Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings 1-March-2025

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

KEYWORDS: catholic; mk10; ordinarytime; prayer;

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Mark
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Mark 10
13.	And they brought to him young children, that he might touch them. And the disciples rebuked them that brought them.	Et offerebant illi parvulos ut tangeret illos. Discipuli autem comminabantur offerentibus.	και προσεφερον αυτω παιδια ινα αψηται αυτων οι δε μαθηται επετιμων τοις προσφερουσιν
14.	Whom when Jesus saw, he was much displeased, and saith to them: Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God.	Quos cum videret Jesus, indigne tulit, et ait illis : Sinite parvulos venire ad me, et ne prohibueritis eos : talium enim est regnum Dei.	ιδων δε ο ιησους ηγανακτησεν και ειπεν αυτοις αφετε τα παιδια ερχεσθαι προς με μη κωλυετε αυτα των γαρ τοιουτων εστιν η βασιλεια του θεου
15.	Amen I say to you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, shall not enter into it.	Amen dico vobis : Quisquis non receperit regnum Dei velut parvulus, non intrabit in illud.	αμην λεγω υμιν ος εαν μη δεξηται την βασιλειαν του θεου ως παιδιον ου μη εισελθη εις αυτην
16.	And embracing them, and laying his hands upon them, he blessed them.	Et complexans eos, et imponens manus super illos, benedicebat eos.	και εναγκαλισαμενος αυτα τιθεις τας χειρας επ αυτα ευλογει αυτα

Catena Aurea by St. Thomas Aguinas

Mark CHAP. 10

10:13–16

13. And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.

14. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

15. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

16. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

THEOPHYLACT. The wickedness of the Pharisees in tempting Christ, has been related above, and now is shewn the great faith of the multitude, who believed that Christ conferred a blessing on the children whom they brought to Him, by the mere laying on of His hands. Wherefore it is said: And they brought young children to him, that he might touch them.

CHRYSOSTOM. (ubi sup.) But the disciples, out of regard for the dignity of Christ, forbade those who brought them. And this is what is added: And his disciples rebuked those who brought them. But our Saviour, in order to teach His disciples to be modest in their ideas, and to tread under foot worldly pride, takes the children to Him, and assigns to them the kingdom of God: wherefore it goes on: And he said unto them, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not.

ORIGEN. (Matt. tom. xv. 7) If any of those who profess to hold the office of teaching1 in the Church should see a person bringing to them some of the foolish of this world, and low born, and weak, who for this reason are called children and infants, let him not forbid the man who offers such an one to the Saviour, as though he were acting without judgment. After this He exhorts those of His disciples who are already grown to full stature to condescend to be useful to children, that they may become to children as children, that they may gain children; for He Himself, when He was in the form of God, humbled Himself, and became a child. On which He adds: For of such is the kingdom of heaven. (1 Cor. 9:22)

CHRYSOSTOM. (ubi sup.) For indeed the mind of a child is pure from all passions, for which reason, we ought by free choice to do those works, which children have by nature.

THEOPHYLACT. Wherefore He says not, for of these, but of such is the kingdom of God, that is, of persons who have both in their intention and their work the harmlessness and simplicity which children have by nature. For a child does not hate, does nothing of evil intent, nor though beaten does he quit his mother; and though she clothe him in vile garments, prefers them to kingly apparel; in like manner he, who lives according to the good ways of his mother the Church, honours nothing before her, nay, not pleasure, which is the queen of many; wherefore also the Lord subjoins, Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

BEDE. (ubi sup.) That is, if ye have not innocence and purity of mind like that of children, ye cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven. Or else, we are ordered to receive the kingdom of God, that is, the doctrine of the Gospel, as a little child, because as a child, when he is taught, does not contradict his teachers, nor put together reasonings and words against them, but receives with faith what they teach, and obeys them with awe, so we also are to receive the word of the Lord with simple obedience, and without any gainsaying. It goes on: And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

PSEUDO-CHRYSOSTOM. (Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.) Fitly does He take them up into His arms to bless them, as it were, lifting into His own bosom, and reconciling Himself to His creation, which in the beginning fell from Him, and was separated from Him. Again, He puts His hands upon the children, to teach us the working of His divine power; and indeed, He puts His hands upon them, as others are wont to do, though His operation is not as that of others, for though He was God, He kept to human ways of acting, as being very man.

BEDE. (ubi sup.) Having embraced the children, He also blessed them, implying that the lowly in spirit are worthy of His blessing, grace, and love.

