Daily Bible Readings With Traditional Catholic Commentary November 30 2007 Friday 34th Week Ordinary Time

Please look here. Many people are coming via search engine. Google is sending people to last year’s readings. Please check the date. If you are on the wrong year please CLICK HERE and then check the calendar to the left. Sunday readings are usually posted on the previous Wednesday and then again on the proper Sunday. Thank you, and I apologize for the inconvenience.

November 30 2007 Friday 34th Week Ordinary Time.

Feast of Saint Andrew the Apostle

About the sources used. The readings on this site are not official for the Mass of the Roman Rite of the 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/113007.shtml – Note. The Official Liturgical readings may not match the current NAB you may have.

Romans 10:9-18
Haydock NT

9 That if thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thy heart that God hath raised him up from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For, with the heart, we believe unto justice: but with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture saith: Whosoever believeth in him, shall not be confounded. 12 For there is no distinction of the Jew and the Greek; for the same is Lord over all, rich to all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

14 How then shall they call on him, in whom they have not believed? Or how shall they believe him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear, without a preacher? 15 And how can they preach, unless they be sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, of them that bring glad tidings of good things? 16 But all do not obey the gospel. For Isaiah saith: Lord, who hath believed our report?

17 Faith then cometh by hearing: and hearing by the word of Christ. 18 But I say: Have they not heard? Yes, verily, their sound went forth over all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the whole world.

Responsorial Psalm – 19:8-11 Hebrew & 18:8-11 LXX/Latin
Text for study only. No Response or Commentary

8 The law of the Lord is unspotted, converting souls: the testimony of the Lord is faithful, giving wisdom to little ones.
9 The justices of the Lord are right, rejoicing hearts: the commandment of the Lord is lightsome, enlightening the eyes.
10 The fear of the Lord is holy, enduring for ever and ever: the judgments of the Lord are true, justified in themselves.
11 More to be desired than gold and many precious stones: and sweeter than honey and the honeycomb.

The Gospel According to Saint Matthew 4:18-22
Haydock NT

18 And Jesus walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea (for they were fishers). 19 And he saith to them:

Come after me, and I will make you become fishers of men.

19 And they, immediately leaving their nets, followed him. 21 And going on from thence, he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets: and he called them. 22 And they, immediately leaving their nets and father, followed him.

Haydock Commentary Romans 10:9-18

• Ver. 9. Thou shalt be saved. To confess the Lord Jesus, and to call upon the name of the Lord, (v. 13) is not barely the professing of a belief in the person of Christ: but moreover implies a belief of his whole doctrine, and an obedience to his law; without which the calling of him Lord will save no man. S. Matt. 7:21. Ch.—This passage must be understood like many others of this apostle, of a faith accompanied by a good-will ready to perform what faith says must be practiced; as it is required in this very place, that what we believe in the heart, we should confess with our mouth. Estius.
• Ver. 14. &c. Or how shall they believe, &c. He shews the necessity of preachers, and that all true preachers must be sent, and have their mission from God.—Who hath believed our report? Lit. our hearing? Some expound it thus: who hath believed the things we have heard from God, and which we have preached? The common interpretation is, who hath believed what he hath heard from us? Wi.
• Ver. 15. Unless they be sent. Here is an evident proof against all new teachers, who have all usurped to themselves the ministry, without any lawful mission, derived by succession from the apostles, to whom Christ said, (Jo. xx. 21.) As my Father hath sent me, I also send you. Ch.—The Almighty sends people to preach two different ways. The one is extraordinary by internal inspiration, as was that of the Baptist, and all the other prophets; in which case, however, extraordinary proofs must be given that they are sent by God; and the other is ordinary, which is derived from Christ, and from the apostles and their successors, whom he has appointed to be his vicegerents on earth. Estius.
• Ver. 18. But I say, have they not heard? He puts an objection, and by his answer shews the Jews are inexcusable in not believing, since the gospel has been preached all the world over, and in places where the Jews were, as it was foretold: and also because the Gentiles every where have believed; which even excites you Jews to jealousy against them, as Moses foretold: (Deut. 32:21) that is, when you now see, that the Gentiles, whom you despised so much by believing in Christ, have received the gifts of the Holy Ghost, of working miracles, of speaking tongues, of prophecy, &c. Wi. (note from Bob: This is said in light of the Bible text and not intended as a provocation by the commentator or by myself)

