Catholic Caucus: Sunday Mass Readings, 09-30-18, Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

For your reading, reflection, faith-sharing, comments, questions, discussion.

KEYWORDS: catholic; mk9; ordinarytime; prayer;

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From: Numbers 11:25-29

The Appointment of the Seventy Elders

[25] Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some
of the spirit that was upon him and put it upon the seventy elders; and when the
spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they did so no more.

[26] Now two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named
Medad, and the spirit rested upon them; they were among those registered, but
they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. [27] And a
young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”
[28] And Joshua the son of Nun, the minister of Moses, one of his chosen men,
said, “My lord Moses, forbid them.” [29] But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous
for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would
put his spirit upon them!”

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Commentary:

11:24:30. God himself is the source of the spirit and he can give it to whomever
he chooses, irrespective of human qualifications. Moses, for his part, has abso-
lutely the right attitude: he has no desire to monopolize the spirit or to be its only
channel; he seeks only the people’s welfare and is delighted to see signs of the
spirit in other people; indeed, he would like all the Israelites to have it.

Commenting on this passage, St Cyril of Jerusalem teaches: “there is a hint here
of what happened at Pentecost among us” (”Catechesis Ad Illuminandos”, 16,
26). God did indeed promise the spirit to all the people (cf. Joel 3:1-2) and the day
came when that promise was fulfilled through Jesus Christ who, after his ascen-
sion into heaven, sent the Holy Spirit to the Church (cf. Acts 1:13). Therefore, the
Church, “the holy people of God shares also in Christ’s prophet office: it spreads
abroad a living witness to him especially by a life of faith and love [...]. It is not on-
ly through the sacraments and the ministrations of the Church that the Holy Spirit
makes holy the people, leads them and enriches them with his virtues. Allotting
his gifts according as he wills (cf. Cor 12:11), he also distributes special graces
among the faithful of every rank. By these gifts he makes them fit and ready to
undertake various tasks and offices for the renewal and building up of the Church”
(Vatican 11, “Lumen Gentium”, 12).

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: James 5:1-6

A Warning for the Rich

[1] Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon
you. [2] Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. [3] Your
gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you and will
eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasures for the last days. [4] Behold,
the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud,
cry out and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.
[5] You have lived on the earth in luxury and in pleasure; you have fattened your
hearts in a day of slaughter. [6] You have condemned, you have killed the
righteous man; he does not resist you.

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Commentary:

1-6. With exceptional severity and energy the sacred writer again (cf. 2:5-7) criti-
cizes the sins of the well-to-do. In tones reminiscent of the Prophets (cf., e.g., Is
3:13-26; Amos 6:1ff; Mic 2:1ff), he reproves their pride, vanity and greed (vv. 2-3)
and their pleasure-seeking (v. 5), warning them that the judgment of God is near
at hand (vv. 3, 5). The opening exhortation—”weep and howl”—is a very forceful
call to repentance.

The Church has constantly taught that we have a duty to do away with unjust in-
equalities among men, which are frequently denounced in Scripture. The Second
Vatican Council made an urgent call for a more just, fraternal society, a call for
solidarity: “To fulfill the requirements of justice and equity, every effort must be
made to put an end as soon as possible to the immense economic inequalities
which exist in the world and increase from day to day, linked with individual and
social discrimination, provided, of course, that the rights of individuals and the
character of each people are not disturbed” (”Gaudium Et Spes”, 66).

People who are well-to-do should use their resources in the service of others.
In this connection, the Church teaches that “they have a moral obligation not to
keep capital unproductive and in making investments to think first of the common
good. [...] The right to private property is inconceivable without responsibilities to
the common good. It is subordinated to the higher principle which states that
goods are meant for all” (SCDF, “Libertatis Conscientia”, 87).

2-3. Greed, an inordinate desire for material things, is one of the seven deadly
sins. An avaricious person offends against justice and charity and becomes in-
sensitive to the needs of his neighbor, so keen is he on his self-aggrandizement.
“If you are inclined to avarice,” say St Francis de Sales, “think of its folly: it
makes us slaves to that which was intended to serve us. Remember how we
must leave everything when we die; perhaps those who get our wealth then will
only squander it, and even to their ruin” (”Introduction to the Devout Life”, 4, 10).

