Catena Aurea by St. Thomas Aguinas
9:14–29
14. And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the Scribes questioning with them.
15. And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him.
16. And he asked the Scribes, What question ye with them?
17. And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;
18. And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.
19. He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.
20. And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.
21. And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.
22. And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.
23. Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
24. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
25. When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.
26. And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.
27. But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.
28. And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?
29. And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.
THEOPHYLACT. After He had shewn His glory in the mount to the three disciples, He returns to the other disciples, who had not come up with Him into the mount; wherefore it is said, And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the Scribes questioning with them. For the Pharisees, catching the opportunity of the hour when Christ was not present, came up to them, to try to draw them over to themselves.
PSEUDO-JEROME. But there is no peace for man under the sun; envy is ever slaying the little ones, and lightnings strike the tops of the great mountains. Of all those who run to the Church, some as the multitudes come in faith to learn, others, as the Scribes, with envy and pride. It goes on, And straightway all the people, when they beheld Jesus, were greatly amazed, and feared.
BEDE. (in Marc. 3, 38) In all cases, the difference between the mind of the Scribes and of the people ought to be observed; for the Scribes arc never said to have shewn any devotion, faith, humility, and reverence, but as soon as the Lord was come, the whole multitude was greatly amazed and feared, and ran up to Him, and saluted Him; wherefore there follows, And running to him, saluted him.
THEOPHYLACT. For the multitude was glad to see Him, so that they saluted Him from afar, as He was coming to them; but some suppose that His countenance had become more beautiful from His transfiguration, and that this induced the crowd to salute Him.
PSEUDO-JEROME. Now it was the people, and not the disciples, who on seeing Him were amazed and feared, for there is no fear in love; fear belongs to servants, amazement to fools. It goes on: And he asked them, What question ye with them. Why does the Lord put this question? That confession may produce salvation, and the murmuring of our hearts may be appeased by religious words.
BEDE. (ubi sup.) The question, indeed, which was raised may, if I am not deceived, have been this, wherefore they, who were the disciples of the Saviour, were unable to heal the demoniac, who was placed in the midst, which may be gathered from the following words; And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; and wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away.
CHRYSOSTOM. (ubi sup.) The Scriptures declare that this man was weak in faith, for Christ says, O faithless generation: and He adds, If thou canst believe. But although his want of faith was the cause of their not casting out the devil, he nevertheless accuses the disciples; wherefore it is added, And I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; but they could not. Now observe his folly; in praying to Jesus in the midst of the crowd, he accuses the disciples, wherefore the Lord before the multitude so much the more accuses him, and not only aims the accusation at himself, but also extends it to all the Jews; for it is probable that many of those present had been offended, and had held wrong thoughts concerning His disciples. Wherefore there follows, He answereth them and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? By which He shewed both that He desired death, and that it was a burden to Him to converse with them.
BEDE. (ubi sup.) So far, however, is He from being angry with the person, though He reproved the sin, that He immediately added, Bring him unto me; and they brought him unto him. And when he saw him, straightway the spirit fare him, and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.
CHRYSOSTOM. (ubi sup.) But this the Lord permitted for the sake of the father of the boy, that when he saw the devil vexing his child, he might be brought on to believe that the miracle was to be wrought.
THEOPHYLACT. He also permits the child to be vexed, that in this way we might know the devil’s wickedness, who would have killed him, had he not been assisted by the Lord. It goes on: And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child; and offtimes it has cast him into the fire and into the waters to destroy him.
BEDE. Let Juliang blush, who dares to say that all men are born in the flesh, without the infection of sin, as though they were innocent in all respects, just as Adam was when he was created. For what was there in the boy, that he should be troubled from infancy with a cruel devil, if he were not held at all by the chain of original sin? since it is evident that he could not yet have had any sin of his own.
GLOSS. (non occ.) Now he expresses in the words of his petition his want of faith; for that is the reason why he adds, But if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. For in that he says, If thou canst do any thing, he shews that he doubts His power, because he had seen that the disciples of Christ had failed in curing him; but he says, have compassion on us, to shew the misery of the son, who suffered, and the father, who suffered with him. It goes on: Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
PSEUDO-JEROME. This saying, If thou canst, is a proof of the freedom of the will. Again, all things are possible to him that believeth, which evidently means all those things which are prayed for with tears in the name of Jesus, that is, of salvation.