Haydock Commentary Matthew 4:18-22

• Ver. 18. Jesus wished not only to prove that the establishment of his religion was heavenly, but also to humble the pride of man; and therefore he did not choose orators and philosophers, but fishermen, says S. Jerome. Cyprian, the eloquent orator, was called to the priesthood; but before him was Peter, the fisherman. S. Chrys.—Jesus saw two brothers, &c. If we compare what is related by the evangelists, s to the time that S. Peter and S. Andrew became Christ’s disciples, we shall find Andrew, who had been a disciple of S. John Baptist, to have brought to Christ his brother Simon. Jo. i, v. 40. But at that time they staid not with him, so as to become his disciples, and to remain with him as they afterwards did, by quitting their boat, their nets, their fishing, and all they had in the world, which is here related; and by S. Mark, (c. i.) and by S. Luke, c. v. Wi.
• Ver. 19. Jesus Christ here makes an allusion to the prior occupation of his apostles. David, in his Psalms, makes similar allusions to his former occupation of shepherd: “He took him from the flocks of sheep, he brought him from following the ewes big with young, to feed Jacob, his servant, and Israel, his inheritance.” Ps. lxxvii. v. 70. M.
• Ver. 21. It was objected by the ancient enemies of Christianity, Porphyrius, Julian the apostate, and others, that Christ chose for his apostles simple and ignorant men, easy to be imposed upon, and not such as would have been on their guard against deception; thus converting that into an argument against the doctrine of Je4sus Christ, which of all other circumstances most solidly and forcibly establishes its divinity and authority. Salmeron, trac. 25.—If Christ had persuaded the ignorant apostles only, there might be some room for such an argument. But if these 12 ignorant men triumphed over the learning, the eloquence, the sophisms of the philosophers themselves, over the strong arm of power in the hands of tyrants, and finally over the devils and passions of men, which were the last to give up the combat against a doctrine that established itself on their ruin, then we may conclude, with S. Paul, that it was wisdom in God to choose the weak things of this world to confound the strong—the foolish and the things that are not, to confound those which are. A.

Daily Bible Readings With Traditional Catholic Commentary November 29 2007 Thursday 34th Week Ordinary Time

November 29 2007 Thursday 34th Week Ordinary Time.

About the sources used. The readings on this site are not official for the Mass of the Roman Rite of the 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/112907.shtml – Note. The Official Liturgical readings may not match the current NAB you may have.

Daniel 6:12-28
Douay-Rheims Challoner

12 And they came and spoke to the king concerning the edict: O king, hast thou not decreed, that every man that should make a request to any of the gods, or men, for thirty days, but to thyself, O king, should be cast into the den of the lions? And the king answered them, saying: The word is true, according to the decree of the Medes and Persians, which it is not lawful to violate.
13 Then they answered, and said before the king: Daniel, who is of the children of the captivity of Juda, hath not regarded thy law, nor the decree that thou hast made: but three times a day he maketh his prayer.
14 Now when the king had heard these words, he was very much grieved, and in behalf of Daniel he set his heart to deliver him, and even till sunset he laboured to save him.
15 But those men perceiving the king’s design, said to him: Know thou, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, that no decree which the king hath made, may be altered.
16 Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of the lions. And the king said to Daniel: Thy God, whom thou always servest, he will deliver thee.
17 And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den: which the king sealed with his own ring, and with the ring of his nobles, that nothing should be done against Daniel.
18 And the king went away to his house, and laid himself down without taking supper, and meat was not set before him, and even sleep departed from him.
19 Then the king rising very early in the morning, went in haste to the lions’ den:
20 And coming near to the den, cried with a lamentable voice to Daniel, and said to him: Daniel, servant of the living God, hath thy God, whom thou servest always, been able, thinkest thou, to deliver thee from the lions?
21 And Daniel answering the king, said: O king, live for ever:
22 My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut up the mouths of the lions, and they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him justice hath been found in me: yea, and before thee, O king, I have done no offence.
23 Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and he commanded that Daniel should be taken out of the den: and Daniel was taken out of the den, and no hurt was found in him, because he believed in his God.
24 And by the king’s commandment, those men were brought that had accused Daniel: and they were cast into the lions’ den, they and their children, and their wives: and they did not reach the bottom of the den, before the lions caught them, and broke all their bones in pieces.
25 Then king Darius wrote to all people, tribes, and languages, dwelling in the whole earth: PEACE be multiplied unto you.
26 It is decreed by me, that in all my empire and my kingdom, all men dread and fear the God of Daniel. For he is the living and eternal God for ever: and his kingdom shall not be destroyed, and his power shall be for ever.
27 He is the deliverer, and saviour, doing signs and wonders in heaven, and in earth: who hath delivered Daniel out of the lions’ den.
28 Now Daniel continued unto the reign of Darius, and the reign of Cyrus, the Persian.