Our Lord also speaks about the moth and the rust which consume earthly trea-
sures, and tells us that the true treasure is good works and upright actions,
which will earn us an everlasting reward from God in heaven (cf. Mt 6:19-21).

“You have laid up treasure for the last days”: a reference to the Day of Judgment,
as in v. 5: “you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter” (cf. e.g., Is 34:6;
Jer 12:3; 25:34). It can also be translated as “you have laid up treasure in the last
days”, which would be a reference to the present time, which (ever since the co-
ming of the Messiah) is seen as in fact the last days, the beginning of the escha-
tological era. The two renderings are compatible because they both have refe-
rence to the Judgment.

4. Cheating workers of their earnings was already condemned in the Old Testa-
ment (cf., e.g., Lev 19:13; Deut 24:14-15; Mal 3:5). It is one of the sins which
“cries out to heaven” for immediate, exemplary punishment; the same applies
to murder (cf. Gen 4:10), sodomy (Gen 18:20-21) and oppression of widows
and orphans (Ex 22:22-24).

The Church has often reminded the faithful about the duty to pay fair wages: “re-
muneration for work should guarantee man the opportunity to provide a dignified
livelihood for himself and his family on the material, social, cultural and spiritual
level to correspond to the role and the productivity of each, the relevant economic
factors in his employment, and the common good” (Vatican II, “Gaudium Et
Spes”, 67).

“The Lord of hosts”: a common Old Testament description of God, manifesting
his omnipotence, as Creator and Lord of the whole universe; it is used to acclaim
God in the Sanctus of the Mass: “Lord God of power and might” (”Dominus Deus
Sabaoth”).

5. This description of the lifestyle of these rich people (vv. 2, 3, 5) recalls the pa-
rable of the rich man and Lazarus (cf. Lk 16: 19ff). Those who live in this way do
well to listen to the Master’s warning: “Take heed to yourselves lest your hearts
be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and
that day come upon you suddenly like a snare” (Lk 21:34).

Against the hedonism condemned by the sacred writer, Christians should be
conscious of the duty to promote a just society: “Christians engaged actively in
modern economic and social progress and in the struggle for justice and charity
must be convinced that they have much to contribute to the prosperity of man-
kind and to world peace. Let them, as individuals and as group members, give a
shining example to others. Endowed with the skill and experience so absolutely
necessary for them, let them preserve a proper sense of values in their earthly
activity in loyalty to Christ and his Gospel, in order that their lives, individual as
well as social, may be inspired by the spirit of the Beatitudes, and in particular
by the spirit of poverty.

“Anyone who in obedience to Christ seeks first the kingdom of God will derive
from it a stronger and purer love for helping all his brethren and for accompli-
shing the task of justice under the inspiration of charity” (”Gaudium Et Spes”,
72).

6. “The righteous man”: according to St Bede (cf. “Super Iac. Expositio, ad
loc.”), this refers to our Lord, who is just “par excellence” and is described as
such in other passages of Scripture (cf., e.g., Acts 3:14; 7:52). This interpreta-
tion is quite appropriate, given the fact that in the needy we should see Jesus
Christ himself (cf. Mt 25:31-45); they often suffer at the hands of those who re-
fuse to recognize even their most elementary rights: “The bread of the needy is
the life of the poor, whoever deprives them of it is a man of blood. To take away
a neighbor’s living is to murder him; to deprive an employee of his wages is to
shed blood” (Sir 34:21-22).

“Every man has the right to possess a sufficient amount of the earth’s goods for
himself and his family. This has been the opinion of the Fathers and Doctors of
the Church, who taught that men are bound to come to the aid of the poor and
to do so not merely out of their superfluous goods [...] Faced with a world today
where so many people are suffering from want, the Council asks individuals and
governments to remember the saying of the Fathers: ‘Feed the man dying of hun-
ger, because if you do not feed him you are killing him!’ and it urges them accor-
ding to their ability to share and dispose of their goods to help others, above all
by giving them aid which will enable them to help and develop them selves’
(”Gaudium Et Spes”, 69).

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48

Being the Servant of All

[38] John said to Him (Jesus), “Teacher, we saw a man casting out demons in
Your name, and we forbade him, because he was not following us.” [39] But Je-
sus said, “Do not forbid him; for no one who does a mighty work in My name
will be able soon after to speak evil of Me. [40] For he that is not against us is
for us.”

