to them, and taking death upon Himself for their sakes.

BEDE. (ubi sup.) Now because Peter sought for a material tabernacle, he was covered with the shadow of the cloud, that he might learn that in the resurrection they are to be protected not by the covering of houses, but by the glory of the Holy Ghost; wherefore it goes on, There was a cloud that overshadowed them. And the reason why they obtained no answer from the Lord was, that they asked unadvisedly; but the Father answered for the Son, wherefore there follows, And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

CHRYSOSTOM. (Hom. in Matt. 56) The voice proceeded from a cloud in which God is wont to appear, that they might believe that the voice was sent forth from God. But in that He says, This is my beloved Son, He declares that the will of the Father and the Son is one, and that, save in that He is the Son, He is in all things One with Him who begot Him.

BEDE. (ubi sup.) He then whose preaching, as Moses foretold, every soul that wished to be saved should hear when He came in the flesh, He now come in the flesh is proclaimed by God the Father to the disciples as the one whom they were to hear. There follows, And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves; for as soon as the Son was proclaimed, at once the servants disappeared, lest the voice of the Father should seem to have been sent forth to them.

THEOPHYLACT. Again mystically; after the end of this world, which was made in six days, Jesus will take us up (if we be His disciples) into an high mountain, that is, into heaven, where we shall see His exceeding glory.

BEDE. (ubi sup.) And by the garments of the Lord are meant His saints, who will shine with a new whiteness. By the fuller we must understand Him, to whom the Psalmist says, (Ps. 51) Wash me throughly from my wickedness, and cleanse me from my sin; for He cannot give to His faithful ones upon earth that glory which remains laid up for them in heaven.

REMIGIUS. Or else, by the fuller are meant holy preachers and purifiers of the soul, none of whom in this life can so live as not to be stained with some spots of sin; but in the coming resurrection all the saints shall be purged from every stain of sin. Therefore the Lord will make them such as neither they themselves by taking vengeance on their own members, nor any preacher by his example and doctrine, can make.

CHRYSOSTOM. Or else, white garments are the writings of Evangelists and Apostles, the like to which no interpreter can frame.

ORIGEN. (in Matt. tom. xii. 39) Or else, fullers upon earth may by a moral interpretation be considered to be the wise of this world, who are thought to adorn even their foul understandings and doctrines with a false whitening drawn from their own minds. But their skill as fullers cannot produce any thing like a discourse which shews forth the brightness of spiritual conceptions in the unpolished words of Scripture, which by many are despised.

BEDE. (ubi. sup.) Moses and Elias, of whom one, as we read, died, the other was carried away to heaven, signify the coming glory of all the Saints, that is, of all who in the judgment-time are either to be found alive in the flesh, or to be raised up from that death of which they tasted, and who are all equally to reign with Him.

THEOPHYLACT. Or else it means, that we are to see in glory both the Law and the Prophets speaking with Him, that is, we shall then find that all those things which were spoken of Him by Moses and the other prophets agree with the reality; then too we shall hear the voice of the Father, revealing to us the Son of the Father, and saying, This is my beloved Son, and the cloud, that is, the Holy Ghost, the fount of truth, will overshadow us.

BEDE. (ubi sup.) And we must observe, that, as when the Lord was baptized in Jordan, so on the mountain, covered with brightness, the whole mystery of the Holy Trinity is declared, because we shall see in the resurrection that glory of the Trinity which we believers confess in baptism, and shall praise it all together. Nor is it without reason that the Holy Ghost appeared here in a bright cloud, there in the form of a dove; because he who now with a simple heart keeps the faith which he hath embraced, shall then contemplate what he had believed with the brightness of open vision. But when the voice had been heard over the Son, He was found Himself alone, because when He shall have manifested Himself to His elect, God shall be all in all, yea Christ with His own, as the Head with the body, shall shine through all things. (1 Cor. 15:28).

9:9–13

9. And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.

10. And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.

11. And they asked him, saying, Why say the Scribes that Elias must first come?

12. And he answered and told them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought.

13. But I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him.

ORIGEN. (in Matt. tom. xii. 43) After the shewing of the mystery on the mount, the Lord commanded His disciples, as they were coming down from the mount, not to reveal His transfiguration, before the glory of His Passion and Resurrection; wherefore it is said, And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.

CHRYSOSTOM. (Hom in Matt. 56) Where He not only orders them to be silent, but mentioning His Passion, He implies the cause why they were to be silent.

THEOPHYLACT. Which He did lest men should be offended, hearing such glorious things of Him Whom they were about to see crucified. It was not therefore fitting to say such things of Christ before He suffered, but after His resurrection they were likely to be believed.

