Mark
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Mark 12
28.	And there came one of the scribes that had heard them reasoning together, and seeing that he had answered them well, asked him which was the first commandment of all.	Et accessit unus de scribis, qui audierat illos conquirentes, et videns quoniam bene illis responderit, interrogavit eum quod esset primum omnium mandatum.	και προσελθων εις των γραμματεων ακουσας αυτων συζητουντων ειδως οτι καλως αυτοις απεκριθη επηρωτησεν αυτον ποια εστιν πρωτη παντων εντολη
29.	And Jesus answered him: The first commandment of all is, Hear, O Israel: the Lord thy God is one God.	Jesus autem respondit ei : Quia primum omnium mandatum est : Audi Israël, Dominus Deus tuus, Deus unus est :	ο δε ιησους απεκριθη αυτω οτι πρωτη παντων των εντολων ακουε ισραηλ κυριος ο θεος ημων κυριος εις εστιν
30.	And thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength. This is the first commandment.	et diliges Dominum Deum tuum ex tota corde tuo, et ex tota anima tua, et ex tota mente tua, et ex tota virtute tua. Hoc est primum mandatum.	και αγαπησεις κυριον τον θεον σου εξ ολης της καρδιας σου και εξ ολης της ψυχης σου και εξ ολης της διανοιας σου και εξ ολης της ισχυος σου αυτη πρωτη εντολη
31.	And the second is like to it: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is no other commandment greater than these.	Secundum autem simile est illi : Diliges proximum tuum tamquam teipsum. Majus horum aliud mandatum non est.	και δευτερα ομοια αυτη αγαπησεις τον πλησιον σου ως σεαυτον μειζων τουτων αλλη εντολη ουκ εστιν
32.	And the scribe said to him: Well, Master, thou hast said in truth, that there is one God, and there is no other besides him.	Et ait illi scriba : Bene, Magister, in veritate dixisti, quia unus est Deus, et non est alius præter eum.	και ειπεν αυτω ο γραμματευς καλως διδασκαλε επ αληθειας ειπας οτι εις εστιν και ουκ εστιν αλλος πλην αυτου
33.	And that he should be loved with the whole heart, and with the whole understanding, and with the whole soul, and with the whole strength; and to love one's neighbour as one's self, is a greater thing than all holocausts and sacrifices.	Et ut diligatur ex toto corde, et ex toto intellectu, et ex tota anima, et ex tota fortitudine, et diligere proximum tamquam seipsum, majus est omnibus holocautomatibus, et sacrificiis.	και το αγαπαν αυτον εξ ολης της καρδιας και εξ ολης της συνεσεως και εξ ολης της ψυχης και εξ ολης της ισχυος και το αγαπαν τον πλησιον ως εαυτον πλειον εστιν παντων των ολοκαυτωματων και θυσιων
34.	And Jesus seeing that he had answered wisely, said to him: Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.	Jesus autem videns quod sapienter respondisset, dixit illi : Non es longe a regno Dei. Et nemo jam audebat eum interrogare.	και ο ιησους ιδων αυτον οτι νουνεχως απεκριθη ειπεν αυτω ου μακραν ει απο της βασιλειας του θεου και ουδεις ουκετι ετολμα αυτον επερωτησαι

Catena Aurea by St. Thomas Aguinas

12:28–34

28. And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?

29. And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

30. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

31. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

32. And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth; for there is one God; and there is none other but he:

33. And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.

34. And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.

GLOSS. (non occ.) After that the Lord confuted the Pharisees, and the Sadducees, who tempted Him, it is here shewn how He satisfied the Scribe who questioned Him; wherefore it is said, And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?

PSEUDO-JEROME. This question is only that which is a problem common to all skilled in the law, namely, that the commandments are differently set forth in Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy. Wherefore He brought forward not one but two commandments, by which, as by two paps rising on the breast of the bride, our infancy is nourished. And therefore there is added, And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; the Lord thy God is one God. He mentions the first and greatest commandment of all; this is that to which each of us must give the first place in his heart, as the only foundation of piety, that is, the knowledge and confession of the Divine Unity, with the practice of good works, which is perfected in the love of God and our neighbour; wherefore there is added, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy mind, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

THEOPHYLACT. See how He has enumerated all the powers of the soul; for there is a 1living power in the soul, which He explains, when He says, With all thy soul, and to this belong anger and desire, all of which He will have us give to Divine love. There is also another power, which is called natural, to which belong nutriment and growth, and this also is all to be given to God, for which reason He says, With all thy heart. There is also another power, the rational, which He calls the mind, and that too is to be given whole to God.