Scandal

[41] “For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because
you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose his reward.

[42] “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin it would
be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were
thrown into the sea. [43] And if your hand causes you to sin cut it off; it is bet-
ter for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquen-
chable fire. [45] And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you
to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. [47] And if your eye
causes you to sin, pluck it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God
with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, [48] where their worm
does not die, and the fire is not quenched.

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Commentary:

38-40. Our Lord warns the Apostles, and through them all Christians, against ex-
clusivism in the apostolate—the notion that “good is not good unless I am the one
who does it.” We must assimilate this teaching of Christ’s: good is good, even if
it is not I who do it. Cf. note on Luke 9:49-50.

[The note on Luke 9:49-50 states:

49-50. Our Lord corrects the exclusivist and intolerant attitude of the Apostles.
St Paul later learned this lesson, as we can see from what he wrote during his
imprisonment in Rome: “Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but
others from good will [...]. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pre-
tense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in that I rejoice” (Philippians 1:15,
18). “Rejoice, when you see others working in good apostolic activities. And
ask God to grant them abundant grace and that they may respond to that grace.
Then, you, on your way: convince yourself that it’s the only way for you” (St. J.
Escriva, “The Way”, 965).]

41. The value and merit of good works lies mainly in the love of God with which
they are done: “A little act, done for love, is worth so much” (St. J. Escriva,
“The Way”, 814). God regards in a special way acts of service to others, how-
ever small: “Do you see that glass of water or that piece of bread which a holy
soul gives to a poor person for God’s sake; it is a small matter, God knows, and
in human judgment hardly worthy of consideration: God, notwithstanding, recom-
penses it, and forthwith gives for it some increase of charity” (St Francis de
Sales, “Treatise on the Love of God”, book 2, chap. 2).

42. “Scandal is anything said, done or omitted which leads another to commit
sin” (”St Pius X Catechism”, 417). Scandal is called, and is, diabolical when the
aim of the scandal-giver is to provoke his neighbor to sin, understanding sin as
offense against God. Since sin is the greatest of all evils, it is easy to understand
why scandal is so serious and, therefore, why Christ condemns it so roundly.
Causing scandal to children is especially serious, because they are so less able
to defend themselves against evil. What Christ says applies to everyone, but es-
pecially to parents and teachers, who are responsible before God for the souls of
the young.

43. “Hell”, literally “Gehenna” or “Ge-hinnom”, was a little valley south of Jerusa-
lem, outside the walls and below the city. For centuries it was used as the city
dump. Usually garbage was burned to avoid it being a focus of infection. Gehen-
na was, proverbially, an unclean and unhealthy place: our Lord used this to ex-
plain in a graphic way the unquenchable fire of hell.

43-48. After teaching the obligation everyone has to avoid giving scandal to oth-
ers, Jesus now gives the basis of Christian moral teaching on the subject of “oc-
casions of sin”—situations liable to lead to sin. He is very explicit: a person is
obliged to avoid proximate occasions of sin, just as he is obliged to avoid sin it-
self; as God already put it in the Old Testament: “Whoever lives in danger will
perish by it” (Sir 3:26-27). The eternal good of our soul is more important than
any temporal good. Therefore, anything that places us in proximate danger of
committing sin should be cut off and thrown away. By putting things in this way
our Lord makes sure we recognize the seriousness of this obligation.

The Fathers see, in these references to hands and eyes and so forth, people who
are persistent in evil and ever-ready to entice others to evil behavior and erroneous
beliefs. These are the people we should distance ourselves from, so as to enter
life, rather than accompany them to hell (St Augustine, “De Consensu Evangelis-
tarum”, IV, 16; St John Chrysostom, “Hom. on St Matthew”, 60).

