Daily Bible Readings Commentary Sept 12 2007 Wednesday 23rd Week Ordinary Time.

Sept 12 2007 Wednesday 23^rd Week Ordinary Time.

About the sources used.

The readings on this site are not official for the Mass of Roman Catholic Church, but are from sources free from copyright. They are here to present the comparable readings alongside traditional Catholic commentary as published in the Haydock Bible. Sometimes I don’t clip as much in order to provide the entire passage, whereby the Mass readings are clipped for more brevity.

Official Readings of the Liturgy at – dead link removed – Go here for NAB translation

Colossians 3:1-11

¹ THEREFORE, if you be risen with Christ, seek the things that are above: where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God: ² Mind the things that are above, not the things that are on the earth. ³ For you are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ shall appear, who is your life: then shall you also appear with him in glory. ⁵ Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, lust, evil, concupiscence, and covetousness, which is the service of idols: ⁶ For which things the wrath of God cometh upon the children of unbelief: ⁷ In which you also walked some time, when you lived in them. ⁸ But now put you also all away: anger, indignation, malice, blasphemy, filthy speech out of your mouth. ⁹ Lie not one to another: stripping yourselves of the old man with his deeds. ¹⁰ And putting on the new, him who is renewed unto knowledge, according to the image of him, who created him. ¹¹ Where there is neither Gentile nor Jew, circumcision or uncircumcision, Barbarian nor Scythian, bond or free: but Christ is all, and in all.

Haydock Commentary Colossians 3:1-11

• Ver. 1. Here begins the second or the moral part of this epistle. –if you be risen, &c. The remaining part of this epistle has no great difficulties, but excellent instructions, as that to the Ephesians. Wi.
• Ver. 5. Your members, …. Fornication, uncleanness, &c. He considers man’s body as made up of sins and sinful inclinations. Wi.—It is not to bring back Judaism we practice abstinences and fasts, nor with the same motive as the Jews but to accomplish the precepts of mortifying the irregular desires of the flesh, among which gluttony must find a place. In a mortified body sensuality is more easily subdued. A.
• Ver. 6. The children of unbelief are either those who perished in Noe’s (Noah to most of you) flood, for S. Peter in his epistle gives them this title, or they are the inhabitants of Chanaan, whom Josue (Joshua) exterminated; for these also are called children of unbelief, in the epistle to the Hebrews, and their crimes were the same as those mentioned here. Calmet.
• Ver. 8. Blasphemy. It may here signify either the sin of blasphemy against God, or speaking ill of our neighbour by detraction, calumnies, affronts, &c. See S. Chrys. Wi.—Now that you live in God, with Jesus Christ, quit not only the above shameful crimes, but also these sins, which, although they excite less horror, will separate you no less from the Author of all sanctity.
• Ver. 10. According to the image of him who created him. We are created to the image of God, inasmuch as our souls are spiritual and immortal, but here we are put in mind to imitate God by sanctity and justice, as God is holy and the fountain of justice. Wi.—The image or resemblance of our Creator was effaced by sin, but is retraced by Jesus Christ, who forms in us this new man. V.
• Ver. 11. Where, or in which state, when we put on the new man by sanctity and grace, God makes no distinction betwixt Jew and Gentile, &c. Wi.—In the Church of Christ God makes no exception of persons; all are called to the marriage feast, whether Jews (formerly the most favoured people of God) or Greeks, (who were reckoned the most polite, or learned) or Barbarians, or Scythians: (who are esteemed the most cruel and ferocious of men) still these are clled; Christ died for all. Calmet.—In S. Paul’s epistles, by the Greeks are usually designated the Gentiles. V.

Luke 6:20-26

²⁰ And he lifting up his eyes on his disciples, said:

Blessed are ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.
²¹ Blessed are ye that hunger now: for you shall be filled.
Blessed are ye that weep now: for you shall laugh.
²² Blessed shall you be when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake.

²³ Be glad in that day, and rejoice: for behold your reward is great in heaven. For according to these thing did your fathers to the prophets.

²⁴ But wo to you that are rich: for you have your consolation.
²⁵ Wo to you that are filled: for you shall hunger.
Wo to you that laugh now: for you shall mourn and weep.
²⁶ Wo to you when men shall bless you: for according to these things did their fathers to the false prophets.

Haydock Commentary Luke 6:20-26

• Ver. 20. S. Matt. (v. 3. 10.) mentions eight beatitudes, S. Luke only four; but S. Luke only gives an abridgment in this place of the discourse, which S. Matt. gives more at length. We are also to remark, that in these four the whole eight are comprised, and that both evangelists place poverty in the first place, because it is the first in rank, and as it were, the parent of the other virtues; for he who hath forsaken earthly possessions, deserves heavenly ones. Neither can any man reasonably expect eternal life, who is not willing to forsake all in affection, and in effect also, if called upon for the love of Jesus Christ. S. Ambrose.—Not that every one under great pverty is happy, but that the man who prefers the poverty of Christ to the riches of the world, ought certainly to be esteemed such. Many indeed are poor in worldly substance, but are avaricious in affection; to such as these poverty is no advantage. Nothing that is against the will, merits reward; therefore all virtue is known by the will. Blessed, therefore, are the poor, who bear poverty for the sake of Christ: he himself hath already trodden the path before us, and taught us by his example that it leads to honour and enjoyment. S. Cyril, ap T. Aquinas
• Ver. 24. Jesus Christ having declared how meritorious poverty of spirit was to eternal life, proceeds to denounce heavy chastisements upon the rich and the proud. Idem Ibidem.—Althouh in great riches there are great inducements to sin, yet there are not wanting even in that state great incitements to virtue; neither is this wo aimed against those who abound in affluence; but against “those who abuse that affluence which Providence has bestowed upon them: Non enim census, sed affectus, in crimine est.” S. Ambrose.
• Ver. 25. As before he promised blessings to those that hunger, that weep, that are outcasts for Christ’s sake; so here, and in the next verse, he denounces curses to such as are filled, that laugh, and are praised; i.e. to such, as so far seek their beatitude in present enjoyment, as to become indifferent with regard to the good things of the next world. A.
• Ver. 26. Wo to you, when men shall bless you. The ministers of the gospel must not value themselves, when they are applauded by men: for so did the forefathers of the Jews formerly commend the false prophets, when they flattered the people. And spoke things that were pleasing to them. Wi.