Responsorial Psalm Daniel 3:68-74
Text for study only. Not a perfect match. No response.

68 O ye dews and hoar frost, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
69 O ye frost and cold, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
70 O ye ice and snow, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
71 O ye nights and days, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
72 O ye light and darkness, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
73 O ye lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
74 O let the earth bless the Lord: let it praise and exalt him above all for ever.

The Gospel According to Saint Luke 21:20-28
Haydock NT

And Jesus said to his disciples:

20 And when you shall see Jerusalem compassed about with an army: then know that the desolation thereof is at hand. 21 Then let them that are in Judea, flee to the mountains: and let them that are in the midst thereof, depart out: and let them that are in the countries enter into it. 22 For these are the days of vengeance, that all things may be fulfilled that are written.

23 But wo to them that are with child, and give suck in those days; for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. 24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword: and shall be led away captives into all nations, and Jerusalem shall be trodden down by the Gentiles: till the times of the nations be fulfilled. 25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars: and upon the earth distress of nations, by reason of the confusion of the roaring of the sea and of the waves: 26 Men withering away for fear, and expectation of what shall come upon the whole world. For the powers of heaven shall be moved.

27 And then they shall see the Son of man coming in a cloud with great power and majesty. 28 But when these things begin to come to pass, look up, and lift up your heads: because your redemption is at hand.

Haydock Commentary Daniel 6:12-28

• Ver. 15. Perceiving. Chal. “assembled,” (Prot. H.) or “came quickly in a body.” C.
• Ver. 17. Own ring, that none of his enemies might injure Daniel. The nobles also affixed their seal, (H.) that the king might not liberate him. M.—All this shews that aristocracy was mixed with the monarchical form of government. Nothing of importance is done without the nobles.
• Ver. 18. Meat. Chal. “music,” (C.) or “incense.” De Dieu.—He was tired of his godship, to which he had unguardedly opened his heart. v. 6. H.
• Ver. 22. Offence, as I neglected thy decree to obey a higher Master. C.—The king had sense enough to approve of this distinction. H.
• Ver. 23. Believed, or trusted. C.—S. Paul alludes to this miracle. Heb. xi. 33. W.
• Ver. 24. Accused. They were punished as false witnesses; (C.) and the king justly made them suffer what they would have inflicted on the innocent, being convinced that Daniel had only acted according to his devotion. W.—These wretches deserved to perish, though they had spoken nothing bu the truth. II.—Wives. Many examples of such punishments occur, (C.) as it was presumed the children and wives were infected by the bad example, and would imitate it, (Jun.) if they had not concurred already. M.—This must have been the case, to make it just. H. See Jos. vii.—Abominandœ leges, says Ammianus, (23) speaking of the customs of Persia, per quas ob noxam unius omnis propinquitas perit. C.