GLOSS. (non occ.) The words which are added, And with all thy strength, may be referred to the bodily powers. It goes on: And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

THEOPHYLACT. He says that it is like, because these two commandments are harmonious one with the other, and mutually contain the other. For he who loves God, loves also His creature; but the chief of His creatures is man, wherefore he who loves God ought to love all men. But he who loves his neighbour, who so often offends him, ought much more to love Him, who is ever giving him benefits. And therefore on account of the connection between these commandments, He adds, There is none other commandment greater than these. It goes on: And the Scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God, and there is none other but he: and to love him with all the heart, and with all the soul, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.

BEDE. (ubi sup.) He shews when he says, this is greater than all sacrifices, that a grave question was often debated between the scribes and Pharisees, which was the first commandment, or the greatest of the Divine law; that is, some praised offerings and sacrifices, others preferred acts of faith and love, because many of the fathers before the law pleased God by that faith only, which works by love. This scribe shews that he was of the latter opinion. But it continues, And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God.

THEOPHYLACT. By which He shews that he was not perfect, for He did not say, Thou art within the kingdom of heaven, but, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God.

BEDE. (ubi sup) But the reason why he was not far from the kingdom of God was, that he proved himself to be a favourer of that opinion, which is proper to the New Testament and to Gospel perfection.

AUGUSTINE. (de Con. Evan. ii. 73) Nor let it trouble us that Matthew says, that he who addressed this question to the Lord tempted Him; for it may be that though he came as a tempter, yet he was corrected by the answer of the Lord. Or at all events, we must not look upon the temptation as evil, and done with the intention of deceiving an enemy, but rather as the caution of a man who wished to try a thing unknown to him.

PSEUDO-JEROME. Or else, he is not far who comes with knowledge; for ignorance is farther from the kingdom of God than knowledge; wherefore he says above to the Sadducees, Ye err, not knowing the Scriptures, or the power of God. It goes on: And no man after that durst ask him any questions.

BEDE. (ubi sup.) For since they were confuted in argument, they ask Him no farther questions, but take Him without any disguise, and give Him up to the Roman power. From which we understand that the venom of envy may be overcome, but can hardly lie quiet.

Catena Aurea Mark 12

St. Jacques Berthieu

St. Jacques Berthieu was a French Jesuit priest martyred in 1896 while he was spreading the faith in Madagascar.

He was born in 1838 in France to a simple farming family. He studied at seminary and was ordained a diocesan priest in 1864, then went on to serve at a local parish for nine years. He had a thriving and well-developed prayer life grounded in St. Ignatius’ spiritual exercises. When he heard a call to become a missionary he joined the Jesuit order in 1873.

Two years later, Jacques sailed to an island just off of Madagascar, where he studied the local language with several other Jesuits and some nuns. At the age of 37, the new climate and culture challenged him. “My uselessness and my spiritual misery serve to humiliate me, but not to discourage me,” he wrote. “I await the hour when I can do something, with the grace of God.”

He did what he could with his limited language and skills—he started a garden to help feed the missionary station and offered what pastoral service he could to the people there.

In 1881, the French government closed French territories to the Jesuits, so Jacques and the team of missionaries he was living with moved to the larger island of Madagascar, which was an independent kingdom. They built a church and began serving and teaching the people.

Within a few years, the kingdom of Madagascar was at war with the French. Soon a revolt targeted Christians, who were seen as complicit with the colonizers. Jacques asked a French colonel to help protect the Christian community he was working with, but was refused because Jacques had criticized the colonel’s treatment of the village women. The group fled instead, but were soon caught.

On this date in 1896, Jacques was found, stripped, and beaten. One rebel grabbed his crucifix and said, “Is this your amulet? Will you continue to pray for a long time?” Jacques replied, “I have to pray until I die.” He was struck on his head by a machete.