Catena Aurea Mark 10

Christ Blessing the Children

Nicolaes Maes

1652-53
Oil on canvas, 206 x 154 cm
National Gallery, London

Shrouded in the mists of the sixth century, St. David stands as a towering figure, his legacy woven into the very fabric of Welsh history. Revered for his unwavering devotion and miraculous deeds, he shaped the foundations of the early Welsh Church, leaving an indelible mark on the spiritual landscape. Through the monastic communities he built and the teachings that transcended borders, his influence rippled far beyond his time. For over 1,500 years, his story has endured – part history, part legend, inspiring those who walk in his footsteps.

This is the story of St. David, the patron saint of Wales.

The Early Life of David

Much of what we know about St. David comes from the writings of Rhygfarch, a cleric who penned his biography around 1090 AD, approximately five centuries after David’s death. This hagiography, a work dedicated to the life of a saint, was originally written in Latin as Vita S. David before being translated into Welsh as Buchedd Dewi meaning ‘The Life of David’.

According to tradition, David was born around 500 AD in what is now Pembrokeshire, the son of noble parents. His father, Sant (also known as Sandde or Sanctus), was said to be the son of Ceredig ap Cunedda, the founder and king of Ceredigion, a small kingdom in west Wales. His mother, Non, was a nun, and legend tells that she gave birth to him on a windswept clifftop during a fierce storm – a suitably dramatic beginning for a man destined to become Wales’s most revered saint.

David was raised in an environment of deep faith, shaping his lifelong devotion to Christianity. He’s believed to have studied at the monastery of Hen Fynyw under St. Paulinus, where he quickly became known for his humility, discipline, and dedication to study and prayer – qualities that would define his extraordinary life.

The Miracles of St. David

Llanddewi Brefi, the location of David's famous miracle (Credit: Siddhartha Thapa / 500px via Getty Images)

David is associated with numerous miracles. Among the most famous is the miracle at the Synod of Llanddewi Brefi, where he was preaching to a large crowd. When people complained they couldn’t see or hear him, the ground beneath him is said to have risen up to form a hill, allowing him to be visible and audible to all. At this moment, a white dove sent by God, symbolising peace and divine approval, is said to have landed on his shoulder, a moment often depicted in his iconography.

Another such event is reported to have happened when he was a young man at school. According to legend, he restored the eyesight of his blind tutor, St. Paulinus, by making the sign of the cross over the older man’s head. He’s also said to have brought a dead boy back to life by splashing holy water on the child’s face.

The Story of the Bees

A stained glass window depicting St David blessing a beehive (Credit: AmandaLewis via Getty Images)

St. David is credited with many miraculous healings, but this tale is less about healing and more about honey. According to legend, an Irish monk named Modomnoc – later known as St. Modomnóc of Ossory – served as the monastery’s beekeeper, tending to the hives that provided honey and wax.

When the time came for him to return to Ireland, an unusual event took place. Each time he set off for the boat, the bees swarmed after him, settling on the mast as if refusing to be left behind. Time and again, he brought them back to the monastery, but they continued to follow him. Finally, St. David blessed the bees and gave his blessing for Modomnoc to take them across the Irish Sea – an event some say led to the introduction of honeybees to Ireland.

St Davids Cathedral & Other Monastic Communities

St David's Cathedral (Credit: Mark-paton via Getty Images)

St David is said to have founded several monastic communities during his lifetime, the most notable being the one established around 550 at Glyn Rhosyn, which later became the site of St Davids Cathedral. This monastery was located in an inhospitable area known as Vallis Rosina or ‘the valley of the swamp’ in Latin, which translates to Glyn Rhosyn in Welsh.

The monastic community there followed a strict and simple lifestyle under David’s leadership. The monks lived a self-disciplined life, refraining from meat and alcohol, and drinking only water, which earned David the nickname David the Waterdrinker (Dewi Ddyfrwr in Welsh). They engaged in manual labour, ploughing fields by hand, and sustaining themselves on a diet of bread with salt and herbs. This diet is renowned as having included leeks, hence why the leek is often intertwined in Welsh culture.

David’s monastery became renowned as both a religious and intellectual centre. It was so highly regarded that King Alfred was said to have sought assistance in rebuilding the scholarly and intellectual life of the Kingdom of Wessex from a monk named Asser at St Davids. The original structures of David’s monastery were probably simple wood and stone huts, which were probably destroyed over time by the many attacks that came from seaborne raiders, including the Vikings. It’s thought that around 1081, William the Conqueror prayed at St Davids, calling it a holy and respected place.

The present St Davids Cathedral, which stands on the site of David’s original monastery, began to take shape in the 1180s. Over the centuries, it evolved into an important pilgrimage site, with Pope Calixtus II allegedly decreeing that Two pilgrimages to St Davids is equal to one to Rome, and three pilgrimages to one to Jerusalem. This papal privilege (which some scholars have suggested is a later medieval legend to enhance David’s reputation) significantly elevated the status of St Davids as a centre of pilgrimage in the Western Christian world.