Haydock Commentary Luke 21:20-28

• Ver. 22. Days of vengeance, &c. These are truly the days of vengeance; days, that will arise to punish this people for having spilt the blood of the Lord. Ven. Bede.
• Ver. 24. Whoever reads Josephus’s history of the calamities which befell Jerusalem before its destruction, will find none of these terrible menaces unfulfilled. Seventy thousand were carried away captives in this war. After the soldiers were weary of killing, Titus ordered the finest fo the young men to be kept to adorn his triumph. The number of captive Jews was so great in Rome, as to make the heathen poet, Rutilius Numantianus, who lived about the year 410, complain of it as a great burden to the empire.
  Atque utinam nunquam Judea subacta fuisset
  Pompeii bellis, imperioque Titi;
  Latius excisæ pestis contagia permit.
  —Trodden down, &c. After Jerusalem had been taken and destroyed by the Romans, another city was built from its ruins, called Ǽlia, after the name of the emperor Ǽlius Adrian. This was inhabited by pagans and some Christians for the Jews were forbidden even to come near it, for more than two or three centuries. Tertullian informs us, that they even bought, at a great price, permission to see it at a distance, and drop a tear over the ashes of their ancient and ill-fated country. Thus was Jerusalem trodden under foot, till the time of the nations was accomplished; that is, till Christianity, in every nation, had triumphed over the persecution of paganism. Calmet.—Till the times of the nations be fulfilled. According to the common exposition of this, and some other places, the Jews from the time of the destruction of their temple and city, under Titus Vespasian; and especially from their utter destruction under the emperor Adrian, in punishment of their obstinate blindness, shall remain dispersed through the world under miseries and oppressions, till the gospel hath been preached to all nations; then, not long before the end of the world, the Jews shall be converted, and acknowledge Jesus to be their true Messiah. See Rom. 11:25. Wi.
• Ver. 26. The powers of heaven, &c. Some explain this of the angels, who shall be terrified and tremble at the sight of so many calamities. Others understand it of the heavenly bodies, the sun, moon, stars, &c. which shall in some sort, likewise, be confused in the general dissolution. The prophets often make use of such expressions, when speaking of the fall of monarchies, or the ruin of nations. The heavens shall be astonished and moved, &c. Ezekiel 32:7, Joel 3:15. Calmet.
• Ver. 27. The Jews shall not see him corporally, but at the last judgment. Then, says the Scripture, (Zach. 12:10) They shall see him whom they pierced with nails. But in the ruin of Jerusalem, all who will compare his predictions with the event, can evidently see that this was the day of his coming, so plainly marked in his words. Every body could see that this was evidently the hand of God that punished them. Calmet.

Daily Bible Readings With Traditional Catholic Commentary November 28 2007 Wednesday 34th Week Ordinary Time

Please look here. Many people are coming via search engine. Google is sending people to last year’s readings. Please check the date. If you are on the wrong year please CLICK HERE and then check the calendar to the left. Sunday readings are usually posted on the previous Wednesday and then again on the proper Sunday. Thank you, and I apologize for the inconvenience.

November 28 2007 Wednesday 34th Week Ordinary Time.

About the sources used. The readings on this site are not official for the Mass of the Roman Rite of the 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/112807.shtml – Note. The Official Liturgical readings may not match the current NAB you may have.

Daniel 5:1-6, 16-17, 23-28
Douay-Rheims Challoner

1 Baltasar, the king, made a great feast for a thousand of his nobles: and every one drank according to his age.
2 And being now drunk, he commanded that they should bring the vessels of gold and silver, which Nabuchodonosor, his father, had brought away out of the temple, that was in Jerusalem, that the king and his nobles, and his wives, and his concubines, might drink in them.
3 Then were the golden and silver vessels brought, which he had brought away out of the temple that was in Jeursalem: and the king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them.
4 They drank wine, and praised their gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, and of wood, and of stone.
5 In the same hour there appeared fingers, as it were of the hand of a man, writing over against the candlestick, upon the surface of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king beheld the joints of the hand that wrote.
6 Then was the king’s countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him: and the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees struck one against the other.
13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. And the king spoke, and said to him: Art thou Daniel, of the children of the captivity of Juda, whom my father, the king, brought out of Judea?
14 I have heard of thee, that thou hast the spirit of the gods, and excellent knowledge, and understanding, and wisdom are found in thee.
16 But I have heard of thee, that thou canst interpret obscure things, and resolve difficult things: now if thou art able to read the writing, and to shew me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with purple, and shalt have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third prince in my kingdom.
17 To which Daniel made answer, and said before the king: thy rewards be to thyself, and the gifts of thy house give to another: but the writing I will read to thee, O king, and shew thee the interpretation thereof.
23 But hast lifted thyself up against the Lord of heaven: and the vessels of his house have been brought before thee: and thou, and thy nobles, and thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them: and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and of gold, and of brass, of iron, and of wood, and of stone, that neither see, nor hear, nor feel: but the God who hath thy breath in his hand, and all thy ways, thou hast not glorified.
24 Wherefore, he hath sent the part of the hand which hath written this that is set down.
25 And this is the writing that is written: MANE, THECEL, PHARES.
26 And this is the interpretation of the word. MANE: God hath numbered thy kingdom, and hath finished it.
27 THECEL: thou art weighed in the balance, and art found wanting.
28 PHARES: thy kingdom is divided, and is given to the Medes and Persians.

