May 22 2010 Pentecost Sunday at the Vigil Mass
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/
There are 4 choices for Old Testament readings here.
Genesis 11:1-9
DR Challoner
And the earth was of one tongue, and of the same speech. And when they removed from the east, they found a plain in the land of Sennaar, and dwelt in it. And each one said to his neighbour:
Come let us make brick, and bake them with fire. And they had brick instead of stones, and slime instead of mortar:
And they said:
Come, let us make a city and a tower, the top whereof may reach to heaven; and let us make our name famous before we be scattered abroad into all lands.
And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of Adam were building.And he said:
Behold, it is one people, and all have one tongue: and they have begun to do this, neither will they leave off from their designs, till they accomplish them in deed. Come ye, therefore, let us go down, and there confound their tongue, that they may not understand one another’s speech.
And so the Lord scattered them from that place into all lands, and they ceased to build the city. And therefore the name thereof was called Babel, because there the language of the whole earth was confounded: and from thence the Lord scattered them abroad upon the face of all countries.
Exodus 19:3-8a, 16-20b
DR Challoner
And Moses went up to God; and the Lord called unto him from the mountain, and said:
Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: You have seen what I have done to the Egyptians, how I have carried you upon the wings of eagles, and have taken you to myself. If therefore you will hear my voice, and keep my covenant, you shall be my peculiar possession above all people: for all the earth is mine. And you shall be to me a priestly kingdom, and a holy nation. These are the words thou shalt speak to the children of Israel.
Moses came; and calling together the elders of the people, he declared all the words which the Lord had commanded. And all the people answered together:
All that the Lord hath spoken, we will do.
And now the third day was come, and the morning appeared: and behold thunders began to be heard, and lightning to flash, and a very thick cloud to cover the mount, and the noise of the trumpet sounded exceeding loud; and the people that was in the camp, feared. And when Moses had brought them forth to meet God, from the place of the camp, they stood at the bottom of the mount. And all Mount Sinai was on a smoke: because the Lord was come down upon it in fire, and the smoke arose from it as out of a furnace: and all the mount was terrible. And the sound of the trumpet grew by degrees louder and louder, and was drawn out to a greater length: Moses spoke, and God answered him. And the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, in the very top of the mount, and he called Moses unto the top thereof.
Ezekiel 37:1-14
DR Challoner
The hand of the Lord was upon me, and brought me forth in the spirit of the Lord: and set me down in the midst of a plain that was full of bones. And he led me about through them on every side: now they were very many upon the face of the plain, and they were exceeding dry. And he said to me:
Son of man, dost thou think these bones shall live
and I answered:
O Lord God, thou knowest.
And he said to me:
Prophesy concerning these bones; and say to them: Ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will send spirit into you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to grow over you, and will cover you with skin: and I will give you spirit and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.
And I prophesied as he had commanded me: and as I prophesied there was a noise, and behold a commotion: and the bones came together, each one, its joint. And I saw, and behold the sinews, and the flesh came up upon them: and the skin was stretched out over them, but there was no spirit in them. And he said to me:
Prophesy to the spirit, prophesy, O son of man, and say to the spirit: Thus saith the Lord God: Come, spirit, from the four winds, and blow upon these slain, and let them live again.
And I prophesied as he had commanded me: and the spirit came into them, and they lived: and they stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.
And he said to me:
Son of man: All these bones are the house of Israel: they say: Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost, and we are cut off. Therefore prophesy, and say to them: Thus saith the Lord God: Behold I will open your graves, and will bring you out of your sepulchres, O my people: and will bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall have opened your sepulchres, and shall have brought you out of your graves, O my people: And shall have put my spirit in you, and you shall live, and I shall make you rest upon your own land: and you shall know that I the Lord have spoken, and done it, saith the Lord God
Joel 3:1-5
DR Challoner Text
For behold in those days, and in that time when I shall bring back the captivity of Juda, and Jerusalem: I will gather together all nations and will bring them down into the valley of Josaphat: and I will plead with them there for my people, and for my inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and have parted my land. And they have cast lots upon my people: and the boy they have put in the stews, and the girl they have sold for wine, that they might drink.
But what have you to do with me, O Tyre, and Sidon, and all the coast of the Philistines? will you revenge yourselves on me? and if you revenge yourselves on me, I will very soon return you a recompense upon your own head. For you have taken away my silver, and my gold: and my desirable, and most beautiful things you have carried into your temples.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 103:1-2, 24, 35, 27-30
DR Challoner Text Only
Bless the Lord, O my soul:
O Lord my God, thou art exceedingly great.
Thou hast put on praise and beauty:
And art clothed with light as with a garment.
Who stretchest out the heaven like a pavilion:
How great are thy works, O Lord ?
thou hast made all things in wisdom:
the earth is filled with thy riches.
Let sinners be consumed out of the earth,
and the unjust, so that they be no more:
O my soul, bless thou the Lord.
All expect of thee that thou give them food in season.
What thou givest to them they shall gather up:
when thou openest thy hand,
they shall all be filled with good.
