Sunday Bible Readings 2nd Sunday Advent December 9 2007 with Traditional Catholic Commentary

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December 9 2007 Bible Readings 2nd Sunday Advent

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/120907.shtml – Note. The Official Liturgical readings may not match the current NAB you may have.

Isaiah 11:1-10
Douay-Rheims Challoner Text

1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse, and a flower shall rise up out of his root.
2 And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: the spirit of wisdom, and of understanding, the spirit of counsel, and of fortitude, the spirit of knowledge, and of godliness.
3 And he shall be filled with the spirit of the fear of the Lord, He shall not judge according to the sight of the eyes, nor reprove according to the hearing of the ears.
4 But he shall judge the poor with justice, and shall reprove with equity the meek of the earth: and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.
5 And justice shall be the girdle of his loins: and faith the girdle of his reins.
6 The wolf shall dwell with the lamb: and the leopard shall lie down with the kid: the calf and the lion, and the sheep shall abide together, and a little child shall lead them.
7 The calf and the bear shall feed: their young ones shall rest together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 And the sucking child shall play on other hole of the asp: and the weaned child shall thrust his hand into the den of the basilisk.
9 They shall not hurt, nor shall they kill in all my holy mountain, for the earth is filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the covering waters of the sea.
10 In that day the root of Jesse, who standeth for an ensign of the people, him the Gentiles shall beseech, and his sepulchre shall be glorious.

Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19 Hebrew or 71 Latin/Greek
Unofficial. Text only for personal reading

Give to the king thy judgment, O God,
and to the king’s son thy justice:
To judge thy people with justice,
and thy poor with judgment.
Let the mountains receive peace for the people:
and the hills justice.
He shall judge the poor of the people,
and he shall save the children of the poor:
and he shall humble the oppressor.
And he shall continue with the sun
and before the moon, throughout all generations.
He shall come down like rain upon the fleece;
and as showers falling gently upon the earth.
In his days shall justice spring up,
and abundance of peace, till the moon be taken away.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
who alone doth wonderful things.
And blessed be the name of his majesty for ever:
and the whole earth shall be filled with his majesty.
So be it. So be it.

Romans 15:4-13
Haydock NT

4 For what things soever were written, were written for our instruction: that, through patience, and the comfort of the Scriptures, we might have hope. 5 Now the God of patience, and of comfort, grant you to be of one mind towards another, according to Jesus Christ: 6 That with one mind, and with one mouth, you may glorify God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Wherefore receive one another, as Christ also hath received you to the honour of God. 8 For I say that Christ Jesus was minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers. 9 But that the Gentiles are to glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: Therefore will I confess to thee, O Lord, among the Gentiles, and will sing to thy name.

10 And again he saith: Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. 11 And again: Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles: and magnify him, all ye people.

12 And again Isaiah saith: There shall be a root of Jesse: and he that shall rise up to rule the Gentiles, in him the Gentiles shall hope. 13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing: that you may abound in hope, and in the power of the Holy Ghost.

The Gospel According to Saint Matthew 3:1-12
Haydock NT

1 Now, in those days cometh John the Baptist, preaching in the desert of Judea, 2 And saying:

Do penance, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 3 For this is he, who was spoken of by Isaias the prophet, saying: A voice of one crying in the desert: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.

4 And John himself had his garment of camels’ hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea, and all the country about the Jordan: 6 And they were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. 7 And seeing many of the Pharisees, and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them:

Ye brood of vipers, who hath shewed you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bring forth, therefore, fruit worthy of penance.

9 And think not to say within yourselves: “We have Abraham for our father:” for I tell you that God is able of these stones to raise up children of Abraham. 10 For now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that yieldeth not good fruit, shall be cut down, and cast into the fire. 11 I indeed baptize you with water unto penance: but he who is to come after me, is stronger than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to carry: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire. 12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his floor: and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.