Responsorial Psalm Daniel 3:62-67

Text only for personal study purposes. No response given as there would be at Mass.

62 O ye sun and moon, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
63 O ye stars of heaven, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
64 O every shower and dew, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
65 O all ye spirits of God, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
66 O ye fire and heat, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
67 O ye cold and heat, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all for ever.

The Gospel According to Saint Luke 21:12-19
Haydock NT

10 Then he said to them:

12 But before all these things they will lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and into prisons, dragging you before kings and governors, for my name’s sake: 13 And it shall happen to you for a testimony. 14 Lay it up, therefore, in your hearts, not to meditate before how you shall answer. 15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to resist and gainsay. 16 And you shall be betrayed by your parents and brethren, and kinsmen and friends: and some of you they will put to death. 17 And you shall be hated by all men, for my name’s sake. 18 But a hair of your head shall not perish. 19 In your patience you shall possess your souls.

Haydock Commentary Daniel 5:1-6, 16-17, 23-28

• Ver. 1. Balthazar. He is believed to be the same as Nabonides, the last of the Chaldean kings, grandson to Nabuchodonosor. He is called his son. v. 2, 11, &c. according to the style of the Scriptures, because he was a descendant from him. Ch. S. Jer. in. ls. xiii. Usher, &c.—Some think that he was brother of Evilmerodac. v. 11. Bar. i. 11. But he seems rather to have been his son. Jer. xxvii. 7. Profane authors place Neriglissor and Laborosoarchod between them. They were not of the royal family, and might be looked upon as usurpers, or reigned in some other place; or they did not meddle with the Jews. C.—It is wonderful that Josephus should prefer these authors; (T.) yet he abandons the dates given by them. Ant. x. 12. & c. Ap. 1. They represent Nabonides as a simple Babylonian raised to the throne, defeated by Cyru, and suffered to retire into Carmania; whereas, Baltassar was slain. v. 29. C.—The others were of a different lineage, and are mentioned by Eus. &c. Evilmerodac certainly preceded him on the throne, and honoured Joachin in the 37^th year of his captivity. W.—Thousand; or, “for his officers over a thousand men.” Theodot.—Every. Chal. “and drank wine before the thousand,” more than any, for this was deemed a great perfection; or he drank in their presence, but apart. C.—The Persian monarch used to sit in a separate apartment, with a veil before the door, so that they could see the guests without being seen. A great chandelier was before them; (Athen. iv. 10.) probably on the outside, otherwise it would have defeated their purpose. Light sufficient would appear for Baltassar to see the hand-writing on his chamber wall. v. 5. H.—According to the order of time, this chapter should be placed after the vii. and viii. C.—But those contain visions. H.
• Ver. 6. Loosed, so that he quaked for fear. Ezekiel 29:7. C.—He was not so drunk as to be deprived of sense. H.—This happened in the 17^th and last year of his reign, when Daniel was about a hundred years old, (W.) though we have no certain account of his age. H.—He might be eighty-two when he died. C.
• Ver. 16. Difficult. Lit. “things which are tied,” or perplexing. H.—The Persians still use the like expressions, to imply an intelligent governor. Chardin.
• Ver. 17. Another. He does not refuse the offers, but civilly replies that he will give satisfaction without regard to any recompense.
• Ver. 23. Vessels. Only part had been returned to Sedecias: (C. i. 2) but they were taken again, and kept in the palace, or in the temple of Bel. H.—Breath, or soul. Gen. 2:7. C.
• Ver. 25. Phares. These words consist of three letters, mona, thokol, pros, as we add o merely for pronunciation. Being unconnected and almost destitute of vowels, (H.) it is not easy even for the learned to read these words, or to ascertain their meaning. Thus d b r being placed in a similar situation, it would be impossible to determine the sense; as it may have ten different meanings, according as it is pronounced. v. 8. C.—Mane is twice repeated, to shew the certainty and exactitude of the numbering. M.—Yet in the sequel each word occurs once and unconnected, as it is here in the Vulg. ; not Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin, (Prot. H.) “He hath numbered, numbered, weighed, and the dividers or the Persians” are upon thee, (T.) as Delilah said to Samson. Only three words (H.) were written. S. Jerome.—The rest contain the prophet’s explanation. The Chaldean empire had now attained its utmost height. Its king brought ruin upon himself by his wicked life. H.—He would soon be divided with the sword, and his kingdom shared between the Medes and Persians. S. Jer.
• Ver. 28. Persians. Those who confound Balthazar with Nabonides, say that Cyrus made himself master of all the empire. How then was it divided? Darius rather took possession of the greatest part while Cyrus had Persia, (C.) till his uncle’s death. H.