Wounded, he was marched some six miles to the village where he had been living, and was further tortured. His captors decided to kill him. Jacques knelt at the sight of the approaching gunmen, but they missed when they first fired at him. Jacques made the sign of the cross.

One approached him and offered to spare him if he gave up his faith—in fact, he said, they would make Jacques their counselor. “I cannot consent to this,” Jacques replied. “I prefer to die.”

They fired again, missing once more. Jacques bowed his head in prayer and was finally killed. His body was dumped in the local river. He was 57.

After his death, the people of the village noticed that miraculous healings began to happen when they drank the water of the river into which Jacques’ body was thrown. He was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012.

St. Jacques Berthieu, you were the missionary to Madagascar who preferred death to denying your faith--pray for us!

faith.nd.edu

NAVARRE BIBLE COMMENTARY (RSV)

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

From: Tobit 6:10-11; 7:1bcde, 9-17; 8:4-9a (New American Bible)

Tobit 6:9-10; 7:1bcde, 8bcde-18; 8:4-9a (Revised Standard Version)

Arrival in Media
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[9] When they (the angel Raphael and Tobias) approached Ecbatana, [10] the angel said to the young man, "Brother, today we shall stay with Raguel. He is your relative, and he has an only daughter named Sarah."

Sarah's Hand is Sought in Marriage (Continuation)
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[1bcde] (When they) arrived at the house of Raguel, Sarah met them and greeted them. They returned her greeting, and she brought them into the house. [8bcde] They received them very warmly; and they killed a ram from the flock and set large servings of food before them.

Then Tobias said to Raphael, "Brother Azarias, speak of those things which you talked about on the journey, and let the matter be settled." [9] So he communicated the proposal to Raguel. And Raguel said to Tobias. "Eat, drink, and be merry; [10] for it is your right to take my child. But let me explain the true situation to you.

[11] I have given my daughter to seven husbands, and when each came to her he died in the night. But for the present be merry." And Tobias said, "I will eat nothing here until you make a binding agreement with me." [12] So Raguel said, "Take her right now, in accordance with the law. You are her relative, and she is yours. The merciful God will guide you both for the best." [13] Then he called his daughter Sarah, and taking her by the hand he gave her to Tobias to be his wife, saying, "Here she is; take her according to the law of Moses, and take her with you to your father." And he blessed them. [14] Next he called his wife Edna, and took a scroll and wrote out the contract; and they set their seals to it. [15] Then they began to eat.

[16] And Raguel called his wife Edna and said to her, "Sister, make up the other room, and take her into it." [17] So she did as he said, and took her there; and the girl began to weep. But the mother comforted her daughter in her tears, and said to her, [18] "Be brave, my child; the Lord of heaven and earth grant you joy in place of this sorrow of yours. Be brave, my daughter."

Tobias' and Sarah's Wedding Night (Continuation)
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[4] When the door was shut and the two were alone, Tobias got up from the bed and said, "Sister, get up, and let us pray that the Lord may have mercy upon us." [5] And Tobias began to pray, "Blessed art thou, 0 God of our fathers, and blessed be thy holy and glorious name for ever. Let the heavens and all thy creatures bless thee. [6] Thou madest Adam and gayest him Eve his wife as a helper and support. From them the race of mankind has sprung. Thou didst say, 'It is not good that the man should be alone; let us make a helper for him like himself.' [7] And now, 0 Lord, I am not taking this sister of mine because of lust, but with sincerity. Grant that I may find mercy and may grow old together with her." [8] And she said with him, "Amen." [9]Then they both went to sleep for the night.

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Commentary:

6:9-17. According to the Law (cf. Num 36:1-13), when a daughter inherits from her father (cf. Num 27:1-11) she should marry a man of her own tribe, in order to ensure that her inheritance does not (as a dowry) become the property of another tribe. It is up to Tobias to marry Sarah because he is the closest relative (the text does not say whether the earlier husbands were relatives). The angel points out the advantages of complying with that law: Tobias will get Sarah's inheritance, but he will also get a beautiful and sensible wife; he encourages him not to delay (v. 12).

