Daily Bible Readings Saturday May 9 2009 Fourth Week of Easter

May 9 2009 Saturday Fourth Week of Easter
Saint of the Day – St. Catharine of Bologna

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/050909.shtml

The Acts of the Apostles 13:44-52
Haydock NT

But the next sabbath-day, the whole city almost came together, to hear the word of God. And the Jews seeing the multitudes, were filled with envy, and contradicted those things which were said by Paul, blaspheming. Then Paul and Barnabas said boldly:

To you it behoved us first to speak the word of God: but seeing you reject it, and judge for yourselves unworthy of eternal life: behold we turn to the Gentiles. For so the Lord hath commanded us: I have set thee to be the light of the Gentiles: that thou mayest be for salvation unto the utmost part of the earth.

And the Gentiles hearing this, were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were pre-ordained to eternal life, believed. And the word of the Lord was published throughout the whole country. But the Jews stirred up religious and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised a persecution against Paul and Barnabas: and cast them out of their borders. But they shaking off the dust of their feet against them, came to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Ghost.

Responsorial Psalm 97:1-4 (Ps 98 Hebrew)
DR Challoner Text Only

Sing ye to the Lord a new canticle:
because he hath done wonderful things.
His right hand hath wrought for him salvation,
and his arm is holy.
The Lord hath made known his salvation:
he hath revealed his justice in the sight of the Gentiles.
He hath remembered his mercy and his truth
toward the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Sing joyfully to God, all the earth;
make melody, rejoice and sing.

The Gospel According to Saint John 14:7-14
Haydock NT

Jesus said:

If you had known me, you would surely have known my Father also: and from henceforth you shall know him, and you have seen him.

Philip saith to him:

Lord, shew us the Father, and it is enough for us.

Jesus saith to him:

Have I been so long a time with you; and have you not known me? Philip, he that seeth me, seeth the Father also. How sayest thou, Shew us the Father? Do you not believe, that I am in the Father, and the Father in my? The words that I speak to you, I speak not of myself. But the Father who abideth in me, he doth the works. Believe you not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? Otherwise believe for the works themselves. Amen, amen, I say to you, he that believeth in me, the works that I do, he shall do also, and greater than these shall he do: because I go to the Father. And whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my name, that will I do: that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you shall ask me any thing in my name, that I will do.

Haydock Commentary Acts 13:44-52
Notes copied from Haydock Commentary Site

• Ver. 44. The whole city. Not only Jews, but a great many Gentiles, which exasperated the envious Jews.  Wi.
• Ver. 48. As many as were pre-ordained to eternal life,[3] by the free election, and special mercies, and providence of God.  Wi. — Some understand this as if it meant, predisposed by their docility, to receive the word of life.  But the Fathers unanimously understand it literally of predestination, which is defined by S. Thomas Aquinas, serm. i. qu. 23. a. 1.  “The disposition of God, by which he prepares, what he will himself perform, according to his infallible foreknowledge.”  In other words, it is the manner in which God conducts a reasonable creature to its proper destiny, which is eternal life.  In this mystery of the Catholic faith, which cannot be clearly explained to human understanding, because it is a mystery, there are nevertheless several points, which we know for certain.  1st. Though it is certain, that this decree of the Almighty is infallible, and must have its effect, yet it is far removed from the blasphemy of Calvinists, who pretend that it destroys free-will, and therefore removes all motives of exertion to good works.  2d. For it is a point of Catholic faith, that this foreknowledge of the Almighty no ways interferes with man’s liberty, but leaves him still a perfectly free agent, and therefore responsible for his actions.  3d. It is likewise decreed by the Council of Trent, that no one can certainly know that he is of the number of the predestined, without a special revelation to that effect.  These are the most essential points, which it concerns us to know of this doctrine.  As to the consequences which may be drawn from these positions, it were better for us to submit our understandings to the obedience of faith, than entangle ourselves in a maze of abstruse errors, far removed from our comprehension.  Would that this sober line of conduct were pursued by many moderns, who at present talk and write so much on this subject, and to such little purpose.  How excellently well does the great genius of the Latin Church, S. Augustin, say: Melius est dubitare de occultis, quam litigare de occultis!  How much wiser and better is it to confess our ignorance on mysteries, than idly to dispute on mysteries!  l. viii. de Gen. ad litt. c. 5.
• Ver. 51. Shaking off the dust, &c.  See the Annotations, Matt. x. 14.

Haydock Commentary John 14:7-14

• Ver. 7. If you know me, you would surely[1] have known my Father also. That is, (says S. Chrys. S. Cyril; &c.) did you know me to be his true, and eternal Son, you would always know him to be the Father from all eternity.  And from henceforth, especially from the coming of the Holy Ghost, you shall know him with a more perfect knowledge.  And you have seen him, not as to the divine nature: in this manner, you have neither seen him, nor me.  But,
• Ver. 9. He that seeth me, seeth the Father also:[2] that is, he seeth him, who is not a man only, but who also, by my divine nature, am one and the same with the Father: so that he who believes, and as it were sees, or knows by faith, who I am, cannot but know, that I am one with my eternal Father; not one person, as the Sabellians fancied, but one in nature and substance.  The ancient Fathers take notice against the Arians, that these words, and others that follow in this chapter, could not be true, if Christ was no more than a creature, though ever so perfect, there being an infinite distance betwixt God and the highest of his creatures.  Wi.
• Ver. 10. Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? These words confirm the equality of the Father and the Son: nor can they be expounded of an union of affection only, by what Christ told them before.  Jo. v. 17. and 19.  As the Father worketh till now, so I work: and whatsoever things the Father worketh, these also in like manner the Son doth. Wi. — In the Son and in the Father, there is one and the same essence, the same wisdom, the same power; so that what the Son says, he does not say it of himself, and what the Son does, he does not do it of himself; but it is the Father, who abideth in the Son, who both acts and speaks.
• Ver. 12. And greater than these shall he do, because I go to the Father. Christ speaks of the greatness of visible miracles, and tells them, that after his ascension, they shall be enabled, even to do greater miracles than he has yet shewn to the world.  He  would give this power to his disciples, who were to convert the world; and perhaps the greatest miracle of all, was the conversion of the whole world.  Wi. — Behold another proof of my divinity, viz. the wonderful miracles those perform, who believe in me.  An impostor may seduce the vulgar with false miracles, or, perhaps, with real wonderful prodigies; but he cannot confer that power on others.  Behold, I have performed miracles by my own power, without any deceit, and always with a sovereign authority.  I have given those, who believe in me, power to work in my name, as great, and even greater miracles, than I have done myself.  All this I have done, to shew you, that I am equally God with the Father.  I truly am so, then, for it would be impossible for God to assist an impostor, a liar, and an enemy to his honour and glory.  Calmet.
• Ver. 13. That will I do. He does not now say, this the Father will do: to shew that the power of both is equal, and the same.  Wi.