Daily Bible Readings May 15 2008 6th Week of Ordinay Time

May 15 2008 Thursday 6^th Week of Ordinary Time

About the sources used. The readings on this site are not official for the Mass of Roman Rite of the Catholic Church in the USA, 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 for your own personal study. Readings vary depending on your local calendar.

Official Readings of the Liturgy at – http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/051508.shtml – Note. The Official Liturgical readings may not match the current NAB you may have.

The Catholic Epistle of St James 2:1-9
Haydock New Testament

MY brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory with respect of persons. For if there come into your assembly a man having a gold ring, in splendid attire, and there come in also a poor man in mean dress, And you fix your eyes on him that is clothed with the splendid robe, and say to him: Sit thou here in a good place: and say to the poor man: Stand thou there, or sit under my footstool: Do you not judge within yourselves, and are become judges of unjust thoughts?

Hearken, my dearest brethren, hath not God chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs to the kingdom which God hath promised to them that love him? But you have dishonoured the poor. Do not the rich oppress you by might; and do not they draw you before the judgment-seats? Do not they blaspheme the good name that is invoked upon you? If then you fulfil the royal law, according to the Scriptures: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: you do well. But if you have respect to persons, you commit sin, being reproved by the law as transgressors.

Responsorial Psalm 33:2-7 (Ps 34)
DR Challoner Text Only

I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise shall be always in my mouth.
In the Lord shall my soul be praised: let the meek hear and rejoice.
O magnify the Lord with me; and let us extol his name together.
I sought the Lord, and he heard me; and he delivered me from all my troubles.
Come ye to him and be enlightened: and your faces shall not be confounded.
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him: and saved him out of all his troubles.

The Holy Gospel Of Jesus Christ According to Saint Mark 8:27-33
Haydock NT

And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Cæsarea Philippi; and in the way he asked his disciples, saying to them:

Whom do men say that I am?

And they answered him, saying:

John the Baptist; but some Elias, and others as one of the prophets.

The he saith to them:

But whom do you say that I am?

Peter answering, said to him:

Thou art the Christ.

And he strictly charged them that they should not tell any man if him. And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the ancients, and by the high priests, and the Scribes, and be killed: and after three days rise again. And he spoke the word openly: And Peter taking him, began to rebuke him. But he turning about and seeing his disciples, threatened Peter, saying:

Go after me, Satan, because thou dost not relish the things that are of God, but the things that are of men.

Haydock Commentary James 2:1-9
Notes copied from Haydock Commentary Site

• Ver. 1. With respect of persons. This partial respect of persons is several times condemned both in the Old and New Testament. S. James here speaks of it as it was committed in the assemblies, by which many understand the meetings of Christians, in[1] synagogues and places where they celebrated the divine service, or met to keep the charitable feast, called Agape. Others expound it of meetings where causes were judged. If it be meant of Church meetings, the apostle might have even greater reason to condemn such a partiality at that time than at present; for when the poorer sort of people, of which was the greatest number of converts, saw themselves so neglected and despised, and any rich man when he came thither so caressed and honoured, this might prove a discouragement to the meaner sort of people, and an obstacle to their conversion. But if we expound it of meetings where causes were judged betwixt the rich and others of a lower condition, (which exposition the text seems to favour) the fault might be still greater, when the judges gave sentence in favour of great and rich men, biassed thereunto by the unjust regard they had for men rich and powerful. This was a transgression of the law: (Lev. xix. 15.) Respect not the person of the poor, nor honour the countenance of the mighty. But judge thy neighbour according to justice. See also Deut. i. 17. Wi. — Respect, &c. The meaning is, that in matters relating to faith, the administering of the sacraments and other spiritual functions in God’s Church, there should be no respect of persons: but that the souls of the poor should be as much regarded as those of the rich. C. i. 17. Ch.
• Ver. 4. Are become judges of (or with ) unjust thoughts,[2] when against justice you favour the rich. Or, if in Church assemblies you discover a wrong and partial judgment in you minds and thoughts, by the high value and esteem you shew to the rich on account of their riches, and the contempt you have of poverty and of the poor, when they are perhaps more deserving in the sight of God, who hath chosen them who are rich in faith, whom he hath made his adoptive children, and heirs of his kingdom. These are much the greater riches: this is a dignity far surpassing that of the greatest king or emperor. And you have less reason to shew such distinguishing marks of honour and esteem for the rich of this world, since it is they who by might and violence oppress you, draw you to judgment-seats: and they are less worthy of your honour and esteem, when by their scandalous behaviour they blaspheme, or cause to be blasphemed and ill-spoken of, the good and holy name of God, which is invoked upon you. Wi.
• Ver. 8. If then you fulfil the royal law, . . . thou shalt love, &c. you do well. By these words, the apostle explains what he had said before of the particular respect paid to rich and powerful men, that if these were no more than some exterior marks paid them without any injustice or interior contempt of such as were poor, so that they took care to comply with that royal precept given to every one by Almighty God, the King of kings, thou shalt love thy neighbour, that is, every one without exception, as thyself; in this you do well; and the respect of persons was less blameable. Wi.

Haydock Commentary Mark 8:27-33

• Ver. 28. As one of the prophets. In the Greek it is, one of the prophets.
• Ver. 31. After our Redeemer had heard the confession of his first apostle, who spoke in the name of all, as the head, he opens out to them the grand mystery of his passion.