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

For the above post from Mark 9

Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible by Darton, Longman & Todd

Mark
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Mark 9
38.	9:37 John answered him, saying: Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, who followeth not us, and we forbade him.	9:37 Respondit illi Joannes, dicens : Magister, vidimus quemdam in nomine tuo ejicientem dæmonia, qui non sequitur nos, et prohibuimus eum.	απεκριθη δε αυτω [ο] ιωαννης λεγων διδασκαλε ειδομεν τινα τω ονοματι σου εκβαλλοντα δαιμονια ος ουκ ακολουθει ημιν και εκωλυσαμεν αυτον οτι ουκ ακολουθει ημιν
39.	9:38 But Jesus said: Do not forbid him. For there is no man that doth a miracle in my name, and can soon speak ill of me.	9:38 Jesus autem ait : Nolite prohibere eum : nemo est enim qui faciat virtutem in nomine meo, et possit cito male loqui de me :	ο δε ιησους ειπεν μη κωλυετε αυτον ουδεις γαρ εστιν ος ποιησει δυναμιν επι τω ονοματι μου και δυνησεται ταχυ κακολογησαι με
40.	9:39 For he that is not against you, is for you.	9:39 qui enim non est adversum vos, pro vobis est.	ος γαρ ουκ εστιν καθ υμων υπερ υμων εστιν
41.	9:40 For whosoever shall give you to drink a cup of water in my name, because you belong to Christ: amen I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.	9:40 Quisquis enim potum dederit vobis calicem aquæ in nomine meo, quia Christi estis : amen dico vobis, non perdet mercedem suam.	ος γαρ αν ποτιση υμας ποτηριον υδατος εν ονοματι μου οτι χριστου εστε αμην λεγω υμιν ου μη απολεση τον μισθον αυτου
42.	9:41 And whosoever shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in me; it were better for him that a millstone were hanged around his neck, and he were cast into the sea.	9:41 Et quisquis scandalizaverit unum ex his pusillis credentibus in me : bonum est ei magis si circumdaretur mola asinaria collo ejus, et in mare mitteretur.	και ος εαν σκανδαλιση ενα των μικρων των πιστευοντων εις εμε καλον εστιν αυτω μαλλον ει περικειται λιθος μυλικος περι τον τραχηλον αυτου και βεβληται εις την θαλασσαν
43.	9:42 And if thy hand scandalize thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life, maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into unquenchable fire:	9:42 Et si scandalizaverit te manus tua, abscide illam : bonum est tibi debilem introire in vitam, quam duas manus habentem ire in gehennam, in ignem inextinguibilem,	και εαν σκανδαλιζη σε η χειρ σου αποκοψον αυτην καλον σοι εστιν κυλλον εις την ζωην εισελθειν η τας δυο χειρας εχοντα απελθειν εις την γεενναν εις το πυρ το ασβεστον
44.	9:43 Where there worm dieth not, and the fire is not extinguished.	9:43 ubi vermis eorum non moritur, et ignis non extinguitur.	οπου ο σκωληξ αυτων ου τελευτα και το πυρ ου σβεννυται
45.	9:44 And if thy foot scandalize thee, cut it off. It is better for thee to enter lame into life everlasting, than having two feet, to be cast into the hell of unquenchable fire:	9:44 Et si pes tuus te scandalizat, amputa illum : bonum est tibi claudum introire in vitam æternam, quam duos pedes habentem mitti in gehennam ignis inextinguibilis,	και εαν ο πους σου σκανδαλιζη σε αποκοψον αυτον καλον εστιν σοι εισελθειν εις την ζωην χωλον η τους δυο ποδας εχοντα βληθηναι εις την γεενναν εις το πυρ το ασβεστον
46.	9:45 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not extinguished.	9:45 ubi vermis eorum non moritur, et ignis non extinguitur.	οπου ο σκωληξ αυτων ου τελευτα και το πυρ ου σβεννυται
47.	9:46 And if thy eye scandalize thee, pluck it out. It is better for thee with one eye to enter into the kingdom of God, than having two eyes to be cast into the hell of fire:	9:46 Quod si oculus tuus scandalizat te, ejice eum : bonum est tibi luscum introire in regnum Dei, quam duos oculos habentem mitti in gehennam ignis,	και εαν ο οφθαλμος σου σκανδαλιζη σε εκβαλε αυτον καλον σοι εστιν μονοφθαλμον εισελθειν εις την βασιλειαν του θεου η δυο οφθαλμους εχοντα βληθηναι εις την γεενναν του πυρος
48.	9:47 Where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not extinguished.	9:47 ubi vermis eorum non moritur, et ignis non extinguitur.	οπου ο σκωληξ αυτων ου τελευτα και το πυρ ου σβεννυται

38. And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in your name, and he follows not us: and we forbade him, because be follows not us.
39. But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me.
40. For he that is not against us is on our part.
41. For whoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you belong to Christ, verily I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.
42. And whoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.

