Daily Bible Readings Tuesday December 16 2008 3rd Week of Advent

December 16 2008 Tuesday Third Week of Advent
Saint of the Day – Blessed Honoratus Kozminski

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/121608.shtml

Zephaniah 3:1-2, 9-13 (Sophonias)
DR Challoner

Woe to the provoking and redeemed city, the dove. She hath not hearkened to the voice, neither hath she received discipline: she hath not trusted in the Lord, she drew not near to her God.

Because then I will restore to the people a chosen lip, that all may call upon the name of the Lord, and may serve him with one shoulder. From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, shall my suppliants, the children of my dispersed people, bring me an offering. In that day thou shalt not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me for then I will take away out of the midst of thee thy proud boasters, and thou shalt no more be lifted up because of my holy mountain. And I will leave in the midst of thee a poor and needy people: and they shall hope in the name of the Lord. The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies, nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed, and shall lie down, and there shall be none to make them afraid.

Responsorial Psalm 33:2-3, 6-7, 17-19 and 23 (Ps 34 NAB)
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.
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.
But the countenance of the Lord is against them that do evil things:
to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
The just cried, and the Lord heard them:
and delivered them out of all their troubles.
The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a contrite heart:
and he will save the humble of spirit.
The Lord will redeem the souls of his servants:
and none of them that trust in him shall offend.

The Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ According to Saint Matthew 21:28-32
Haydock New Testament

Jesus said:

But what think you: A certain man had two sons, and coming to the first he said:

Son, go work today in my vineyard.

And he answering, said:

I will not.

But afterwards, being moved with repentance, he went. And coming to the other, he said in like manner. And he answering, said:

I go sire.

And he went not. Which of the two did the father’s will?

They say to him:

The first.

Jesus saith to them:

Amen, I say to you, that the publicans and the harlots shall go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of justice, and you did not believe him. But the publicans and the harlots believed him: but you seeing it, did not even afterwards repent, that you might believe him.

Haydock Commentary Sophonias 3:1-2, 9-13
Notes Copied From Haydock Commentary Site

• Ver. 1. Dove. Jerusalem is upbraided, and then comforted. She had been treated like a spouse, a dove; and yet proved faithless. C. — Heb. “Wo to the famous, and defiled, and oppressing city.” Sept. agree with us, if we only exchange famous for provoking. H. — After being redeemed from Egypt, the Jews ungratefully followed idols. Osee vii. 11. M. — Jerusalem having been freely chosen and favoured above other places, and still provoking God, cannot escape a severe chastisement. W.
• Ver. 2. Lord. She had recourse rather to the princes of Assyria and of Egytp, which proved her ruin.
• Ver. 9. Chosen. Sym. “pure.” C. — Idols shall not be mentioned. Theod. — All people shall know and adore the Lord, which was verified only after Christ’s coming. C. — Sept. “for then I will change again for the peoples, language to its own kind,” (H.) which Origen, (c. Cels. viii.) and the Jews in S. Jerom, explain of the days of the Messias, when the confusion of Babel shall cease. But this is forced: it suffices that people unite in faith and obey the Church. — Shoulder, like people carrying a burden. Sept. “under one yoke.” After the captivity the Jews were more obedient and faithful, as the more corrupt remained behind the Euphrates, or were cut off in the last wars. Yet the synagogue was never so pure as the Christian Church, even in the worst times. C. — All nations shall worship God in unity of faith, and courageously submit to the gospel. W.
• Ver. 10. Ethiopia. The Nile arises in that country, and runs through Egypt and Arabia, which is often styled Ethiopia or Cush. Is. xviii. 1. The Jews came from Egypt to adore at Jerusalem, even after the building of Onion. Yet this literally regard’s Christ’s Church. — Offering. The Jews performed this after the captivity, coming or sending the half sicle to Jerusalem annually, from all quarters of the world. Num. iii. 46. Mat. xvii. 23. C.
• Ver. 11. Doings. Lit. “inventions,” of religion of thy own choice. H. — Thy past offenses shall be obliterated, and thou shalt commit nothing of the kind any more. Those proud spirits who caused thee to dislike my law, and who set up idols in my temple shall disappear. — Mountain. The temple shall be destroyed, that all may know that I am attached to virtue alone, (C.) and not to any edifice or place. H. — They trusted too much to the temple. Jer. vii. 4. M.
• Ver. 12. Poor in spirit. H. — Heb. “meek and extenuated,” who trust not in themselves. This is the character of true Christians. The few Jews who remained in the country, or who returned from Babylon, might well represent them, being poor and dependent. The disciples of Christ contemned riches, and were resolute only where virtue was at stake. C. — They were instructed by poor fishermen taught by God. M.
• Ver. 13. Israel. They shall be more submissive, and afraid of yielding to idolatry. Yet the synagogue was far from the perfection of the primitive Christianity, or even from that of many pious souls in these days of relaxation. — Afraid. The Jews were not much molested till the time of Epiphanes, nor was the country ravaged as it had been. Mic. ii. 12. This peace is however of a spiritual nature, granted by Christ to those who fight against their passions. John xiv. 27. C. — They shall feed on the word of God and on the blessed Eucharist. M.

