Daily Bible Readings Commentary October 19 2007 Friday 28th Week Ordinary Time Catholic Church

October 19 2007 Friday 28^th 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.

Official Readings of the Liturgy at – http://www.usccb.org/nab/101907.shtml – Note. The Official Liturgical readings may not match the current NAB you may have.

If I didn’t know better I’d say this said “justified by faith” in a Catholic Bible with commentary. Maybe I don’t know better

Romans 4:1-8

Haydock New Testament

1 What shall we say, then, that Abraham hath found, who is our father according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath glory, but not with God. 3 For what saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was reputed to him unto justice.

4 Now to him that worketh, the reward is not reckoned according to grace, but according to debt. 5 But to him that worketh not, yet believeth in him that justifieth the impious, his faith is reputed to justice, according to the purpose of the grace of God.

6 As David also termeth the blessedness of a man, to whom God reputeth justice without works: 7 Blessed are they, whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the man, to whom the Lord hath not imputed sin.

Haydock Commentary Romans 4:1-8

• Ver. 1. The apostle proves what he had advanced in the last chapter, that the Jews cannot be justified by the works of the written law, nor by any works, unless joined with faith in the Messias, their Redeemer. This he shews by the example of Abraham, who is said to have been justified by believing; 2. and this was before he was circumcised; 3. and long before the law of Moses. Justification was then given without the works of that law.—What advantage shall we say, then, that Abraham hath found, who is our father according to the flesh? This seems to true construction and sense: rather than what did he find according to the flesh, as some expound it. Wi.
• Ver. 2. If Abraham were justified by works, or by his own works, he might have glory ,and be commended by men, who judge only according to outward appearances; but not with God: that is, he could not be truly justified, so as to deserve a reward in heaven, without faith and the grace of God. Wi.—Not with God. Whatever glory or applause such works might procure from men, they would be of no value in the sight of God. Ch.
• Ver. 3. For what saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was reputed to him unto justice. The Scripture, therefore, teacheth us that he became just by his faith. And as he had this faith by the grace of God, grace was the cause of his justification, and not any works without grace. And when it is said, it was reputed to him, we must not understand an imputation of being just without a true and interior justice: for to be reputed just in the sight of God, who sees the heart, and sanctifies the soul by his interior grace, is the only true justice that can make a man acceptable to God. As not to have our sins imputed in the sight of God, is to have them forgiven, and to be free from our sins. Wi.—Reputed, &c. By God, who reputeth nothing otherwise than it is. However, we may gather from this word, that when we are justified, our justification proceedeth from God’s free grace and bounty; and not from any efficacy which any act of ours could have of its own nature, abstracting from God’s grace. Ch.
• Ver. 4. Now to him that worketh, &c. a reward may be looked upon as due for his works, and not bestowed upon him as a free gift; but when it is said he believed and was justified, (this belief or faith was always a liberal gift of God) and when no mention is made of his works, it appears that such a justification and sanctification are not from the works of the written law, nor from any works he could do of himself, but that they are according to the purpose, or decree of grace. Wi.—Such a man, says the apostle, challenges his reward as a debt, due to his own performances; whereas he who worketh not, that is, who presumeth not upon any works done by his own strength; but seeketh justice through faith and grace, is freely justified by God’s grace. Ch.
• Ver. 5. Abraham, before his vocation, was an idolater, according to Josephus; (Ant. of Jews, lib. i. ch. viii.) according to some of the Rabbins, and as the Scripture itself seems to insinuate, Josue ch. xxiv. Isa. xliii. Wisdom x. Judith v. He did not then merit his vocation to the faith by his works, But when God had called him, and made him depart from his country, when he promised to him an innumerable posterity, Abraham believed in his promises, and it was reputed to him unto justice, that his faith and his justice were the pure gift of God. His faith was not a dead and speculative faith only, but an active faith, a faith animated by charity, as appears from the sequel of his life. Calmet.
• Ver. 6. As David, &c. That is, David accounted a man happy in being justified by God’s grace, and not by his own works, when he said: “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven by the mercies of God, and whose sins are covered; that is, covered so as to be no more, even in the sight of God. Wi
• Ver. 7. Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. That is, blessed are those who, by doing penance, have obtained pardon and remission of their sins, and also are covered; that is, newly clothed with the habit of grace, and vested with the stole of charity. Ch.—When it is said that the sins of man are covered, we must not imagine that they still remain, but on account of the goodness of God will not be punished, as the Lutherans contend; for the justice of God could not suffer this: but by it we must understand that they are entirely blotted out, and neither exist, nor are considered any longer by God. Still, we must not conclude that man is blessed, as soon as sin is remitted; since the same psalmist, in another place, ascribes happiness to man when he walks in the law of the Lord, and when he keeps judgment and does justice. Ps. i. cv. and cviii. And our Saviour says, If you know these things, blessed shall you be if you do them. S. John xiii. Estius.—Moreover, if sins were never blotted out, but only covered, why did the royal prophet pray to the Almighty, saying: blot out all mine iniquities; and in different parts of the 50^th psalm and psalm cviii, speaking of the egregious sinner, he says: let the sin of his mother not be blooted out; which would mean nothing at all, if sins were never blotted out?
• Ver. 8. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord hath not imputed sin. That is, blessed is the man who hath retained his baptismal innocence, that no grievous sin can be imputed to him. And likewise, blessed is the man who, after falling into sin hath done penance, and leads a virtuous life by frequenting the sacraments necessary for obtaining the grace to prevent a relapse, that sin is no more imputed to him. Ch.

The Gospel According to Saint Luke 12:1-7

Haydock New Testament

1 And when great multitudes stood about him, so that they trod one upon another, he began to say to his disciples:

Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed: nor hidden, that shall not be known. 3 For whatsoever things you have spoken in darkness, shall be punished in the light: and that which you have spoke in the ear, in the chambers, shall be proclaimed on the house-tops.

4 And I say to you, my friends: Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 5 But I will shew you whom ye shall fear: fear ye him who, after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell. Yea, I say to you, fear him.

6 Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? 7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore: you are of more value than the sparrows.

Haydock Commentary Luke 12:1-7

• Ver. 1. Beware ye of the leaven, &c. Christ calls the hypocrisy of the Pharisees leaven, which changes and corrupts the best intentions of men; for nothing is more destructive than hypocrisy to such as give way to it. Theophylact.
• Ver. 3. House-tops. Our divine Saviour speaks here according to the custom of his own nation, where it was not uncommon for men to preach from the house-top, when they wished to deliver any thing to the public; for theirs houses had flat roofs. Ven. Bede.