PSEUDO-CHRYSOSTOM. (Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.) But they, being ignorant of the mystery of the resurrection, took hold of that saying, and disputed one with another; wherefore there follows, And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should, mean.

PSEUDO-JEROME. This, which is peculiar to Mark, means, that when death shall have been swallowed up in victory, we shall have no memory for the former things. It goes on, And they asked him, saying, Why say the Scribes that Elias must first come.

CHRYSOSTOM. (non occ.) The design of the disciples in asking this question seems to me to be this. We indeed have seen Elias with Thee, and have seen Thee before seeing Elias, but the Scribes say that Elias cometh first; we therefore believe that they have lied.

BEDE. (ubi sup.) Or thus; the disciples thought that the change which they had seen in Him in the mount, was His transformation to glory; and they say, If Thou hast already come in glory, wherefore doth not Thy forerunner appear? chiefly because they had seen Elias go away.

CHRYSOSTOM. (Hom. in Matt. 57) But what Christ answered to this, is seen by what follows, And he answered and told them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things; in which He shews that Elias will come before His second advent. For the Scriptures declare two advents of Christ, namely, one which has taken place, and another which is to come; but the Lord asserts that Elias is the forerunner of the second advent.

BEDE. (ubi sup.) Again, He will restore all things, that is to say, those things which Malachi points out, saying, Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet, and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers; (Mal. 4:5, 6) he will yield up also to death that debt, which by his prolonged life he has delayed to render.

THEOPHYLACT. Now the Lord puts this forward to oppose the notion of the Pharisees, who held that Elias was the forerunner of the first advent, shewing that it led them to a false conclusion; wherefore he subjoins, And how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought. As if He had said, When Elias the Tishbite cometh, he will pacify the Jews, and will bring them to the faith, and thus be the forerunner of the second advent. If then Elias is the forerunner of the first advent, how is it written that the Son of man must suffer? One of these two things therefore will follow; either that Elias is not the forerunner of the first advent, and thus the Scripture will be true; or that he is the forerunner of the first advent, and then the Scriptures will not be true, which say that Christ must suffer; for Elias must restore all things, in which case there will not be an unbelieving Jew, but all, whosoever hear him, must believe on his preaching.

BEDE. (ubi sup.) Or this, And how it is written: that is, in the same way as the prophets have written many things in various places concerning the Passion of Christ, Elias also, when he comes, is to suffer many things, and to be despised by the wicked.

CHRYSOSTOM. (ubi sup.) Now as the Lord asserted that Elias was to be the forerunner of the second advent, so consequently He asserted that John was the forerunner of the first; wherefore He subjoins, But I say unto you, that Elias is indeed come.

GLOSS. (non in Gloss. sed ap. Chrys ubi sup.) He calls John Elias, not because he was Elias in person, but because he fulfilled the ministry of Elias; for as the latter will be the forerunner of the second advent, so the former has been that of the first.

THEOPHYLACT. For again, John rebuked vice, and was a zealous man, and a hermit like Elias; but they heard him not, as they will hear Elias, but killed him in wicked sport, and cut off his head; wherefore there follows, And they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him.

PSEUDO-CHRYSOSTOM. (Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.) Or else, the disciples asked Jesus, how it was written that the Son of man must suffer? Now in answer to this, He says, As John came in the likeness of Elias, and they evil intreated him, so according to the Scriptures must the Son of man suffer.

Catena Aurea Mark 9

A BRIEF LIFE HISTORY OF SAINT KURIAKOSE ELIAS CHAVARA

Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara was born on 10 February 1805 in Kainakary, a small village of Alleppey district in the Travancore state. After his primary education he joined the Pallipuram seminary attached to Saint Mary’s Church, Cherthala. Father Thomas Palackal was his malpan (professor of sacred sciences). He received his sub-diaconate in 1827 and diaconate in 1828. On 29 November 1829, he was ordained a priest at Saint Andrews Church, Arthunkal. From a very young age,Kuriakose was instructed to chant the name ‘Jesus’, as a result of which he eagerly wished to live a life dedicated to Jesus and the Church.

After his priestly ordination, he joined Father Thomas Palackal and Father Thomas Porukara, his malpans, and laid the foundation for a spiritual movement at Mannanam. They were joined by Brother Jacob Kanianthara who shared their lofty ideal of life in seclusion, away from worldly pursuits. They established a residence at Mannanam in the year 1831 and named it ‘Beth Rauma’ (house on the hilltop). Beth Rauma had a humble beginning and grew into a dwelling place for a group of religious priests who, later, came to be known as Servants of the Immaculate Conception. This religious community at Mannanam laid the foundation for the congregation of Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI). Father Thomas Palackal and Father Thomas Porukara died in 1841 and 1846 respectively.

