John
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	John 13
16.	Amen, amen I say to you: The servant is not greater than his lord; neither is the apostle greater than he that sent him.	Amen, amen dico vobis : non est servus major domino suo : neque apostolus major est eo qui misit illum.	αμην αμην λεγω υμιν ουκ εστιν δουλος μειζων του κυριου αυτου ουδε αποστολος μειζων του πεμψαντος αυτον
17.	If you know these things, you shall be blessed if you do them.	Si hæc scitis, beati eritis si feceritis ea.	ει ταυτα οιδατε μακαριοι εστε εαν ποιητε αυτα
18.	I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen. But that the scripture may be fulfilled: He that eateth bread with me, shall lift up his heel against me.	Non de omnibus vobis dico : ego scio quos elegerim ; sed ut adimpleatur Scriptura : Qui manducat mecum panem, levabit contra me calcaneum suum.	ου περι παντων υμων λεγω εγω οιδα ους εξελεξαμην αλλ ινα η γραφη πληρωθη ο τρωγων μετ εμου τον αρτον επηρεν επ εμε την πτερναν αυτου
19.	At present I tell you, before it come to pass: that when it shall come to pass, you may believe that I am he.	Amodo dico vobis, priusquam fiat : ut cum factum fuerit, credatis, quia ego sum.	απ αρτι λεγω υμιν προ του γενεσθαι ινα οταν γενηται πιστευσητε οτι εγω ειμι
20.	Amen, amen I say to you, he that receiveth whomsoever I send, receiveth me; and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me.	Amen, amen dico vobis : qui accipit si quem misero, me accipit ; qui autem me accipit, accipit eum qui me misit.	αμην αμην λεγω υμιν ο λαμβανων εαν τινα πεμψω εμε λαμβανει ο δε εμε λαμβανων λαμβανει τον πεμψαντα με

Catena Aurea by St. Thomas Aguinas

16. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord: neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.

17. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

18. I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.

19. Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.

20. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.CHRYSOSTOM. (Hom. lxxi. 2) He continues to urge them to wash one another’s feet; Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord, neither He that is sent greater than He that sent Him; as if to say, If I do it, much more ought you.

THEOPHYLACT. This was a necessary admonition to the Apostles, some of whom were about to rise higher, others to lower degrees of eminence. That none might exult over another, He changes the hearts of all.

BEDE. To know what is good, and not to do it, tendeth not to happiness, but to condemnation; as James saith, To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin (James 4:17). Wherefore He adds, If ye know these things, happy are ye if yo do them.

CHRYSOSTOM. (Hom. Lxxi. 2) For all know, but all do not do. He then rebukes the traitor, not openly, but covertly: I speak not of you all.

AUGUSTINE. (Tr. lix. 1) As if to say, There is one among you who will not be blessed, nor doeth these things. I know whom I have chosen. Whom, but those who shall be happy by doing His commandments? Judas therefore was not chosen. But if so, why does He say in another place, Have not I chosen you twelve? Because Judas was chosen for that for which he was necessary, but not for that happiness of which He says, Happy are ye, if ye do them.

ORIGEN. (t. xxxii. 8.) Or thus: I speak not of you all, does not refer to, Happy are ye if ye do them. For of Judas, or any other person, it may be said, Happy is he if he do them. The words refer to the sentence above, The servant is not greater than his lord, neither He that is sent greater than He that sent Him. For Judas, being a servant of sin, was not a servant of the Divine Word; nor an Apostle, when the devil had entered into him. Our Lord knew those who were His, and did not know who were not His, and therefore says, not, I know all present, but, I know whom I have chosen, i. e. I know My Elect.

CHRYSOSTOM. (Hom. lxxi. 1) Then, that He might not sadden them all, He adds, But that the Scripture must be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with Me, hath lifted up his heel against Me: shewing that He knew who the traitor was, an intimation that would surely have checked him, if any thing would. He does not say, shall betray Me, but, shall lift up his heel against Me, alluding to his deceit and secret plotting.

AUGUSTINE. (Tr. lix. 1) Shall lift up his heel against Me, i. e. shall tread upon Me. The traitor Judas is meant.

CHRYSOSTOM. (Hom. lxxi. 2) He that eateth bread with Me; i. e. who was fed by Me, who partook of My table. So that if injured ever by our servants or inferiors, we need not be offended. Judas had received infinite benefits, and yet thus requited his Benefactor.

AUGUSTINE. (Tr. lix. 1) They then who were chosen ate the Lord; he ate the bread of the Lord, to injure the Lord; they ate life, he damnation; for he that eateth unworthily, eateth damnation to himself. (1 Cor. 11:27)

Now I tell you before it come, that when it is come, ye may believe that I am He, i. e. of whom that Scripture foretold.

