The Metropolitan cathedral of Quito, Peru
Posted on 02/09/2021 1:58:05 AM PST by Cronos
Liturgical Colour: Green.
| First reading |
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| Genesis 1:20-2:4 © |
| Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 8:4-9 © |
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| Gospel Acclamation | Ps118:24 |
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| Or: | Ps118:36,29 |
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| Gospel | Mark 7:1-13 © |
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The readings on this page are from the Jerusalem Bible, which is used at Mass in most of the English-speaking world. The New American Bible readings, which are used at Mass in the United States, are available in the Universalis apps, programs and downloads.
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| Mark | ||||
| English: Douay-Rheims | Latin: Vulgata Clementina | Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000) | Spanish: Reina Valera (1909) | |
| 1. | AND there assembled together unto him the Pharisees and some of the scribes, coming from Jerusalem. | Et conveniunt ad eum pharisæi, et quidam de scribis, venientes ab Jerosolymis. | και συναγονται προς αυτον οι φαρισαιοι και τινες των γραμματεων ελθοντες απο ιεροσολυμων | Y SE juntaron á él los Fariseos, y algunos de los escribas, que habían venido de Jerusalem; |
| 2. | And when they had seen some of his disciples eat bread with common, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault. | Et cum vidissent quosdam ex discipulis ejus communibus manibus, id est non lotis, manducare panes, vituperaverunt. | και ιδοντες τινας των μαθητων αυτου κοιναις χερσιν τουτ εστιν ανιπτοις εσθιοντας αρτους εμεμψαντο | Los cuales, viendo á algunos de sus discípulos comer pan con manos comunes, es á saber, no lavadas, los condenaban. |
| 3. | For the Pharisees, and all the Jews eat not without often washing their hands, holding the tradition of the ancients: | Pharisæi enim, et omnes Judæi, nisi crebro laverint manus, non manducant, tenentes traditionem seniorum : | οι γαρ φαρισαιοι και παντες οι ιουδαιοι εαν μη πυγμη νιψωνται τας χειρας ουκ εσθιουσιν κρατουντες την παραδοσιν των πρεσβυτερων | (Porque los Fariseos y todos los Judíos, teniendo la tradición de los ancianos, si muchas veces no se lavan las manos, no comen. |
| 4. | And when they come from the market, unless they be washed, they eat not: and many other things there are that have been delivered to them to observe, the washings of cups and of pots, and of brazen vessels, and of beds. | et a foro nisi baptizentur, non comedunt : et alia multa sunt, quæ tradita sunt illis servare, baptismata calicum, et urceorum, et æramentorum, et lectorum : | και απο αγορας εαν μη βαπτισωνται ουκ εσθιουσιν και αλλα πολλα εστιν α παρελαβον κρατειν βαπτισμους ποτηριων και ξεστων και χαλκιων και κλινων | Y volviendo de la plaza, si no se lavaren, no comen. Y otras muchas cosas hay, que tomaron para guardar, como las lavaduras de los vasos de beber, y de los jarros, y de los vasos de metal, y de los lechos.) |
| 5. | And the Pharisees and scribes asked him: Why do not thy disciples walk according to the tradition of the ancients, but they eat bread with common hands? | et interrogabant eum pharisæi et scribæ : Quare discipuli tui non ambulant juxta traditionem seniorum, sed communibus manibus manducant panem ? | επειτα επερωτωσιν αυτον οι φαρισαιοι και οι γραμματεις δια τι οι μαθηται σου ου περιπατουσιν κατα την παραδοσιν των πρεσβυτερων αλλα ανιπτοις χερσιν εσθιουσιν τον αρτον | Y le preguntaron los Fariseos y los escribas: ¿Por qué tus discípulos no andan conforme á la tradición de los ancianos, sino que comen pan con manos comunes? |
