February 4 2009 Wednesday Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Saint of the Day – St. Joseph of Leonissa
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/020409.shtml
Hebrews 12:4-7, 11-15
Haydock New Testament
For you have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin: And you have forgotten the consolation which speaketh to you, as to children, saying: My son, neglect not the discipline of the Lord: neither be thou wearied whilst thou art rebuked by him. For who the Lord loveth he chastiseth: and he scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. Persevere in discipline. God offereth himself to you as to sons: for what son is there, whom the father doth not correct?
Now all discipline for the present indeed seemeth to bring not joy, but sorrow: but afterwards it will yield to them that are exercised by it, the most peaceable fruit of justice. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, And make straight steps with your feet: that no one halting may go astray, but rather be healed. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see God: Looking diligently, lest any man be wanting to the grace of God: lest any root of bitterness sprining up do hinder, and by it many be defiled.
Responsorial Psalm 102:1-2, 13-14, 17-18a
DR Challoner Text Only
Bless the Lord, O my soul:
and let all that is within me bless his holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and never forget all he hath done for thee.
As a father hath compassion on his children,
so hath the Lord compassion on them that fear him:
For he knoweth our frame.
He remembereth that we are dust:
But the mercy of the Lord is from eternity
and unto eternity upon them that fear him:
And his justice unto children’s children,
To such as keep his covenant
The Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ According to Saint Mark 6:1-6
Haydock New Testament
AND going out from thence, he went into his own country; and his disciples followed him. And when the sabbath was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were in admiration at his doctrine: saying:
How came this man by all these things? And what wisdom is this that is given to him, and such mighty works as are wrought by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joseph, and Jude and Simon? Are not also his sisters here with us? And they were scandalized in regard of him.
And Jesus said to them:
A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and in his own house, and among his own kindred.
And he could not do any miracle there, only that he healed a few that were sick, laying hands upon them; And he wondered because of their unbelief, and he went through the villages round about teaching.
Haydock Commentary Hebrews 12:4-7, 11-15
Notes Copied From Haydock Commentary Site
- Ver. 4. You have not yet resisted unto blood. Though you have met with some persecutions, you have not yet shed your blood for his sake who laid down his life, and shed every drop of his blood for you. Wi.
- Ver. 5. You have forgotten the consolation, &c. He puts them in mind, that it ought to be a subject of great comfort to them, that God calls them his children, his sons, and treats them as his true and legitimate children, when he admonished them to live under the discipline and obedience to him, when, to correct their disobedient and sinful ways, he sends the afflictions and persecutions in this world, which they ought to look upon as marks of his fatherly tenderness; for this is what a prudent kind father does to his legitimate children, of whom he takes the greatest care: and not to use these corrections, is to neglect them, as if they were [3]illegitimate children. We reverence the father of our flesh, (v. 10.) our parents in this world, when they instruct and correct us, how much more ought we to obey the Father and Creator of spirits, (i.e. of our souls) that being truly sanctified by him, we may live and obtain life everlasting. Wi.
- Ver. 11. It is true all discipline, all corrections, and sufferings in this present life, are disagreeable to our nature, because they bring not joy, but trouble and grief with them; yet afterwards, they who have been exercised with them, will reap the most peaceable fruit of justice, eternal peace and happiness in heaven. Wi. — We must not judge of sufferings by the smart they occasion, but by the fruits of peace, justice, and eternal glory they produce in such as submit to them with patience.
- Ver. 12-14. Wherefore life up the[4] hands, &c. Be fervent in piety, walk firmly in the way of virtue, make straight[5] steps, without declining to one side or the other, without halting or going astray, and strive to be healed from your sins by his grace. — Follow and seek peace, as much as lies in you, with all men, and [6]purity of life, without which no man shall see and enjoy God. Wi.
- Ver. 15. Be wanting to the grace of God, by resisting and abusing his favours, or by falling from the grace of God received. — Lest any root of bitterness, &c. He means scandalous wicked persons, by whom others are infected, defiled, and corrupted. Wi.
Haydock Commentary Mark 6:1-6
- Ver. 1. After the miracles that Christ had performed, though he was not ignorant how much they despised him, yet that there might be no excuse for their disbelief, he condescended to return to them. Theophylactus.