Haydock Commentary Luke 21:12-19

• Ver. 12. This verse is spoken to the apostles alone; and was verified, by most of them having been martyred and put to death, before the destruction of Jerusalem. Calmet.
• Ver. 15. I will give, &c. In some parts it is said, that Christ himself will speak by the mouths of his disciples, as in this passage of S. Luke; in other places, as S. Matt. C. xvi. That the Father will speak; and S. Matt. C. x that the Spirit of the Father will speak. In these different texts there is no contradiction, but a most perfect harmony. What one of the divine Persons says, all three say; for the voice of the Trinity is only one. S. Ambrose.
• Ver. 18. A hair of your head, &c. A hair shall not perish from the head of the disciples of Christ; because not only their most heroic actions, and their public confessions of his name, but even their passing thoughts shall be crowned with adequate rewards. Ven. Bede.
• Ver. 19. In your patience, &c. We then truly possess our souls, when we live in all things perfect, and from the citadel of virtue command and control all the motions of the mind and heart. S. Greg. Mag. Moral. v. c. 13.

Muslims In Baghdad Ask Their Christian Neighbors to Return

This news is nearly two weeks old by now and I wanted to keep this space on the web mostly free from political/world events, but this deserves attention and I don’t know where else to put it. Iraqi Christians and Muslims together have restored the Cross on Saint John’s Church in Baghdad and many Muslims very publically attended the Eucharistic celebration of the remaining Christian population. They are reaching out to ask that their former neighbors return home after they were forced to leave by al qaeda forces.

Go to Michael Yon’s website for more details and, more specifically, photos of the event ….

http://michaelyon-online.com/wp/come-home.htm 

He has a version that you can purchase from here, with even more commentary in the caption. His work is unsupported by a wire service and is supported only by donation and sale of art.

Daily Bible Readings With Traditional Catholic Commentary November 27 2007 Tuesday 34th Week Ordinary Time

November 27 2007 Tuesday 34th Week Ordinary Time.

About the sources used. The readings on this site are not official for the Mass of the Roman Rite of the 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/112707.shtml – Note. The Official Liturgical readings may not match the current NAB you may have.

Daniel 2:31-45
Douay-Rheims Challoner

31 Thou, O king, sawest, and behold there was as it were a great statue: this statue, which was great and high, tall of stature, stood before thee, and the look thereof was terrible. 32 The head of this statue was of fine gold, but the breast and the arms of silver, and the belly and the thighs of brass. 33 And the legs of iron, the feet part of iron and part of clay. 34 Thus thou sawest, till a stone was cut out of a mountain without hands: and it struck the statue upon the feet thereof that were of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. 35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of a summer’s threshing floor, and they were carried away by the wind: and there was no place found for them: but the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