BEDE; John, loving the Lord with eminent devotion, thought that He who performed an office to which He had no right was to be excluded from the benefit of it. Wherefore it is said, And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in your name, and he follows not us: and we forbade him, because he follows not us.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. For many believers received gifts, and yet were not with Christ, such was this man who cast out devils; for there were many of them deficient in some way; some were pure in life, but were not so perfect in faith; others again, contrariwise.

THEOPHYL. Or again, some unbelievers, seeing that the name of Jesus was full of virtue, themselves used it, and performed signs, though they were unworthy of Divine grace; for the Lord wished to extend His name even by those unworthy.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. It was not from jealousy or envy, however, that John wished to forbid him who cast out devils, but because he wished that all, who called on the name of the Lord, should follow Christ, and be one body with His disciples. But the Lord, however unworthy they who perform the miracles may be, incites others by their means to believe in Him, and induces themselves by this unspeakable grace to become better. Wherefore there follows: But Jesus said, Forbid him not.

BEDE; By which He shows that no one is fled to be driven away from that partial goodness which he possesses already, but rather to be stirred up to that which he has not as yet obtained

PSEUDO-CHRYS. In conformity to this, He shows that he is not to be forbidden, adding immediately after, For there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. He says lightly, to meet the case of those who fell into heresy, such as were Simon and Menander, and Cerinthus; not that they did miracles in the name of Christ, but by their deceptions had the appearance of doing them. But these others, though they do not follow us, cannot however set themselves to say any thing against us, because they honor My name by working miracles.

THEOPHYL. For how can he speak evil of Me, who draws glory from My name, and works miracles by the invocation of this very name. There follows, For he that is not against you is on your part.

AUG. We must take care that this saying of the Lord appear not to be contrary to that, where He says, He who is not with me is against me. Or will any one say that the difference lies in that here He says to His disciples, For he that is not against you is on your part, but in the other He speaks of Himself, He who is not with me is against me? As if indeed it were possible that he who is joined to Christ's disciples, who ate as His members, should not be with Him. How if it were so, could it be true that he that receives you receives me? Or how is he not against Him, who is against His disciples? Where then will be that saying, He who despises you, despises me? But surely what is implied is, that a man is not with Him in as far as he is against Him, and is not against Him as far as he is with Him. For instance, he who worked miracles in the name of Christ, and yet did not join himself to the body of His disciples, in as far as he worked the miracles in His name, was with them, and was not against them: again, in that he did not join their society, he was not with them, and was against them. But because they forbade his doing that in which he was with them, the Lord said to them, Forbid him not; for they ought to have forbidden his being without their society, and thus to have persuaded him of the unity of the Church, but they should not have forbidden that in which he was with them, that is, his commendation of the name of their Lord and Master by the expulsion of devils. Thus the Church Catholic does not disapprove in heretics the sacraments, which are common, but she blames their division, or some opinion of theirs adverse to peace and to truth; for in this they are against us.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. Or else, this is said of those who believe on Him, but nevertheless do not follow Him from the looseness of their lives. Again, it is said of devils, who try to separate all from God, and to disperse His congregation. There follows, For whoever shall give you a cup of cold water to drink in my name, because you belong to Christ, verily I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.

THEOPHYL. Not only will I not forbid him who works miracles in My name, but also whosoever shall give you the smallest tithing for My name's sake, and shall receive you, not on account of human and worldly favor, but from love to Me, shall not lose his reward.

AUG. By which He shows, that he of whom John had spoken was not so far separated from the fellowship of the disciples, as to reject it, as a heretic, but as men are wont to hang back from receiving the Sacraments of Christ, and yet favor the Christian name, so as even to succor Christians, and do them service only because they are Christians. Of these He says they shall not lose their reward; not that they ought already to think themselves secure on account of this good will which they have towards Christians, without being washed with His baptism, and incorporated in His unity, but that they are already so guided by the mercy of God, as also to attain to these, and thus to go away from this life in security.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. And that no man may allege poverty, He mentions that of which none can be destitute, that is, a cup of cold water, for which also he will obtain a reward; for it is not the value of the gift, but the dignity of those who receive it, and the feelings of the giver, which makes a work worthy of reward. His words show that His disciples are to be received, not only on account of the reward, which he who receives them obtains, but also, because he thus saves himself from punishment.