Haydock Commentary Matthew 21:28-32

• Ver. 28. A certain man had two sons, &c. The ancient interpreters, by the first son generally understand the Gentiles, as also publicans and scandalous sinners; and by the second, the Jewish people. The Gentiles, &c. who at the first did not, would not worship and serve God; yet afterwards they, as also publicans, and many sinners, received the faith, and being converted, became faithful servants of God, and saints: the Jews, or the greatest part of them, who pretended to be God’s servants, and his people, rejected the gospel and their Messias; therefore this commination follows, the publicans, &c. shall go before you into the kingdom of God. Wi. — By these two sons are to be understood, says S. Chrysostom, the Gentiles and the Jewish people; the latter our Redeemer wishes to make sensible of their own great ingratitude, and of the ready obedience of the cast-off Gentiles. For they having never heard the law, nor promised obedience have still shewn their submission by their works; whereas the Jews after promising to obey the voice of God, had neglected the performance. Hom. lxviii.

Catena Aurea Matthew 21:28-32
From Catechics Online

• Jerome: Thus much prefaced, the Lord brings forward a parable, to convict them of their irreligion, and shew them that the kingdom of God should be transferred to the Gentiles.
• Pseudo-Chrys.: Those who are to be judged in this cause, He applies to as judges, that condemning themselves they might be shewn to be unworthy to be acquitted by any other. It is high confidence of the justness of a cause, that will entrust it to the decision of an adversary. But He veils the allusion to them in a parable, that they might not perceive that they were passing sentence upon themselves; “A certain man had two sons.” Who is he but God, who created all men, who being by nature Lord of all, yet would rather be loved as a father, than feared as a Lord. The elder son was the Gentile people, the younger the Jews, since from the time of Noah there had been Gentiles. And he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. To day,” i.e. during this age. He spoke with him, not face to face as man, but to his heart as God, instilling understanding through the senses. To work in the vineyard is to do righteousness; for to cultivate the whole thereof, I know not that any one man is sufficient.
• Jerome: He speaks to the Gentile people first, through their knowledge of the law of nature; “Go and work in my vineyard;” i.e. “What you would not have done to you, that do not you to others.” [Tobit 4:16] He answers haughtily, “I will not.”
• Pseudo-Chrys.: For the Gentiles from the beginning leaving God and his righteousness, and going over to idols and sins, seem to make answer in their thoughts, We will not do the righteousness of God.
• Jerome: But when, at the coming of the Saviour, the Gentile people, having done penitence, laboured in God’s vineyard, and atoned by their labour for the obstinacy of their refusal, this is what is said, “But afterward he repented, and went.” The second son is the Jewish people who made answer to Moses, “All that the Lord hath said unto us we will do.” [Exo_24:3]
• Pseudo-Chrys.: But afterwards turning their backs, they lied unto God, according to that in the Psalms, “The sons of the strangers have lied unto me.” [Psa_18:44] This is what is said, “But he went not.” The Lord accordingly asks “which of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first.” See how they have first sentence upon themselves, saying, that the elder son, that is, the Gentile people, did the will of his father. For it is better not to promise righteousness before God, and to do it, than to promise, and to fail.
• Origen: Whence we may gather, that in this parable the Lord spoke to such as promise little or nothing, but in their works shine forth; and against those who promise great things but do none of these things that they have promised.
