Sunday Bible Readings February 1 2009 Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

February 1 2009 Sunday Fourth Week in 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/020109.shtml

Deuteronomy 18:15-20
Douay-Rheims Challoner

The Lord thy God will raise up to thee a PROPHET of thy nation and of thy brethren like unto me: him thou shalt hear: As thou desiredst of the Lord thy God in Horeb, when the assembly was gathered together, and saidst:

Let me not hear any more the voice of the Lord my God, neither let me see any more this exceeding great fire, lest I die.

And the Lord said to me:

They have spoken all things well. I will raise them up a prophet out of the midst of their brethren like to thee: and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him. And he that will not hear his words, which he shall speak in my name, I will be the revenger. But the prophet, who being corrupted with pride, shall speak in my name things that I did not command him to say, or in the name of strange gods, shall be slain.

Responsorial Psalm 94:1-2, 6-7, 7-9 (Ps 95 NAB)
DR Challoner Text Only

Come let us praise the Lord with joy:
let us joyfully sing to God our saviour.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving;
and make a joyful noise to him with psalms.
Come let us adore and fall down:
and weep before the Lord that made us.
For he is the Lord our God:
and we are the people of his pasture
and the sheep of his hand.
To day if you shall hear his voice,
harden not your hearts:
As in the provocation,
according to the day of temptation in the wilderness:
where your fathers tempted me,
they proved me, and saw my works.

1 Corinthians 7:32-35
Haydock New Testament

But I would have you to be without solicitude. He that is without a wife, is solicitous for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please God. But he that is with a wife, is solicitous for the things of the world, how he may please his wife: and he is divided. And the unmarried woman and the virgin thinketh on the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit. But she that is married thinketh on the things of the world, how she may please her husband. And this I speak for your profit: not to cast a snare upon you, but for that which is decent, and which may give you power, to attend upon the Lord, without impediment.

The Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ According to Saint Mark 1:21-28
Haydock New Testament

And they enter into Capharnaum: and forthwith on the sabbath-days, going into the synagogue, he taught them. And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he was teaching them as one having power, and not as the Scribes.And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit: and he cried out, Saying:

What have we to do with thee, Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou come to destroy us? I know who thou art, the holy one of God.

And Jesus threatened him, saying:

Speak no more, and go out of the man.

And the unclean spirit tearing him, and crying out with a loud voice, went out of him. And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying:

What thing is this? What is this new doctrine? For with power, he commandeth even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.

And the fame of him was spread forthwith through all the country of Galilee.

Haydock Commentary Deuteronomy 18:15-20
Notes Copied From Haydock Commentary Site

• Ver. 15. Prophet. This passage plainly proves, that the Scripture may have many literal senses: for the context insinuates that God would supply the wants of his people, so that they should not need to go far in order to consult diviners, since they should have leaders and prophets, after the death of Moses, who might explain to them God’s will, as they had desired; but, at the same time, it clearly refers to the Messias, as it is explained by S. Peter, (Acts iii. 22. W.) and by S. Stephen, Acts vii. 37. The Jews, at that time, were convinced of the truth of this application: but they only denied that Christ was the Messias. They have since gone a step farther, and deny that it regards the Messias, some referring it to Josue, others to Jeremias, &c. Ap. Munster & Fag. But surely what other prophet could be compared with Moses? C. xxxiv. 10. What other man reunited in his person the qualifications of lawgiver, chief of God’s people, mediator, &c. or who was like him? Hence prophet is written in the singular, to denote his eminent dignity. S. Aug. c. Faust. — S. Philip recognized the claim of Jesus, as did the people after the multiplication of bread, Jo. i. 45. and vi. 14. God the Father seems to allude to this passage, according to the remark of Tertullian, (c. Mar. iv. 22,) when he says hear ye him, (Lu. ix. 35,) as S. Cyprian believes our Saviour does also, Jo. v. 46. S. Athanasius (c. Arianos 2,) condemns the error of the Jews, who would apply this passage to any other prophet but to the Messias. If they could be excused for denying him this latter claim, they surely cannot in calling in question that Jesus was a true prophet, since he has all the marks of one; (Grotius) and if they would once acknowledge this, they must soon confess that he is also the Messias, and the Son of God, as these truths are so necessarily connected. C. — The miracles of Moses were far exceeded by those of Jesus Christ, and the latter conversed more intimately with this eternal Father, &c. M.
• Ver. 16. Die. This promise is not recorded, Ex. xx. 19. God will send you a mediator, who shall hide the splendour of his divinity C. under the form of a servant. Phil. ii. 7. H.
• Ver. 18. Mouth. So Christ says, The words that I speak to you, I speak not of myself. Jo. xiv. 10.
• Ver. 19. Revenger. S. Peter (Acts iii. 23,) reads, And it shall be that every soul which will not hear that prophet; (instead of Heb. “my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him,”) or he shall be destroyed from among the people. Tert. c. Mar. iv. 22. H. — God now chastises the faithless Jews. D.
• Ver. 20. To say. These denote heretics, as the following point out apostates. W.

