Daily Bible Readings Wednesday April 29 2009 Memorial of St Catherine of Sienna Virgin and Doctor of the Church

April 29 2009 Wednesday Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena,
virgin and doctor of the Church
Saint of the Day – St. Catherine of Siena

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/042909.shtml

The Acts of the Apostles 8:1b-8 (In DR/Haydock 1-9)
Haydock NT

AND at that time there was raised a great persecution against the church, which was at Jerusalem, and they were all dispersed through the countries of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. And devout men took care of Stephen’s funeral, and made great mourning over him. But Saul ravaged the church, entering into the houses, and dragging away men and women, committed them to prison.

They, therefore, who were dispersed, went out about preaching the word of God. And Philip going down to the city of Samaria, preached Christ to them. And the people were attentive to those things which were said by Philip, with one accord hearing, and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, went out of many who were possessed. And many taken with the palsy, and that were lame, were healed. There was therefore great joy in that city.

Responsorial Psalm 65:1-3a, 4-7a (Ps 66 NAB)
DR Challoner Text Only

Shout with joy to God, all the earth,
Sing ye a psalm to his name;
give glory to his praise.
Say unto God, How terrible are thy works, O Lord!
Let all the earth adore thee, and sing to thee:
let it sing a psalm to thy name.
Come and see the works of God;
who is terrible in his counsels over the sons of men.
Who turneth the sea into dry land,
in the river they shall pass on foot:
there shall we rejoice in him.
Who by his power ruleth for ever:

The Gospel According to John 6:35-40
Haydock NT

And Jesus said to them:

I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me, shall not hunger: and he that believeth in me, shall never thirst. But I said to you, that you also have seen me, and you believe not. All that the Father giveth me, shall come to me: and him that cometh to me, I will not cast out: Because I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me.

Now this is the will of the Father, that sent me: that of all that he hath given me, I should not lose thereof, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of my Father, who sent me: that every one who seeth the Son, and believeth in him, may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last day.

Haydock Commentary Acts 8:1b-8 (In DR/Haydock 1-9)
Notes Copied From Haydock Commentary Site

• Ver. 1. Were dispersed. During this great persecution of the Church, those who could not conceal themselves, were dispersed into different countries. Thus did the Almighty make use of the malice of his enemies, to the greater exaltation and glory of his own name. For those who fled, carried with them the light of the gospel, wherever they went. Tirinus. — They were burning torches, which communicated of their holy fire to every place, in which they were scattered. S. Aug. Serm. cxvi. — Thus was the gospel disseminated from Jerusalem into all Judea and Samaria. — And Samaria. Though our Saviour in his life time had forbid them to preach to the Samaritans, (Matt. x. 5.) they now knew that the time of that precept was past. Wi.
• Ver. 2. Took care. In an ancient work, which give the history of the finding of S. Stephen’s body, generally considered authentic, and printed at the end of the 7th vol. of S. Augustin’s works, we find the following account. “Stephen having been stoned without the northern gate, lay there without burial one day and a night, according to the order of the Jewish rulers, that his body might become a prey to birds and beasts, but God did not suffer either to touch it.” — “Then I, Gamaliel, compassionating these servants of Jesus Christ, and desiring to have some share in the faith and religion of this holy man, sent among the Jews some Christians who feared God, dwelling at Jerusalem, to take away privately the body, and bring it in my chariot to my country house, where it was deposited in my tomb towards the east, and we mourned over it for forty days,” &c. It is an injury to pray for a martyr, who ought to assist us by his prayers. S. Aug. Serm. xvii. — We see great devotion used in burying his body, and four centuries afterwards, at the finding and translating thereof. Very many miracles were performed on that occasion, as S. Augustin witnesses in his work de Civitate Dei. l. xxii. c. 8, and Serm. de S. Steph. T. viii.

Haydock Commentary John 6:35-40

• Ver. 36. You demand this bread; behold it is before you, and yet you eat it not. I am the bread; to believe in me is to eat me. You see me, but you believe not in me. S. Austin. — It is to this place that those words of S. Austin are to be referred: “Why do you prepare your teeth and belly? believe in me, and you have eaten me.” Words which do not destroy the real presence, of which he is not speaking in this verse. Maldon. 35. — Jesus Christ leads them gradually to this great mystery, which he knows will prove a stumbling block to many. The chapter begins with the miraculous multiplication of the loaves; then Christ walking on the sea; next he blames the Jews for following him not through faith in his miracles, but for the loaves and fishes, and tells them to labour for that nourishment which perishes not, by believing in Him, whom the Father had sent; and then promises, that what their fathers had received in figure only, the manna, the faithful shall receive in reality; his own body and blood.
• Ver. 38. Christ does not say this as if he did not whatever he wished; but he recommends to us his humility. He who comes to me shall not be cast forth, but shall be incorporated with me, because he shall not do his own will, but that of my Father. And therefore he shall not be cast forth; because when he was proud, he did his own will, and was rejected. None but the humble can come to me. S. Hilary and S. Austin. — An humble and sincere faith is essentially necessary to believe the great mysteries of the Catholic faith, by means of which we come to God and believe in God. A.