With the demise of his malpans, Father Kuriakose was entrusted with the responsibility of this new congregation, which he led until his death. In 1861, Archbishop Bernardinose of the Arch-diocese of Verapoly appointed Father Kuriakose the Vicar General of the Syrian Catholics, and he fought against the schism arising from the arrival of BishopRoccos, which did disturb the unity of the Malabar Church.

From 1831 onwards Father Kuriakose engaged in various spiritual and welfare activities, such as starting a Sanskrit school at Mannanam for the educational development of the area, establishing the first wooden press in Kerala, renewing the Order of the Liturgy, popularising Sunday sermons and organizing annual retreats in parishes to facilitate the spiritual renewal of the people. In 1866, he founded the first Indian religious congregation for women, the Congregation of Mother of Carmel (CMC).

Saint Kuriakose spent the last seven years of his life at Koonammavu, Kerala, where he died on 3 January 1871 and was buried in Saint Philomena’s Church, Koonammavu. Later, on 24 May 1889, his mortal remains were transferred from Koonammavu and re¬in¬terred in the Saint Joseph’s Monastery Chapel at Mannanam, the mother house of the CMI congregation.

Saint Kuriakose Elias was well known for his sacrificial life and continues to be a modelof Christian virtue and a solace for many in their trials and tribulations. Many favours have been received through his intercession. SaintAlphonsa, the first saint of India, sought the intercession of Saint Kuriakose and was instantly cured of her illness. She had certified this cure by her own handwritten testimonial.

The canonization process of Father Kuriakose Elias Chavara began in 1956 and, on 8 February 1986, he was beatified by Pope John Paul II at Kottayam, Kerala.

The miraculous cure of the crippled feet of Joseph Pennaparampil from Calicut, Kerala, through the intercession of Saint Kuriakose was approved for the beatification. The miraculous cure of the alternating convergent squint eyes of Maria Jose Kottarathil from Pala, Kerala, was approved by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Vatican, for the canonization of Saint Kuriakose. On 18 March 2014, Pope Francis signed the Decreeapproving Blessed Kuriakose Elias Chavara to be declared a saint.

On 23 November 2014, Kuriakose Elias Chavara was canonized at Rome by Pope Francis. The tomb, where the mortal remains of Saint Kuriakose are interred, is situated in front of the main altar of Saint Joseph’s Monastery Chapel at Mannanam.

