Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings 8-Feb-2022

Mark
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Mark 7
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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

Catena Aurea by St. Thomas Aguinas

Mark CHAP. 7

7:1–13

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.

Catena Aurea Mark 7

Saint Jerome Emiliani’s Story

A careless and irreligious soldier for the city-state of Venice, Jerome was captured in a skirmish at an outpost town and chained in a dungeon. In prison Jerome had a lot of time to think, and he gradually learned how to pray. When he escaped, he returned to Venice where he took charge of the education of his nephews—and began his own studies for the priesthood.

In the years after his ordination, events again called Jerome to a decision and a new lifestyle. Plague and famine swept northern Italy. Jerome began caring for the sick and feeding the hungry at his own expense. While serving the sick and the poor, he soon resolved to devote himself and his property solely to others, particularly to abandoned children. He founded three orphanages, a shelter for penitent prostitutes and a hospital.

Around 1532, Jerome and two other priests established a congregation, the Clerks Regular of Somasca, dedicated to the care of orphans and the education of youth. Jerome died in 1537 from a disease he caught while tending the sick. He was canonized in 1767. In 1928, Pius Xl named him the patron of orphans and abandoned children. St. Jerome Emiliani shares the celebration of his liturgical feast with St. Josephine Bakhita on February 8.

Reflection

Very often in our lives it seems to take some kind of “imprisonment” to free us from the shackles of our self-centeredness. When we’re “caught” in some situation we don’t want to be in, we finally come to know the liberating power of Another. Only then can we become another for “the imprisoned” and “the orphaned” all around us.

Saint Jerome Emiliani is the Patron Saint of:

Orphans
Abandoned Children

franciscanmedia.org

NAVARRE BIBLE COMMENTARY (RSV)

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (To the Greater Glory of God)

From: 1 Kings 8:22-23, 27-30

Solomon's Dedication Prayer (Continuation)
------------------------------------------
[22] Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven; [23] and said, “O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to thy servants who walk before thee with all their heart.

[27] ”But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built! [28] Yet have regard to the prayer of thy servant and to his supplication, O LORD my God, hearkening to the cry and to the prayer which thy servant prays before thee this day; [29] that thy eyes may be open night and day toward this house, the place of which thou hast said, ‘My name shall be there,’ that thou mayest hearken to the prayer which thy servant offers toward this place. [30] And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant and of thy people Israel, when they pray toward this place; yea, hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place; and when thou hearest, forgive."

***********************************************************************
Commentary:

8:14-61. This long prayer of Solomon, the centerpiece of the Dedication of the temple, has three parts to it: the first is a blessing (an act of thanksgiving to God) for having fulfilled his promise (vv. 15-21); the second is a supplication for the successors of David, for all the people, and even for foreigners resident in the country (vv. 22-53); and the third, a blessing of Israel (v. 55), with a further supplication on its behalf (vv. 56-61): “The Temple of Jerusalem, the house of prayer that David wanted to build, will be the work of his son, Solomon. The prayer at the dedication of the Temple relies on God’s promise and covenant, on the active presence of his name among his People, recalling his mighty deeds at the Exodus. The king lifts his hands toward heaven and begs the Lord, on his own behalf, on behalf of the entire people and of the generations yet to come, for the forgiveness of their sins and for their daily needs, so that the nations may know that He is the only God and that the heart of his people may belong wholly and entirely to him” ("Catechism of the Catholic Church", 2580).

8:22-53 The prayer properly speaking begins by proclaiming the greatness of the God of Israel and his fidelity in keeping his promises. But the speaker, Solomon, immediately finds himself confronted by the mysteriousness of God: God transcends all things (he is the creator of heaven and earth) yet he condescends to dwelt in this temple. How is that possible? God is really in heaven (Solomon goes on to assert) but he is also at the same time, in some way, in the temple, where he has wanted “his name” to be (v. 29), that is, he himself in person. Therefore (the prayer goes on to say), God hearkens from heaven when man prays to him in that temple.

The temple is depicted as a place more of prayer than of offerings, and the attitude of a person when he goes to the temple and when he prays should be one of true and profound conversion--acknowledgment that his sin is the cause of his misfortune. Thus, Solomon’s prayer is in line with the teaching and spirit of the book of Deuteronomy. Its teaching includes the conviction that, through prayer, man is delivered from evil, because God always forgives him. This aspect of prayer is worth emphasizing because, as John Paul II has written, “'Conversion' and 'contrition' are often considered under the aspect of the undeniable demands which they involve and under the aspect of the mortification which they impose for the purpose of bringing about a radical change of life. But we do well to recall and emphasize the fact that 'contrition' and 'conversion' are even more a drawing near to the holiness of God, a rediscovery of one’s true identity which has been upset and disturbed by sin,a liberation in the very depth of the self and thus a regaining of lost joy, the joy of being saved (cf. Ps 51:12), which the majority of people in our time are no longer capable of experiencing” ("Reconciiliatio El Paenitentia", 31, 3).

From: Mark 7:1-13

The Tradition of the Elders
---------------------------
[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."

***********************************************************************
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.]

Source: Daily Word for Reflection—Navarre Bible Commentary

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Readings at Mass

'Listen to the prayer your servant makes in this place'

You get round the commandment of God to preserve your own tradition

Catena Aurea by St. Thomas Aguinas

Mark CHAP. 7