Sunday Bible Readings May 17 2009 Sixth Week of Easter

May 17 2009 Sixth Sunday of Easter

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/051709.shtml

Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48
Haydock New Testament

And it came to pass, when Peter was come in, Cornelius met him, and falling down at his feet, worshipped. But Peter raised him up, saying:

Arise, I myself also am a man.

Then Peter, opening his mouth, said:

In truth, I perceive that God is no respecter of persons. But in every nation, he that feareth him, and worketh justice, is acceptable to him.

While Peter was yet speaking these words, the Holy Ghost fell upon all them that heard the word. And the faithful of the circumcision, who had come with Peter, were astonished because the grace of the Holy Ghost was also poured out upon the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking with tongues, and magnifying God. Then Peter answered:

Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, who have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?

And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Then they entreated him to stay with them some days.

Responsorial Psalm 97:1, 2-3, 3-4 (Ps 98 NAB)
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.

1 John 4:7-10
Haydock New Testament

Dearly beloved, let us love one another: for charity is of God. And every one that loveth, is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not, knoweth not God: for God is charity. By this hath appeared the charity of God in us, because God hath sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live by him. In this is charity: not as if we had loved God, but because he first loved us, and sent his Son a propitiation for our sins.

The Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ According to Saint John 15:9-17
Haydock New Testament

Jesus said:

As the Father hath loved me, I also have loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, as I also have kept my Father’s commandments, and do remain in his love. These things I have spoken to you: that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be filled.

This is my commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do the things that I command you.

I will not now call you servants: for the servant knoweth not what his lord doth. But I have called you friends: because all things whatsoever I have heard from my Father, I have made known to you. You have not chosen me: but I have chosen you, and have appointed you, that you should go, and should bring forth fruit, and your fruit should remain: that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father is my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, that you love one another.

Haydock Commentary Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48
Notes Copied From Haydock Commentary Site

• Ver. 25. Cornelius . . . worshipped.[2]  Some think Cornelius might look upon S. Peter as more than a man, and offer to him divine worship: by prostrating, he might only intend to pay such honour to him, as is paid to persons eminent in dignity, especially according to the custom of the eastern people.  Wi.
• Ver. 26. S. Chrysostom (hom. xxi in Act.) thinketh Peter refused this homage through humility, because this falling down, proskunein, is frequently used in Scripture towards men.  S. Jerom (adv. Vigil. c. ii.) holds the contrary sentiment.
• Ver. 35. In every nation, &c.  That is to say, not only Jews, but Gentiles also, of what nation soever, are acceptable to God, if they fear him, and work justice.  But then true faith is always to be presupposed, without which, (saith S. Paul, Heb. xi. 6.) it is impossible to please God. Beware then of the error of those, who would infer from this passage, that men of all religions may be pleasing to God.  For since none but the true religion can be from God, all other religions must be from the father of lies; and therefore  highly displeasing to the God of truth.  Ch. — He that feareth him, and worketh justice. So he call the prayers, alms-deeds, and charitable works of this Gentile Cornelius.  Wi.
• Ver. 44. The Holy Ghost fell upon all them, and made his coming known in some visible manner and exterior signs, as on the day of Pentecost.  The Christians who had come with S. Peter, who before had been Jews, were astonished to see that such extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost were given to uncircumcised Gentiles.  Wi.
• Ver. 47. Can any man forbid water? &c.  or doubt that these, on whom the Holy Ghost hath descended, may be made members of the Christian Church, by baptism, as Christ ordained? Wi. — Such may be the grace of God occasionally towards men, and such their great charity and contrition, that they may have remission, justification, and sanctification, before the external sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and penance be received; as we see in this example: where, at Peter’s preaching, they all received the Holy Ghost before any sacrament.  But here we also learn one necessary lesson, that such, notwithstanding, must needs receive the sacraments appointed by Christ, which whosoever contemneth, can never be justified.  S. Aug. sup. Levit. q. 84. T. 4.

Haydock Commentary 1 John 4:7-10

• Ver. 7. Let us love one another. This is the repeated admonition of S. John, the evangelist, both in this epistle and to the end of his life, as S. Jerom relates in his Epist. ad Galat.  cap. vi. tom. 4, part 1, p. 414) that the apostle being very old, and when carried to Church meetings of the Christians, being desired to give them some exhortation, he scarce said any thing, but “love one another;” and it being tedious to his disciples to hear always the same thing, they desired some other instruction, to whom (says S. Jerom) he gave this answer, worthy of S. John: that this was the precept of our Lord, and that if complied with, it was sufficient. — Charity is of God, is love, is the fountain and source of all goodness and mercy, infinitely good in himself, and in his love and mercy towards mankind.  This love and charity of God hath appeared by his sending his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.  See Jo. i. 14. — Thus God having first loved us, (v. 10) when we were sinners, and his enemies, let us not be so ungrateful as not to love him, and to love one another after his example.  Wi.

Haydock Commentary John 15:9-17

• Ver. 10. As I also have kept my Father’s commandments. He still speaks of himself, as man.  Wi. — This frequent admonition, of keeping the commandments, proveth, that a Christian’s life consists not in faith only, but in good works.  B.
• Ver. 14. You are my friends. A wonderful condescension, says S. Aug. in our blessed Redeemer, who was God as well as man, to call such poor and sinful creatures, his friends; who, when we have done all we can, and ought, are still but unprofitable servants.  I have called you my friends, because I have made known to you, &c.  We can only understand these words, as S. Chrys. takes notice, of all things which they were capable of understanding, or which it was proper to communicate to them; for, as Christ tells them in the next chap. (v. 12.) I have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. Wi.
• Ver. 16. O ineffable grace!  For what were we, before Christ chose us, but wretched and abandoned creatures?  Such we were; but now we are chosen, in order that we may become good by the grace of Him that hath chosen us.  S. Aug. tract. 86. in Joan.