Daily Bible Readings Friday January 23 2009 Second Week in Ordinary Time

January 23 2009 Friday Second Week in Ordinary Time
Saint of the Day – Blessed Mother Marianne Cope

About the sources used. The readings on this site are from the Haydock Bible according to the daily Lectionary readings for the American Roman Catholic Church. The Haydock Bible contains traditional Catholic commentary and is free from copyright. Due to verse numbering differences and pastoral deletions in the actual Lectionary, these readings may at times vary from the actual readings.

Official Readings of the Liturgy at – http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/012309.shtml

Hebrews 8:6-13
Haydock New Testament

For finding fault with them, he saith: Behold the days shall come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new testament with the house of Israel and with the house of Juda, Not according to the testament which I made with their fathers, on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt: for they continued not in my testament: and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the testament which I will make to the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord: I will give my laws into their mind, and I will write them in their heart: and I will be their God, and they shall be my people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying: Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest of them: Because I will be merciful to their iniquities, and their sins I will remember no more. Now in saying a new, he hath made the former old. And that which decayeth and growth old, is near its end.

Responsorial Psalm 84:8 and 10-14 (Ps 85 NAB)
DR Challoner Text Only

Shew us, O Lord, thy mercy;
and grant us thy salvation.
Surely his salvation is near to them that fear him :
that glory may dwell in our land.
Mercy and truth have met each other:
justice and peace have kissed.
Truth is sprung out of the earth:
and justice hath looked down from heaven.
For the Lord will give goodness:
and our earth shall yield her fruit.
Justice shall walk before him:
and he shall set his steps in the way.

The Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ According to Saint Mark 3:13-19
Haydock New Testament

And going up into a mountain, he called unto him whom he would himself: and they came to him. And he made that twelve should be with him: and that he might send them to preach. And he gave them power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils. And to Simon he gave the name of Peter: And James, the son of Zebedee, and John, the brother of James, and he named them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder: And Andrew and Philip, and Bartholomew and Matthew, and Thomas, and James, of Alpheus, and Thaddeus, and Simon the Cananean, And Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

Haydock Commentary Hebrews 8:6-13
Notes Copied From Haydock Commentary Site

• Ver. 6. But now Christ, the Messias, being come, hath ordained a more excellent ministry and priesthood, being the great Mediator betwixt God and man of a better and more excellent testament, accompanied with greater graces and blessings, and established with better and more ample promises, not of temporal blessings, as the former, but of eternal happiness. Wi.
• Ver. 7. For if that first testament had been faultless: if it had not been imperfect, and all those sacrifices and ceremonies insufficient for the justification, salvation, and redemption of mankind, there would have been no need of a second. Wi.
• Ver. 8. For finding fault with them. It is not said here, blaming the law, says S. Chrys. which in itself was good, just, and holy, (see Rom. vii. 12.) but blaming the breakers and transgressors of it; not but that men were saved in the time of the law, who by God’s grace believed in their Redeemer that was to come, and lived well. And the mercies of God were so great, even towards sinners, that he made them a solemn promise, clearly expressed in the prophet Jeremias, (C. xxxi. 31. &c.) The days shall come, saith the Lord, and I will make a new covenant, . . . not according to the covenant (or not such a one) as I made to their fathers, at the time when I took them as it were by the hand to lead them out of . . . Egypt, &c. with signs and prodigies: I then made choice of them to be my people, but they were always transgressing against this testament, this covenant, which I had made with them: and for their transgressions I neglected them, punished them from time to time, and, what was the greatest punishment of all, permitted such ungrateful and obstinate offenders to run on in their own sinful ways to their own ruin. Wi.
• Ver. 10. For this is the testament which I will make with the house of Israel, and with all nations, as I promised to Abraham, I will give (lit. by giving) my laws into their mind, and I will write this new law, not as the former, in tables of stone, but in their hearts, and to them I will be a merciful God, and they shall be my elect people. Wi. — The Jews were like slaves, and God ruled them as a master; Christians are his children, and God rules them as a father: and so great is the efficacy of this divine teacher, that by means of a short and easy catechism, children are now taught to know God more perfectly than the first sages of antiquity by their abstruse and erudite disquisitions. We moreover observe under the new law the grace and spirit of love, engrafted in the hearts of the faithful by the Holy Ghost working in the sacraments and sacrifice of the new law to that effect. . . This covenant was made at the last supper, and ratified the next day by the death of the Testator on the cross, when he exclaimed, “consummatum est,” all is consummated.
• Ver. 11. They shall not teach, &c. So great shall be the light and grace of the new testament, that it shall not be necessary to inculcate to the faithful the belief and knowledge of the true God, for they shall all know him. Ch. — All shall know me, &c. This seems to signify that by the truths which Christ preached, and which the apostles published to all nations, the faithful in the new law should have a greater knowledge of God, of the true manner of worshipping him, and of heavenly things, and also greater and more abundant graces than they had before Christ’s coming. They shall also serve God with greater fidelity, by considering his mercy in sending them a Redeemer to free them from the slavery of sin and damnation, of which they stood guilty. Wi.
• Ver. 13. In calling this testament a new one, he hath made the former old. This is to put the Hebrews in mind that the former law, as to its ceremonies and sacrifices, is now to be laid aside, and the new law or testament to be received and complied with. Wi. — Thus the first alliance was to end according to the testimony of Scripture itself, and make place for the second, which is infinitely more perfect. To be fully satisfied of this, it is merely necessary to compare the one with the other. V.