Haydock Commentary Isaiah 11:1-10

• Ver. 1. Root. Juda shall not be exterminated, like the Assyrians. C.—Christ shall spring from the blessed Virgin, (W.) for the salvation of mankind. The Jews agree, that this prediction regards the Messiah; though some, with Grotius, would explain it literally of Ezekiel. They do not reflect that he was now ten years old, and that the prophet speaks of an event which should still take place after he had been a long while upon the throne. If we were to look for any figure of the Messiah, to whom this might be applicable, it would be Zorobabel. Zac. iii. 8. But how disproportionate would be the promises to the execution? Some passages may indeed relate to the return of the captives, (v. 11) as the people must have a more immediate object, to insure the accomplishment of the more elevated predictions concerning the Messiah: but these also refer ultimately to the propagation of the gospel, which the prophet had also in view. C.
• Ver. 2. Him. In the form of a dove. Jo. i. 32. H.—“The whole fountain of the Holy Ghost descending.” Ev. Nazar. S. Jer.—Christ was filled with his seven gifts, and of his fulness his servants receive. W.—Yet all virtues are the gifts of the holy Spirit, and the number seven is not specified in Heb. as the same word (C.) yirath, is rendered godliness, which (v. 3) means, the fear of the Lord. H.—God enables us to penetrate the difficulties of Scripture, and to act with prudence, &c. M.
• Ver. 3. Filled. Heb. “breath or smell.” So S. Paul says, (2 Cor. 2:15) we are the good odour of Christ. C.—Prot. “he shall make him of quick understanding (marg. Smell) in the fear,” &c. H.—Ears. Which are often deceived. M.
• Ver. 4. Wicked. Antichrist, (2 Thess 2:8) and all impiety, by means of the apostles.
• Ver. 5. Reins. He shall possess these virtues, performing his promises with the strictest fidelity. C.
• Ver. 6. Wolf. Some explain this of the Millenium. ap. S. Jer. Lact. 7:24.—But the more intelligent understand, that the fiercest nations shall embrace the gospel, and kings obey the pastors of the Church. C.—Lead. Or “drive,” as the word is used by Festus. H.
• Ver. 8. Basilisk. Ps. 9:13 (vulgate numbering). The apostles subdued kings and philosophers, without any human advantages.
• Ver. 9. Kill. The most inveterate pagans, being once converted, entirely alter their manners. Ose. 2:18
• Ver. 10. Ensign. The cross is the standard of Christians.—Sepulchre. Heb. Sept. &c. “rest.” S. Jerome gives the true sense. The holy places have been greatly reverenced, and Christian princes strove for a long time to recover them. C.—They are respected even by the Turks. Christ’s death was ignominious, but his monument was full of glory. Thus the saints being to shine, where the glory of the wicked ends. W.