| 6. | But he answering, said to them: Well did Isaias prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. | At ille respondens, dixit eis : Bene prophetavit Isaias de vobis hypocritis, sicut scriptum est : Populus hic labiis me honorat, cor autem eorum longe est a me : | ο δε αποκριθεις ειπεν αυτοις οτι καλως προεφητευσεν ησαιας περι υμων των υποκριτων ως γεγραπται ουτος ο λαος τοις χειλεσιν με τιμα η δε καρδια αυτων πορρω απεχει απ εμου | Y respondiendo él, les dijo: Hipócritas, bien profetizó de vosotros Isaías, como está escrito: Este pueblo con los labios me honra, Mas su corazón lejos está de mí. |
| 7. | And in vain to they worship me, teaching doctrines and precepts of men. | in vanum autem me colunt, docentes doctrinas, et præcepta hominum. | ματην δε σεβονται με διδασκοντες διδασκαλιας ενταλματα ανθρωπων | Y en vano me honra, Enseñando como doctrinas mandamientos de hombres. |
| 8. | For leaving the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men, the washing of pots and of cups: and many other things you do like to these. | Relinquentes enim mandatum Dei, tenetis traditionem hominum, baptismata urceorum et calicum : et alia similia his facitis multa. | αφεντες γαρ την εντολην του θεου κρατειτε την παραδοσιν των ανθρωπων βαπτισμους ξεστων και ποτηριων και αλλα παρομοια τοιαυτα πολλα ποιειτε | Porque dejando el mandamiento de Dios, tenéis la tradición de los hombres; las lavaduras de los jarros y de los vasos de beber: y hacéis otras muchas cosas semejantes. |
| 9. | And he said to them: Well do you make void the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition. | Et dicebat illis : Bene irritum facitis præceptum Dei, ut traditionem vestram servetis. | και ελεγεν αυτοις καλως αθετειτε την εντολην του θεου ινα την παραδοσιν υμων τηρησητε | Les decía también: Bien invalidáis el mandamiento de Dios para guardar vuestra tradición. |
| 10. | For Moses said: Honor thy father and thy mother; and He that shall curse father or mother, dying let him die. | Moyses enim dixit : Honora patrem tuum, et matrem tuam. Et : Qui maledixerit patri, vel matri, morte moriatur. | μωσης γαρ ειπεν τιμα τον πατερα σου και την μητερα σου και ο κακολογων πατερα η μητερα θανατω τελευτατω | Porque Moisés dijo: Honra á tu padre y á tu madre, y: El que maldijera al padre ó á la madre, morirá de muerte. |
| 11. | But you say: If a man shall say to his father or mother, Corban, (which is a gift,) whatsoever is from me, shall profit thee. | Vos autem dicitis : Si dixerit homo patri, aut matri, Corban (quod est donum) quodcumque ex me, tibi profuerit : | υμεις δε λεγετε εαν ειπη ανθρωπος τω πατρι η τη μητρι κορβαν ο εστιν δωρον ο εαν εξ εμου ωφεληθης | Y vosotros decís: Basta si dijere un hombre al padre ó á la madre: Es Corbán (quiere decir, don mío á Dios) todo aquello con que pudiera valerte; |
| 12. | And further you suffer him not to do any thing for his father or mother, | et ultra non dimittitis eum quidquam facere patri suo, aut matri, | και ουκετι αφιετε αυτον ουδεν ποιησαι τω πατρι αυτου η τη μητρι αυτου | Y no le dejáis hacer más por su padre ó por su madre, |
| 13. | Making void the word of God by your own tradition, which you have given forth. And many other such like things you do. | rescindentes verbum Dei per traditionem vestram, quam tradidistis : et similia hujusmodi multa facitis. | ακυρουντες τον λογον του θεου τη παραδοσει υμων η παρεδωκατε και παρομοια τοιαυτα πολλα ποιειτε | Invalidando la palabra de Dios con vuestra tradición que disteis: y muchas cosas hacéis semejantes á éstas. |
1. Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the Scribes, which came from Jerusalem.