MILESTONES IN THE LIFE OF SAINT KURIAKOSE ELIAS CHAVARA

10-02-1805 Born at Kainakary, Kerala
18-02-1805 Baptized at Chennamkary Parish Church
08-09-1805 Dedicated to Blessed Virgin Mary as her servant at Vechoor Church
1810 Started primary education at Kainakary
1818 Joined the parish seminary at Pallipuram
29-11-1829 Ordained priest at ArthunkalChurch
11-05-1831 Foundation of the first Indian indigenous religious congregation for men, Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI), along with Father Thomas Palackal and Father Thomas Porukara
1831 Popularized Sunday Homilies and introduced Retreats for priests and laity in the Kerala Church
1833 Establishment of the first Syro-Malabar Common Seminary at Mannanam
1838 Introduction of ‘Way of the Cross’ devotion at Mannanam
16-02-1844 Appointed Malpan (tutor of sacred subjects) and examiner of Scholastics withthe authorization to issue patents to the newly ordained priests to hear confession and to preach in the Church
03-07-1846 Foundation of the first printing press and publishing house of the Syro-Malabar Church at Mannanam
1846 Foundation of the First Catholic Sanskrit School at Mannanam
1853 Foundation of the First Syro-Malabar Catechumenate at Mannanam
08-12-1855 First priest to profess as religious in the Indian Church (along with 10 other members)
1856-1857 Wrote 10 Eclogues (Shepherd Plays) on the nativity of Jesus Christ
27-07-1861 OCD Affiliated the Congregation as Third Order of Carmelites Discalced (TOCD)
08-06-1861 Appointed as the First Vicar General in the Syro-Malabar Church after the time of Archdeacons
1861 Fought for Syro-Malabar Church against schismatic intruder bishop Roccos
1862 Wrote the First Malayalam Narrative poem, AnasthasiayudeRaktha-sakshyam, an inspirational story of a martyr
1862-1869 Edited the Divine Office for priests, compiled and composed Liturgical Rubrics, Liturgical Calendar, Office for the Dead, Little Office of Immaculate Mother, etc., in the Malabar Church
1864 Introduced the ‘May Devotion of Blessed Virgin Mary’at Mannanam
1864 Implemented the concept, ‘A School for a Church’ (Pallikkudam), in the Syro-Malabar Church as its Vicar General
13-02-1866 Foundation of the Indian Religious Congregation for women, Congregation of Mother Carmel (CMC), at Koonammavu together with Father Leopold OCD, an Italian Missionary
15-02-1866 Introduced 40 Hours Eucharistic. Adoration in Kerala at Koonammavu
02-01-1868 Started the first boarding house and school for girls in Kerala at Koonammavu together with Father Leopold OCD
13-02-1868 Wrote the first instruction manual, A Testament of a Loving Father (OruNallaAppante Chavarul) for Christian families, the first of its kind in the Church
1869 Foundation of the first lay charitable organization, the ‘Confraternity of Saint Joseph for Happy Death’ at Kainakary
1869 Foundation of the first Home of Charity, Upavisala, for the sick, old, and destitute at Kainakary
1869 Initiated Catholic reunion movement
03-01-1871 Slept in the Lord at SaintPhilomina’s Monastery at Koonammavu
04-05-1889 Mortal remains reinterred at Saint Joseph’s Monastery, Mannanam, Mother House of the CMI Congregation
21-12-1936 Canonization process started at the congregational level
09-12-1955 Official permission to start the process of Canonization
03-01-1958 Diocesan process started with the title Servant of God
07-04-1984 Declared Venerable by Pope John Paul II in Rome
08-02-1986 Beatification at Kottayam, Kerala, by Pope John Paul II
20-12-1987 Release of the postal stamp by the Government of India in recognition of the social commitment of Saint Chavara
04-05-2006 Portrait of Saint Chavara unveiled in the Literary Academy Hall of Thrissur by Government of Kerala for contribution to Malayalam literature
19-10-2014 Publication of Eclogues by Kerala Sahithya Academy
23-11-2014 Canonization of Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara at Vatican by Pope Francis

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NAVARRE BIBLE COMMENTARY (RSV)

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (To the Greater Glory of God)

From: Hebrews 11:1-19

The Good Example of the Patriarchs
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[1] Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. [2] For by it the men of old received divine approval. [3] By faith we understand that the world was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made out of things which do not appear. [4] By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he received approval as righteous, Gen 5:24 God bearing witness by accepting his gifts; he died, but Sir 44:16 through his faith he is still speaking. [5] By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death; and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was attested as having pleased God. [6] And without faith it is impossible to please him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. [7] By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, took heed and constructed an ark for the saving of his household; by this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness which comes by faith.

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Commentary:

1. Although the text does not aim to provide a precise definition of faith, it does in fact very clearly describe the essence of that virtue, linking it to hope in future things and to certainty concerning supernatural truths. By means of faith, the believer acquires certainty concerning God's promises to man, and a firm conviction that he will obtain access to heaven. The Latin translates as "substantia" the word the RSV translates as "assurance"; "substantia", which literally means "that which underlies", here refers to the solid basis provided by hope.

This verse indicates that faith, which is a type of knowledge, is different from other types of human knowledge. Thus, man can know things by direct evidence, by reasoned proof or by someone else's testimony. As regards knowledge based on information provided by someone else, that is, knowledge based on faith, we can distinguish two types--human faith, when it is another human being whose word one relies on (as in the case of pupil/teacher, child/parent), and supernatural faith (when the testimony comes from God himself, who is Supreme Truth). In this latter case the knowledge provided is most certain.

However, the object of supernatural faith, that is, what one believes in (God and the unchanging decrees of his will), is not something that is self-evident to man, nor is it something that can be attained by the use of unaided reason. That is why it is necessary for God himself to bear witness to what he reveals. Faith, then, is certain knowledge, but it is knowledge of things which are not self-evident, things which one does not see but which one can hope for.

The verse also says that faith is "conviction" concerning things not seen. It is therefore different from opinion, suspicion or doubt (none of which implies certainty). By saying that it has to do with things unseen, it is distinguishing faith from knowledge and intuitive cognition (cf. "Summa Theologiae", II-II, q. 4,a. 1).

Summing up, we can say that "when God makes a revelation, we are obliged to render by faith a full submission of intellect and will. The faith, however, which is the beginning of human salvation, the Catholic Church asserts to be a supernatural virtue whereby, with the inspiration and help of God's grace, we believe that what he has revealed is true--not because its intrinsic truth is seen by the natural light of reason, but because of the authority of God who reveals it, of God who can neither deceive nor be deceived" (Vatican I, "Dei Filius", chap. 3).

