Daily Bible Readings Saturday May 30 2009 Seventh Week of Easter

May 30 2009 Saturday Seventh Week of Easter (Mass in the morning)
Saint of the Day – St. Gregory VII

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/053009.shtml

The Acts of the Apostles 28:16-20, 30-31
Haydock New Testament

And when we were come to Rome, Paul was permitted to dwell by himself, with a soldier that guarded him. And after the third day, he called together the chief of the Jews. And when they were assembled, he said to them:

Men, brethren, I, having done nothing against the people, or the custom of our fathers, was delivered up a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans: Who when they had examined me, would have let me go, for that there was no cause of death in me: But the Jews opposing it, I was forced to appeal to Cæsar, not that I had any thing to accuse my nation of. For this cause, therefore, I desired to se you, and to speak to you. Because that for the hope of Israel, I am bound with this chain.

And he remained two whole years in his own hired lodging: and he received all that came in to him, Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, without prohibition.

Responsorial Psalm 10: 5, 6 and 8 (Ps 11 NAB/Hebrew)
DR Challoner Text Only

The Lord is in his holy temple,
the Lord’s throne is in heaven.
His eyes look on the poor man:
his eyelids examine the sons of men.
The Lord trieth the just and the wicked:
but he that loveth iniquity, hateth his own soul.
For the Lord is just, and hath loved justice:
his countenance hath beheld righteousness.

The Gospel According to Saint John 21:20-25
Haydock NT

Peter turning about, saw that disciple whom Jesus loved, following, who also leaned on his breast at the supper, and said;

Lord, who is he that shall betray thee?

Him, therefore, when Peter had seen, he saith to Jesus;

Lord, and what shall this man do?

Jesus saith to him;

So I will have him to remain till I come, what is it to thee? Follow thou me.

This saying, therefore, went abroad among the brethren, that that disciples should not die. And Jesus did not say to him, He should not die: but,

So I will have him to remain till I come, what is it to thee?

This is that disciple who giveth testimony of these things, and hath written these things: and we know that his testimony is true. But there are also many other things which Jesus did, which is they were written every one, the world itself, I think, would not be able to contain the books that should be written.

Haydock Commentary Acts 28:16-20, 30-31
Notes copied from Haydock Commentary Site

• Ver. 16. To dwell by himself, with a soldier that guarded him. S. Paul was chained, as it appears by the 20th verse: and it was the custom to fasten one end of the chain by a lock ot the prisoner’s wrist, and the other end of the chain to the wrist of the soldier who was to guard him.  In most Greek copies we read: the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guards: as it is in the Protestant translation, and very probable; but these words are not found in divers Greek MSS. nor were read by the ancient interpreter of the Latin Vulgate.  Wi. — S. Chrysostom attributes this liberty S. Paul enjoyed at Rome of going whither he liked, to their admiration of him.  Hom. liv. in Acts. — Others to the moderation of Afranius Burrus, who was prefect of the Prætorium in the year 61, and who used his authority, as long as he possessed any over Nero’s mind, to repress that emperor’s bad inclinations, and direct his councils with wisdom.  Calmet.
• Ver. 17. Chief of the Jews. We have seen before, that the emperor Claudius banished all Jews from Rome.  It would appear from this verse, that many of the principal Jews returned at his death, which happened five years before S. Paul’s arrival.  Calmet.
• Ver. 20. Because that for the hope of Israel. That is, of the Messias, so long expected and hoped for by the Israelites.  Wi. — According to the Roman custom, S. Paul must have been fastened by the right hand to one end of a chain, the other end of which chain held to the left hand of the soldier who guarded him.  V.
• Ver. 30. Two whole years in his own hired lodging. That is, in the lodgings which S. Paul was permitted to hire for himself, and to live there, with a soldier chained to him for his guard.  Happy soldier, if he knew how to make use of such a favourable opportunity!  We may take notice by all this narration of S. Luke, (as when he says here, v. 16, when we arrived at Rome, &c.) that he was all the way in the ship with S. Paul.  Wi.
• Ver. 31. Here terminates the history of S. Paul, as contained in the Acts of the Apostles.  The other actions of this great apostle, for want of being recorded, are involved in much obscurity.  That he obtained his liberty again, and made many voyages to carry the light of the gospel into many countries, is certain: but nothing is known as to the manner or time.  He finished his labours by martyrdom, being beheaded at Rome in the 66th of the Christian æra, and the 13th of Nero.  What a degree of virtue might we not attain, were we animated by the spirit and courage of a S. Paul.  Let us at least try to imitate his example; and, if in dangers and difficulties we cannot clothe our souls in adamant, as he did, we may certainly avoid yielding ingloriously to every light impression.  Let us at an humble distance tread in his footsteps and live so that we may navigate in safety the boisterous ocean of life, and by the grace of Jesus Christ arrive at the port, where danger is no more to be apprehended.  S. Chrys. hom. lv. in Act. ad finem.

Haydock Commentary 21:20-25

• Ver. 21. Lord, what shall this man do? S. Chrysostom thinks, it was the love and friendship, that S. Peter had for S. John, that moved him to ask this question.  Wi.
• Ver. 22. Jesus saith: so I will have him remain,[3] &c.  That is, in case I will have him remain; or, as it is in the Greek, if I will have him remain, what is that to thee?  It is thy duty, and thy concern, to follow me.  Wi. — When Christ told S. Peter to follow him, he meant, that he should go like himself to the death of the cross; but when he says of S. John, So I will have him to remain till I come, he insinuates that his beloved disciple should not undergo a violent death; but remain in the world, till he should visit him by death, and conduct him to glory.  It may likewise be understood of the Revelation, in which our Saviour manifested himself in his glory to this his beloved disciple.  In the Greek, it is, if I will have him to remain; and this is the true reading, according to Estius, and Jansenius, bp. of Ghent, authorized by many Latin copies.  Others refer these words of Christ to his coming to destroy Jerusalem: an epoch which S. John survived.
• Ver. 23. This saying, therefore:[4] that is, a report went about among the disciples, the John was not to die. But S. John himself, as S. Aug.  and S. Chrys. observe, took care to tell us, that Christ said not so.  Nor do we find any sufficient grounds to think that S. John is not dead.  Wi.
• Ver. 24. This is that disciple, &c.  Some conjecture, that these words wer added by the Church of Ephesus.  But the ancient Fathers, S. Chrys. S. Cyril, S. Aug. expound them as they do the rest, without any such remark.  Nor is it unusual for a person to write in this manner of himself, as of a third person.  It is what S. John hath done of himself, c. xix. ver. 35.  Wi. — Some conjecture, that these words were added by the Church of Ephesus, to point out S. John to be the real author of this history, and to record their own assent to this his testimony.  But the ancient Fathers give no such comment.  Nor is it unusual for a person to write of himself, as of a third person.  It is what S. John hath done before.
• Ver. 25. The world[5] itself, I think, &c.  It is an hyperbolical way of speaking, says S. Cyril, common enough, even in the holy Scriptures; and only signifies, that a very great number of things, which Christ did and said, have not been recorded.  Wi. — This is a figure of speech, called hyperbole, and only means that it would require many, many books, to contain all the various actions and sayings of our divine Lord.