Haydock Commentary Psalm 71:1-7, 18-19

• Ver. 1. Psalm. (remarks about text left out of above psalm) Some copies add, “of David” But the Heb. has only Lishlomo, “to Solomon;” (S. Jer. H.) or, composed by Solomon. The former sense is more generally adopted, (Bert.) though the Chal. And Eusebius look upon the latter as most plausible. David, however, seems to have written this last most beautiful piece, when he placed his son upon the throne; (3 K. i. 47) and being transported with a divine enthusiasm, he described the reign of the Messiah, (C.) to whom alone many of the passages can be applied, (S. Aug. W.) as the Jews, Chal. Kimchi, &c. confess, though they will not allow Jesus to be the Christ, v. 5. 11. 17. c.
• Ver. 2. Son. Solomon, (Bert.) or Cyrus, (Pr. Disc.) or the Messiah. Most blessed Trinity, enable the Son of man, or of David, to judge the world. W. Is. x. 3. Jo. v. 22.—Judgment. Equity is the duty of governors, as obedience is that of subjects. Solomon acted with the greatest sagacity. 1 Par. xxii. 10. and xxix. 23. and 2 Par. i. 10. The psalmist inculcates the obligation of defending the rights of the poor, who are under God’s protection. To him even judges and monarchs must give an account. Deut. i. 17. 2 Par. xix. 6.
• Ver. 3. Justice. These blessings shall be so common; (Ps. 35:6 & Joel. 3:18) or, let princes pursue the paths of justice and peace. Mic 4:1 Solomon was to enjoy a perpetual peace, (1 Chronicles 22:9) as he was a figure of Jesus Christ, who has procured a more solid one for us. Eph. ii. 14. Jo. xiv. 27. Is. lii. 7. These virtues are publicly enforced in the Church, as from a mountain. Is. ii. 2. Bert.—Christ, the rock, (H.) and his ministers, the hills, preach reconciliation. W.
• Ver. 4. Oppressor. Lit. “calumniator.” Christ has chained down the devil, the accuser of our brethren, Apoc. xii. 10. and xx. 2. M.—He hath taken away his spoils, (Jo. viii. 44.) and undertaken the defence of the humble. Is. xi. 4. Solomon was also the reverse of those wicked princes, who receives bribes, and neglect the poor. Is. i. 23. C.
• Ver. 5. Before. Or, in the presence of the moon, as the Heb. indicates, (Bert.) though S. Jerome translates, ultra, “beyond, or after.” H.—Yea, Christ existed before all the creation, (Ps. cix. 3. C.) and these comparisons do not insinuate that he will ever cease to be. Theod.—The kingdom of David and Solomon is described in the same poetic language, (Ps. lxxxviii. 28 and 37. C.) as it will remain for ever in the hands of the Messiah. H.—Heb. makes a sudden address to the king, “they shall fear thee with the sun,” which Houbigant dislikes. Some letters may have been changed, though the sense is not bad. Bert.—“They shall fear thee at the rising of the sun, and shall pray to thee by the light of the moon,” Chal. Both day and night. C.—Solomon, as a figure of Christ, was good for some time; but no king, except our Saviour, will reign for ever. W.—The mind of the prophet is now raised to behold him. M.
• Ver. 6. Fleece. Or, “new cut grass,” as the original term also signifies. Yet the explanation given by the Vulg. seems preferable, (Bert.) as an allusion is made to what happened to Gideon, (Judg. vi. 37. Houbig) prefiguring the miraculous conception of our Saviour. He shall call both the strayed sheep of the house of Israel, and the inhabitants of all the earth: as Solomon gave the greatest satisfaction to his people, during the early part of his reign, (H.) and spoke with the utmost eloquence. 3 K. iv. 34. C.—Some supply His justice, (v. 7.) or rather, “his word” shall come. Deut. xxxii. 2. C.—The incarnation was effected sweetly, and in silence. W.
• Ver. 7. Justice. Heb. “the just,” who appear most under a good king, being animated by his example. H.—Away. Chal. “till those who adore the moon be exterminated.” This idolatry pervaded almost all the east. Solomon’s reign was very peaceable, 3 K. iv. 25. But this was only a feeble representation of the peace which Christ should bring. At his birth, the whole world was at peace. Angels proclaimed it to all the earth. Lu. 2:14. Is. 2:4. C.—It is certain, that the internal peace of Solomon’s reign did not continue to the end, (H.) much less till the moon should be taken away. Bert.
• Ver. 18. The God. Heb. repeats this word, (H.) as the Sept. of S. Jerome did. Ep. ad Sun. C.—Alone. Miracles can be wrought only by God’s power. W.
• Ver. 19. So be it. Heb. “And amen.” See Ps xl. H.—this glory of God was David’s most ardent wish. W.—It is suspected that the collector of the psalms added these two verses, (Muis.) as all the books end alike. C.

Haydock Commentary Romans 15:4-13

• Ver. 7. Receive one another, in the spirit of charity, peace, patience, as Christ also hath receive you, and bore with your infirmities. Wi.—Mutually support each other for the glory of God: learn to practice a grand lesson of Christian morality, to bear and to forbear. A.
• Ver. 8. Christ Jesus was minister of the circumcision, who came both for the salvation of the Jews, and of the Gentiles, who preached and would have his gospel first preached to the Jews, for the truth of God to confirm the promises made to the fathers, that he, the Messiah, should be sent for their salvation; but at the same time also for the salvation and conversion of the Gentiles, which he confirms by divers evident testimonies of the holy Scriptures. Wi.—He calls our Saviour the minister of circumcision, that is, of the Jews, because he appeared amongst them, dwelt amongst them, and himself preached amongst them. This was a privilege which the Gentiles did not enjoy, having never seen, nor heard Jesus Christ, since he confined his preaching to the strayed sheep of the house of Israel; and this, to accomplish the promises made to their fathers. Calmet.