It is, therefore, a feature of faith that it makes as certain about things which are not self-evident. That is why in order to believe one must want to believe, why the act of believing is always free and meritorious. However, faith can, with God's help, reach a certainty greater than any proof can provide. 'This faith", St John of Avila comments, "is not based on reasons [...]; for when a person believes on the basis of reasons, he is not believing in such a way that he is totally convinced, without any doubt or scruple whatever. But the faith which God infuses is grounded on divine Truth, and it causes one to believe more firmly than if one saw it with one's own eyes, and touched it with one's hands--and to believe more certainly than he who believes that four is greater than three, the sort of thing that is so obvious that the mind never hesitates a moment, nor can it even if it wants to" ("Audi, Filia", chap. 43).

The faith which God gives a person--supernatural faith--is necessarily the point of departure for hope and charity: it is what is usually called "living faith".

When one lives with this kind of faith it is easy to see that the three "theological" virtues (faith, hope and charity) are bound up with one another. Faith and hope lead a person to unite himself to God as the source from which all good things flow; charity unites us to God directly, by loving affection, because God is the supreme Good. Faith is as it were the first step: it means accepting what God says as true. We then unite ourselves to him through hope, insofar as we rely on God's help to attain beatitude. The goal of this process is charity, the fullness of which is eternal possession of God, the Supreme Good. "Let us grow in hope, thereby strengthening our faith which is truly 'the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen' (Heb 11:1).

Let us grow in this virtue, let us beg our Lord to increase his charity in us; after all, one can only really trust what one loves with all one's might. And it is certainly worthwhile to love our Lord" (St J. Escriva, "Friends of God", 220).

If hope in general is the conviction of being able to obtain something worthwhile in the future, something difficult to obtain, theological hope is the conviction of being able, with the help of God, to attain heaven. And faith is precisely what provides certain knowledge of those two truths--that heaven is our goal and that God wants to help us to get there (cf. "Summa Theologiae", II-II, q. l7, a 5 and 7). Therefore, nothing should dishearten us on this road to our ultimate goal because we put our trust in "three truths: God is all-powerful, God has a boundless love for me, God is faithful to his promises. And it is he, the God of mercies, who enkindles this trust within me, so that I never feel lonely or useless or abandoned but, rather, involved in a plan of salvation which will one day reach its goal in Paradise" (John Paul I, "Address", 20 September 1978).

3. The creation of the world from nothing is one of the first articles of faith. The text is reminiscent in a way of v. 1, in that faith gives conviction about things we cannot see; that is how we know the origin of all created things and discover God from things we can see.

Essentially the text is emphasizing the importance of belief in God as Creator and in Creation as coming from nothing. This is a truth found in all the creeds and it has been often defined by the Church Magisterium (cf., for example, Lateran IV and Vatican I). "We believe in one God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Creator of what is visible-such as this world where we live out our lives-and of the invisible-such as the pure spirits which are also called angels" (Paul VI, Creed of the People of God, 8).

4. The Book of Genesis (4:3-5) tells of the offerings made to Yahweh by Cain and Abel, the sons of Adam and Eve, God was pleased with Abel's offering but not with Cain's. God said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is couching at the door ready to waylay you" (Gen 4:6-7). Many Jewish commentators saw this as meaning that Cain's sin may have been one of meanness because he did not offer the best of his crop. Additionally, there would have been a sin of envy towards Abel (Wisdom 10:3 speaks of Cain's evil and his fratricidal hatred). In contrast to Cain, the prototype of the envious, selfish, violent and fratricidal man, Jewish literature extolled Abel as an example of generosity, uprightness and piety.

Against this background of Jewish religious thought come the words of Jesus (Mt23:25) and St John (1 Jn 3:12) who describe Abel as "righteous", that is holy and devout. The Hebrews text stresses that what made Abel's offering the better one was his faith, commitment to God and generosity. That was why God bore witness to his righteousness by accepting the victims he offered and perhaps -- according to an ancient oral Jewish tradition -- sending fIre down upon them to bum them. For God "looked more to the offerer than to what he offered, because the acceptability of an oblation is determined by the righteousness of the offerer, in cases other than of a sacrament," as St Thomas Aquinas says (Commentary on Heb, ad loc.). The text says literally that "God himself bore witness to his offerings", as if to imply that he "came down" or that he "sent down fIre" to consume them (cf. the famous oblation of Elijah in 1 Kings 18:38; that of Moses and Aaron in Leviticus 9:24; and that of Gideon in Judges 6:21).