The Reach of St David

David was said to have visited Glastonbury Abbey (Credit: chrisdorney via Getty Images)

Beyond his renowned monastery at Glyn Rhosyn, St. David is credited with establishing several other monastic settlements and churches throughout Wales and Brittany. His missionary work helped to spread Christianity and forge a network of religious communities that shaped the spiritual landscape of the region.

According to the writings of Rhygfarch, some accounts even claim that David founded Glastonbury Abbey. However, historical evidence for this is scarce, and no strong link is thought to exist between him and the abbey’s origins. It’s possible David visited Glastonbury during his travels and may have donated an altar adorned with a great sapphire – said to have been confiscated by King Henry VIII during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 1540s – but this remains uncertain.

The Later Years of St. David

The stunning transept vault of St David's Cathedral, Wales (Credit: Pavel Tochinsky via Getty Images)

David is said to have led a life of piety, charity, and dedication. According to most sources, he died in 589 AD, although it could have been as late as 601 AD.

His last words, preached in a sermon, were reported to have been ‘Lords, brothers and sisters, Be joyful, and keep your faith and your creed, and do the little things that you have seen me do and heard about. And as for me, I will walk the path that our fathers have trod before us.’

A paraphrase of these words, Gwnewch y pethau bychain mewn bywyd, translated to ‘Do ye the little things in life’ remains a well-known Welsh phrase still in common use today.

In 1120, David was canonised by Pope Callixtus II. By the twelfth or thirteenth century, over sixty churches were dedicated to St. David. He’s also credited with spreading the word of Christianity in northwestern France, with places in and around Brittany, including Saint-Divy, Saint-Yvi and Landivy, named after him.

March 1st - St. David’s Day

St David's Day Parade - flags of Wales, St. David, and Owain Glyndwr (Credit: David Williams via Getty Images)

St. David’s Day itself has been celebrated since at least the twelfth century and takes place on the 1st of March. Known in Wales as the Feast of St. David, it remains a cherished tradition, with people across the country donning daffodils and leeks – the national symbols of Wales – while the striking flag of St. David, a golden cross on a black background, flies proudly in towns and cities.

A key part of the celebrations is the eisteddfod, a festival where schoolchildren and communities come together to showcase Welsh poetry, music, and culture. Traditional foods such as cawl (a hearty soup), Welsh cakes, bara brith (a spiced tea loaf), Welsh lamb, and Welsh rarebit are enjoyed across the country, adding a delicious touch to the festivities.

Many towns and cities, including Cardiff and St Davids – the UK’s smallest city, with a population of around 1,600 – host lively parades. Cardiff’s National St. David’s Day Parade is a particular highlight, featuring theatrical performances, costumed dragons, and stirring renditions of beloved Welsh songs, from Calon Lân and Cwm Rhondda to the national anthem, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau.

discoveryuk.com

Pictures show at source.

NAVARRE BIBLE COMMENTARY (RSV)

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

First Reading:

From: Sirach 17:1-15

God and Man

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[1] The Lord created man out of earth, and turned him back to it again. [2] He gave to men few days, a limited time, but granted them authority over the things upon the earth. [3] He endowed them with strength like his own, and made them in his own image. [4] He placed the fear of them in all living beings, and granted them dominion over beasts and birds. [6] He gave them ears and a mind for thinking. [7] He filled them with knowledge and understanding, and showed them good and evil. [8] He set his eye upon their hearts to show them the majesty of his works. [10] And they will praise his holy name, to proclaim the grandeur of his works. [11] He bestowed knowledge upon them, and allotted to them the law of life. [12] He established with them an eternal covenant, and showed them his judgments. [13] Their eyes saw his glorious majesty, and their ears heard the glory of his voice. [14] And he said to them, "Beware of all unrighteousness." [15] And he gave commandment to each of them concerning his neighbor.

The Divine Judge. A Call to Repentance
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[15] Their ways are always before him, they will not be bid from his eyes."

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Commentary:

16:24-23:27. These chapters are the second of the five parts we can distinguish in the book of Sirach. Like all the other parts it opens with doctrinal instruction (16:24-18:14), dealing this time with the divine Wisdom manifested by the Creator in all his works; this is followed (18:15-23:27) by a series of practical teachings. As in the previous part it is not easy to see any clear order in the maxims. However, further emphasis is put here on prudence in speech.