There follows: And whoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea: as though He would say, All who honor you for My sake have their reward, so also those who dishonor you, that is, offend you, shall receive the worst of vengeance. Further, from things which are palpable to us, He describes an intolerable torment, making mention of a millstone, and of being drowned; and He says not, let a millstone be hanged about his neck, but, it is better for him to suffer this, showing by this that some more heavy evil awaits him. But He means by little ones that believe in Me, not only those who follow Him, but those who call upon His name, those also who offer a cup of cold water, though they do not any greater works. Now He will have none of these offended or plucked away; for this is what is meant by forbidding them to call upon His name.

BEDE; And fitly the man who is offended is called a little one, for he who is great, whatever he may suffer, departs not from the faith; but he who is little and weak in mind looks out for occasions of stumbling. For this reason we must most of all look to those who are little ones in the faith, lest by our fault they should be offended, and go back from the faith, and fall away from salvation.

GREG. We must observe, however, that in our good works we must sometimes avoid the offense of our neighbor, sometimes look down upon it as of no moment. For in as far as we can do it without sin, we ought to avoid the offense of our neigh hour; but if a stumbling block is laid before men in what concerns the truth, it is better to allow the offense to arise, than that the truth should be abandoned.

GREG. Mystically by a millstone is expressed the tedious round and toil of a secular life, and by the depths of the sea, the worst damnation is pointed out. He who therefore, after having been brought to a profession of sanctity, destroys others, either by word or example, it had been indeed better for him that his worldly deeds should render him liable to death, under a secular garb, than that his holy office should hold him out as an example for others in his faults, because doubtless if he had fallen alone, his pain in hell would have been of a more endurable kind.

43. And if your hand offend you, cut it off: it is better for you to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
44. Where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched.
45. And if your foot offend you, cut it off: it is better for you to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
46. Where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched.
47. And if your eye offend you, pluck it out: it is better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:
48. Where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched.

BEDE; Because the Lord had taught us not to offend those who believe in Him, He now as next in order warns us how much we should beware of those who offend us, that is, who by their words or conduct strive to drag us into the perdition of sin; wherefore He says, And if your hand offend you, cut it off.

CHRYS. He says not this of our limbs, but of our intimate friends, whom as being necessary to us we look upon as our limbs; for nothing is so hurtful as mischievous society.

BEDE; That is, He calls by the name of hand, our intimate friend, of whose aid we daily stand in need, but if such a one should wish to do us a hurt in what concerns our soul, he is to be driven away from our society lest by choosing a portion in this life with one who is lost, we should perish together with him in that which is to come. Wherefore there follows, It is better for you to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to enter into hell.

GLOSS; By maimed He means, deprived of the help of some friend, for it is better to enter into life without a friend, than to go with him into hell.

PSEUDO-JEROME; Or else, It is better for you to enter into life maimed, that is, without the chief place, for which you have wished, than having two hands to go into eternal fire. The two hands for high station are humility and pride; cut off pride, keeping to the estate of lowliness.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. Then He introduces the witness of prophecy from the prophet Isaiah, saying, Where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched. He says not this of a visible worm, but He calls conscience, a worm, gnawing the soul for not having done any good thing; for each of us shall be made his own accuser, by calling to mind what he has done in this mortal life, and so their worm remains for ever.

BEDE; And as the worm is the pain which inwardly accuses, so the fire is a punishment which rages without us; or by the worm is meant the rottenness of hell, by the fire, its heat.

AUG. But those who hold that both of these, namely, the fire and the worm, belong to the pains of the soul, and not of the body, say also that those who are separated from the kingdom of God are tortured, as with fire, by the pangs of a soul, repenting too late, and hopelessly; and they not unfitly contend that fire may be put for that burning grief, as says the Apostle, Who is offended, and I burn not? They also think that by the worm must be understood the same grief, as is said: As a moth destroys a garment, and a worm wood, so grief tortures the heart of man.