Tobias raises weighty objections, not just because he is afraid he will suffer the fate of the other husbands but because he feels a duty to his elderly parents (vv. 14-15)--as indeed the Law lays down. The angel tells him how these difficulties can be dealt with: he reminds Tobias of his father's instruction (v. 15; 4:12) and tells him how to deal with the demon (vv. 16-17), not only by using parts of the fish but also by having recourse to prayer (v. 17). The words "she was destined for you from all eternity"(v. 17) show that the love between the two young people which leads them to marriage is being guided by divine providence and is part of a mysterious plan of God's, an eternal plan. This is borne out by the fact that Tobias falls in love with the girl even before meeting her (v. 18). St J. Escriva advises young people to put themselves under the protection of the archangel Raphael: "How frankly you laughed when I advised you to put the years of your youth under the protection of Saint Raphael: so that he'll lead you, like young Tobias, to a holy marriage, with a girl who is good and pretty and rich', I told you, jokingly. And then how thoughtful you became!...when I went on to advise you to put yourself also under the patronage of that young apostle John; in case God were to ask more of you" ("The Way", 360).

The Vulgate, after v. 16, adds the following: "For they who in such manner receive matrimony, as to shut out God from themselves, and from their mind, and to give themselves to their lust, as the horse and mule, which have not understanding: over them the devil hath power. But thou, when thou shalt take her, go into the chamber: and for three days keep thyself continent from her, and give thyself to nothing else but to prayers with her. And on that night lay the liver of the fish on the fire: and the devil shall be driven away. But the second night, thou shalt be admitted into the society of the holy Patriarchs. And the third night, thou shalt obtain a blessing that sound children may be born of you. And when the third night is past, thou shalt take the virgin with the fear of the Lord, moved rather for love of children than for lust: that in the seed of Abraham thou mayst obtain a blessing in children."

7:1-12. At this point Tobias takes the initiative and asks the angel to speak on his behalf (v. 8). Raguel is clearly an upright man; he does not hide the situation from Tobias; he does not want the young man to die, so he tries to delay doing what the Law lays down (v. 10). Eventually he consents to the marriage: he will obey the law of Moses (v. 13), despite the possible consequences.

In the Vulgate, Raguel's decision is influenced by something the angel says to him: "Be not afraid to give her to this man, for to him who feareth God is thy daughter due to be his wife. Therefore another could not have her. Then Raguel said: I doubt not but God hath regarded my prayers and tears in his sight. And I believe he hath therefore made you come to me, that this maid might be married to one of her own kindred, according to the law of Moses: and now doubt not but I will give her to thee."

7:14-18. This is the first time we find in the Bible a formal marriage contract involving a written document. In time, this document will be called by Jews the "Ketubah". For Sarah's parents the wedding is almost a mournful affair, but they still hope that things will work out well because they have done everything according to the Law of the Lord, whom they invoke.

8:1-12. Three things happen in parallel here: the demon flees, chased off by a puff of smoke (which shows how weak he is when man lets himself be guided by the word of God), and the angel binds him; Sarah's father digs a grave for Tobias (this symbolizes those who are guided by human prudence, not trusting in divine providence; they are proved wrong); and Tobias and Sarah spend the night in prayer and win the Lord's blessing: their prayer praises God, recalling the creation of man and woman (cf. Gen 2:18) and implores his blessing.

The Church offers this passage (vv. 5-7) as a reading for the rite of marriage, because it touches on the divine and human aspects of married love. The Second Vatican Council says that "married love is eminently human love because it is an affection between two rooted in the will and it embraces the good of the whole person; it can enrich the sentiments of the spirit and their physical expression with a unique dignity and ennoble them as the special elements and signs of the friendship proper to marriage. The Lord, wishing to bestow special gifts of grace and divine love on it, has restored, perfected, and elevated it. A love like that, bringing together the human and the divine, leads the partners to a free and mutual giving of self, experienced in tenderness and action, and permeates their whole lives; besides, this love is actually developed and increased by the exercise of it. This is a far cry from mere erotic attraction, which is pursued in selfishness and soon fades away in wretchedness.

"Married love is uniquely expressed and perfected by the exercise of the acts proper to marriage. Hence the acts in marriage by which the intimate and chaste union of the spouses take place are noble and honorable; the truly human performance of these acts fosters the self-giving they signify and enriches the spouses in joy and gratitude'." ("Gaudium Et Spes", 49).

