Daily Bible Readings Friday July 25 2008 Feast of Saint James, Apostle

July 25 2008 Friday Feast of Saint James, Apostle
Saint of the Day – St. James the Greater

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/072508.shtml – Note. The Official Liturgical readings may not match the current NAB you may have.

2 Corinthians 4:7-15
Haydock New Testament

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels: that the excellency may be of the power of God, and not of us. In all things we suffer tribulation, but are not distressed: we are straitened, but are not destitute: We suffer persecution, but are not forsaken: we are cast down, but we perish not: Always bearing about in our body the dying of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our bodies. For we who live, are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake: That the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you. But having the same spirit of faith, as it is written: I have believed, therefore I have spoken: we also believe, and therefore we speak: Knowing that he who raised up Jesus, will raise us up also with Jesus, and place us with you. For all things are for your sakes: that the grace abounding through many, may abound in thanksgiving to the glory of God.

Responsorial Psalm 125 (Ps 126 NAB/Hebrew)
DR Challoner Text Only

When the Lord brought back the captivity of Sion,
we became like men comforted.
Then was our mouth filled with gladness;
and our tongue with joy.
Then shall they say among the Gentiles:
The Lord hath done great things for them.
The Lord hath done great things for us:
we are become joyful.
Turn again our captivity, O Lord,
as a stream in the south.
They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
Going they went and wept,
casting their seeds.
But coming they shall come with joyfulness,
carrying their sheaves.

The Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ According to Saint Matthew 20:20-28
Haydock New Testament

Then came to him the mother of the sons of Zebedee with her sons, worshipping and asking something of him. And he said to her:

What wilt thou?

She saith to him:

Say that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left, in thy kingdom.

But Jesus answering, said:

You know not what you ask. Can you drink of the chalice that I shall drink?

They say to him:

We can.

He saith to them:

My chalice indeed you shall not drink: but to sit on my right or left hand, is not mine to give you, but to them for whom it is prepared by my Father.

And the ten hearing it, were moved with indignation against the two brethren. But Jesus called them to him, and said:

You know that the princes of the Gentiles lord it over them: and they that are greater, exercise power upon them. It shall not be so among you; but whosoever will be the greater among you, let him be your minister: And he who would be the first among you, shall be your servant. Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a redemption for many.

Haydock Commentary 2 Corinthians 4:7-15
Notes Copied From Haydock Commentary Site

• Ver. 8. We are straitened.[2] This, by the Greek, seems the sense of the Latin word, which is taken to signify, one perplexed, and in a doubt. See Jo. xiii. 22. Acts xxv. 20. Gal. iv. 20. Wi.
• Ver. 10. That the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our bodies, when we suffer, and undertake voluntary sufferings for his sake. Wi.
• Ver. 12. Death worketh in us, when we are under persecutions, and dangers of death, and life in you, who live in ease and plenty. Wi. — The preaching of the gospel, which we undertake in such a disinterested manner, and which exposes us to so many dangers, is the case of death to us, but procures you all kinds of advantages. You tranquilly enjoy the fruit of our labour, though we do not envy you this happiness, because we hope one day to enjoy the reward of our labours. Calmet.
• Ver. 13. We also believe, &c. That is, we have the like faith as David, when he spoke in that manner; we hope and believe, God will deliver us, or at least raise us up from the dead with Jesus. Wi.
• Ver. 15. &c. For all things, that we suffer, are for your sakes, that many may be brought to give thanks, and to praise God for eternity. This encourages us not to fail, nor faint in the cause of God, under these momentary and light tribulations, which mark in us above measure, an exceeding and eternal weight of glory. See the Greek text. Wi.

