Daily Bible Readings Monday February 23 2009 Memorial of Saint Polycarp Bishop and Martyr

February 23 2009 Monday Memorial of Saint Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr
Saint of the Day – St. Polycarp

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/022309.shtml

Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 1:1-10
Douay-Rheims Challoner

All wisdom is from the Lord God, and hath been always with him, and is before all time. Who hath numbered the sand of the sea, and the drops of rain, and the days of the world? Who hath measured the height of heaven, and the breadth of the earth, and the depth of the abyss? Who hath searched out the wisdom of God that goeth before all things?

Wisdom hath been created before all things, and the understanding of prudence from everlasting. The word of God on high is the fountain of wisdom, and her ways are everlasting commandments. To whom hath the root of wisdom been revealed, and who hath known her wise counsels? To whom hath the discipline of wisdom been revealed and made manifest? and who hath understood the multiplicity of her steps?

There is one most high Creator Almighty, and a powerful king, and greatly to be feared, who sitteth upon his throne, and is the God of dominion. He created her in the Holy Ghost, and saw her, and numbered her, and measured her. And he poured her out upon all his works, and upon all flesh according to his gift, and hath given her to them that love him.

Responsorial Psalm 92:1-2, 5 (Ps 93 NAB)
DR Challoner Text Only

The Lord hath reigned, he is clothed with beauty:
the Lord is clothed with strength, and hath girded himself.
For he hath established the world which shall not be moved.
My throne is prepared from of old: thou art from everlasting.
Thy testimonies are become exceedingly credible:
holiness becometh thy house, O Lord, unto length of days.

The Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ According to Saint Mark 9:14-29
Haydock New Testament

And presently all the people seeing Jesus, were astonished and struck with fear: and running to him, they saluted him. And he asked them,

What do you question about among you?

And one of the multitude answering, said:

Master, I have brought to thee my son who hath a dumb spirit. Who wheresoever’s he taketh him, dasheth him, and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away; and I spoke to thy disciples to cast him out, and they could not.

He answering them, said:

O incredulous generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring him to me.

And they brought him. And when he had seen him, immediately the spirit troubled him: and being thrown down upon the ground, he rolled about, foaming. And he asked his father:

How long a time is it since this hath happened unto him?

But he said:

From his infancy. Oftentimes hath he cast him into the fire, and into waters, to destroy him. But if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.

And Jesus saith to him:

If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

And immediately the father of the boy crying out, with tears, said:

I do believe, Lord; help my unbelief.

And when Jesus saw the multitude running together, he threatened the unclean spirit, saying to him:

Thou deaf and dumb spirit, I command thee, go out of him; and enter no more into him.

And crying out, and greatly tearing him, he went out of him, and he became as one dead, insomuch that many said,

He is dead.

But Jesus taking him by the hand, lifted him up, and he arose. And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately;

Why could not we cast him out?

And he said to them:

This kind can go out by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

And departing from thence, they passed through Galilee, and he would not that any man should know it.

Haydock Commentary Ecclesiasticus 1:1-10
Notes Copied From Haydock Commentary Site

• Ver. 1. Wisdom. In this book, Wisdom is taken for the Deity, the Son, or the gift communicated to men. Prov. iii. 19. Wisd. vii. 25. C.
• Ver. 3. God. This is eternal and unsearchable, more than the sand of the sea, &c. Is. xl. 12. H. — Man cannot comprehend God’s works. W.
• Ver. 4. Created. Or “generated,” if it be understood of the Son. S. Athan. Bos. — The wisdom which is given to man, was in God before the creation. Prov. viii. 22. C. — The decree regarding the incarnation was from eternity. M.
• Ver. 5. Commandments. The wise will observe the law (Deut. iv. 6. H.) and the Scriptures. This verse is not in the Gr. of Rome, &c. but it is in the edit. of Complut. and Camerarius.
• Ver. 9. In the Holy Ghost, or from himself. See Wisd. i. 5. and vii. 22. Gr. omits these words. C.

Haydock Commentary Mark 9:14-29

• Ver. 14. The multitude were so solicitous to see Christ that they saluted him when yet a great way off. Some imagine that the countenance of our Saviour, being rendered more beautiful by his transfiguration, attracted the attention and admiration of the people. Theophy.
• Ver. 20. Let those blush who pretend to affirm, that all men come into this world clear of original sin, and perfectly innocent like Adam when first created. For why should this child be tormented by a cruel devil, if he had not been under the guilt of original sin, as it is clear, beyond dispute, that he could not be guilty of any actual transgression? Ven. Bede.
• Ver. 22. The answer of our Lord is adapted to the petition of the child’s father. He had said: If thou canst do any thing, have mercy on us: and Christ answered: If thou canst believe, &c. Thus when the leper said: If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean, he answered: I will, be thou made clean. Ven Bede. — [1]All things are possible to him that believeth. The sense is not, as if he that believeth could do all things; but that any thing might be done by the divine power and goodness, in favour of him that had a firm and lively faith. Wi.
• Ver. 23. If the man believed, as he said, why does he add, help my unbelief? It may be answered: because faith is manifold; their is a faith of beginners, and a faith of the perfect. The incipient faith this man already possessed, and he besought our Saviour to help him to the higher degrees of this virtue. No one becomes great and perfect all at once, but must first set off with small beginnings, and thus gradually ascend to the height of perfection. Thus the man, who, by the inspiration of grace has received imperfect faith, may be said at the same time to believe, and still to be incredulous. Ven. Bede. — Here we are taught that our faith is weak, and has need of support and increase from God’s assistance. When tears accompany our faith, they obtain for us the grant of our petitions. S. Jerom.
• Ver. 26. Him whom the devil had made like to the dead, the goodness of Christ, by his charitable touch, restored to life. Thus proving at once both his divinity and humanity; the former by his wonderful cure of healing, and the latter by performing this cure by a touch of the hand. Ven. Bede. — The devil could not inflict a real death on the child, on account of the dissent of the Author of life. S. Chrys.
• Ver. 27. This person, whom the apostles had forbidden to work miracles in the name of Christ, believed indeed in Christ, but did not follow him, on account of the great poverty of the apostles: he was not perfect, nor had he left all things to follow Christ. The apostles therefore concluded, that such a one was not worthy to work miracles in the name of their divine Master. But for this indiscretion, Christ rebukes them, saying , do not, &c. T.