All those who hesitate not to affirm that there will be pain both of body and soul in that punishment, affirm that the body is burnt by the fire. But although this is more credible, because it is absurd that there either the pains of body or of soul should be wanting, still I think that it is easier to say that both belong to the body than that neither; and therefore it seems to me that Holy Scripture in this place is silent about the pains of the soul, because it follows that the soul also is tortured in the pains of the body. Let each man therefore choose which he will, either to refer the fire to the body, the worm to the soul, the one properly, the other in a figure, or else both properly to the body; for living things may exist even in fire, in burnings without being wasted, in pain without death, by the wondrous power of the Almighty Creator.

It goes on: And if your foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for you to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched;

where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched.

BEDE; A friend is called a foot, on account of its service in going about for us, since he is as it were ready for our use. It goes on: And if your eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire;

where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched. A friend who is useful, and anxious, and sharp in perception, is called an eye.

AUG. Here truly it appears that they who do acts of devotedness in the name of Christ, even before they have joined themselves to the company of Christians, and have been washed in the Christian Sacraments, are more useful than those who though already bearing the name of Christians, by their doctrine drag their followers with themselves into everlasting punishment; whom also under the name of members of the body, He orders, as an offending eye or hand, to be torn from the body, that is, from the fellowship itself of unity, that we may rather come to everlasting life without them, than with them go into hell.

But the separation of those who separate themselves from them consists in the very circumstance of their not yielding to them, when they would persuade them to evil, that is, offend them. If indeed their wickedness becomes known to all the good men, with whom they are connected, they are altogether cut off from all fellowship, and even from partaking in the heavenly Sacraments. If however they are thus known only to the smaller number, whilst their wickedness is unknown to the generality, they are to be tolerated in such a way that we should not consent to join in their iniquity, and that the communion of the good should not be deserted on their account.

BEDE; But because the Lord had three times made mention of the worm and the fire, that we might be able to avoid this torment, He subjoins, For every one shall be salted with fire. For the stink of worms always arises from the corruption of flesh and blood, and therefore fresh meat is seasoned with salt, that the moisture of the blood may be dried off, and so it may not breed worms. And if, indeed, that which is salted with salt, keeps off the putrefying worm, that which is salted with fire, that is, seasoned again with flames, on which salt is sprinkled, not only casts off worms, but also consumes the flesh itself.

Flesh and blood therefore breed worms, that is, carnal pleasure, if unopposed by the seasoning of continence, produces everlasting punishment for the luxurious; the stink of which if any man would avoid, let him take care to chasten his body with the salt of continence, and his mind with the seasoning of wisdom, from the stain of error and vice. For salt means the sweetness of wisdom, and fire, the grace of the Holy Spirit. He says therefore, Every one shall be salted with fire, because all the elect ought to be purged by spiritual wisdom, from the corruption of carnal concupiscence. Or else, the fire is the fire of tribulation, by which the patience of the faithful is proved, that it may have its perfect work.

Catena Aurea Mark 9

The Dreadful Judgment

18c.
Iconographer unknown, Russia

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Pray the Rosary!

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Jesus, High Priest

We thank you, God our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry.

Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill your priests with the sure knowledge of your love.

Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit.

Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.

Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.

Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holiness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will.

O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son.

Intercede for our priests, that offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be conformed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Saint John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests

This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.

The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.

The border contains an altar and grapevines, representing the Mass, and icons of Melchizedek and St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney.

Melchizedek: king of righteousness (left icon) was priest and king of Jerusalem. He blessed Abraham and has been considered an ideal priest-king.

St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests.

Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)

5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

6. Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.

Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.

End with the Hail Holy Queen:
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Final step -- The Sign of the Cross

The Mysteries of the Rosary By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary. The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.

The Glorious Mysteries
(Wednesdays and Sundays)
1.The Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-8, Mark 16:1-18, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-29) [Spiritual fruit - Faith]
2. The Ascension (Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:6-11) [Spiritual fruit - Christian Hope]
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-13) [Spiritual fruit - Gifts of the Holy Spirit]
4. The Assumption [Spiritual fruit - To Jesus through Mary]
5. The Coronation [Spiritual fruit - Grace of Final Perseverance]

St. Michael the Archangel

~ PRAYER ~

St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle
Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
Cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen
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September 30, 2018

Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Nm 11:25-29

Responsorial Psalm Ps 19:8, 10, 12-13, 14

Reading 2 Jas 5:1-6

Alleluia Cf. Jn 17:17b, 17a

Gospel Mk 9:38-43, 45, 47-48