"He died, but through his faith he is still speaking": this is reminiscent of the passage in Genesis where God tells Cain that "the voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground" (Gen 4:10). Abel is God's witness, his "martyr", because he confesses God's greatness by his faith, sacrifice and generosity. "By leading others towards virtue, Abel proves to be an eloquent speaker. Any words must be less effective than (the example of) this martyrdom. So, just as heaven speaks to us by simply revealing itself to us, this great saint exhorts us simply by impinging on our memory" (Hom. on Heb, 22).

It is comforting to know that the first example of faith in God was given by the son of Adam and Eve, and that it took the form of a sacrifice. It is understandable therefore that Fathers have, in fact, seen Abel as a figure of Christ: he was a shepherd, he offered an oblation pleasing to God, he shed his blood, and was therefore a "martyr for the faith".

When renewing Christ's sacrifice, the Liturgy asks God to look with favour on the offerings and accept them as once he accepted the gifts of his "servant Abel" (cf. Roman Missal, Eucharistic Prayer I).

5. There was also quite an amount of Jewish tradition about Enoch, one of the Patriarchs from the pre- Flood period; this stemmed from the fact that the Book of Genesis, instead of rounding off mention of him with the usual words "and he died" (as is the case with the other patriarchs), says that he "walked with Elohim, and he was not, for God took him" (cf. Gen 5:21-24). This led people to think that Enoch did not die and that therefore he was in the presence of God preparing the way for the Messiah who would set man free: that is, he must be one of the Messiah's precursors, like Elijah, of whose death also there is no mention. The Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint) elaborates a little on the Hebrew text of Genesis 5:23: it says, "Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for the Lord took him", and the RSV Genesis passage reflects this. It might also be pointed out that the Book of Sirach mentions Enoch with great respect, proposing him as an example to all generations; it says that "Enoch pleased the Lord, and was taken up" (Sir 44: 16), and elsewhere it adds that "no one like Enoch has been created on earth" (Sir 49:14). In apocryphal Jewish writing Enoch came to assume great importance: he was attributed great power as an astrologer and described as engaging in a series of fantastic exploits to prepare the way for the Messiah. It therefore became widely believed that Enoch would return to the world prior to the coming of the Anointed.

The Epistle to the Hebrews uses the Sirach texts and the Greek version of Genesis as its ground for stating that Enoch "was attested as having pleased God", and therefore it proposes Enoch as an example of faith.

The sentence "Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death" is not just referring to his being an upright man: it connects him with the coming of the Messiah and with the end of the world. The text is not saying or denying that Enoch died, but simply that he was "taken up". In view of the fact that it is decreed that all men should die (cf. Heb 9:27), for death is a consequence of original sin (cf. Rom 5: 12), most probably the words "was taken up" should be seen as a reference to death, and the following words, "so that he should not see death," should be taken either in a moral sense -- that is, "not experience the spiritual death of sin " -- or else as meaning that he arose immediately after our Lord's death, as happened in the case of some saints (cf. Mt 27:52-53).

6. Faith is a virtue which is necessary for salvation, but faith alone is insufficient; it must be "faith working through love" (Gal 5:6). However, faith is of decisive importance because it is "the beginning of man's salvation" (St Fulgentius, Defide ad Petrum, 1) and because it is "the foundation and source of all justification" (Council of Trent, De iustificatione, chap. 8); we are referring not only to faith in the sense of a personal act-the act of faith-but also to faith in the sense of a body of truths which one holds as certain. Thus, theology says that two things are necessary-the faith by which one believes (the attitude of the believer) and the truths of faith which have to be believed (articles of faith). The verse speaks of both, but it dwells mainly on the second-the content or "object" of faith-whereas earlier (11: 1) it looked more at the importance of the act as such. No one can please God unless he draws near him; but it is not possible to do that without faith; therefore no one can please God unless be has faith. God himself moves us and helps us to approach him, but man needs to respond freely to God's action; it is by the act of faith that he does so: faith is that position of soul "by which we yield our unhesitating assent to whatever the authority of our Holy Mother the Church teaches us has been revealed by God; for the faithful cannot doubt those things of which God, who is truth itself, is the author" (St Pius V Catechism, I, 1, 1).

That is why, among truths of faith, we distinguish those which are accessible to human reason and those which man could never come to know on his own; the latter are called "mysteries". The former can be reduced to three – the existence of God, the immortality of the soul, and the existence of a moral order established by God.