Haydock Commentary Matthew 3:1-12

• Ver. 1. “In those days,” i.e. at the time of Jesus Christ, whose history this book contains. This expression does not always mean that what is going to be narrated, happened immediately after that which precedes. V.—This a way of speaking used by the Hebrews, even when there is no connection of time, as here are passed over 30 years of Christ’s life. John the Baptist was so called from his baptizing the people in water. The Jews took this for some token of their Messiah: for they said to him, (Jo. 1:25) why dost thou baptize if thou art not the Christ?—In the desert, not in the house of his Father Zachary, as some pretend, but in a true wilderness, as appears by the circumstances of his food, apparel, &c. Wi.—The Baptist was about 30 years of age. He, as well as our Lord, in conformity with the Jewish law, did not enter upon his public ministry before that age. A.
• Ver. 2. “Desert,” in Greek ξρήμος, hence hermit. S. John the Baptist is praised by S. John Chrysostom, as a perfect model, and the prince of an Eremitical life. Hom. i. in Mar. and hom. i. in J. Bap. Several sectarists do not approve of what S. Chrysostom advances in favour of an ascetic life, and doing penance for past sins. B.—Do penance. Beza would have it translated repent. We retain the ancient expression, consecrated in a manner by the use of the Church; especially since a true conversion comprehends not only a change of mind, and a new life, but also a sorrow for past offences, accompanied with self denials, and some severities of a penitential life.—The kingdom of heaven, which many times signifies the present condition of Christ’s Church. Wi.—In this and other places of holy writ, instead of “do penance,” Protestants give “repent ye;” but general use has rendered by (Greek text), pœnitentia, or penance; and in this text, not any kind of penance, or grief for sins committed, but that which is joined with a desire of appeasing Him who has been offended by sin; and this also by some external signs and works. For as many as heard this, obeyed the voice, received from him the baptism of penance, confessed their sins, and it was said to them: Bring forth fruit worthy of repentance, v. 8. Therefore, all this was contained in the penance preached by the Baptist. And here we must not omit, that while sectarists preach faith alone, both the Baptist and Jesus Christ begin their ministry with practicing and preaching penance. T.—Pœnitentiam agite. Which word, according to the use of the Scriptures and the holy fathers, does not only signify repentance and amendment of life, but also punishing past sins by fasting, and such like penitential exercises. Ch.
• Ver. 3. Isaiah spoke these words of the deliverance of the Jews from Babylon; but this was a figure of the freedom of mankind through Jesus Christ. The Jews expected Elias would come in Person to prepare the ways of the Messiah; but John the Baptist was raised up by God in the spirit and power of Elias, to precede the first coming of Jesus Christ, as Elias in person was to precede the second coming of this divine Saviour. V.
• Ver. 4. His garment if camel’s hair, not wrought camlet as some would have it, but made of the skin of a camel, with the hair on it. Thus Elias (4 Kings, i. is called an hairy man, with a leathern girdle about him.—Locusts, not sea-crabs, as others again expound it; but a sort of flies, or grasshoppers, frequent in hot countries. These are numbered among eatables. Lev. xi. 22. S. Jerome and others mention them as a food of the common people, when dried with smoke and salt. Theophylactus, by the Greek word, understands the tops of trees or buds. Wi.
• Ver. 5. So great was the celebrity of S. John’s sanctity, so much did his mortified life, and powerful preaching, weigh upon the minds of the people, that all wished to receive baptism at his hands. A.