Haydock Commentary Mark 3:13-19

• Ver. 13. He spent here the whole night in prayer, not that he who had all things to bestow, stood in need of prayer, or had any thing to ask; but to teach us that we must undertake nothing without previously recommending the affair to heaven, in humble and fervent prayer.
• Ver. 14. The number twelve is mystical, as appeareth by choosing Mathias to full up the place of Judas: they are the twelve foundations, under Christ, of the heavenly Jerusalem. Apoc. xxi.
• Ver. 15. He gave his apostles the power of curing maladies both of soul and body, and of expelling devils, that they might prove the truth of their doctrines by the authority of miracles. V.
• Ver. 16. The evangelist here gives the names of the twelve. First, Simon, to whom he gave the name of Peter, in Greek, Petron, which signifies a rock; thus shewing that upon him his Church should be founded, as on a rock, never to be overturned. Tirin. — Polus, in his Synopsis Criticorum on this verse says that some Greek copies have, Prwton Simwna, First, Simon, which he believes to be the genuine reading: “nec dubito quin hæc sit germana lectio.”
• Ver. 17. And he called James, &c. The words, he called, are no addition, as they only express the literal sense: they are included in what is said, v. 13, that he called to him whom he would. — Boanerges, the sons of thunder, or thunderers, is only to express their great zeal. Wi. — He gave also the two sons of Zebedee the name of Boanerges, (BoanergeV) from the Syriac, Benairegesch; or the Hebrew, Bene, sons, regesch, thunder, noise or tumult. In conformity to their name, we find these two apostles asking Jesus, (Luke ix. 54.) wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, to consume them? They spread the fame of the gospel through the whole world. So great was the zeal of S. James, that he incurred the resentment of king Agrippa, and was the first of the apostles to seal the doctrines of Jesus Christ with his blood. S. John also fulfilled the import of his name, as appears form his gospel, epistles, apocalypse, and the sufferings he underwent at Rome for the faith. SS. Peter, James, and John, were the only apostles to whom our Saviour gave particular names, a mark, perhaps, of his special affection for them. T.