• Jerome: It should be known that in the correct copies it is read not “The last,” but The first,” that they might be condemned by their own sentence. But should we prefer to read, as some have it, “The last,” the explanation is obvious, to say that the Jews understood the truth, but dissembled, and would not say what they thought; just as though they knew that the baptism of John was from heaven, they would not say so.
• Pseudo-Chrys.: The Lord abundantly confirms their decision, whence it follows, “Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto yon, that the publicans and harlots shall go before you in the kingdom of God;” as much as to say, Not only the Gentiles are before you, but even the publicans and the harlots.
• Raban.: Yet the kingdom of God may be understood of the Gentiles, or of the present Church, in which the Gentiles go before the Jews, because they were more ready to believe.
• Origen: Notwithstanding, the Jews are not shut out that they should never enter into the kingdom of God; but, “when the fulness of the Gentiles shall have entered in, then all Israel shall be saved.”
• Pseudo-Chrys.: I suppose that the “publicans” here are to represent all sinful men, and “the harlots” all sinful women; because avarice is found the most prevailing vice among men, and fornication among women. For a woman’s life is passed in idleness and seclusion, which are great temptations to that sin, while a man, constantly occupied in various active duties, falls readily into the snare of covetousness, and not so commonly into fornication, as the anxieties of manly cares preclude thoughts of pleasure, which engage rather the young and idle. Then follows the reason of what He had said, “For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed Him not.”
• Raban.: John came preaching the way of righteousness, because he pointed to Christ, who is the fulfilling of the Law.
• Pseudo-Chrys.: Or, because his venerable conversation smote the hearts of sinners, as it follows, “But the Publicans and harlots believed on him.” Mark how the good life of the preacher gives its force to his preaching, so as to subdue unsubdued hearts. “And ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him;” as much as to say, They have done that which is more by believing on Him, ye have not even repented, which is less. But in this exposition which we have set forth according to the mind of many interpreters, there seems to me something inconsistent. For if by the two sons are to be understood the Jews and Gentiles, as soon as the Priests had answered that it was the first son that did his father’s will, then Christ should have concluded His parable with these words, Verily I say unto you, that the Gentiles shall go into the kingdom of God before you. But He says, “The Publicans and harlots,” a class rather of Jews than of Gentiles. Unless this is to be taken as was said above; So much rather the Gentile people please God than you, that even the Publicans and harlots are more acceptable to Him than you.
• Jerome: Whence others think that the parable does not relate to Gentiles and Jews, but simply to the righteous and to sinners. These by their evil deeds had rejected God’s service, but after received from John the baptism of repentance; while the Pharisees who made a shew of righteousness, and boasted that they did the law of God, despising John’s baptism, did not follow his precepts.
• Pseudo-Chrys.: This He brings in because the Priests had asked not in order to learn, but to tempt Him. But of the common folk many had believed; and for that reason He brings forward the parable of the two sons, shewing them therein that the common sort, who from the first professed secular lives, were better than the Priests who from the first professed the service of God, inasmuch as the people at length turned repentant to God, but the Priests impenitent, never left off to sin against God. And the elder son represents the people; because the people is not for the sake of the Priests, but the Priests are for the sake of the people.