October 18 2008 Saturday Feast of Saint Luke, evangelist
Saint of the Day – St. Luke
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/101808.shtml
2 Timothy 4:10-17b
Haydock New Testament
For Demas hath left me, loving this world, and is gone to Thessalonica: Crescens into Galatia, Titus into Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me.
Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is useful to me for the ministry. But Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. The cloak, which I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, especially the parchments.
Alexander, the coppersmith, hath done me many evils: the Lord will render to him according to his works: Whom do thou also avoid: for he hath greatly opposed our words. At my first defence no man stood with me, but all forsook me: may it not be laid to their charge. But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, that by me the preaching may be accomplished, and that all the Gentiles may hear.
Responsorial Psalm 144:10-13, 17-18
DR Challoner Text Only
Let all thy works, O lord, praise thee:
and let thy saints bless thee.
They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom:
and shall tell of thy power:
To make thy might known to the sons of men:
and the glory of the magnificence of thy kingdom.
Thy kingdom is a kingdom of all ages:
and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.
The Lord is faithful in all his words:
and holy in all his works.
The Lord is just in all his ways:
and holy in all his works.
The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him:
to all that call upon him in truth.
The Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ According to Saint Luke 10:1-9
Haydock New Testament
AND after these things the Lord appointed also other seventy-two: and he sent them two and two before his face, into every city and place, whither he himself was to come. And he said to them:
The harvest indeed is great, but the labourers are few. Pray ye, therefore, the Lord of the harvest, that he send labourers into his harvest. Go: Behold I send you as lambs among wolves. Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes, and salute no man by the way. Into whatsoever house you enter, first say:
Peace be to this house:
And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon him: but if not, it shall return to you. And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they have: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Remove not from house to house. And into what city soever you enter, and they receive you, east such things as are set before you; And heal the sick that are therein, and say to them: The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
Haydock Commentary 2 Timothy 4:9-17b
Notes Copied From Haydock Commentary Site
- Ver. 9. Demas hath, &c. The Demas here mentioned, is the same that was at Rome with S. Paul in his first voyage, in 61 or 62, and of whom he makes mention in his epistle to the Colossians, (iv. 14.) also in that to Philemon, v. 24. He was perverted in this last voyage, in 65, and abandoned his master in the time of danger. It is not ascertained whether he entirely renounced his faith, or whether God gave his grace to rise from his fall; or whether the love of the world, with which S. Paul here reproaches him, was only a passing fault, and an effect of pure human infirmity. S. Epiphanius (hæres. 51.) presumes that he renounced the faith, and was engaged in the heresies of Cerintus, Ebion, and others, who held Jesus Christ to be no more than a mere man. Many moderns, Grotius, Men. Cornel. &c. believe that he returned with S. Paul: and Estius himself seems to think that he was the same Demas of which S. Ignatius speaks, writing to the Magnesians, calling him a worthy bishop of God. But this is founded on a false supposition, that this letter was written during his first confinement at Rome, or at least before S. Paul wrote his epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon. Calmet. — Loving this world; i.e. his safety, and to avoid persecutions. Wi.
- Ver. 10. Crescens into Galatia, Titus, &c. These two did not abandon the faith, but only left S. Paul to preach the gospel, with his consent. Crescens went from Rome into Galatia, or into Gaul, as it is found written in the Greek. Theodoret, Eusebius, S. Epiphanius, &c. say that Galatia, in the Greek, is often put for Gaul, in profane authors. On this account it is said by some, that Crescens preached in Gaul. Adon makes him founder of the Church of Vienne, in Dauphinè; an opinion still prevalent in that city. The feast of S. Crescens is kept by the Latin Church, on the 27th of June. Calmet. — As to Titus, it cannot be doubted but he went into Dalmatia for the purpose of the ministry, and by the order of S. Paul. Thence it seems most probable that he went into Crete, where he governed the Church as bishop, and there died. Theod. S. Chrys. Theophyl. Est. &c.
- Ver. 11. Luke. S. Luke was always much attached to S. Paul. It is thought he accompanied him to the time of his martyrdom. When S. Paul says Luke alone was with him, we must understand that no other disciple was at that time with him; not that the faithful of Rome, whose faith was so lively and charity so ardent, had abandoned him in this time of danger. S. Chrys. hom. x. p. 610. — Mark. This is John Mark, cousin of Barnabas, of whom mention was made, Acts xiii. 12. &c. also Coloss. iv. 10. He rather wavered in faith at the beginning, but was afterwards much attached to the apostle. Calmet.