2. And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.
3. For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.
4. And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.
5. Then the Pharisees and Scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?
6. He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
7. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
8. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
9. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
10. For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:
11. But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.
12. And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;
13. Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
BEDE. (in Marc. 2, 29) The people of the land of Gennesareth, who seemed to be unlearned men, not only come themselves, but also bring their sick to the Lord, that they may but succeed in touching the hem of His garment. But the Pharisees and Scribes, who ought to have been the teachers of the people, run together to the Lord, not to seek for healing, but to move captious questions; wherefore it is said, Then there came together unto him the Pharisees and cerlain of the Scribes, coming from Jerusalem; and when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with common, that is, with unwashen hands, they found fault.
THEOPHYLACT. For the disciples of the Lord, who were taught only the practice of virtue, used to eat in a simple way, without washing their hands; but the Pharisees, wishing to find an occasion of blame against them, took it up; they did not indeed blame them as transgressors of the law, but for transgressing the traditions of the elders. Wherefore it goes on: For the Pharisees and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.
BEDE. (ubi sup.) For taking the spiritual words of the Prophets in a carnal sense, they observed, by washing the body alone, commandments which concerned the chastening of the heart and deeds, saying Wash you, make you clean; (Isa. 1:16) and again, Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord. (Isa. 52:11) It is therefore a superstitious human tradition, that men who are clean already, should wash oftener because they eat bread, and that they should not eat on leaving the market, without washing. But it is necessary for those who desire to partake of the bread which comes down from heaven, often to cleanse their evil deeds by alms, by tears, and the other fruits of righteousness. It is also necessary for a man to wash thoroughly away the pollutions which he has contracted from the cares of temporal business, by being afterwards intent on good thoughts and works. In vain, however, do the Jews wash their hands, and cleanse themselves after the market, so long as they refuse to be washed in the font of the Saviour; in vain do they observe the washing of their vessels, who neglect to wash away the filthy sins of their bodies and of their hearts. It goes on: Then the Scribes and Pharisees asked him, Why walk not thy disciples after the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with common hands?
JEROME. (in Matt. 15) Wonderful is the folly of the Pharisees and Scribes; they accuse the Son of God, because He keeps not the traditions and precepts of men. But common is here put for unclean; for the people of the Jews, boasting that they were the portion of God, called those meats common, which all made use of.
PSEUDO-JEROME. He beats back the vain words of the Pharisees with His arguments, as men drive back dogs with weapons, by interpreting Moses and Isaiah, that we too by the word of Scripture may conquer the heretics, who oppose us; wherefore it goes on: (Isa. 29:13) Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites; as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
PSEUDO-CHRYSOSTOM. (Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.) For since they unjustly accused the disciples not of transgressing the law, but the commands of the elders, He sharply confounds them, calling them hypocrites, as looking with reverence upon what was not worthy of it. He adds, however, the words of Isaiah the prophet, as spoken of them; as though He would say, As those men, of whom it is said, that they honour God with their lips, whilst their heart is far from him, in vain pretend to observe the dictates of piety, whilst they honour the doctrines of men, so ye also neglect your soul, of which ye should take care, and blame those who live justly.
PSEUDO-JEROME. But Pharisaical tradition, as to tables and vessels, is to be cut off, and cast away. For they often make the commands of God yield to the traditions of men; wherefore it continues, For laying aside the commandments of God, ye hold to the traditions of men, as the washing of pots and cups.
PSEUDO-CHRYSOSTOM. (Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.) Moreover, to convict them of neglecting the reverence due to God, for the sake of the tradition of the elders, which was opposed to the Holy Scriptures, He subjoins, For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death. (Exod. 21:17.)
BEDE. (ubi sup.) The sense of the word honour in Scripture is not so much the saluting and paying court to men, as alms-giving, and bestowing gifts; honour, says the Apostle, widows who are widows indeed. (1 Tim. 5:3.)
PSEUDO-CHRYSOSTOM. (Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.) Notwithstanding the existence of such a divine law, and the1 threats against such as break it, ye lightly transgress the commandment of God, observing the traditions of the Elders. Wherefore there follows, But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; understand, he will be freed from the observation of the foregoing command. Wherefore it continues, And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother.