• Ver. 6. Baptized. The word baptism signifies a washing, particularly when it is done by immersion, or by dipping, or plunging a thing under water, which was formerly the ordinary way of administering the sacrament of baptism. But the Church, which cannot change the least article of the Christian faith, is not so tied up in matters of discipline and ceremonies. Not only the Catholic Church, but also the pretended reformed churches, have altered this primitive custom in giving the sacrament of baptism, and now allow of baptism by pouring or sprinkling water on the person baptized; nay many of their ministers do it now-a-days, by filliping a wet finger and thumb over the child’s head, or by shaking a wet finger or two over the child, which it is hard enough to call a baptizing in any sensse.—Confessing their sins. We bring not this as a proof for sacramental auricular confession; yet we may take notice, with Grotius, that it is a different thing for men to confess their sins, and to confess themselves sinners. And here is expressed a declaring of particular sins, (as also Acts xix. 18) such as is recommended in the Protestant Common Prayer Book, in the visitation of the sick. Wi.—As the baptism of John was an external profession of penance, to this it was meet to add an external or oral confession of sins; and the more so, because such as were baptized by John, sought of him also, as we read in S. Luke, instructions how they were to amend their lives; now it is naturally expected of whoever asks for similar advice, that he should expose the defects of his past life. It is thus patients act with their physicians. A.
• Ver. 7. Pharisees and Sadducees. These are the names of two sects at that time among the Jews. There are different conjectures about the name of the Sadducees. This at least we find by the Gospels, and by the Acts of the Apostles, that they were a profane sort of men, that made a jest of the resurrection, and of the existence of spirits, and of the immortality of souls. To these the Pharisees were declared adversaries, as being a more religious sect who pretended to be exact observers of the law, and also of a great many traditions, which they ad, or pretended to have, from their forefathers. S. Epiphan. (hær. 16, p. 34) derives their name from the Hebrew word Pharas, signifying separated, divided, or distinguished from others by a more holy way of living. So the proud Pharisee (Luke 18) said of himself, I am not like the rest of men, &c.—Brood of vipers. S. John the Baptist, and also our Saviour himself, (Matt. xxiii. 33) made use of this sharp reprehension to such as came to them full of hypocrisy.—The wrath to come: meaning punishments for the wicked after death. Or as some expound it, the destruction that was shortly to fall on the city of Jerusalem, on the temple, and the whole nation of the Jews. Wi.
• Ver. 8. See note for v. 2.
• Ver. 9. Do not, therefore, wantonly imagine, that the fear of destroying the posterity of this patriarch, and of annulling the promises which God had made to him and to his seed, will hinder Him from punishing you. V.
• Ver. 10. Without the least attention to its origin, or other advantages. Hence you must not rest your hopes of salvation on your birth alone, nor on the baptism alone you receive at my hands. V.
• Ver. 11. My baptism is only calculated to lead you to a penitential life, and not to give you true justice; but he who comes after me, is stronger than I, and whose shoes I am not worthy to carry: (it was customary with the attendant slave to carry a change of shoes for his master) he will baptize you in the Holy Ghost, and in the fire of his divine charity, which he will infuse into your hearts, to purify you from all your sins. V.—Here S. John tacitly insinuates the divinity of Jesus Christ. He acknowledges his unworthiness, and it is this his humility that makes him the more acceptable to God, “I ought to be baptized by thee, and comest thou to me?” T.—Whose shoes I am not worthy to carry. In S. Mark, (c. i. 7.) and in S. Luke, (iii. 21.) we read, the latchet of whose shoes … I am not worthy to untie. The sense is the same, and S. John might use both these expressions. His meaning is, that he was not worthy to do him the least, or the lowest service.—He shall baptize you in, or with the Holy Ghost, i.e. by his baptism, he will give you the remission of your sins, and the graces of the Holy Ghost, signified also by fire, which may allude to the coming of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost, in the shape of fiery tongues. Wi.
• Ver. 12. Address yourselves then to Him, and prevent, by a prompt and sincere conversion, that dreadful judgment which the just and severe Judge, whom I now announce to you, will most undoubtedly pass upon sinners, when he shall remove the chaff from the good grain, i.e. the bad from the good, calling the latter with him to his heavenly kingdom, and sending the former to burn in unquenchable fire. A.