to death, he feared the people: be- to heaven, he blessed, and brake, cause they esteemed him as a pro-and gave the loaves to his disciples, phet. and the disciples to the multitudes, 6 But on IIerod's birth-day, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod. 7 Whereupon he promised with an oath, to give her whatsoever she would ask of him. 8 But she being instructed before by her mother, said: Give me here in a dish the head of John the Baptist. 9 And the king was struck sad: yet because of his oath, and for them that sat with him at table, he commanded it to be given. 10 And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison. 20 And they did all eat, and were filled. And they took up what remained, twelve full baskets of fragments. 21 And the number of them that did eat was five thousand men, besides women and children. 22 And forthwith JESUS obliged his disciples to go up into the boat, and to go before him over the water, till he dismissed the people. 23 And having dismissed the multitude, he went up into a mountain alone to pray. And when it was evening, he was there alone. 24 But the boat in the midst of 11 And his head was brought in the sea was tossed with the waves: a dish: and it was given to the dam-for the wind was contrary. sel, and she brought it to her mother. 12 And his disciples came and took the body, and buried it, and came and told JESUS. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night, he came to them walking upon the sea. 26 And they seeing him walking upon the sea, were troubled, saying: It is an apparition. And they cried out for fear. 13 Which when JESUS had heard, he retired from thence by a boat, into a desert place apart, and the 27 And immediately JESUS spoke multitudes having heard of it, fol- to them, saying: Be of good heart; lowed him on foot out of the cities, it is I, fear ye not. 14 And he coming forth saw a 28 And Peter making answer, great multitude, and had compas-said: Lord, if it be thou, bid me sion on them, and healed their sick. come to thee upon the waters. 15 And when it was evening, 29 And he said: Come. And Pehis disciples came to him, saying: ter going down out of the boat, This is a desert place, and the hour walked upon the water to come to is now past: send away the multi- JESUS. tudes, that going into the towns, 30 But seeing the wind strong they may buy themselves victuals. he was afraid : and when he began 16 But JESUS said to them, They to sink, he cried out, saying: Lord, have no need to go, give you them save me, to eat. 17 They answered him: We have not here, but five loaves, and two fishes. 18 Who said to them: Bring them hither to me. 19 And when he had commanded the multitudes to sit down upon the grass, he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up 31 And immediately JESUS stretching forth his hand took hold of him, and said to him: O thou of little faith, why didst thou doubt ? 32 And when they were come up into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And they that were in the boat, came and adored him, saying: Indeed thou art the Son of God. 34 And having passed the water, they came into the country of Ge nesar. 7 Hypocrites, well hath Isaias prophesied of you, saying: 8 This people honoureth me with their lips: but their heart is far 35 And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent into all that country, and from me. brought to him all that were diseased. 36 And they besought him that Christ reproves the Scribes. THE saying: 2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the ancients? For they wash not their hands when they eat bread. 3 But he answering, said to them: Why do you also transgress the commandment of God for your tradition? For God said: 4 Honour thy father and mother: And, He that shall curse father or mother, let him die the death. 5 But you say: Whosoever shall say to father or mother, the gift whatsoever proceedeth from me shall profit thee. 6 And he shall not honour his father or his mother and you have made void the commandment of God for your tradition. 9 And in vain do they worship me, teaching doctrines and commandments of men. 10 And having called together the multitudes unto him, he said to them: Hear ye and understand. 11 Not that which goeth into the mouth, defileth a man: but what cometh out of the mouth, this de fileth a man. 12 Then came his disciples, and said to him: Dost thou know that the Pharisees, when they heard this word, were scandalized? 13 But he answering said: Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. 14 Let them alone: they are blind, and leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both fall into the pit. 15 And Peter answering said to him: Expound to us this parable, 16 But he said: Are you also yet, without understanding? 17 Do you not understand, that whatsoever entereth into the mouth, goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the privy? 