THEOPHYLACT. For the Pharisees, wishing to devour the offerings, instructed sons, when their parents asked for some of their property, to answer them, what thou hast asked of me is corban, that is, a gift, I have already offered it up to the Lord; thus the parents would not require it, as being offered up to the Lord,z (and in that way profitable for their own salvation). Thus they deceived the sons into neglecting their parents, whilst they themselves devoured the offerings; with this therefore the Lord reproaches them, as transgressing the law of God for the sake of gain. Wherefore it goes on, Making the word of God of none effect through your traditions, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye; transgressing, that is, the commands of God, that ye may observe the traditions of men.
PSEUDO-CHRYSOSTOM. (Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.) Or else it may be said, that the Pharisees taught young persons, that if a man offered a gift in expiation of the injury done to his father or mother, he was free from sin, as having given to God the gifts which are owed to a parent; and in saying this, they did not allow parents to be honoured.
BEDE. (ubi sup. v. Hier. in Matt. 15. et Orig. in Matt. Tom. xi. 9) The passage may in a few words have this sense, Every gift which I have to make, will go to do you good; for ye compel children, it is meant, to say to their parents, that gift which I was going to offer to God, I expend on feeding you, and does you good, oh father and mother, speaking this ironically. Thus they would be afraid to accept what had been given into the hands of God, and might prefer a life of poverty to living on consecrated property.
PSEUDO-JEROME. Mystically, again, the disciples eating with unwashed hands signifies the future fellowship of the Gentiles with the Apostles. The cleansing and washing of the Pharisees is barren; but the fellowship of the Apostles, though without washing, has stretched out its branches as far as the sea.
Miguel was born in Ecuador where his family was influential in politics. As a child, he suffered from a disability that kept him standing and walking like other children. He could not stand alone until he was five years old, when it was said he experienced a vision of Our Lady. Miguel was educated at home until he was 14, then went to school taught by the Christian Brothers. He was a gifted student, and when he was only 17, he published the first of many books, a textbook on Spanish grammar.
Miguel joined the Christian Brothers, and was a teacher for 32 years in Ecuador. As a teacher he was always looking for new ways to present the material. He wanted to make the lessons and work more pleasant for students. He laughed with his students and was understanding and patient.
Brother Miguel continued writing, and his scholarly works in literature earned him academic honors in South America and Europe. But Brother Miguel did not think he was very important. He thought the most important ones were his students.
In 1907, Miguel was called to the Motherhouse in Belgium to translate some books. On the way he stopped for a short visit in New York City. From Belgium he went to a school in Spain where young men were preparing to become Christian Brothers. In 1909, during the Spanish Revolution, the school came under attack. Brother Miguel took the Blessed Sacrament from the chapel and led the novices across the bay to safety in Barcelona. He died on pneumonia a year later. He laid to rest in Ecuador and the people welcomed him with a great procession through the streets of Quito, Ecuador.
For: Tuesday, February 9, 2021
5th Week in Ordinary Time
From: Genesis 1:20-2:4a
The Creation Account (Continued)
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[20] And God said, "Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the firmament of the heavens." [21] So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. [22] And God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth." [23] And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.
[24] And God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds" And it was so. [25] And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the cattle according to their kinds, and everything that creeps upon the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
[26] Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth." [27] So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. [28] And God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth." [29] And God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. [30] And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food." And it was so. [31] And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.
[2:1] Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. [2] And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done. [3] So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all his work which he had done in creation. [4a] These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created.
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Commentary:
1:26. The sacred text emphasizes the special significance of this moment: God seems to stop to reflect and plan every detail of his next creation--man. Ancient Jewish interpretation (followed also by some Christian writers) saw the use of the plural "Let us make..." as meaning that God deliberated with his heavenly court, that is, with the angels (implying that God had created them at the very start, when he "created the heavens and the earth"). But the use of the plural should rather be taken as reflecting the greatness and power of God. A considerable part of Christian tradition has seen the "Let us make" as reflecting the Holy Trinity, for New Testament revelation has made the Christian reader more aware of the unfathomable greatness of the divine mystery.