36 This is the dream: we will also tell the interpretation thereof before thee, O king.

37 Thou art a king of kings: and the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, and strength, and power, and glory: 38 And all places wherein the children of men, and the beasts of the field do dwell: he hath also given the birds of the air into thy hand, and hath put all things under thy power: thou, therefore, art the head of gold. 39 And after thee shall rise up another kingdom, inferior to thee, of silver: and another third kingdom of brass, which shall rule over all the world. 40 And the fourth kingdom shall be as iron. As iron breaketh into pieces, and subdueth all things, so shall that break, and destroy all these. 41 And whereas thou sawest the feet, and the toes, part of potter’s clay, and part of iron: the kingdom shall be divided, but yet it shall take its origin from the iron, according as thou sawest the iron mixed with the miry clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay: the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. 43 And whereas thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay, they shall be mingled indeed together with the seed of man, but they shall not stick fast one to another, as iron cannot be mixed with clay. 44 But in the days of those kingdoms, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never by destroyed, and his kingdom shall not be delivered up to another people: and it shall break in pieces, and shall consume all these kingdoms: and itself shall stand for ever.
45 According as thou sawest, that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and broke in pieces the clay and the iron, and the brass, and the silver, and the gold, the great God hath shewn the king what shall come to pass hereafter, and the dream is true, and the interpretation thereof is faithful.

Responsorial Psalm Dn 3:57-61

57 All ye works of the Lord, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
58 O ye angels of the Lord, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
59 O ye heavens, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
60 O all ye waters that are above the heavens, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
61 O all ye powers of the Lord, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

The Gospel According to Saint Luke 21:5-11
Haydock NT

5 And as some were saying of the temple, that it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said:

6 These things which you see, the days will come, in which there shall not be left a stone upon a stone, that shall not be thrown down.

7 And they asked him, saying:

Master, when shall these things be: and what shall be the sign when they shall begin to come to pass?

8 He said:

Take heed that you be not seduced; for many will come in my name, saying, I am he: and the time is at hand: Go ye not, therefore, after them. 9 And when you shall hear of wars and seditions, be not terrified: these things must first come to pass, but the end is not yet immediately.

10 Then he said to them:

Nations shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 And there shall be great earthquakes in divers places, and pestilences and famines, and terrors from heaven, and there shall be great signs.