From: Mark 12:28-34

The Greatest Commandment of All
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[28] One of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that He (Jesus) answered them well, asked Him, "Which commandment is the first of all?" [29] Jesus answered, "The first is, `Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; [30] and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' [31] The second is this, `You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." [32] And the scribe said to Him, "You are right, Teacher; You have truly said that He is one, and there is no other than He; [33] and to love with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." [34] And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God." And after that no one dared to ask Him any question.

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Commentary:

28-34. The doctor of the law who asks Jesus this question is obviously an upright man who is sincerely seeking the truth. He was impressed by Jesus' earlier reply (verses 18-27) and he wants to learn more from Him. His question is to the point and Jesus devotes time to instructing him, though he will soon castigate the scribes, of whom this man is one (cf. Mark 12:38ff).

Jesus sees in this man not just a scribe but a person who is looking for the truth. And His teaching finds its way into the man's heart. The scribe repeats what Jesus says, savoring it, and our Lord offers him an affectionate word which encourages his definitive conversion: "You are not far from the Kingdom of God." This encounter reminds us of His meeting with Nicodemus (cf. John 3:1ff). On the doctrinal content of these two commandments cf. note on Matthew 22:34-40.

[ Note on Matthew 22:34-40 states: In reply to the question, our Lord points out that the whole law can be condensed into two commandments: the first and more important consists in unconditional love of God; the second is a consequence and result of the first, because when man is loved, St. Thomas says, God is loved, for man is the image of God (cf. "Commentary on St. Matthew", 22:4).

A person who genuinely loves God also loves his fellows because he realizes that they are his brothers and sisters, children of the same Father, redeemed by the same blood of our Lord Jesus Christ: "This commandment we have from Him, that he who loves God should love his brother also" (1 John 4:21). However, if we love man for man's sake without reference to God, this love will become an obstacle in the way of keeping the first commandment, and then it is no longer genuine love of our neighbor. But love of our neighbor for God's sake is clear proof that we love God: "If anyone says, `I love God', and hates his brother, he is a liar" (1 John 4:20).

"You shall love your neighbor as yourself": here our Lord establishes as the guideline for our love of neighbor the love each of us has for himself; both love of others and love of self are based on love of God. Hence, in some cases it can happen that God requires us to put our neighbor's need before our own; in others, not: it depends on what value, in light of God's love, needs to be put on the spiritual and material factors involved.

Obviously spiritual goods take absolute precedence over material ones, even over life itself. Therefore, spiritual goods, be they our own or our neighbor's, must be the first to be safeguarded. If the spiritual good in question is the supreme one for the salvation of the soul, no one is justified in putting his own soul into certain danger of being condemned in order to save another, because given human freedom we can never be absolutely sure what personal choice another person may make: this is the situation in the parable (cf. Matthew 25:1-13), where the wise virgins refuse to give oil to the foolish ones; similarly St. Paul says that he would wish himself to be rejected if that could save his brothers (cf. Romans 9:3)--an unreal theoretical situation. However, what is quite clear is that we have to do all we can to save our brothers, conscious that, if someone helps to bring a sinner back to the way, he will save himself from eternal death and cover a multitude of his own sins (James 5:20). From all this we can deduce that self-love of the right kind, based on God's love for man, necessarily involves forgetting oneself in order to love God and our neighbor for God. ]

30. This commandment of the Old Law, ratified by Jesus, shows, above all, God's great desire to engage in intimate conversation with man: "would it not have sufficed to publish a permission giving us leave to love Him? [...]. He makes a stronger declaration of His passionate love for us, and commands us to love Him with all our power, lest the consideration of His majesty and our misery, which make so great a distance and inequality between us, or some other pretext, divert us from His love. In this He well shows that He did not leave in us for nothing the natural inclination to love Him, for to the end that it may not be idle, He urges us by His general commandment to employ it, and that this commandment may be effected, there is no living man He has not furnished him abundantly with all means requisite thereto" (St. Francis de Sales, "Treatise on the Love of God", Book 2, Chapter 8).

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Readings at Mass

'We must pray and petition the Lord'

'You are not far from the kingdom of God'

Christian Art

Catena Aurea by St. Thomas Aguinas

St. Jacques Berthieu