"Man" here has a collective meaning: every human being, by his or her very nature, is in the image and likeness of God. The human being is intelligible not by reference to other created beings in the universe but by reference to God. The likeness between God and man is not a physical one, for God has no body; it is a spiritual likeness, lying in the human being's capacity for interiority. The Second Vatican Council teaches that man is not deceived when he regards himself as superior to bodily things and as more than just a speck of nature or a nameless unit in the city of man. For by his power to know himself in the depths of his being he rises above the whole universe of mere objects. When he is drawn to think about his real self, he turns to those deep recesses of his being where God who probes the heart (1 Kings 16:7; Jer 17:10) awaits him, and where he himself decides his own destiny in the sight of God. So when he recognizes in himself a spiritual and immortal soul, he is not being led astray by false imaginings that are due to merely physical or social causes. On the contrary, he grasps what is profoundly true in this matter" (Gaudium Et Spes, 14).
The fact that God creates man in own image and likeness "means not only rationality and freedom as constitutive properties of human nature, but also from the very beginning, the capacity of having a "personal relationship" with God as 'I' and 'you' and therefore the capacity "of having a covenant", which will take place in God's salvific communication with man" (St John Paul II, Dominum Et Vivificantem, 34). In the light of this communication, brought about in all its fullness by Jesus Christ, the Fathers the Church read the words "image and likeness" as meaning, on the one hand man's spiritual condition, and, on the other, his sharing in the divine nature through sanctifying grace. Even after the fall, man is still in the "image" of God; through sin, however, he lost his "likeness" but this was restored through Christ's redemption.
It is part of God's design that human beings should have dominion over other created things (represented here by the animals). This dominion makes man God's representative (everything really belongs to God) in the created world. Therefore, although man is going to be the lord of creation, he needs to recognize that God alone is the Creator; man has to respect and look after creation; he is responsible for it.
These words of Scripture show that "man is the only creature that God has loved for itself alone, because all others were created to be at the service of man. Here we can see, too, the basic equality of all human beings. For the Church, this equality, which has its roots in man's very being, takes on the very special dimension of brotherhood through the Incarnation of the Son of God. [...] Therefore, discrimination of any type [...] is absolutely unacceptable" (St. John Paul II, Address, 7 July 1984).
1:27. The creation of man marks the completion of God's plan. In presenting this final act of creation, the sacred writer offers us a summary of the things that go to make up the human being. As well as repeating that God created man in his image and likeness, he tells us that God created them man and woman, that is to say, corporeal beings, endowed with sexuality, and designed to live in society. "Being in the image of God, the human individual possesses the dignity of a person, who is not just something, but someone. He is capable of self-knowledge, of self-possession and of freely giving himself and entering into communion with other persons. And he is called by grace to a covenant with his Creator to offer him a response of faith and love that no other creature can give in his stead" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 357).
"The fact that man 'created as man and woman' is the image of God means not only that each of them individually is like God, as a rational and free being. It also means that man and woman, created as a 'unity of the two' in their common humanity, are called to live in a communion of love, and in this way to mirror in the world the communion of love that is in God, through which the Three Persons love each other in the intimate mystery of the one divine life. This 'unity of the two', which is a sign of interpersonal communion, "shows that the creation of man" is also marked by a certain likeness to the divine communion (communio) This likeness is a quality of the personal being of both man and woman, and is also a call and a task" (St. John Paul II, Mulieris Dignitatem, 7).
The fact that the Bible and everyday language speak of God as masculine is a result of cultural influences and the great care taken in the Bible to avoid any hint of polytheism (which could arise if the godhead were described as feminine, opening the way to generations of gods, as in other religions). God transcends the body and sexuality; therefore, both man (masc.) and woman (fem.) equally reflect his image and likeness. In these words of Genesis, for the very first time in history, the fundamental equality in dignity of man and woman is proclaimed -- in marked contrast with the low esteem in which women were held in the ancient world.
According to the traditional Jewish and Christian interpretation, this verse is alluding to marriage, as if God had already created the first man and the first woman as a married couple -- forming that human community which is the basis of every society. In the second Genesis account of the creation of man and woman (cf. 2:18-24), this will emerge even more clearly.