ORIGEN. (t. xxxii. 9.) That ye may believe, is not said, as if the Apostles did not believe already, but is equivalent to saying, Do as ye believe, and persevere in your belief, seeking for no occasion of falling away. For besides the evidences the disciples had already seen, they had now that of the fulfilment of prophecy.

CHRYSOSTOM. (Hom. Lxxii. 3) As the disciples were about to go forth and to suffer many things, He consoles them by promising His own assistance and that of others; His own, when He says, Happy are ye if ye do them; that of others, in what follows, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send, receiveth Me; and he that receiveth Me receiveth Him that sent Me.

ORIGEN. (t. xxxii. 10.) For he that receiveth him whom Jesus sends, receiveth Jesus who is represented by him; and he that receiveth Jesus, receiveth the Father. Therefore he that receiveth whom Jesus sends, receiveth the Father that sent. The words may have this meaning too: He that receiveth whom I send, had attained unto receiving Me: he who receiveth Me not by means of any Apostle, but by My own entrance into his soul, receiveth the Father; so that not only I abide in him, but the Father also.

AUGUSTINE. (Tr. xlix. 2) The Arians, when they hear this passage, appeal immediately to the gradations in their system, that as far as the Apostle is from the Lord, so far is the Son from the Father. But our Lord hath left us no room for doubt on this head; for He saith, I and My Father are one. (supr. 10:30) But how shall we understand those words of our Lord, He that receiveth Me, receiveth Him that sent Me? If we take them to mean that the Father and the Son are of one nature, it will seem to follow, when He says, He that receiveth whomsoever I send, receiveth Me, that the Son and an Apostle are of one nature. May not the meaning be, He that receiveth whosoever I send, receiveth Me, i. e. Me as man: But He that receiveth Me, i. e. as God, receiveth Him that sent Me. But it is not this unity of nature, which is here put forth, but the authority of the Sender, as represented by Him who is sent. In Peter hear Christ, the Master of the disciple, in the Son the Father, the Begotten of the Only Begotten.

Catena Aurea John 13

May 15: Saint Isidore, Farmer

Work and Prayer: the Path to Holiness

He was a humble farmer, very poor, who spared no effort and sacrifice to bring a piece of bread home. However, he had discovered Christ and everything else seemed nothing compared to his friendship with Him. His name was Isidore. He was born around 1080 in Madrid, which at the time was not yet the capital of Spain but a city like any other.

His parents were very poor farmers who could not afford to send him to school but who passed on to him the only wealth they had: Faith. They taught him to pray, to attend Mass, to give charity to the neediest.

He was orphaned at the age of 10 and was already working in the fields. Due to the Arab invasions in the Iberian Peninsula, Isidore left Madrid and took refuge in Torrelaguna, a town almost 60 kilometers to the northeast. There, he met Maria Toribia, also known as Maria de la Cabeza, whom he married and they soon had a son named Illán. The little boy once fell into a cistern and was miraculously saved thanks to his father’s fervent prayers. The couple lived a devotedly Christian life and despite their poverty managed to help those who were even poorer. Maria de la Cabeza was declared Blessed by Innocent XII in 1697.

Isidore worked as a laborer on the large farm lands of Don Juan de Vargas. His life was spent between attending Mass, praying and working in the fields. It is said that one day, his fellow laborers accused him in front of the owner of dedicating himself to prayer and not to work. Then, the master began to observe him and saw that, before going to the fields, he visited various churches. Also, many times, he interrupted his work to pray, but incredibly the tasks entrusted to him did not fall behind. It is said that the angels plowed in his place. Isidore returned to Madrid and, feeling that his hour was approaching, made confession and recommended everyone to love God and to practice charity. He died on May 15, 1130. His body was found incorrupt after 40 years, even though it was in a place that had previously been flooded. The king of Spain, Philip III, while he was seriously ill, wanted Isidore's body to be brought to his bedside. As soon as Isidore's mortal remains reached him, the king recovered. Thanks to this and other miracles attributed to his intercession, Pope Gregory XV, on March 12, 1622, canonized him together with Saint Teresa of Avila, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Saint Francis Xavier and Saint Philip Neri. His mortal remains are preserved in the Madrid church of Saint Andrew. He is the Patron Saint of farmers, farm workers and the city of Madrid.

NAVARRE BIBLE COMMENTARY(RSV)

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

First Reading:

From: Acts 13:13-25

They Cross into Asia Minor
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[13] Now Paul and his company set sail from Paphos, and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem; [14] but they passed on from Perga and came to Antioch of Pisidia.