18 But the things which proceed Ver. 9. Commandments of men. The doctrines and commandments here reprehended are such as are either contrary to the law of God, (as that of neglecting parents, under pretence of giving to God,) or at least are frivolous, unprofitable, and no ways conducing to true piety, as that of often washing hands, &c. without regard to the purity of the heart. But as to the rules and ordinances of holy church, touching fast festivals, &c. these are no ways repugnant to, but highly agreeable to God's holy word, and all christian piety: neither are they to be counted amongst the doctrines and commandments of men; because they proceed not from mere human authority, but from that which Christ has established in his church; whose pastors he has commanded us to hear and obey, even as himself. St. Luke x. 16. St. Matt. xviii. 17. Ver. 11. Not that which goeth in, &c. No uncleanness in meat, nor any dirt contracted by eating it with unwashed hands, can defile the soul: but sin alone; or a disobedience of the heart to the ordinance and will of God. And thus when Adam took the fordidden fruit, it was not the apple, which entered into the mouth, but the disobedience to the law of God which defiled him. The same is to be said if a Jew, in the time of the old law, had eaten swine's flesh; or a christian convert, in the days of the apostles, contrary to their ordinance had eaten blood; or if any of the faithful at present should transgress the ordinance of God's church, by breaking the fasts: for in all these cases the soul would be defiled; not indeed by that which goeth into the mouth: but by the disobedience of the heart, in wifully trans gressing the ordinance of God, or of those who have their authority from him out of the mouth, come forth from lame walk, the blind see: and they the heart, and those things defile a glorified the God of Israel. 32 And JESUS called together his man. 19 For from the heart come forth disciples, and said I have comevil thoughts, murders, adulteries, passion on the multitudes, because fornications, thefts, false testimo- they continue with me, now three nies, blasphemies. days, and have not what to eat : 20 These are the things that de- and I will not send them away file a man. But to eat with un- fasting, lest they faint in the way. washed hands doth not defile a man. 21 And JESUS went from thence, and retired into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, 22 And behold a woman of Canaan who came out of those coasts, crying out, said to him: Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David my daughter is grievously troubled by a devil. 23 Who answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying: Send her away, for she crieth after us: 24 And he answering said: I was not sent but to the sheep that are lost of the house of Israel. 25 But she came and adored him, saying: Lord, help me. 26 Who answering, said: It is not good to take the bread of the children, and to cast it to the dogs. 27 But she said: Yea, Lord: for the whelps also eat of the crums that fall from the table of their masters. 33 And the disciples say unto him: Whence then should we have so many loaves in the desert, as to fill so great a multitude. 34 And JESUS said to them: How many loaves have you? But they said: Seven, and a few little fishes. 35 And he commanded the multitude to sit down upon the ground. 36 And taking the seven loaves and the fishes, and giving thanks, he brake, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples gave to the people. 37 And they did all eat, and had their fill. And they took up, seven baskets full, of what remained of the fragments. 38 And they that did eat, were four thousand men, beside children and women. 39 And having dismissed the multitude, he went up into a boat, and came into the coasts of Magedan. CHAP. XVI. Christ refuses a sign to the Pharisees. 28 Then Jesus answering, said A Pharisees and Sadducees ND there came to him the to her: O woman, great is thy faith be it done to thee as thou tempting: and they asked him to wilt and her daughter was cured shew them a sign from heaven. from that hour. 29 And when JESUS had passed away from thence, he came nigh the sea of Galilee: and going up into a mountain he sat there. 2 But he answered and said to them: When it is evening, you say: It will be fair weather, for the sky is red. 3 And in the morning: To-day 30 And there came to him great there will be a storm, for the sky is multitudes, having with them the red and lowering. You know then dumb, the blind, the lame, the how to discern the face of the sky : maimed, and many others and and can you not know the signs of they cast them down at his feet, the times? and he healed them: 4 A wicked and adulterous ge31 So that the multitudes mar-neration seeketh after a sign: and velled seeing the dumb speak, the a sign shall not be given it, but the $ign of Jonas the propnet. And he left them and went away. 5 And when his disciples were come over the water, they had forgotten to take bread. 6 Who said to them: Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. 7 But they thought within themselves, saying: Because we have taken no bread. 13 And JESUS came into the quarters of Cæsarea Philippi: and he asked his disciples, saying Whom do men say that the son of man is ? 