16:24-18:14 The doctrinal introduction to the first part of the book (1:1-2:18) summarized the main ideas in the book and put the focus, mainly, on the Lord, the only God, as being the source of wisdom. Now the author goes on to explain that, in creating the universe, the Most High arranged all his works in order and laid down laws to govern them (16:27). First (cf. 16:24-31) we find teachings from the first chapters of Genesis: creation took place "from [in] the beginning" (16:26a; Gen 1:1); God determined the order of things (16:26b; Gen 1:3-2:3); with the result that it "was good" (Gen 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31 and Sir 16:29b) and "he covered its surface with all kinds of living beings" (16:30; Gen 1:20-31).

Pre-eminent among these created beings is man, made in the image of God (cf. 17:3; Gen 1:26-27). When it sees the harmony of the universe and all the living things that populate it, the human mind can recognize that there is a pattern to all this and can work its way up to God (17: 1-10). St Paul, in his Letter to the Romans, makes the point, again that "his (God's) invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made" (Rom 1:20). In addition, man has been given divine law to help him lead a life in line with what God has revealed to him over the course of time. And the supernatural revelation of the Law through Moses makes God's wisdom shine even brighter (17:11-17).

This brings the writer to reflect on God as Judge, and on man as someone who must render an account to his creator, not just as regards his external actions but as regards even his inmost thoughts. This is a well-argued case for conversion to God (cf. 17:19-32). Ben Sirach has clear ideas about the meaning of life and death, but the New Testament sees further. He knows that the Lord will "recompense" people (cf. 17:23), but he does not go so far as to say that there is life after death (17:27-31). In any event, for the author the main thing is to give praise to God (17:27-29); hence his call to conversion (17:24, 26, 29).

The doctrinal introduction to this second part of the book concludes with reflections on the majesty and compassion of God--so vast compared to man (18:1-14). Having established just how limited man is, Ben Sirach asks himself: What is man, and what good can be do? God is under no obligation to care for man, to encourage him to do good or to guard him against evil. This sapiential style of writing is rhetorical: it is meant to draw attention to God's kindness and mercy towards man. The sacred writer does not have access to God's last revelation in the form of Jesus Christ; but by contemplating God's favors to Israel he is able to get more insights into man and the nature of man. John Paul II points out that: "These are questions in every human heart, as the poetic genius of every time and every people has shown, posing again and again--almost as the prophetic voice of humanity--the "serious question" which makes human beings truly what they are. They are questions which express the urgency of finding a reason for existence, in every moment, at life's most important and decisive times as well as more ordinary times. These questions show the deep reasonableness of human existence, since they summon human intelligence and will to search freely for a solution which can reveal the full meaning of life. These enquiries, therefore, are the highest expression of human nature; which is why the answer to them is the gauge of the depth of his engagement with his own existence. In particular, when "the why of things" is explored in full harmony with the search for the ultimate answer, then human reason reaches its zenith and opens to the religious impulse. The religious impuIse is the highest expression of the human being's free and personal search for the divine" ("Fides Et Ratio", note 28).

Gospel Reading:

From: Mark 10:13-16

Jesus and the Children
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[13] And they were bringing children to Him, that He might touch them; and the disciples rebuked them. [14] But when Jesus saw it He was indignant, and said to them, "Let the children come to Me, do not hinder them; for to such belongs the Kingdom of God. [15] Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." [16] And He took them in His arms and blessed them, laying His hands upon them.

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Commentary:

13-16. This Gospel account has an attractive freshness and vividness about it which may be connected with St. Peter, from whom St. Mark would have taken the story. It is one of the few occasions when the Gospels tell us that Christ became angry. What provoked His anger was the disciples' intolerance: they felt that these people bringing children to Jesus were a nuisance: it meant a waste of His time; Christ had more serious things to do than be involved with little children. The disciples were well-intentioned; it was just that they were applying the wrong criteria. What Jesus had told them quite recently had not registered: "Whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me" (Mark 9:37).

Our Lord also stresses that a Christian has to become like a child to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. "To be little you have to believe as children believe, to love as children love, to abandon yourself as children do..., to pray as children pray" (St J. Escriva, "Holy Rosary", Prologue).

Our Lord's words express simply and graphically the key doctrine of man's divine sonship: God is our Father and we are His sons and daughters, His children; the whole of religion is summed up in the relationship of a son with His good Father. This awareness of God as Father involves a sense of dependence on our Father in Heaven and trusting abandonment to His loving providence--in the way a child trusts its father or mother; the humility of recognizing that we can do nothing by ourselves; simplicity and sincerity, which make us straightforward and honest in our dealings with God and man.

Click here to go to the My Catholic Life! Devotional thread for a meditation on today’s Gospel Reading.

Readings at Mass

Their ways cannot be hidden from his sight

It is to such as these little children that the kingdom of God belongs

Universalis podcast: The week ahead – from 2 to 8 March

Christian Art