1:28. God has already created animals, endowing them with fruitfulness (v. 22). He now addresses these two human beings personally: "he said to them..."; this indicates that the reproductive power of human beings (and therefore their sexuality) are values for which they must assume responsibility before God, as a way of co-operating in God's plans. Thus, God, "wishing to associate them in a special way with his own creative work, blessed man and woman with the words: 'Be fruitful and multiply' (Gen 1:28). Without intending to underestimate the other ends of marriage, it must be said that true married love and the whole structure of family life which results from it is directed to disposing the spouses to cooperate valiantly with the love of the Creator and Savior, who through them will increase and enrich his family from day to day" (Vatican II, Gaudium Et Spes, 50).
God also commands man to make the earth serve him. Here divine Revelation is teaching us that human work is regarded as a way by which man operates in the plan God had when he created the world: "By the work of his hands and with the aid of technical means man tills the earth to bring fruit and to make it a dwelling place for all mankind; he also consciously plays his part in the life of social groups; in so doing he is realizing the design, which God revealed at the beginning of time, to subdue the earth and perfect the work of creation, and at the same time he is improving his own person" (Vatican II, Gaudium Et Spes, 57).
From this divine disposition we see the importance a person's work has in his or her personal life: "Your human vocation is a part--and an important part – of your divine vocation. That reason why you must strive for holiness, giving a particular character to your human personality, a style to your life; contributing at the same time to the sanctification of others, your fellow men; sanctifying your work and your environment: the profession or job that fills day, your home and family and the country where you were born and which you love [...]. Work, all work, bears witness to the dignity of man, to his dominion over creation. It is an opportunity to develop one's personality. It is a bond of union with others, the way to support one's family, a means of aiding the improvement of the society in which we live and in the progress of all mankind" (Christ Is Passing By, 46-47).
Man is charged by God with mastery over the earth; but he may not do whatever he likes with it or act despotically: he should respect the universe as being the work of the Creator. In this regard, Wisdom 9:3 says: "O God, [...] who hast formed man, to have dominion over the creatures thou hast made, and rule the world in holiness and righteousness, and pronounce judgment in uprightness of soul." "This holds good also for our daily work. When men and women provide for themselves and their families in such a way as to be of service to the community as well, they can rightly look upon their work as a prolongation of the work of the creator, a service to their fellow men, and their personal contribution to the fulfillment in history of the divine plan" (Vatican II, Gaudium Et Spes, 34).
1:31. These words bring to an end this first description of the work of Creation. It is as if God, after making man, stood back to see what he had done and was very pleased with the result. Whereas the wording previously used was "And God saw that it was good," now we are told that it was "very good". In this way, the goodness of the created world is being stressed, indicating that "this natural goodness of theirs receives an added dignity from their relation with the human person, for whose use they have been created" (Vatican II, Apostolicam Actuositatem, 7). From this it follows that the human person and his/her dignity must be valued above all other created things, and all human endeavor should be geared to foster and defend these values.
2:1-3. From this point onwards, God will almost never intervene in creation directly. Now it is up to man to act in the created world through the work he does.
God's "resting" sets an example for man. By resting, we are acknowledging that creation in the last analysis depends on and belongs to God, and that God is watching over it. Here rest is an example set by the Creator; we shall later find it as one of the Ten Commandments (cf. Ex 20:8-18; Deut 5:42-14). "The institution of the Lord's Day helps everyone enjoy adequate rest and leisure to cultivate their familial, cultural, social and religious lives" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2184; cf. also St. Pope John Paul II, Apostolic Letter, Dies Domini, 31 May 1998).
Apropos of the sabbath, unlike the other says there is no mention of there being evening and morning. It is as if that rhythm of time were being broken by the sabbath -- prefiguring the situation in which man, once he has accomplished his mission of mastering the earth, will enjoy an unending rest, at an eternal feast in God's presence (cf. Heb 4:1-10). In the language of the Bible "feast" or "festival" means three things--a) obligatory rest from everyday work; b) recognition of God as Lord of creation, and joyful contemplation of the created world; c) a foretaste of the enduring rest and joy that will be man's after he leaves this world.