BEDE. (ubi sup.) The answer of the Lord was suited to the petition; for the man said, If thou canst do any thing, help us; and to this the Lord answered, If thou canst believe. On the other hand, the leper who cried out, with faith, Lord, if thou will, thou canst make me clean, (Matt. 8:2. 3) received an answer according to his faith, I will, be thou clean.
CHRYSOSTOM. (Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc. sed v. Chrys. ubi sup.) His meaning is; such a plenitude of virtue is there in Me, that not only can I do this, but I will make others to have that power; where fore if thou canst believe as thou oughtest to do, thou shalt be able to cure not only him, but many more. In this way then, He endeavoured to bring back to the faith, the man who as yet speaks unfaithfully. There follows, And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. But if he had already believed, saying, I believe, how is it that he adds, help thou mine unbelief? We must say then that faith is manifold, that one sort of faith is elementary, another perfect; but this man, being but a beginner in believing, prayed the Saviour to add to his virtue what was wanting.
BEDE. (ubi sup.) For no man at once reaches to the highest point, but in holy living a man begins with the least things that he may reach the great; for the beginning of virtue is different, from the progress and the perfection of it. Because then faith mounts up through the secret inspiration of grace, by the steps of its own meritsh, he who had not yet believed perfectly was at once a believer and an unbeliever.
PSEUDO-JEROME. By this also we are taught that our faith is tottering, if it lean not on the stay of the help of God. But faith by its tears receives the accomplishment of its wishes; Wherefore it continues, When Jesus saw that the multitude came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee come out of him, and enter no more into him.
THEOPHYLACT. The reason that He rebuked the foul spirit, when He saw the crowd running together, was that he did not wish to cure him before the multitude, that He might give us a lesson to avoid ostentation.
PSEUDO-CHRYSOSTOM. (Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.) And His rebuking him, and saying, I charge thee, is a proof of Divine power. Again, in that He says not only, come out of him, but also enter no more into him, He shews that the evil spirit was ready to enter again, because the man was weak in faith, but was prevented by the command of the Lord. It goes on, And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him; and he was as one dead, insomuch that many said, He is dead. For the devil was not able to inflict death upon him, because the true Life was come.
BEDE. (ubi sup.) But him, whom the unholy spirit made like unto death, the holy Saviour saved by the touch of His holy hand; wherefore it goes on, But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up, and he arose. Thus as the Lord had shewn Himself to be very God by the power of healing, so He shewed that He had the very nature of our flesh, by the manner of His human touch. The Manichæani indeed madly denies that He was truly clothed in flesh; He Himself, however, by raising, cleansing, enlightening so many afflicted persons by His touch, condemned his heresy before its birth. It goes on: And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?
CHRYSOSTOM. (ubi sup.) They feared that perchance they had lost the grace conferred upon them; for they had already received power over unclean spirits. It goes on: And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting.
THEOPHYLACT. That is, the whole class of lunatics, or simply, of all persons possessed with devils. Both the man to be cured, and he who cures him, should fast; for a real prayer is offered up, when fasting is joined with prayer, when he who prays is sober and not heavy with food.
BEDE. (ubi sup.) Again, in a mystical sense, on high the Lord unfolds the mysteries of the kingdom to His disciples, but below He rebukes the multitude for their sins of unfaithfulness, and expels devils from those, who are vexed by them. Those who are still carnal and foolish, He strengthens, teaches, punishes, whilst He more freely instructs the perfect concerning the things of eternity.
THEOPHYLACT. Again, this devil is deaf and dumb; deaf, because he does not choose to hear the words of God; dumb, because he is unable to teach others their duty.
PSEUDO-JEROME. Again, a sinner foameth forth folly, gnasheth with anger, pineth away in sloth. But the evil spirit tears him, when coming to salvation, and in like manner those whom he would drag into his maw he tears asunder by terrors and losses, as he did Job.
BEDE. (ubi sup.) For oftentimes when we try to turn to God after sin, our old enemy attacks us with new and greater snares, which he does, either to instil into us a hatred of virtue, or to avenge the injury of his expulsion.
GREGORY. (Mor. x. 30) But he who is freed from the power of the evil spirit is thought to be dead; for whosoever has already subdued earthly desires, puts to death within himself his carnal mode of life, and appears to the world as a dead man, and many look upon him as dead; for they who know not how to live after the Spirit, think that he who does not follow after carnal pleasures is altogether dead.