Haydock Commentary 1 Corinthians 7:32-35

• Ver. 33. It is far easier to give our whole heart and application without any the least reserve to God, than to divide them without injustice.

Haydock Commentary Mark 1:21-28

• Ver. 24. The Greek text has here the same as in Luke iv. 34, Let us alone. V. — I know who thou art. It is a common opinion, that the devil did not know for certain that Jesus was the true Son of God. Yet S. Mark’s words, both in this and v. 34, seem to signify he did know it. Wi.
• Ver. 25. Christ would not suffer the devils to be produced as witnesses of his divinity; the author of truth could not bear the father of lies to bear testimony of him. Hence Jesus threatened him, in order to teach us never to believe or put our trust in demons, whatever they may foretell. S. Chrys.
• Ver. 26. Tearing him: not that the devil tore the poor man’s limbs or body; for S. Luke (iv. 35.) expressly tells us, that the devil hurt him not. It means no more, than that he shook him with violent agitations. Wi.
• Ver. 27. It is observed by S. Justin, (Apol. i. 54.) that the discourses of Jesus were short and concise. S. Chrys. (in hom. xlviii. in Matt.) says, that Christ here accommodated his preaching to his hearers, and to his subject. The ancients differ as to the length of time employed by Christ in the ministry of the word. It is most probable that he spent about three years in announcing to the world his heavenly doctrines. In the first year of his preaching, he seems not to have met with any great opposition; and on this account it may have been called, by the prophet Isaias, the acceptable year. Sandinus. — What is this new doctrine? In the Greek, This new manner of instructing. See below, xiv. 2, and xii. 38.

