Daily Bible Readings Tuesday May 5 2009 Fourth Week of Easter

May 5 2009 Tuesday Fourth Week of Easter
Saint of the Day – St. Hilary of Arles

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/050509.shtml

Acts 11:19-26
Haydock New Testament

And they indeed, who had been dispersed, by the persecution that arose on occasion of Stephen, went about as far as Phœnice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to none, but to the Jews only. But some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had entered into Antioch, spoke also to the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believing, was converted to the Lord.

And the report of these things came to the ears of the church that was at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas as far as Antioch. Who when he was come, and had seen the grace of God, rejoiced: and exhorted them all with purpose of heart to continue in the Lord. For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost, and of faith. And a great multitude was added to the Lord.

And Barnabas went to Tarsus, to seek Saul: whom, when he had found, he brought to Antioch. And they conversed there in the church a whole year: and they taught a great multitude, so that at Antioch the disciples were first name Christians.

Psalm 86 (87 Hebrew)
DR Challoner Text Only

The foundations thereof are the holy mountains:
The Lord loveth the gates of Sion above all the tabernacles of Jacob.
Glorious things are said of thee, O city of God.
I will be mindful of Rahab and of Babylon knowing me.
Behold the foreigners, and Tyre,
and the people of the Ethiopians, these were there.
Shall not Sion say: This man and that man is born in her?
and the Highest himself hath founded her.
The Lord shall tell in his writings of peoples and of princes,
of them that have been in her.
The dwelling in thee is as it were of all rejoicing.

The Gospel According to Saint John 10:22-30
Haydock NT

And it was the feast of the dedication at Jerusalem, and it was winter: And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch. The Jews, therefore, came round about him, and said to him;

How long dost thou keep our minds in suspense? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.

Jesus answered them;

I speak to you, and you believe not: the works that I do in the name of my Father, they give testimony of me: But you do not believe, because you are not of my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give them life everlasting: and they shall not perish for ever, and no man shall snatch them out of my hand. That which my Father hath given me, is greater than all: and no one can snatch them out of the hand of my Father.

I and the Father are one.

Haydock Commentary Acts 11:19-26
Notes Copied From Haydock Commentary Site

• Ver. 20. Some of them, at Antioch, spoke also to the Grecians:[1] by which many understand, to the Gentiles, though in most Greek copies we read, to the Hellenists. Wi.
• Ver. 24. Multitude was added, as before, (c. x.) a few were added to the visible Church. Ever since Christ’s ascension, this Church has been notoriously seen. Of her ministers, their preaching has been open, their sacraments visible, their discipline visible, their persecutions visible, their wonderful increase visible, and their manifestly divine protection visible, and known to all the world. Whilst all that have separated themselves by schism from this venerable body, have fallen into discredit, and most into complete oblivion. The Catholic Church was the first, and it will be the last.
• Ver. 25. To seek Saul, who had retired for a while, to his native city, Tarsus. These two remained in Antioch about a year, during which time they reaped a plentiful harvest.
• Ver. 26. At Antioch the disciples were first named Christians, when S. Paul and S. Barnabas were preaching there. Before that, they were called the disciples of Jesus, and sometimes Nazarenes, (see Acts xxiv. 5.) or perhaps Galileans. This honourable name of Christians, distinguished them from Gentiles and Jews, and from all heretical sects, who generally had some name from the authors of such sects, as Simonites, Cerinthians, Nicolaits, &c. Of which see S. Epiphanius. The faithful had also after some time the name of Catholics, being taught in the apostles’ creed to believe in the Catholic Church. And S. Augustin, in several places, takes notice, that no heretics could ever get themselves called by this name; nor can they to this present. See S. Aug. de util. credendi. c. viii. de vera relig. c. vii. cont. epis. fundam. c. iv. Whosoever is of the true faith of Christ, may justly say, Christian is my name, Catholic my surname: a greater honour, and a greater advantage, than to be of any royal family. Wi. — The faithful disciples, believers, &c. as before they were called, now received the name of Christians. It is not certain whether they took the name themselves, or it was given them out of disrespect, by the pagans. Galileans were a term of reproach likewise given to the Christians. S. Peter, in his first epistle, uses the appellation of Christians; but it does not appear that S. Paul ever did in any of his writings. Calmet, Tirinus, &c. — The name of Christian should be common to all the faithful, and all other new names of sectaries abhorred. “If you hear,” says S. Jer. any where such as are said to be of Christ, “not to have their name from Christ, but from some other, as Marcionites, Valentinians, (as now also Lutherans, Calvinists, &c. &c. &c. &c.) know that they belong not to the Church of Christ, but to the synagogue of Antichrist.” S. Pacianus, in his letter to Sympronian, says, when heresies had arisen, and endeavoured by diverse names to tear the dove of the Lord and Queen in pieces, that faithful required their surname: hence they who before were called Christians, are now surnamed also Catholics. Christian is my name and Catholic my surname. By this term Catholic, the apostles, in their creed, have distinguished the one true visible Church from all and every other congregation, sect, or party. This mark is so self-evident, that S. Augustin hesitates not to say: “In the lap of the Church the very name Catholic keepeth me.” Cont. ep. fund. c. iv. — Again, in his book on the utility of believing, he says: “if after these troubles of mind you still are tossed and vexed, and wish for peace, follow the way of Catholic discipline, which from Christ himself, by the apostles, hath proceeded even unto us, and shall proceed from hence to the latest posterity.” 1 Tim. iii. 15.