PSEUDO-JEROME. Further, in his being vexed from his infancy, the Gentile people is signified, from the very birth of whom the vain worship of idols arose, so that they in their folly sacrificed their children to devils. And for this reason it is said that it cast him into the fire and into the water; for some of the Gentiles worshipped fire, others water.
BEDE. (ubi sup.) Or by this demoniac are signified those, who are bound by the guilt of original sin, and coming into the world as criminals, are to be saved by grace; and by fire is meant the heat of anger, by water, the pleasures of the flesh, which melt the soul by their sweetness. But He did not rebuke the boy, who suffered violence, but the devil, who inflicted it, because he who desires to amend a sinner, ought, whilst he exterminates his vice by rebuking and cursing it, to love and cherish the man.
PSEUDO-JEROME. Again, the Lord applies to the evil spirit what he had inflicted on the man, calling him deaf and dumb spirit, because he never will hear and speak what the penitent sinner can speak and hear. But the devil, quitting a man, never returns, if the man keep his heart with the keys of humility and charity, and hold possession of the gate of freedom.1 The man who was healed became as one dead, for it is said to those who are healed, Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. (Col. 3:3.)
THEOPHYLACT. (ap. Pseudo-Hier.) Again, when Jesus, that is, the word of the Gospel, takes hold of the hand, that is, of our powers of action, then shall we be freed from the devil. And observe that God first helps us, then it is required of us that we do good; for which reason it is said that Jesus raised him, in which is shewn the aid of God, and that he arose, in which is declared the zeal of man.
BEDE. (ubi sup.) Further, our Lord, while teaching the Apostles how the worst devil is to be expelled, gives all of us rules for our life; that is, He would have us know that all the more grievous attacks of evil spirits or of men are to be overcome by fastings and prayers; and again, that the anger of the Lord, when it is kindled for vengeance on our crimes, can be appeased by this remedy alone. But fasting in general is not only abstinence from food, but also from all carnal delights, yea, from all vicious passions. In like manner prayer taken generally, consists not only in the words by which we call upon the Divine mercy, but also in all those things which we do with the devotedness of faith in obedience to our Maker, as the Apostle testifies, when he says, Pray without ceasing. (1 Thess. 5:17)
PSEUDO-JEROME. Or else, the folly which is connected with the softness of the flesh, is healed by fasting; anger and laziness are healed by prayer. Each wound has its own medicine, which must be applied to it; that which is used for the heel will not cure the eye; by fasting, the passions of the body, by prayer, the plagues of the soul, are healed.
Catena Aurea Mark 9
NAVARRE BIBLE COMMENTARY (RSV)
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (To the Greater Glory of God)
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Background on the Book of Sirach. In older Catholic Bibles, the Book of Sirach is listed as Ecclesiasticus, meaning “Church Book.” This was because in the early Church it was used extensively in that liturgy and as a kind of official catechism used in the catechumenate. It is one of the 7 deuterocanonical books that were removed from non-Catholic versions of the Bible starting with Martin Luther.
In the introduction to the book, we are told that the author was a man named Jesus Ben Sirach, who was a teacher of wisdom and he lived in Jerusalem. The book was originally written in Hebrew later translated by his grandson into Greek. Fragments of it have been found near the Dead Sea including at Qumran and Masada.
Ben Sirach wrote his book during the first decades of the 2nd century before Christ (it was the last book of the OT canon written). At that time the predominant culture was Greek.
During this period Jewish religion and traditions were threatened with extinction as many Jews (especially the young) were abandoning the Jewish religion for Greek customs and ideas.
Sirach wrote his book as a meditation on the Jewish Scriptures from the perspective of wisdom, that is, the practical knowledge of successful living.
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First Reading:
From: Sirach 1:1-10
All Wisdom Comes from the Lord
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[1] All wisdom comes from the Lord and is with him forever. [2] The sand of the sea, the drops of rain, and the days of eternity--who can count them? [3] The height of heaven, the breadth of the earth, the abyss, and wisdom--who can search them out? [4] Wisdom was created before all things, and prudent understanding from eternity. [6] The root of wisdom--to whom has it been revealed? Her clever devices--who knows them? [8] There is One who is wise, greatly to be feared, sitting upon his throne.
God Imbues All His Work with Wisdom
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[9] The Lord himself created wisdom; he saw her and apportioned her, he poured her out upon all his works. [10] She dwells with all flesh according to his gift, and he supplied her to those who love him.