14 But they said: Some John the Baptist, and other some Elias, and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15 JESUS saith to them: But whom do you say that I am? 8 And JESUS knowing it, said: 16 Simon Peter answered and Why do you think within your-said: Thou art Christ the Son of selves, O ye of little faith, for that the living God. you have no bread! 9 Do you not yet understand, neither do you remember the five loaves among five thousand men, and how many baskets you took up? 10 Nor the seven loaves, among four thousand men, and how many baskets you took up? 11 Why do you not understand that it was not concerning bread I said to you: Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. 12 Then they understood that he said not that they should beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees. 17 And Jesus answering, said to him: Blessed art thou Simon BarJona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also" in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven. 20 Then he commanded his disciples, that they should tell no one Ver. 18. Thou art Peter, &c. As St. Peter, by divine revelation, here made a solemn profession of his faith of the divinity of Christ; so in recompense of this faith and profession, our Lord here declares to him the dignity to which he is pleased to raise him, vie. That he, to whom he had already given the name Peter, signifying a rock, St. John i. 42. should be a rock indeed, of invincible strength, for the support of the building of the church; in which building he should be, next to Christ himself, the chief foundation stone, in quality of chief pastor, ruler and govenor: and should have accordingly all fulness of ccclesiastical power, signified by the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Ver. 18. Upon this rock, &c. The words of Christ to Peter, spoken in the vulgar language of the Jews, which our Lord made use of, were the same as if he had said in English, Thou art a rock, and upon this rock I will build my church. So that by the plain course of the words, Peter is here declared to be the rock upon which the church was to be built: Christ himself being both the principal foundation and founder of the same. Where also note that Christ by building his house, that is, his church, upon a rock, has thereby secured it against all storms and floods: like the wise builder. St. Matt. vii. 24, 25. Ver. 19. The gates of hell, &c. That is, the powers of darkness, and whatever Satan can do, either by himself, or his agents. For as the church is here likened to a house or fortress, built on a rock, so the adverse powers are likened to a contrary house or fortress; the gates of which, i. e. the whole strength and all the efforts it can make, can never be able to prevail over the city or church of Christ. By this promise we are fully assured that neither idolatry, heresy, nor any pernicious error whatsoever shall at any time prevail over the church of Christ. Ver. 19. Loose on earth. The loosing the bands of temporal punishments due to sins, ts ralied an indulgence: the power of which is bere granted. that he was JESUS the CHRIST. 4 And Peter answering, said to 5 And as he was yet speaking, 23 Who turning said to Peter: Go behind me, satan, thou art a scandal unto me: because thou savourest not the things that are of God, but the things that are of men. 24 Then JESUS said to his disciples: If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For he that will save his life, shall lose it: and he that shall lose his life for my sake, shall find it. 26 For what doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his own soul? Or what exchange shall a man give for his soul? 27 For the son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his Angels and then will he render to every man according to his works. 28 Amen I say to you, there are some of them that stand here, that shall not taste death, till they see the son of man coming in his kingdom. CHAP. XVII. 6 And the disciples hearing, fell 7 And JESUS came and touched 9 And as they came down from 10 And his disciples asked him, saying: Why then do the scribes say that Elias must come first? 11 But he answering, said to them: Elias indeed shall come, and restore all things. 12 But I say to you, that Elias is already come, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they had a mind. So also the son of man shall suffer from them. 13 Then the disciples understood, that he had spoken to them of John the Baptist. The transfiguration of Christ. ND after six days JESUS taketh 14 And when he was come to AN unto him Peter and James, and the multitude, there ca ne to him John his brother, and bringeth them a man falling down on his knees up into a high mountain apart; before him, saying: Lord have 2 And he was transfigured be-pity on my son, for he is a lunatic, fore them. And his face did shine and suffereth much: for he falleth as the sun and his garments be- often into the fire, and often into came white as snow.. the water. And behold there appeared to them Moses and Elias talking with him. 15 And 1 brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. Ver. 23. Satan. This word signifies in Hebrew an adversary; and is here applied to Peler, because he opposed our Saviour's passion. 1 |