Haydock Commentary John 10:22-30

• Ver. 23. In the gallery of Solomon, which was near the temple, supposed to be attached to the eastern gate of the court, and called beautiful. See Acts iii. 2.
• Ver. 24. If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. S. John Baptist had told them several times who Jesus was. See Jo. c. i. He himself had not only owned it in plain terms to the Samaritan woman, (Jo. iv. 26.) but he had frequently delivered this truth so openly to them, that he came from heaven, that he was sent into the world that all men should be saved by believing in him, that he was the Son of God, and one with the Father, that they easily perceived he made himself God: but these men would have him to declare it again, that they might accuse him. Wi.
• Ver. 25. The works and miracles, that I do in the name of my Father, they give testimony of me, and shew who I am, being foretold by the prophets. See Jo. v. 31, &c. Wi.
• Ver. 26. Because you are not of my sheep, refusing to believe in me, and to follow my doctrine, by your own wilful blindness. Wi.
• Ver. 27. Christ here says that his sheep hear his voice, and follow him: but let us ask ourselves, Do we cling close to this heavenly shepherd? Do we follow him, both by our faith and by our lives? Do we know him, and hear his voice? Do we fly from strangers, the world, the flesh, and the devil? If so, we are his sheep indeed; and if we persevere, he will bring us, in spite of the world, the flesh, and the devil, to the pastures of eternal life. But if we run away from our shepherd, to follow these strangers, we must expect to fall a prey to wolves. Med. vol. ii. p. 417.
• Ver. 28. They shall not perish for ever: and no man shall snatch them out of my hand. He speaks of his elect, of those whom he called by a special Providence and mercy, whom he blessed with more than ordinary graces, and with the gift of final perseverance to the end in his grace. Wi.
• Ver. 29. That which my Father hath given[1] me, is greater than all. We may look upon this as the true reading by Tertullian, S. Hillary, S. Amb. S. Aug. &c. The ancient Fathers make use of these words, to shew the eternal procession of the Son from the Father; and that they are one in nature, substance, power, &c. The reading in the ordinary Greek copies is now different. My Father, who gave me them, (the sheep) is greater than all. No one can snatch, or pull them by force, out of the hand of the Father. He had said just before, no one shall, or can snatch them, out of my hand. And this shews that the hand, that is, the power of the Father and the Son, is equal, is one and the same. See S. Aug. S. Chrysostom, &c. Wi.
• Ver. 30. I and the Father are one,[2] or one being, not one person, nor one by an union of affection only, but in nature, substance, power, and other perfections, as appears by the whole text: for Christ here tells them that none of his elect shall perish, because no one can snatch them out of his hands, no more than out of the hand of his Father: and then adds, that he and his Father are one, or have one equal power: and if their power, says S. Chrys. is the same, so is their substance. Christ adds, (v. 38.) that the Father is in him, and he in the Father; which also shews an union of nature and substance, and not only of love and affection, especially when taken with other words of our Saviour Christ. Wi.