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Commentary:
1:1-16:23 Just as the Torah is made up of the five books of the Pentateuch, we could say that the book of Ben Sirach also consists of five parts, over the course of which the teacher distills his teaching. The first of these covers almost sixteen chapters. It begins with kind, of doctrinal introduction dealing with the divine origin of Wisdom (1:1-2:18). Then (3:1-16:23) there follows a series of practical teachings about a whole range of things to do with ordinary life--duties to parents (3:1-16), solidarity with others (4:1-10), human virtues (3:l7-29; 4:25-6:1). As a. kind of refrain, every now and then we get exhortations about the need to be prudent and to acquire true wisdom. 1:1-2:21. In the. doctrinal instruction to the first part of the book, Ben Sirach zones in on the main ideas he means to explore over the course of the book. It has to do with the Lord as the source of wisdom, and with the attitude a person needs to have to become wise. In the Greek translation, as in the Septuagint's translation of other Old Testament works, the term "the Lord" used where the Hebrew text uses the proper name of God, "Yhwh". The first question posed is: Where does wisdom come from? And the answer is quite definite from the very start "All wisdom comes from God and is with him for ever" (1:1). There is no source of wisdom but the one true God: "There is [only] One who is wise" (1:8). He created all things and "he poured (wisdom) out upon all his works" (1:9). Therefore the study, of nature and of man (God's works) is the way to discover wisdom. More will be said about this in the introduction to the second part of the book (16:24-18:14).
Every created thing is designed in a particular way and the Lord's wisdom can be seen from the order that exists in creation and from the laws governing the nature and activity of man. In the case of human beings, a person will attain happiness and wisdom if he or she adheres to these rules laid by God. This leads Ben Sirach to say this is the main contribution his book makes), "If you desire wisdom, the commandments" (1:26). A person who approaches God in all simplicity, ready to listen to his precepts and puts them into practice will discover the meaning of the things and events of the world around him, which he so greatly desires. In the introduction to the part of the book these ideas are developed further (24:1-34).
It follows that a person who wants to be wise should logically show grateful respect to the Creator by acting in line with the "instructions" wisely imprinted on created things (man included). This is what in the tradition of Israel called "fear of the Lord", which is therefore "wisdom and instruction" (1:27). The expression "fear of the Lord" does not, then, in any sense mean being afraid of God. On the contrary, it is a reverent way of referring to the religious attitude of man towards Him who looks after him with great solicitude.
When the fourth part of the book goes into the motivation that, should inspire one's everyday conduct, it stresses the need for fear of the Lord in order to be wise (32:14-33:17).
A person beginning to set out on the path of wisdom need to be determined to keep true to the Lord, for he is bound to meet with difficulties. But he has every reason to trust in God. One good reason is the lessons of history: "Consider the ancient generations and see: who ever trusted in the Lord and was put to shame?" (2:10). The fifth and last part of the book, provide a running commentary on the example set by figures in the past (44:1-50:21).
The ideas contained in these chapters prepare the way for the full revelation of the Wisdom of God--the incarnation of the Word (cf. the prologue to St John's Gospel: Jn 1:1-18). That passage of the New Testament helps one to understand the full implications of things said here. "All wisdom comes from God and is with him for ever" (1:1), for "the Word was with God and the Word was God" (Jn 1:1); and the Lord "supplied her [Wisdom] to those who love him" (Sir 1:10b), for "to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God" (Jn 1:12-13). The Law promulgated by God in the Old Testament prepared the way for the full revelation of God himself' in whom all Wisdom dwells: "The 'Law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Christ" (Jn 1:17). The Letter to the Hebrews, in line with the call in Sirach 2:10, invites us to consider the example set by the great lsraelite leaders of the past (cf. Heb 11:1-40).
The earliest Christian commentators did not fail to find in Sirach references to the fullness of God's revelation in Jesus Christ: "The divine Teacher, Jesus Christ, merits our full confidence because he possesses the three most beautiful qualities--wisdom, benevolence, and open-heartedness. Wisdom, for he is wisdom of the Father: "All wisdom comes from the Lord, and is with him forever" (Sir 1:1); openheartedness, for he is God and Creator: "Everything that is was made by him, and without him nothing was made" (Jn 1:9) and benevolence, for he offered himself as the one victim for us all" (Clement of Alexandria, "Paedagogus", 1, 97:3).