Haydock Commentary Matthew 20:20-28

• Ver. 20. Then came to him. Upon Christ’s informing his apostles that he should die and rise again, they conceived that he would immediately reign in Jerusalem with great glory and power; and it was this made the mother of the sons of Zebedee petition that they might take precedence, and be honoured by the other apostles. But Christ answers them that they knew not what they asked, for honours were to be bestowed not on relationship, but on merit: in like manner, the dignities of the Church are not to be conferred upon relatives, but upon the worthy. Nic. de Lyran. — On comparing the 27th chapter of S. Mat. with the 15th of S. Mark, it will appear that she was the same as Salome. — In S. Mark x. 35, we find that the sons themselves made this petition: both the sons and their mother might make it; at least the sons may be said to have done what they got their mother to desire for them; and therefore Christ directed his answer to them: you know not what you ask. You think, says S. Chrys. of temporal preferments, of honours, and crowns, when you should be preparing yourselves for conflicts and battles. Wi. — Our Lord suffers these occasional weaknesses in his apostles, that he might, from his instructions and corrections, render his doctrines more intelligible to them and to posterity. S. Jer.
• Ver. 22. The chalice. It is a metaphor signifying Christ’s sufferings and death. See Psal. x. 7. and lxxiv. 9. Isai. li. 17. The apostles replied, we can drink thy cup. Their answer shewed their readiness, but want of humility. Wi.
• Ver. 23. Of my chalice indeed you shall drink. S. James was the first apostle that suffered martyrdom at Jerusalem. Acts xii. 2. And S. John at Rome was put into a cauldron of boiling oil, and banished into Patmos. — Is not mine to give you.[1] The Arians objected these words against Christ’s divinity. S. Aug. answers that the words are true if taken of Christ, as he was man. The easier answer is, that it was not his to give to them, while they were in those dispositions of pride and ambition. So that the distinction made, is not betwixt the Father and his eternal Son, as if the Father could give what the Son could not, but betwixt persons worthy, and not worthy of such a favour. It is true the word you, is now wanting in the Greek MSS. and must have been wanting in some of them in the fourth, or at least the fifth century, since we find them not in S. Chrysostom. S. Aug. also in one place omits it, but sometimes lays great stress upon it; Christ’s meaning being no more, than that heaven was not his to give them; that is, to the proud, &c. S. Amb. reads it; and what is still of greater weight, S. Jerom hath it in the text of the New Testament, which he corrected from the best Greek MSS. Wi. — In your present state there is no exception of persons with God; for, whosoever is worthy of heaven, shall receive it as the reward of his merits. Therefore Christ answers them, it is not mine to bestow the kingdom of heaven upon you, because you are not yet deserving, on account of your pride in seeking to have yourselves preferred before my other apostles. But be ye humble, and heaven is prepared for you, as well as for all others, who are properly disposed. Nic. de Lyra. — Greatness in the next life will be proportioned to humility in this.
• Ver. 24. The ten . . . were moved with indignation against the two brothers, who had petitioned for the first and chief places. Wi. — The disciples understood from our Lord’s answer, that the request came in the first instance from the two disciples; but as they saw them much honoured by Christ, they did not dare openly to accuse them. S. Chry. — The other ten apostles were as much wrong in their anger and jealousy as the former two were in their untimely petition. In his answer to both, we cannot sufficiently admire the wonderful meekness of our blessed Saviour’s character. Jansenius.
• Ver. 25. Princes of the Gentiles lord it over them: tyrannize over those that are under them, by arbitrary and violent proceedings. Wi. — Our Lord wishing to extinguish the indignation conceived against the two brothers, lays before them the difference of secular and ecclesiastical princes, shewing that precedency in the Church is neither to be sought for by him who is not possessed of it, nor too eagerly loved by him who has it; for secular princes are lords of their subjects, keeping them under subjection, and govern them in every particular according to their will; but ecclesiastical princes are honoured with precedency, that they may be servants of their inferiors, administer to them whatever they have received from Christ, neglect their own convenience for the good of their neighbour, and be willing even to die for the spiritual good of their subjects. It is neither just nor reasonable, therefore, to desire precedency in the Church, without these qualifications. No prudent man is willing to subject himself to such servitude and danger, as to take upon himself the obligation of having to give an account of the wickedness and perversity of others, unless fearless of the divine judgments, he abuse his ecclesiastical superiority. S. Chrys.
• Ver. 28. A redemption for many; i.e. for all, as it is sometimes the style of the Scriptures. See S. Paul, 1 Tim. ii. 6. Wi. — Certain Puritans pretend from this part of holy Scripture, that all superiority is forbidden; but it is merely pride, ambition, and haughtiness, not superiority, that is here proscribed. Jesus Christ himself, as Son of man, was their and our Superior, Lord, and Master, notwithstanding his humility. B. — For the divine appointment of both civil and ecclesiastical government, see Rom. xiii. 2. and 1 Cor. xii. 28. Heb. c. xiii. 7, 17.