October 16 2007 Tuesday 28th Week Ordinary Time.
The readings on this site are not official for the Mass of Roman Catholic Church, but are from Catholic sources free from copyright. They are here to present the comparable readings alongside traditional Catholic commentary as published in the Haydock Bible.
Official Readings of the Liturgy at – http://www.usccb.org/nab/101607.shtml – Note. The Official Liturgical readings may not match the current NAB you may have.
Romans 1:16-25
Haydock New Testament
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel. For it is the power of God unto salvation, to every one that believeth, to the Jew first, and to the Greek. 17 For the justice of God is revealed therein from faith to faith: as it is written: The just man liveth by faith. 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven, against all impiety and injustice of those men that detain the truth of God in injustice. 19 Because that which is known of God is manifest in them. For God hath manifested it to them. 20 For the invisible things of him, from the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made: his eternal power also and divinity: so that they are inexcusable.
21 Because that, when they knew God, they did not glorify him as God, nor give thanks: but became vain in their thoughts, and their foolish heart was darkened: 22 For professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. 23 And they changed the glory of the incorruptible God, into the likeness of the image of a corruptible man, and of birds, and of four-footed beasts, and of creeping things. 24 Wherefore God gave them up to the desires of their heart, to uncleanness: to dishonour their own bodies among themselves. 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie: and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
Haydock Commentary Romans 1:16-25
- Ver. 16. For it is the power of God unto salvation to every one; that is, it brings powerful helps to all, both Gentiles and Jews, in order to their salvation.—To the Jews first, inasmuch as the gospel is to be first preached to the Jews. Wi.—The promises of salvation were first made to the Jews. Jesus Christ preached to the Jews only, and forbad his disciples, during his life-time, to preach to any other nation. And after his resurrection, when they had full powers to preach every where, they did not turn to the Gentiles, till the Jews had refused to hear them. A miracle was necessary to determine S. Peter to communicate the gospel to the uncircumcised; and S. Paul, in every place, first addressed himself to the Jew, and then to the Gentile. The apostle here sweetly endeavours, in an indirect manner, to silence the presumption of the Romans, who seemed to raise themselves above the Jews, and believed they had merited the grace of vocation to the faith. Calmet.
- Ver. 17. For the justice of God. He does not here mean that justice, by which God is just in himself, but that justice, or sanctification, which he communicates to men, and by which they are justified and sanctified.—From faith to faith. That is, by faith, and an increase in faith, inasmuch as, by increasing in faith, we advance in virtues; as it is written, (Hab. ii. 4.) the just man liveth by faith; including the love of God, hope, and other virtues. Wi.
- Ver. 18. For the wrath of God is revealed, &c. He begins to speak of the heathens, and of the wicked world, whose sins God punisheth from time to time with visible chastisements of plagues, famines, wars, &c. and that because they detain the truth of God in injustice, or in iniquity, that is, because they have not honoured God, even according to the knowledge which he has given them of him, especially their philosophers. Wi.
- Ver. 19-20. That which is known of God. Or may be easily known of God, is manifest in them. The light of reason demonstrates to them the existence of one God, the maker and preserver of all things. This is made known to them from the creation of the world, or from the creatures in the world: the Creator may be discovered by the creatures, and as S. Chrys. here says, every Scythian, every barbarian, may come to the knowledge of God by the wonderful harmony of all things, which proclaims the existence of God louder than any trumpet: but having known him, they did not glorify him; they acted contrary to their knowledge, abandoning themselves to idolatry, and the vain worship of many gods, and to all manner of vices and abominations against the light of reason. Wi.
- Ver. 24. Wherefore God gave them up, &c. That is, as S. Chrys says, permitted them, in punishment of their willful blindness, to fall into the foulest, most shameful, and unnatural sins of uncleanness here described. Wi.
The Gospel According to Saint Luke 11:37-41
Haydock New Testament
37 And as he was speaking a certain Pharisee began to say, thinking within himself, why he was not washed before dinner. 39 And the Lord said to him:
Now you Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup, and of the platter: but your inside is full of rapine and iniquity. 40 Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without, make also that which is within? 41 But yet that which remaineth, give alms; and behold all things are clean unto you.
Haydock Commentary Luke 11:37-41
- Ver. 38. Washed, &c. There was nothing ordained by the law concerning this washing of the hands, which the Pharisees observed before taking meat. Christ and his apostles washed their hands when they pleased, without looking for any mystery in such things, or making to themselves vain obligations in frivolous and indifferent things. They did not neglect what was ordained by the law in certain cases for purification; but beside that, they observed nothing more. Calmet.
- Ver. 41. But yet that which remaineth, give alms. The sense seems not to be of what remaineth, give alms, as some expound it; but by the Greek, the sense is, give alms of what you have, i.e. of your goods, according to your abilities; and as Toby said to his son, If thou hast much, give much; if little, give a little willingly. Tob. iv. 9.—All things are clean unto you. Not that alms without other pious dispositions, will suffice to your salvation; but that other necessary virtues will be given you, by the mercies of God. Wi.—These are the means I propose to you to gain that interior purity I am speaking of. But will alms suffice to expiate all sorts of crimes? Is it enough for the murderer, the homicide, &c. to give alms? Undoubtedly not. Our Saviour only compares alms-deeds with the exterior washing which the Pharisees affected. As if he had said, “It is not by the washing in common water that you will take out the stains of your souls, but by works of charity. Charity will be more efficacious to cleanse you than all the waters of the rivers and of the sea.” Or, according to Euthymius, if you wish to cleanse yourselves truly, bring forth worthy fruits of penance, give up ill acquired possessions; and as for the rest, redeem your sins by alms. Thus shall all things be made clean to you, as well within as without the vase. Calmet.