Preaching in the Synagogue of Antioch of Pisidia
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And on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. [15] After the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, "Brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it." [16] So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said: "Men of Israel, and you that fear God, listen. [17] The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm He led them out of it. [18] And for about forty years He bore with them in the wilderness. [19] And when He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He gave them their land as an inheritance, for about four hundred and fifty years. [20] And after that He gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. [21] Then they asked for a king; and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. [22] And when He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king; of whom He testified and said, "I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after My heart, who will do all My will.' [23] Of this man's posterity God has brought Israel a Savior, Jesus, as He promised. [24] Before His coming John had preached a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. [25] And as John was finishing his course, he said, 'What do you suppose that I am? I am not He. No, but after me One is coming, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.'"

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Commentary:

15. Sabbath services in synagogues went right back to the post-exilic period (after the Babylonian Captivity, which lasted from 586 to 539 B.C.), and by now they had a very settled form. They consisted of readings from Sacred Scripture, preaching and public prayers. No one was especially appointed to preside over these services; the president or ruler of the synagogue could ask any member of the community to take the ceremony (cf. 18:8); he supervised the preparations and made sure that everything was done properly.

16-41. Paul's address here is an excellent example of the way he used to present the Gospel to a mixed congregation of Jews and proselytes. He lists the benefits conferred by God on the chosen people from Abraham down to John the Baptism (verses 16-25); he then shows how all the messianic prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus (verses 26-37), and, by way of conclusion, states that justification comes about through faith in Jesus, who died and then rose from the dead (verse 38-41).

This address contains all the main themes of apostolic preaching, that is, God's saving initiative in the history of Israel (verses 17-22); reference to the Precursor (verses 24-25); the proclamation of the Gospel or "kerygma" in the proper sense (verses 26b-31a); mention of Jerusalem (verse 31b); arguments from Sacred Scripture (verses 33-37), complementing apostolic teaching and tradition (verses 38-39); and a final exhortation, eschatological in character, announcing the future (verses 40-41). In many respects this address is like those of St. Peter (cf. 2:14ff; 3:12ff), especially where it proclaims Jesus as Messiah and in its many quotations from Sacred Scripture, chosen to show that the decisive event of the Resurrection confirms Christ's divinity.

Paul gives a general outline of salvation history and then locates Jesus in it as the expected Messiah, the point at which all the various strands in that history meet and all God's promises are fulfilled. He shows that all the steps which lead up to Jesus Christ, even the stage of John the Baptist, are just points on a route. Earlier, provisional elements must now, in Christ, give way to a new, definitive situation.

Gospel Reading:

From: John 13:16-20

Jesus Washes His Disciples' Feet (Continued)
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(Jesus said to His disciples,) [16] "Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. [17] If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. [18] I am not speaking to you all; I know whom I have chosen; it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled, `He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.' [19] I tell you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am He. [20] Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives any man whom I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me."

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Commentary:

15-17. Jesus' whole life was an example of service towards men, fulfilling His Father's will to the point of dying on the Cross. Here our Lord promises us that if we imitate Him, our Teacher, in disinterested service (which always implies sacrifice), we will find true happiness which no one can wrest from us (cf. 16:22; 17:13). "`I have given you an example', He tells His disciples after washing their feet, on the night of the Last Supper. Let us reject from our hearts any pride, any ambition, any desire to dominate; and peace and joy will reign around us and within us, as a consequence of our personal sacrifice" (St J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 94).

18. Lifting one's heel against someone means hitting him brutally; metaphorically, therefore, it means violent enmity. Judas' treachery fulfills the words of Psalm 41:10 where the psalmist complains bitterly of a friend's treachery. Once again the Old Testament prefigures events which find their full _expression in the New.

Through Baptism, the Christian has become a son of God and is called to share in God's good things, not only in Heaven but also on earth: He has received grace, he shares in the Eucharistic Banquet..., he shares with his brethren, other Christians, the friendship of Jesus. Therefore, if a person sins who has been born again through Baptism, in some sense his is a sort of treachery similar to Judas'. However, we have the recourse of repentance: if we trust in God's mercy we can set about recovering our friendship with God.

"React. Listen to what the Holy Spirit tells you: `"Si inimicus meus maledixisset mihi, sustinuissem utique"'. If it were the enemy who insulted me, I could put up with that. But you...`"tu vero homo unanimis, dux meus, et notus meus, qui simul mecum dulces capiebas cibos"': you, My friend, My Apostle, who sit at My table and take sweet food with Me!" (St J. Escriva, "The Way", 244).

19. Jesus tells the Apostles in advance about Judas' treachery, so that when they see Christ's predictions come true, they will realize He has divine knowledge and that in Him are fulfilled the Scriptures of the Old Testament (cf. John 2:22). On the words "I am", cf. note on John 8:21-24.

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Readings at Mass

God has raised up one of David's descendants, Jesus, as Saviour

Whoever welcomes the one I send welcomes me

Christian Art

Catena Aurea by St. Thomas Aguinas

May 15: Saint Isidore, Farmer

Work and Prayer: the Path to Holiness