It is clear that if one does not believe in the existence of God and in the moral order established by him there is no possibility of salvation. What does the passage mean when it says that "whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him"? We might reply, with St Thomas, that, after original sin, no one can be saved unless he have faith in the promised mediator (Gen 3:15). For pagans, who have received no revelation, it was and is sufficient to believe that God rewards good and punishes evil (cf. Commentary on Heb, ad loc.).

The words of the sacred writer also pose another problem: how can those be saved who do not know Christ? The first thing to bear in mind is the absolute necessity of true and upright faith. Man has an obligation to seek truth, particularly religious truth, and he must not content himself with just any religion, as if all religions were more or less equal (cf. Pius IX, Syllabus of Errors, 15 and 16). That is why adult pagans who request Baptism when they are in danger of death or in a situation of dire need must be given before Baptism a short instruction (adapted to the situation and to their intellectual capacity) on the main mysteries of faith-the Trinity and the Incarnation (cf. Reply of the Holy Office, 26 January 1703).

All this, however, does not mean that people who are not Christians cannot be saved. What it means, Vatican II teaches, is that "they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it, or to remain in it" (Lumen Gentium, 14). "Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience-those too may achieve eternal salvation. Nor shall divine providence deny the assistance necessary for salvation to those who, without any fault of theirs, have not yet arrived at an explicit knowledge of God, and who, not without grace, strive to lead a good life" (Lumen Gentium, 16).

Therefore, when in its apostolic and missionary work, the catholic Church encounters other religions, it "rejects nothing of what is true and holy in these religions. It has a high regard for the manner of life and conduct, the precepts and doctrines which, although differing in many ways from its own teaching, nevertheless often reflect a ray of that truth which enlightens all men. Yet it proclaims, and is in duty bound to proclaim without fail, Christ who is the way, the truth and the life (In 14:6). In him, in whom God reconciled all things to himself (cf. 2 Cor 5: 18-19), men find the fulness of their religious life" (Vatican II, Nostra aetate, 2). In the last analysis, "although in many ways known to himself God can lead those who, through no fault of their own, are ignorant of the Gospel to that faith without which it is impossible to please him (Heb 11 :6), the Church, nevertheless, still has the obligation (cf. 1 Cor 9: 16) and also the sacred right to evangelize. And so, today as always, missionary activity retains its full force and necessity" (Vatican II, Ad gentes, 7).

Similarly every Christian should always desire to seek God and have others seek him also. "If there is someone who is going to reward us, let us do everything possible not to lose the reward that is given to virtue [. . .J. But, how can one find the Lord? Think of how gold is found-by much effort and trouble [. . .J. So, we must seek God in the same way as we look for something we have lost. Is it not true that we rack our brains? Don't we look everywhere? Don't we look in out of the way places? Don't we spend money searching? If, for example, we have lost a child, what will we not do? What regions, what seas, will we not cross? How much more in the case of God, given that those who seek him have such need of him!" (St John Chrysostom, Horn. on Heb, 22).

7. When Noah received God's order to build the ark (cf. Gen 6-9; Mt 24:37-39; 1 Pet 3:20; 2 Pet 2:5), there was as yet no sign of a flood; in other words, he had to rely totally on God's word. He took heed, he acted "reveritus", with religious fear, that is, with a deeply religious attachment to God, an attitude which led him to obey very exactly what God told him to do.

Noah's faith "condemned the world" because the worldly and unbelieving men of his time jeered at him when he was making the ark. "What do these words mean -- 'by this he condemned the world'? They mean that he showed up the world as deserving of punishment, because even though they saw him building (the ark) they did not mend their ways or repent" (Horn. on Heb, 23, 1). By acting in line with his faith Noah condemns, in spite of himself, the incredulity of his contemporaries. Today also the life of a person of faith can be a reproach to those around him, but that should not lead him to act any differently.

From: Mark 9:2-13

The Transfiguration
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[2] And after six days Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them, [3] and His garments became glistening, intensely white, as no fuller on earth bleach them. [4] And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses; and they were talking to Jesus. [5] And Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is well that we are here; let us make three booths, one for You and one for Moses and one for Elijah." [6] For he did not know what to say, for they were exceedingly afraid. [7] And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, "This is My beloved Son; listen to Him." [8] And suddenly looking around they no longer saw any one with them but Jesus only. [9] And as they were coming down the mountain, He charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man should have risen from the dead. [10] So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant. [11] And they asked Him, "Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?" [12] And He said to them, "Elijah does come first to restore all things; and how is it written of the Son of Man, that He should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? [13] But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him."