The Tradition of the Elders
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[1] Now when the Pharisees gathered together to Him (Jesus), with some of the scribes, who had come from Jerusalem, [2] they saw that some of His disciples ate with hands defiled, that is, unwashed. [3] (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they wash their hands, observing the tradition of the elders; [4] and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they purify themselves; and there are many other traditions which they observe, the washing of cups and pots and vessels of bronze.) [5] And the Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with hands defiled?" [6] And He said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, 'This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me; [7] in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.' [8] You leave the commandment of God, and hold fast the tradition of men.
[9] And He said to them, "You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God, in order to keep your tradition! [10] For Moses said, "Honor your father and your mother'; and 'He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him surely die'; [11] but you say, 'If a man tells his father or his mother, What you would have gained from me is Corban (that is, given to God)--[12] then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, [13] thus making void the word of God through your tradition which you hand on. And many such things you do."
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Commentary:
1-2. Hands were washed not for reasons of hygiene or good manners but because the custom had religious significance: it was a rite of purification. In Exodus 30:17ff the Law of God laid down how priests should wash before offering sacrifice. Jewish tradition had extended this to all Jews before every meal, in an effort to give meals a religious significance, which was reflected in the blessings which marked the start of meals. Ritual purification was a symbol of the moral purity a person should have when approaching God (Psalm 24:3ff; 51:4 and 9); but the Pharisees had focused on the mere external rite. Therefore Jesus restores the genuine meaning of these precepts of the Law, whose purpose is to teach the right way to render homage to God (cf. John 4:24).
3-5. We can see clearly from this text that very many of those to whom St. Mark's Gospel was first addressed were Christians who had been pagans and were unfamiliar with Jewish customs. The Evangelist explains these customs in some detail, to help them realize the significance of the events and teachings reported in the Gospel story.
Similarly, Sacred Scripture needs to be preached and taught in a way which puts it within reach of its hearers. This is why Vatican II teaches that "it is for the bishops suitable to instruct the faithful [...] by giving them translations of the sacred texts which are equipped with necessary and really adequate explanations. Thus the children of the Church can familiarize themselves safely and profitably with the Sacred Scriptures, and become steeped in their spirit" (Dei Verbum, 25).
11-13. For an explanation of this text cf. note on Mt. 15:5-6. Jesus Christ, who is the authentic interpreter of the Law, because as God He is its author, explains the scope of the fourth commandment and points out the mistakes made by the Jewish casuistry. There were many other occasions when He corrected mistaken interpretations offered by the Jewish teachers: for example, when He recalls that phrase of the Old Testament, "Go and learn what this means, I desire mercy, and not sacrifice" (Hosea 6:6, 1 Samuel 15:22; Sirach 35:4) in Matthew 9:13.
[The note on Matthew 15:5-6 states:
5-6. Over the years teachers of the Law (scribes) and priests of the temple had distorted the true meaning of the fourth commandment. In Jesus' time, they were saying that people who contributed to the temple in cash or in kind were absolved from supporting their parents: it would be sacrilegious for parents to lay claim to this corban (offerings for the altar). People educated in this kind of thinking felt that they were keeping the fourth commandment -- in fact, fulfilling it in the best way possible -- and they were praised for their piety by the religious leaders of the nation. But what in fact it meant was that, under the cloak of piety, they were leaving elderly parents to fend for themselves. Jesus, who is Messiah and God, is the one who can correctly interpret the Law. Here He explains the proper scope of the fourth commandment, exposing the error of Jewish practice at the time. For Christians, therefore, the fourth commandment includes affectionate help of parents if they are old or needy, even if one has other family, social or religious obligations to attend to. Children should check regularly on whether they are looking after their parents properly.]
Logical Bible Study podcast on the daily mass Gospel reading for Tuesday, February 9, 2021. Today's Gospel reading is Mark 7:1-13, “The tradition of the elders.”
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