But if thou turnest away thy face,
they shall be troubled:
thou shalt take away their breath,
and they shall fail,
and shall return to their dust.
Thou shalt send forth thy spirit,
and they shall be created:
and thou shalt renew the face of the earth.
Romans 8:22-27
Haydock NT
For we know that every creature groaneth, and is in labour even till now. And not only it, but ourselves also, who have the first-fruits of the spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption of the sons of God, the redemption of our body. For we are saved by hope. But hope that is see, is not hope. For what a man seeth, why doth he hope for? But if we hope for that which we see not: we wait for it with patience. Likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmity: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit himself asketh for us with unspeakable groaning. And he that searcheth the hearts, knoweth what the Spirit desireth: because he asketh for the saints according to God.
The Gospel According to Saint John 7:37-39
Haydock NT
Now on the last great day of the festivity, Jesus stood and cried out, saying:
If any man thirst, let him come to me, and drink. He that believeth in me, as the Scriptures saith, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
Now he said this of the spirit which they should receive who believed in him: for as yet the spirit was not given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Haydock Commentary Genesis 11:1-9
Notes copied from Haydock Commentary Site
- Ver. 1. Speech. Probably Hebrew; in which language we have the most ancient book in the world, the work of Moses. This language has been preserved ever since, though with some alterations. Most of the oriental languages are but like dialects from it, as French, Italian, &c. are from Latin. The arguments which are brought to prove that other languages are more ancient, because the names of men, &c. have a proper significance in them as well as in Hebrew, do not invalidate the right of the latter. The most respectable authors have, therefore, always declared for it. H.
- Ver. 2. The East: Armenia, which lies to the eastward of Babylonia, whither they directed their course in quest of provisions for themselves and cattle, being now grown pretty numerous. M.
- Ver. 3. Each one: not that every individual joined in this undertaking, considered, at least, as a rash and presumptuous attempt to save themselves from a second deluge. Some might innocently give in to it, meaning only to leave a monument to their common origin and friendship, before they separated into distant countries. Slime: literally bitumen. H. — The Hebrew, chomer, means also slime, or mortar. Stone is very scarce in that country, but the earth is fat, and very proper to make brick; it also abounds in naphtha, bitumen, &c.: hence the ancients notice the brick walls of Babylon. C.
- Ver. 4. Famous before; Heb. lest, &c.; as if they intended to prevent that event. H. — Their motive appears to have been pride, which raised the indignation of God. Nemrod, the chief instigator, might have designed the tower for a retreat, whence he might sally out and maintain his tyranny. M.
- Ver. 6. In deed. This seems to be spoken ironically; though the effects of weak mortals, the sons of Adam, when pursued with vigour and unanimity, will produce great effects. These builders had conceived an idea of raising the tower as high as possible, hyperbolically, to touch heaven. H.
- Ver. 7. Come ye, &c. As men seemed bent on taking heaven by storm, like the ancient giants, God turns their expressions, as it were, against themselves, and shews them an example of humility, let us go down. He acts the part of a judge, and therefore will examine all with the utmost diligence, as he denotes by these expressions; being really incapable of moving from place to place, on account of his immensity. H. — He seems nearer to men, by the effects or punishments which he inflicted. The address which he here makes is directed, not to the angels, but to the other co-equal powers of the Blessed Trinity. M.
- Ver. 9. Babel, that is, confusion. This is one of the greatest miracles recorded in the Old Testament; men forgot, in a moment, the language which they had hitherto spoken, and found themselves enabled to speak another, known only to a few of the same family (C.); for we must not suppose that there were as many new languages as there were men at Babel. M. — The precise number of languages which were then heard, cannot be determined. The learned commonly acknowledge the Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Teutonic, Sclavonian, Tartarian, and Chinese languages, to be original. The rest are only dialects from these. English is chiefly taken from the Teutonic, (C.) with many words borrowed from the Greek and other languages. H.
Haydock Commentary Exodus 19:3-8a, 16-20b
- Ver. 3. And Moses went up to God. Moses went up to Mount Sinai, where God spoke to him.
- Ver. 4. Eagles. Out of the reach of danger. As eagles carry their young upon their wings, so I have protected you from all your enemies. Deut. xxxii. 11. C.
- Ver. 5. Possession, (peculium.) Heb. segula, “a chosen portion or treasure.” M. — Mine. I could have made choice of others. We cannot but admire the goodness of God, who asks for the free consent of the people. Hence they can have no pretence for breaking this solemn covenant. C. Theod. 9. 35.
- Ver. 6. Priestly kingdom. “Priests and kings.” Chal. You shall rule over the Chanaanites, &c. and you shall offer sacrifice to me, at least, by slaying the paschal lamb. This kingdom shall not be merely of a civil nature; it shall be also sacred. The whole nation shall be holy, separated from the pagans, and consecrated to me. M.
- Ver. 18. Terrible, by the display of so many instruments of God’s power; lightning, fire, a thick cloud, and various peals of thunder, and the sound of a trumpet; besides rain, and the company of millions of angels. Ps. lxvii. 9, 18. How different was the appearance of Sion, when Jesus proclaimed his gospel! Heb. xii. 18.