Catena Aurea Mark 1:21-28
From Catechetics Online

• Pseudo-Jerome: Mark, arranging the sayings of the Gospel as they were in his own mind, not in themselves, quits the order of the history, and follows the order of the mysteries. Wherefore he relates the first miracle on the sabbath day, saying, “And they go into Capernaum.”
• Theophylact: Quitting Nazareth. Now on the sabbath day, when the Scribes were gathered together, He entered into a synagogue, and taught. Wherefore there follows, “And straightway on the sabbath day, having entered into the synagogue, He taught them.” For this end the Law commanded them to give themselves up to rest on the sabbath day, that they might meet together to attend to sacred reading. Again, Christ taught them by rebuke, not by flattery as did the Pharisees; wherefore it says, “And they were astonished at His doctrine; for He taught them as one having power, and not as the Scribes.” He taught them also in power, transforming men to good, and He threatened punishment to those who did not believe on Him.
• Bede: The Scribes themselves taught the people what was written in Moses and the Prophets; but Jesus as the God and Lord of Moses, himself, by the freedom of His own will, either added those things which appeared wanting in the Law, or altered things as He preached to the people; as we read in Matthew, “It was said to them of old time, but I say unto you.” [Mat_5:27]
• Bede, in Marc., 1, 7: Since by the envy of the devil death first entered into the world, it was right that the medicine of healing should first work against the author of death; and therefore it is said, “And there was in their synagogue a man, &c.”
• Pseudo-Chrys., Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.: The word, Spirit, is applied to an Angel, the air, the soul, and even the Holy Ghost. Lest therefore by the sameness of the name we should fall into error, he adds, “unclean.” And he is called unclean on account of his impiousness and far removal from God, and because he employs himself in all unclean and wicked works.
• Augustine, City of God, 21: Moreover, how great is the power which the lowliness of God, appearing in the form of a servant, has over the pride of devils, the devils themselves know so well, that they express it to the same Lord clothed in the weakness of flesh. For there follows, “And he cried out, saying, What have we to do we Thee, Jesus of Nazareth, &c.” For it is evident in these words that there was in them knowledge, but there was not charity; and the reason was, that they feared their punishment from Him, and loved not the righteousness in Him.
• Bede: For the devils, seeing the Lord on the earth, thought that they were immediately to be judged.
• Pseudo-Chrys., Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.: Or else the devil so speaks, as if he said, ‘by taking away uncleanness, and giving to the souls of men divine knowledge, Thou allowest us no place in men.’
• Theophylact: For to come out of man the devil considers as his own perdition; for devils are ruthless, thinking that they suffer some evil, so long as they are not troubling men. There follows, “I know that Thou art the Holy One of God.”
• Pseudo-Chrys., Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.: As if he said, Methinks that Thou art come; for he had not a firm and certain knowledge of the coming of God. But he calls Him “holy” not as one of many, for every prophet was also holy, but he proclaims that the was the One holy; by the article in Greek he shews Him to be the One, but by his fear he shews Him to be Lord of all.
• Augustine: For He was known to them in that degree in which He wished to be known; and He wished as much as was fitting. He was not known to them as to the holy Angels, who enjoy Him by partaking of His eternity according as He is the Word of God; but as He was to be made known in terror, to those beings from whose tyrannical power He was about to free the predestinate.He was known therefore to the devils, not in that He is eternal Life, [see 1Jo_5:20, Joh_17:3] but by some temporal effects of His Power, which might be more clear to the angelic senses of even bad spirits than to the weakness of men.
• Pseudo-Chrys., Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.: Further, the Truth did not wish to have the witness of unclean spirits. Wherefore there follows, “And Jesus threatened him, saying, &c.” Whence a healthful precept is given to us; let us not believe devils, howsoever they may proclaim the truth. It goes on, “And the unclean spirit tearing him, &c.” For because the man spoke as one in his senses and uttered his words with discretion, lest it should be thought that he put together his words not from the devil but out of his own heart, He permitted the man to be torn by the devil, that He might shew that it was the devil who spoke.Theophylact: That they might know, when they saw it, from how great an evil the man was freed, and on account of the miracle might believe.
• Bede: But it may appear to be a discrepancy, that he should have gone out of him, tearing him, or, as some copies have it, vexing him, when, according to Luke, he did not hurt him. But Luke himself says, “When He had cast him into the midst, he came out of him, without hurting him.” [Luk_4:35] Wherefore it is inferred that Mark meant by vexing or tearing him, what Luke expresses in the words, “When He had cast him into the midst;” so that what he goes on to say, “And did not hurt him,” may be understood to mean that the tossing of his limbs and vexing did not weaken him, as devils are wont to come out even with the cutting off and tearing away of limbs. But seeing the power of the miracle, they wonder at the newness of our Lord’s doctrine, and are roused to search into what they had heard by what they had seen. Wherefore there follows, “And they all wondered, &c.” For miracles were done that they might more firmly believe the Gospel of the kingdom of God, which was being preached, since those who were promising heavenly joys to men on earth, were shewing forth heavenly things and divine works even on earth. For before (as the Evangelist says) “He was teaching them as one who had power,” and now, as the crowd witnesses, “with power He commands the evil spirits, and they obey Him.” It goes on, “And immediately His fame spread abroad, &c.”
• Gloss.: For those things which men wonder at they soon divulge, for “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” [Mat_12:34]
• Pseudo-Jerome: Moreover, Capernaum is mystically interpreted the town of consolation, and the sabbath as rest. The man with an evil spirit is healed by rest and consolation, that the place and time may agree with his healing. This man with an unclean spirit is the human race, in which uncleanness reigned from Adam to Moses; [Rom_5:14] for “they sinned without law,” and “perished without law.” [Rom_2:12] and he, knowing the Holy One of God, is ordered to hold his peace, for they “knowing God did not glorify him as God,” [Rom_1:21] but “rather served the creature than the Creator.” [Rom_1:25] The spirit tearing the man came out of him. When salvation is near, temptation is at hand also. Pharaoh, when about to let [ed. note: Al. 'dismissus ab Israel'] Israel go, pursues Israel; the devil, when despised, rises up to create scandals.