Daily Bible Readings Saturday April 4 2009 Fifth Week of Lent

April 4 2009 Saturday Fifth Week of Lent
Saint of the Day – St. Isidore of Seville

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/040409.shtml

Ezekiel 37:21-28
Douay-Rheims Challoner

And thou shalt say to them:

Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I will take of the children of Israel from the midst of the nations whither they are gone: and I will gather them on every side, and will bring them to their own land. And I will make them one nation in the land on the mountains of Israel, and one king shall be king over them all: and they shall no more be two nations, neither shall they be divided any more into two kingdoms. Nor shall they be defiled any more with their idols, nor with their abominations, nor with all their iniquities: and I will save them out of all the places in which they have sinned, and I will cleanse them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. And my servant David shall be king over them, and they shall have one shepherd: they shall walk in my judgments, and shall keep my commandments, and shall do them.

And they shall dwell in the land which I gave to my servant Jacob, wherein your fathers dwelt, and they shall dwell in it, they and their children, and their children’s children, for ever: and David my servant shall be their prince for ever. And I will make a covenant of peace with them, it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will establish them, and will multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for ever. And my tabernacle shall be with them: and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And the nations shall know that I am the Lord the sanctifier of Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for ever.

Responsorial Psalm Jeremiah 31:10-13
DR Challoner Text Only

Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations,
and declare it in the islands that are afar off, and say:
He that scattered Israel will gather him:
and he will keep him as the shepherd doth his flock.
For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob,
and delivered him out of the hand of one that was mightier than he.
And they shall come, and shall give praise in mount Sion:
and they shall flow together to the good things of the Lord,
for the corn, and wine, and oil, and the increase of cattle and herds,
and their soul shall be as a watered garden,
and they shall be hungry no more.
Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance,
the young men and old men together:
and I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them,
and make them joyful after their sorrow.

The Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ According to Saint John 11:45-56
Haydock New Testament

Many, therefore, of the Jews, who were come to Mary and Martha, and had seen the things that Jesus did, believed in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees, and told them the things that Jesus had done. The chief priests, therefore, and the Pharisees, gathered a council, and said;

What do we, for this man doth many miracles? If we let him alone so, all men will believe in him: And the Romans will come, and take away our place and nation.

But one of them, named Caiphas, being the high priest of that year, said to them;

You know nothing at all. Neither do you consider that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.

And this he spoke not of himself: but being the high priest of that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation. And not only for the nation, but to gather together in one the children of God, that were dispersed. From that day, therefore, they devised to put him to death. Wherefore Jesus walked no more openly among the Jews, but he went into a country near the desert, unto a city that is called Ephrem, and there he abode with his disciples.

And the Pasch of the Jews was at hand: and many from the country went up to Jerusalem before the Pasch, to purify themselves. They sought, therefore, for Jesus: and they discoursed one with another, standing in the temple:

What think you, that he is not come to the festival day? And the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that if any man knew where he was, eh should tell, that they might apprehend him.

Haydock Commentary Ezechiel 37:21-28
Notes Copied From Haydock Commentary Site

• Ver. 22. King. The Jews were long without kings, after the captivity; then they were not of the tribe of Juda, and all did not return. Christ fulfils the prediction.
• Ver. 23. Idols. The Jews, even many of the priests, worshipped them, under Antiochus. C. — But the Church is never defiled. H.
• Ver. 24. David; Christ, the one shepherd, (Jo. x.) over all nations. W. — This cannot refer to Zorobabel, who was never king, nor perhaps even governor; as Sasabasar, who seems to have been a Persian, was appointed by Cyrus. 1 Esd. i. 8. — Shepherd. David have been one. C. — This title is more modest than that of king. S. Jer.
• Ver. 25. Ever. Let the Jews shew how this had been accomplished. We know that Christ preserves and rule his Church unto the end.
• Ver. 26. Peace. Can this regard the synagogue? Not a century passed without some flagrant misconduct, or chastisement. But our Saviour is the mediator of peace. Phil. iv. 7. C.

Haydock Commentary John 11:45-56

• Ver. 47. The chief priests . . . said: what do we? &c. as if they had said: why are we so slow, so remiss, and indolent in our proceedings against this man, when we daily see what numbers he draws after him by his miracles? Wi.
• Ver. 48. The Romans will come upon us, in case he be admitted as our great Messias, and our King. Wi.
• Ver. 49. But one of them, named Caiphas, being the high priest, &c. He said not this, says the evangelist, of himself, but as the high priest of that year. The spirit of prophecy was given him, and he foretells that Jesus was to lay down his life both for the nation of the Jews, and for all mankind. The gift of prophecy itself does not make a man holy. It was also given to the wicked Balaam. Numbers c. xxiv. Wi. — It is supposed that he exercised the sacrificial office alternately with his father-in-law, Annas, who, as we have seen in Luke iii. 2. was also high priest. V.
• Ver. 50. How great is the power of the Holy Ghost? From a wicked mind he brings forth the words of prophecy. And how great is the power attached to the pontifical dignity! For Caiphas having becoming high priest, though unworthy of that dignity, prophesies, not knowing indeed what he says. The Holy Ghost makes use of his tongue only, but touches not his sinful heart. S. Chrys. hom. lxiv. in Joan.
• Ver. 51. The same words have an impious and sacrilegious sense in the intention of the high priest, the enemy of Jesus Christ: and a divine and prophetic sense, in the intention of the Holy Ghost. V. — We here behold the privilege of the office and order, though in a wicked person: and as we have the assistance of God for the utterance of truth, which Caiphas neither meant nor knew, we may rest satisfied that Christ will not leave Peter’s chair; (Luke xxii. 32.) whose faith he promises should never fail, though the occupants be as bad as their enemies describe them.
• Ver. 54. Ephrem was a small city or town in the neighbourhood of Bethel. Some suppose it to be the same as Ephron, mentioned in 2 Par. xiii 19., and 1 Mac. v. 2 Mac. xii. 17. Eusebius and S. Jerom say it was situated about 20 miles to the north of Jerusalem. Calmet. — Here he remained with his disciples till the time in which he had resolved to deliver himself up into the hands of his enemies. V.
• Ver. 55. This was the last Pasch that our Saviour kept upon earth, and the one on which he suffered death for our salvation. Calmet. — It is well called the Pasch of the Jews, and not of the Lord, since on it they were laying snares to apprehend their Saviour. Origen. — Thus making this day of festivity a day of murder. S. Chrys. hom. lxv. in Joan. — They went up so early to purify themselves by the sacrifices ordered by the law. V.
• Ver. 56. He had not then arrived, because He would not expose himself to the fury of his enemies before his own time. V.