- Ver. 19. Answered him, “in a speech,” articulated and heard by all the people, as the Heb. Sept. Syr. &c. intimate. Many legislators have pretended that their laws came from heaven. But they had no witnesses. Moses does all openly. His laws are preceded, accompanied, and followed by prodigies.
Haydock Commentary Ezekiel 37:1-14
- Ver. 1. Spirit, by a divine impulse. He was not really removed. M. C. — Bones. “This passage is very famous.” S. Jer. — It insinuates the liberation of the captives and of the Gentiles, as well as the mystery of the resurrection. W. — If this were not to take place, it would not be adduced as a figure. Tert. S. Jer.
- Ver. 5. Spirit. That is, life, soul, and breath. Ch. — At the resurrection, the same souls shall return to their respective bodies.
- Ver. 7. Noise of the bones moving, which denotes the wars of Cyrus and the hurry of the nations to which he restored liberty.
- Ver. 9. Spirit; wind or soul. The latter animates the body, as the grace (C.) of the Holy Spirit does the soul. H.
- Ver. 11. Off, like branches. Notwithstanding these desponding thoughts, God will restore his people, (W.) by means of Cyrus. The grave is often put for punishment and grievous calamities. (Osee is Hosea) Osee vi. 3.
Haydock Commentary Joel 3:1-5
- Ver. 1. Back. The people were just returned when the nations around fell upon them, and were miraculously defeated. Theod. — We shall follow the system respecting God, given Ezec. xxxviii. C. — Most people, with S. Jerom, suppose that the general judgment is described, though some explain it of the captives delivered from their enemies. W.
- Ver. 2. Josaphat, “the judgment of the Lord,” (H.) marks the place where the Judge will sit, on the east of Jerusalem, between the temple and Olivet, whence our Lord ascended into heaven. W. — There also had been seized and treated contumeliously. H. — But many of the Fathers assert that the whole world will be the scene of judgment, and the first author who determines the situation of Josaphat, is one in the works of V. Bede. Here it may denote the great plain reaching from Carmel to the Jordan, where the army of Cambyses perished with its chief. People of almost all nations were there. Ezec. xxxviii. — Land. The Chaldees, now governed by a Persian, had scattered the Jews, and the Idumeans had seized part of their land.
- Ver. 3. Boy, to gratify their brutal passions; (Lam. v.) or, they have exchanged such for harlots, (C.) and paid the latter with captive boys. Sept. H.
- Ver. 4. Me. These cities and nations had rejoiced at the ruin of the Jews. Ezec. xxv. C. — Coast. Sept. “Galilee of strangers.” H.
- Ver. 5. Temples, or palaces. The Chaldeans had done so, and perhaps had sold some to others.
Haydock Commentary Romans 8:22-27
- Ver. 24, &c. For we are saved by hope, as it is the will of God we should be, waiting and hoping with patience for the things which we have not seen, which neither the eye hath seen, nor the ear hath heard, &c. 1 Cor. ii. 9. — And the spirit also helpeth our infirmity . . . asketh for us with unspeakable groanings.[4] If we understand this according to the common exposition, of the divine spirit of the Holy Ghost, the sense is, says S. Aug. that the Holy Ghost maketh us ask: but we may understand the spirit of God and his grace, diffused in our souls, and in particular that gift of the Holy Ghost, called the spirit of prayer, given to the new Christians, which taught them what to ask, and how to pray. See S. Chrys. Wi.
Haydock Commentary John 7:37-39
- Ver. 38. Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. By this living water, are signified the gifts of the Holy Ghost, which were promised to the faithful. Wi.
- Ver. 39. As yet the spirit was not given, in that particular and extraordinary manner, because Jesus was not yet glorified by his ascension and the coming of the Holy Ghost. Wi. — It is said that the Baptist was filled with the Holy Ghost from the womb of his mother; that Zacharias, when he prophesied concerning his son, and the blessed Virgin, when she prophesied concerning our Lord, were both filled with the Holy Ghost; that Simeon and Anna were inspired by the Holy Ghost, to declare the greatness of Christ. How can this be otherwise reconciled with this text of S. John, that by saying that this gift of the Holy Ghost, after the ascension of Christ, was much more abundant that it had ever been before? For we never read that men inspired by the Holy Ghost before the coming of Christ, spoke languages which they had never learned. S. Aust. 4 de Trin. c. xx. — The Holy Ghost is still received, but none speak with tongues: because the Church herself, being spread over the whole earth, speaks the languages of all. Idem. tract. 32. in S. Joan. — The primitive Christians of Corinth consulted S. Paul on the subject of these spiritual gifts or graces, frequently communicated in the sacraments of baptism and confirmation. In his Epistle, addressed to them, (C. xii.) he explains those gifts, and complains that some among the Corinthians made not a right use of these gifts; especially those who had the gift of tongues, and made use of it rather through vanity, than for the profit of others. In v. ult. ibid. he adds: But be zealous for the better gifts. And I shew to you a yet more excellent way. And in the 13th chapter, he describes the excellence, the characters of charity which he extols far above all other gifts. A.