Haydock Commentary Daniel 2:31-45

• Ver. 31. Terrible, or unusual. C.—The statue denoted the four great empires of the Chaldees, Persians, Greeks and Romans. The metals did not mean that the empire of gold was greater than the rest, as that signified by the iron was far more powerful; but only that the empire of the Chaldee was then the greatest, and that the Persians would acquire still more power and be surpassed by the Greeks, as they were by the Romans, till the kingdom of Christ should be spread over all the earth. W.
• Ver. 37. Of kings. This title was used by the Persians. Nabuchodonosor was at that time the most potent monarch on earth. He conquered many nations, and greatly embellished the city of Babylon, surrounding it with three walls in fifteen days, and building hanging gardens, which were the wonder of the world. See Eus. Præp. ix. 41. and x. 42. &c. C.
• Ver. 39. Another kingdom; viz. that of the Medes and Persians. Ch.—Inferior; later, of less duration and extent. C.—Third, &c. That of Alexander the Great. Ch.—World. Alexander received ambassadors at Babylon, from the most distant nations, testifying their submission. He conquered beyond the river Indus, &c. Diod. A. 1. Olym. 14. C.
• Ver. 40. The fourth kingdom, &c. Some understand this of the successors of Alexander, the kings of Syria and Egypt: others, of the Roman empire and its civil wars. Ch.—The former supposition seems best, though the latter is almost universally received, and will be explained hereafter. C.—The Roman empire did not immediately rise out of Alexander’s, and had no relation to the Jews, &c. Grot. L’Empereur.—But is surely swallowed up all that he had left to his generals, and proved the greatest scourge to the Jewish nation; which has been ever since scattered, while the kingdom of Christ gains ground, and will flourish till that of Rome shall be no more. Antichrist will then appear to cast a cloud over, but not destroy it for three years and a half. It is the opinion of many Fathers, &c. that the Roman empire will subsist till that even take place; (see given to another people. For antichrist will not strive to exalt a particular nation, but to rule over all. Yet his dominion will be short, and will end in the general dissolution of nature; so that the Roman empire may be deemed to last for a long time, or even for ever. v. 44. Those who adopt the former system allow (H.) that the stone designates both the Roman empire and that of Christ; so that some parts of the prediction may refer to one and some to the other. The origin and progress of the Roman empire, might be a figure of the spiritual power of the Church. It is certain that the successors of Alexander owed their dominion to their valour, and established it by the slaughter of many great generals. The kings who followed Seleucus and Ptolemy were remarkable for a mixture of good and bad qualities. Their efforts to preserve their power by intermarriages, proved abortive. The prophet seems also to have had them in view, C. vii. 7. and viii. 22. C.
• Ver. 41. Clay. The iron was in a rude state, mixed with earth. The Roman power was at last partly exercised by consuls and partly by emperors. M.—Florus (1.) compares it to the four states of a man, infancy, childhood, youth, and old age. Its youth may be dated from the conquest of all Italy to Tiberius; afterwards it fell to decay, while the eternal kingdom of Christ was forming. v. 44.
• Ver. 43. Man. Pompey and Cæsar, Anthony and Augustus, married each other’s relations; but they soon quarreled, and the race of the Cæsars was extinct in Nero. But this is better understood of the kings of Syria and of Egypt. C.
• Ver. 44. Kingdom of Christ, in the Catholic Church, which cannot be destroyed. Ch.—This alone cannot be destroyed. W.—All other empires change. The Church has stood for seventeen centuries in the midst of persecutions, which gives us an assurance that she will continue for ever. C.—“Then,” says Munster, “was the kingdom of Christ set up, not by arms, … but by the divine power.” This interpretation arises from the improper version, without hands; whereas the sequel shews that the empire here spoken of, is attended with the like violence as the four others, which it destroys. The Roman empire was in no degree connected with others by marriage. In the following verse, Munster improperly turns to the second coming of our Saviour. Grotius here asserts that the stone alludes to the Roman armies, prefiguring the Son of man, whose gospel is indicated by the progress of the Roman empire, as both spring from small beginnings. But who informed him that there were such figures in that empire as in the Old Testament? All empires begin in that manner, and types should have some greater resemblance with the reality. The Church meddles not with the temporal powers. It is therefore plain that the prophet speaks of empires which shall succeed each other. Houbigant. Pref. Prop. 340.—Kingdoms. That of Rome comprised all the former. The persecuting emperors are forced to yield, and the colossal power of infidelity and vice falls before the gospel. Christ’s dominion is spiritual, exercised against wickedness; in the establishing of Christianity, than fire and sword had been in forming other empires. M.
• Ver. 45. Hands. Prot. marg. “mountain, which was not in hand.” H.—Christ was born of a virgin; and his kingdom was not established by ambition, like others. Yet it presently became a mountain, and filled the earth. S. Just. dial. S. Aug. tr. 9. in Jo.—God himself sets up this kingdom. C.

Haydock Commentary Luke 21:5-11

• Ver. 6. It was by the divine dispensation of Providence that this city and temple were destroyed; for had the ancient rites and sacrifices continued, some that were but weak in their faith, might have been filled with astonishment at the sight of these different modes of worship, existing at the same time, and thus have been led astray from the path of truth. Ven. Bede.
• Ver. 7. Master, when shall these things be? &c. See the annotations, Matt. 24:3 Wi.
• Ver. 8. In my name. They shall not say that they belong to me, or that I sent them: but they shall take to themselves my name, viz. Christ, or Messias, which title is incommunicable to any but myself. In effect, in less than two centuries, there appeared many false Christs and imposters, who pretended to be the one that was to come, the desired of nations. Calmet.—Perhaps this prophecy is yet to be more expressly fulfilled before the dissolution of the world. Many pious and learned Christians suppose this passage to refer to the time of Antichrist. A.
• Ver. 11. Terrors from heaven. Josephus, in his history of this war, in which Jerusalem was destroyed by Titus, (lib. vii, c. 12) relates, at length, many of the prodigies which were the forerunners of the dreadful end of this unfortunate city. During a whole year a meteor, like a flaming sword, was seen impending over the city. There were likewise seen in the air, appearances of chariots and numerous armies, which pressed one upon another. On the night of Pentecost, the priests, after a confuse noise, heard distinctly these words, “Let us go hence;” which are supposed to have been spoken by the angels, who had hitherto guarded and protected the holy city, but now were taking their leave of it. Josephus was in the Roman camp, before the city, during the siege, and an eye-witness of what passed on the occasion. A.