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Commentary:

2-10. We contemplate in awe this manifestation of the glory of the Son of God to three of His disciples. Ever since the Incarnation, the divinity of our Lord has usually been hidden behind His humanity. But Christ wishes to show, to these favorite disciples, who will later be pillars of the Church, the splendor of His divine glory, in order to encourage them to follow the difficult way that lies ahead, fixing their gaze on the happy goal which is awaiting them at the end. This is why, as St. Thomas comments (cf. "Summa Theologia", III, q. 45, a. 1), it was appropriate for Him to give them an insight into His glory. The fact that the Transfiguration comes immediately after the first announcement of His passion, and His prophetic words about how His followers would also have to carry His cross, shows us that "through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22).

What happened at the Transfiguration? To understand this miraculous event in Christ's life, we must remember that in order to redeem us by His passion and death our Lord freely renounced divine glory and became man, assuming flesh which was capable of suffering and which was not glorious, becoming like us in every way except sin (cf. Hebrew 4:15). In the Transfiguration, Jesus Christ willed that the glory which was His as God and which His soul had from the moment of the Incarnation, should miraculously become present in His body. "We should learn from Jesus' attitude in these trials. During His life on earth He did not even want the glory that belong to Him. Though He had the right to be treated as God, He took the form of a servant, a slave (cf. Philippians 2:6)" (St J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 62). Bearing in mind WHO became man (the divinity of the person and the glory of His soul), it was appropriate for His body to be glorious; given the PURPOSE of His Incarnation, it was not appropriate, usually, for His glory to be evident. Christ shows His glory in the Transfiguration in order to move us to desire the divine glory which will be given us so that, having this hope, we too can understand "that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us" (Romans 8:18).

2. According to Deuteronomy (19:15), to bear witness to anything the evidence of two or three much concur. Perhaps this is why Jesus wanted three Apostles to be present. It should be pointed out that these three Apostles were specially loved by Him; they were with Him also at the raising of the daughter of Jairus (Mark 5:37) and will also be closest to Him during His agony at Gethsemane (Mark 14:33). Cf. note on Matthew 17:1-13.

7. This is how St. Thomas Aquinas explains the meaning of the Transfiguration: "Just as in Baptism, where the mystery of the first regeneration was proclaimed, the operation of the whole Trinity was made manifest, because the Son Incarnate was there, the Holy Spirit appeared under the form of a dove, and the Father made Himself known in the voice; so also in the Transfiguration, which is the sign of the second regeneration [the Resurrection], the whole Trinity appears—the Father in the voice, the Son in the man, the Holy Spirit in the bright cloud; for just as in Baptism He confers innocence, as signified by the simplicity of the dove, so in the Resurrection will He give His elect the clarity of glory and the refreshment from every form of evil, as signified by the bright cloud" ("Summa Theologiae", III, q. 45, 1.4 ad 2). For, really, the Transfiguration was in some way an anticipation not only of Christ's glorification but also of ours. As St. Paul says, "it is the same Spirit Himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him" (Romans 8:16-17).

10. That the dead would rise was already revealed in the Old Testament (cf. Daniel 12:2-3; 2 Maccabees 7:9; 12:43) and was believed by pious Jews (cf. John 11:23-25). However, they were unable to understand the profound truth of the death and Resurrection of the Lord: they expected a glorious and triumphant Messiah, despite the prophecy that He would suffer and die (cf. Isaiah 53). Hence the Apostles' oblique approach; they too do not dare to directly question our Lord about His Resurrection.

11-13. The scribes and Pharisees interpret the messianic prophecy in Malachi (3:1-2) as meaning that Elijah will appear in person, dramatically, to be followed by the all-triumphant Messiah, with no shadow of pain or humiliation. Jesus tells them that Elijah has indeed come, in the person of John the Baptist (Matthew 17:13) and has prepared the way of the Messiah, a way of pain and suffering.

Verse 12 is a question which Jesus puts to His disciples, but they should really have asked it themselves, had they realized that Christ's Resurrection presupposed the Messiah's suffering and death. Since they fail to ask it, Jesus does, to teach them that He like Elijah (that is, John the Baptist) must experience suffering before entering His glory.

Source: Daily Word for Reflection—Navarre Bible

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Readings at Mass

It is by faith that we understand that the world was created by one word from God

Jesus was transfigured in their presence

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Catena Aurea by St. Thomas Aguinas

CHAP. 9

A BRIEF LIFE HISTORY OF SAINT KURIAKOSE ELIAS CHAVARA

MILESTONES IN THE LIFE OF SAINT KURIAKOSE ELIAS CHAVARA