- Ver. 12. Tychicus. Theodoret and some others have inferred from this verse, that Timothy was not at Ephesus at this time; otherwise S. Paul would have here said, I have sent Tychicus to thee. Timothy, in quality of bishop of Ephesus, had the inspection of the whole province of Asia; hence S. Paul might have presumed, that Tychicus would not be able to find him in that city. But these reasons do not appear sufficiently convincing. Tychicus might have been the bearer of this epistle; then S. Paul might say, I have sent him to carry it. Or S. Paul might have sent him before, and here tells Timothy of it; because, on account of the distance of Rome from Ephesus, he might not have yet heard of his arrival. Mention has been made of Tychicus before, Acts. xx. 4. Ephes. vi. 71. Coloss. iv. 70. Calmet.
- Ver. 13. The cloak[7] which I left at Troas. It is expounded a cloak by S. Chrys. S. Jerom, &c. Others think he may mean some coffer, or trunk, in which were his books and some things that he valued. Wi.
- Ver. 14. The Lord will render[8] to him. We read shall render, not only in the Latin and Syriac, but also in divers Greek MSS. which Dr. Wells again prefers before the ordinary Greek copies, in which we read, The Lord render or reward him, as in the Prot. translation. If that was the true reading, we must take the words by way of a prophecy, and not as an imprecation or curse. Wi.
- Ver. 16. At my first defence, or trial, when I appeared before Nero and my judges, no man stood with me; all, or almost all, abandoned me in that danger: may it not be laid to their charge. Wi.
- Ver. 17. The Lord stood, &c. All agree that Nero is here meant by the lion. S. Chrys. thinks that S. Paul was set at liberty after this first justification of his conduct, but that having afterwards converted the cupbearer of Nero, he was by him beheaded. S. Chrys. hom. x. p. 611. — But the Lord assisted and fortified me on this occasion by a vision, in which he assured me that he would prolong my life for the more perfect preaching of the gospel. V. — The times predicted by the apostle in this epistle, (v. 3. and 4.) are now arrived; and the warnings he gives to Timothy and to all preachers of the word, should be sedulously attended to: preach the word: be instant in season and out of season; reprove, entreat, rebuke with all patience and doctrine. There will arrive a time when men will not bear sound doctrine; eager in the extreme to hear what flatters, they will have recourse to a variety of teachers not lawfully sent or ordained, calculated to tickle their ears: Assentatores populi, multitudinis levitatem voluptate quasi titillantes. Cic. In the same sense Plutarch says: ta wta apoknaiousin. It is yours, adds S. Paul, wV kaloV stratiwthV Cristou Ihsou, as a valiant soldier of Jesus Christ, to oppose yourself as a wall to all these evils, to attend every branch of your ministerial duty, not to yield to either opponents or dangers, and to see that the gospel is both preached and practised in all its purity. Thus may the Church find in you, and in her other ministers, what she is soon to lose in me, knowing as I do that my course is nearly run.
Haydock Commentary Luke 10:1-9
- Ver. 1. Other seventy-two. Most Greek copies, and the Syriac version, have seventy, as in the Prot. translation. Yet there seems no doubt but the true number was seventy-two. For seventy-two may be called seventy; but had they been only seventy, they could never have been called seventy-two. This was also the exact number of the judges chosen to assist Moses; (Exod. xxiv. 1.) though called seventy, (Numb. xi. 16.) as it is evident, because there were six chosen out of every one of the twelve tribes. In like manner the exact number of the interpreters called the Septuagint must have been seventy-two; and also the just number of the Sanhedrim. — Two and two, that one might be a help and comfort to the other; as also a witness of the carriage and behaviour of his companion. Wi.
- Ver. 4. As Moses formerly chose twelve elders as princes and fathers of the twelve tribes of Israel, and afterwards gave to each of these elders six others, to assist them in the arduous work of governing the people, so our divine Saviour chose twelve apostles to govern his Church. He likewise afterwards gave six disciples to each apostle, which makes 72, to serve as priests, and assist in governing the Church. Tirinus. — Salute no man, i.e. go forwards promptly, and do not stay to amuse yourselves with vain compliments and useless civilities towards those whom you meet. This was a proverb. Eliseus said the same to Giezi, when he sent him to restore life to the child of the widow of Sunamis. If any man meet you, salute him not; think of nothing but of executing the orders I give you. Calmet.
Steady Fire of Faith 