Catena Aurea Mark 3:13-19
From Catechetics Online

• Bede, in Marc., 1, 16: After having forbidden the evil spirits to preach Him, He chose holy men, to cast out the unclean spirits, and to preach the Gospel. Wherefore it is said, “And He went up into a mountain, &c.”
• Theophylact: Luke, however, says that He went up to pray, for after the shewing forth of miracles He prays, teaching us that we should give thanks, when we obtain any thing good, and refer it to Divine grace.
• Pseudo-Chrys., Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.: He also instructs the Prelates of the Church to pass the night in prayer before they ordain, that their office be not impeded. When therefore, according to Luke, it was day, He called whom He would; for there were many who followed Him.
• Bede: For it was not a matter of their choice and zeal, but of Divine condescension and grace, that they should be called to the Apostleship. The mount also in which the Lord chose His Apostles, shews the lofty righteousness in which they were to be instructed, and which they were about to preach to men.
• Pseudo-Jerome: Or spiritually, Christ is the mount, from which living waters flow, and milk is procured for the health of infants; whence the spiritual feast of fat things is made known, and whatsoever is believed to be most highly good is established by the grace of that Mountain. Those therefore who are highly exalted in merits and in words are called up into a mountain, that the place may correspond to the loftiness of their merits. It goes on: “And they came unto Him, &c.” For the Lord loved the beauty of Jacob, [Ps 46] that they might “sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel,” [Matt 19:28] who also in bands of threes and fours watch around the tabernacle of the Lord, and carry the holy words of the Lord, bearing them forward on their actions, as men do burdens on their shoulders.
• Bede: For as a sacrament of this the children of Israel once used to encamp about the Tabernacle, so that on each of the four sides of the square three tribes were stationed. Now three times four are twelve, and in three bands of four the Apostles were sent to preach, that through the four quarters of the whole world they might baptize the nations in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. It goes on: “And He gave them power, &c.”that is, in order that the greatness of their deeds might bear witness to the greatness of their heavenly promises, and that they, who preached unheard-of things, might do unheard-of actions.
• Theophylact: Further, He gives the names of the Apostles, that the true Apostles might be known, so that men might avoid the false. And therefore it continues: “And Simon He surnamed Cephas.”
• Augustine, de Con. Evan. ii, 17: But let no one suppose that Simon now received his name and was called Peter, for thus he would make Mark contrary to John, who relates that it had been long before said unto him, “Thou shalt be called Cephas.” [John 1:42] But Mark gives this account by way of recapitulation; for as he wished to give the names of the twelve Apostles, and was obliged to call him, Peter, his object was to intimate briefly, that he was not called this originally, but that the Lord gave him that name.
• Bede: And the reason that the Lord willed that he should at first be called otherwise, was that from the change itself of the name, a mystery might be conveyed to us. Peter then in Latin or in Greek means the same thing as Cephas in Hebrew, and in each language the name is drawn from, a stone. Nor can it be doubted that is the rock of which Paul spoke, “And this rock was Christ.” [1 Cor 10:4] For as Christ was the true light, and allowed also that the Apostles should be called the light of the world, [Matt 5:14] so also to Simon, who believed on the rock Christ, He gave the name of Rock.
• Pseudo-Jerome: Thus from obedience, which Simon signifies, the ascent is made to knowledge, which is meant by Peter. It goes on: “And James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother.”
• Bede: We must connect this with what went before, “He goeth up into a mountain, and calleth.”
• Pseudo-Jerome, Gen. 27:36 see Catena Aurea, Matt. 10:2: Namely, James who has supplanted all the desires of the flesh, and John, who received by grace what others held by labour. There follows: “And He surnamed them, Boanerges.”
• Pseudo-Chrys., Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.: He calls the sons of Zebedee by this name, because they were to spread over the world the mighty and illustrious decrees of the Godhead.
• Pseudo-Jerome; Or by this the lofty merit of the three mentioned above is shewn, who merited to hear in the mountain the thunders of the Father, when he proclaimed in thunder through a could concerning the Son, “This is My beloved Son;” that they also through the cloud of the flesh and fire of the word, might as it were scatter the thunderbolts in rain on the earth, since the Lord turned the thunderbolts into rain, so that mercy extinguishes what judgment sets on fire. It goes on: “And Andrew,” who manfully does violence to perdition, so that he had ever ready within him his own death, to give as an answer, [1 Pet 3:15] and his soul was ever in his hands. [Ps 119:109]
• Bede: For Andrew is a Greek name, which means ‘manly,’ from (greek word), that is, man, for he manfully adhered to the Lord. There follows, “And Philip.”
• Pseudo-Jerome: Or, ‘the mouth of a lamp,’ that is, one who can throw light by his mouth upon what he has conceived in his heart, to whom the Lord gave the opening of a mouth, which diffused light. We know that this mode of speaking belongs to holy Scripture; for Hebrew names are put down in order to intimate a mystery. There follows: “And Bartholomew,” which means, the son of him who suspends the waters; of him, that is, who said, “I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.” [Isa 5:6] But the name of son of God is obtained by peace and loving one’s enemy; for, Blessed are the peacemakers, for they are the sons of God. [Matt 5:9] And, Love your enemies, that ye may be the sons of God. [see Matt 5:44-45] There follows: “And Matthew,” that is, ‘given,’ to whom it is given by the Lord, not only to obtain remission of sins, but to be enrolled in the number of the Apostles. “And Thomas,” which means, ‘abyss,’ for men who have knowledge by the power of God, put forward many deep things. It goes on: “And James the son of Alphaeus,” that is, of ‘the learned,’ or ‘the thousandth,’ beside whom a thousand will fall. [Ps 91:7] This other James is he, whose wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual wickedness. [Eph 6:12] There follows, “And Thaddaeus,” that is, ‘corculum,’ which means, ‘he who guards the heart’ [ed. note: 'cordis cultor'], one who keeps his heart in all watchfulness.
• Bede: But Thaddaeus is the same person, as Luke calls in the Gospel and in the Acts, Jude of James, for he was the brother of James, the brother of the Lord, as he himself has written in his Epistle. There follows, “And Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him.” He has added this by way of distinction from Simon Peter, and Jude the brother of James. Simon is called the Canaanite from Cana, a village in Galilee, and Judas, Scariotes, from the village from which he had his origin, or he is so called from the tribe of Issachar.
• Theophylact: Whom he reckons amongst the Apostles, that we may learn that God does not repel any man for wickedness, which is future, but counts him worthy on account of his present virtue.
• Pseudo-Jerome: But Simon in interpreted, ‘laying aside sorrow;’ for “blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.” [Matt 5:4] And he is called Canaanite, that is, Zealot, because the zeal of the Lord ate him up. But Judas Iscariot is one who does not do away his sins by repentance. For Judas means, ‘boaster,’ or vain-glorious. And Iscariot, ‘the memory of death.’ But many are the proud and vain-glorious confessors in the Church, as Simon Magus, and Arius, and other heretics, whose deathlike memory is celebrated in the Church, that it may be avoided.