- Ver. 3. S. Matthew relates that they asked: Is not this the son of the carpenter? It is not improbable that both questions were asked; it was certainly very natural to take him for a carpenter, who was the son of one. S. Austin. — They were scandalized at his lowly birth and humble parentage. Hence Jesus Christ take occasion to expose the malice and envy of the Jews, in refusing him, and to shew that the Gentiles would more esteem him. See Luke iv. 25, and John i.
Catena Aurea Mark 6:1-6
From Catechetics Online
- Theophylact: After the miracles which have been related, the Lord returns into His own country, not that He was ignorant that they would despise Him, but that they might have no reason to say, If Thou hadst come, we had believed Thee. Wherefore it is said, “And He went out from thence, and came into His own country.”
- Bede, in Marc., 2, 23: He means by His country, Nazareth, in which He was brought up. But how great the blindness of the Nazarenes! they despise Him, Who by His words and deeds they might know to be the Christ, solely on account of His kindred. It goes on: “And when the sabbath day was come, He began to teach in the synagogue; and many hearing Him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?” By wisdom is meant His doctrine, by powers, the cures and miracles which He did. It goes on: Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary?”
- Augustine, de Con. Evan., ii, 42: Matthew indeed says that He was called the son of a carpenter; nor are we to wonder, since both might have been said, for they believed Him to be a carpenter, because He was the son of a carpenter.
- Pseudo-Jerome: Jesus is called the son of a workman, of that one, however, whose work was the morning and the sun, that is, the first and second Church, as a figure of which the woman and the damsel are healed.
- Bede: For although human things are not to be compared with divine, still the type is complete, because the Father of Christ works by fire and spirit. It goes on: “The brother of James, and Joses, of Jude, and of Simon. And are not his sisters here with us?” They bear witness that His brothers and sisters were with Him, who nevertheless are not to be taken for the sons of Joseph or of Mary, as heretics say, but rather, as is usual in Scripture, we must understand them to be His relations, as Abraham and Lot are called brothers, though Lot was brother’s son to Abraham. “And they were offended at Him.” The stumbling and the error of the Jews is our salvation, and the condemnation of heretics. For so much did they despise the Lord Jesus Christ, as to call Him a carpenter, and son of a carpenter. It goes on: “And Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country.” Even Moses bears witness that the Lord is called a Prophet in the Scripture, for predicting His future Incarnation to the sons of Israel, he says, “A Prophet shall the Lord raise up unto you of your brethren.” [Acts 7:37] But not only He Himself, Who is Lord of prophets, but also Elias, Jeremiah, and the remaining lesser prophets, were worse received in their own country than in strange cities, for it is almost natural for men to envy their fellow-townsmen; for they do not consider the present works of the man, but they remember the weakness of Him infancy.
- Pseudo-Jerome: Oftentimes also the origin of a man brings him contempt, as it is written, “Who is the son of Jesse?” [1 Sam 25:10] for the Lord “hath respect unto the lowly; as to the proud, He beholdeth them afar off.”Theophylact: Or again, if the prophet has noble relations, his countrymen hate them, and on that account do not honour the prophet. There follows, “And He could there do no mighty work, &c.” What, however, is here expressed by He could not, we must take to mean, He did not choose, because it was not that He was weak, but that they were faithless; He does not therefore work any miracles there, for He spared them, lest they should be worthy of greater blame, if they believed not, even with miracles before their eyes. Or else, for the working of miracles, not only the power of the Worker is necessary, but the faith of the recipient, which was wanting in this case: therefore Jesus did not choose to work any signs there. There follows: “And He marvelled at their unbelief.”
- Bede: Not as if He Who knows all things before they are done, wonders at what He did not expect or look forward to, but knowing the hidden things of the heart, and wishing to intimate to men that it was wonderful, He openly shews that He wonders. And indeed the blindness of the Jews is wonderful, for they neither believed what their prophets said of Christ, nor would in their own persons believe on Christ, Who was born amongst them. Mystically again; Christ is despised in His own house and country, that is, amongst the people of the Jews, and therefore He worked few miracles there, lest they should become altogether inexcusable. But He performs greater miracles every day amongst the Gentiles, not so much in the healing of their bodies, as in the salvation of their souls.
