·
[San Costa
Daniele]
·
25 Lancelot Andrewes, Bishop of Winchester,
Spiritual Writer, 1626 was an English bishop and scholar, who held
high positions in the Church of England during the
reigns of Elizabeth I and James I. During the
latter's reign, Andrewes served successively as Bishop of Chichester, of Ely, and of Winchester and oversaw
the translation of the King James
Version of the Bible (or Authorized Version). In the Church of
England h
·
25 Sergei of Radonezh, Russian Monastic Reformer,
Teacher of the Faith, 1392 also transliterated as Sergey Radonezhsky or Serge of Radonezh, was a spiritual
leader and monastic reformer of medieval Russia.
·
26 Wilson
Carlile, Founder of the Church Army, 1942
·
27 Vincent de Paul, Founder of the Congregation of the Mission (Lazarists),
1660
·
30 Jerome, Translator of the Scriptures, Teacher
of the Faith, 420 was a priest, confessor, theologian, and historian. He was born at Stridon, a village near Emona on the border
of Dalmatia and Pannonia.[3][4][5] He is best known for his translation of most of the Bible into Latin (the
translation that became known as the Vulgate), and his
commentaries on the Gospels. His list of
writings is extensive.[6]
OLD TESTAMENT: Proverbs 31: 10 - 31 (RCL)
Prov 31:10 (NRSV)
A capable wife who can find?
She is far more
precious than jewels.
11 The heart of
her husband trusts in her,
and he will have
no lack of gain.
12 She does him
good, and not harm,
all the days of
her life.
13 She seeks wool
and flax,
and works with
willing hands.
14 She is like the
ships of the merchant,
she brings her
food from far away.
15 She rises while
it is still night
and provides food
for her household
and tasks for her
servant-girls.
16 She considers a
field and buys it;
with the fruit of
her hands she plants a vineyard.
17 She girds
herself with strength,
and makes her arms
strong.
18 She perceives
that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not
go out at night.
19 She puts her
hands to the distaff,
and her hands hold
the spindle.
20 She opens her
hand to the poor,
and reaches out
her hands to the needy.
21 She is not
afraid for her household when it snows,
for all her
household are clothed in crimson.
22 She makes
herself coverings;
her clothing is
fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is
known in the city gates,
taking his seat
among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen
garments and sells them;
she supplies the
merchant with sashes.
25 Strength and
dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at
the time to come.
26 She opens her
mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching
of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She looks well
to the ways of her household,
and does not eat
the bread of idleness.
28 Her children
rise up and call her happy;
her husband too,
and he praises her:
29 "Many
women have done excellently,
but you surpass
them all."
30 Charm is
deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who
fears the LORD is to be praised.
31 Give her a
share in the fruit of her hands,
and let her works
praise her in the city gates.
or
Wisdom 2: 12, 17 -
20 (Roman Catholic)
Wisdom 1:16 - 2:1, 12 -
22 (alt. for RCL)
Wis 1:16 (NRSV)
But the ungodly by their words and deeds summoned death;
considering him a
friend, they pined away
and made a
covenant with him,
because they are
fit to belong to his company.
2:1 For they
reasoned unsoundly, saying to themselves,
"Short and
sorrowful is our life,
and there is no
remedy when a life comes to its end,
and no one has
been known to return from Hades.
12 "Let us
lie in wait for the righteous man,
because he is
inconvenient to us and opposes our actions;
he reproaches us
for sins against the law,
and accuses us of
sins against our training.
13 He professes to
have knowledge of God,
and calls himself
a child of the Lord.
14 He became to us
a reproof of our thoughts;
15 the very sight
of him is a burden to us,
because his manner
of life is unlike that of others,
and his ways are
strange.
16 We are
considered by him as something base,
and he avoids our
ways as unclean;
he calls the last
end of the righteous happy,
and boasts that
God is his father.
17 Let us see if
his words are true,
and let us test
what will happen at the end of his life;
18 for if the
righteous man is God's child, he will help him,
and will deliver
him from the hand of his adversaries.
19 Let us test him
with insult and torture,
so that we may
find out how gentle he is,
and make trial of
his forbearance.
20 Let us condemn
him to a shameful death,
for, according to
what he says, he will be protected."
21 Thus they
reasoned, but they were led astray,
for their
wickedness blinded them,
22 and they did
not know the secret purposes of God,
nor hoped for the
wages of holiness,
nor discerned the
prize for blameless souls;
Jeremiah 11: 18 -
20 (alt. for RCL)
Jere 11:18 (NRSV)
It was the LORD who made it known to me, and I knew;
then you showed me
their evil deeds.
19 But I was like
a gentle lamb
led to the
slaughter.
And I did not know
it was against me
that they devised
schemes, saying,
"Let us
destroy the tree with its fruit,
let us cut him off
from the land of the living,
so that his name
will no longer be remembered!"
20 But you, O LORD
of hosts, who judge righteously,
who try the heart
and the mind,
let me see your
retribution upon them,
for to you I have
committed my cause.
PSALM 1 (RCL)
Psal 1:1 (NRSV)
Happy are those
who do not follow
the advice of the wicked,
or take the path
that sinners tread,
or sit in the seat
of scoffers;
2 but their
delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law
they meditate day and night.
3 They are like
trees
planted by streams
of water,
which yield their
fruit in its season,
and their leaves
do not wither.
In all that they
do, they prosper.
4 The wicked are
not so,
but are like chaff
that the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the
wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the
congregation of the righteous;
6 for the LORD
watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the
wicked will perish.
1 Beatus vir qui non abiit (ECUSA BCP)
1 Happy
are they who have not walked in the counsel of
the wicked, *
nor
lingered in the way of sinners,
nor
sat in the seats of the scornful!
2 Their
delight is in the law of the Lord,
*
and
they meditate on his law day and night.
3 They
are like trees planted by streams of water,
bearing fruit in
due season, with leaves that do not wither; *
everything
they do shall prosper.
4 It
is not so with the wicked; *
they
are like chaff which the wind blows away.
5 Therefore
the wicked shall not stand upright when
judgment comes, *
nor
the sinner in the council of the righteous.
6 For
the Lord knows the way of the
righteous, *
but
the way of the wicked is doomed.
Psalm 54 (alt. for RCL)
Psalm 54: 1 - 6 (Roman Catholic)
Psal 54:1 (NRSV)
Save me, O God, by your name,
and vindicate me
by your might.
2 Hear my prayer,
O God;
give ear to the
words of my mouth.
3 For the insolent
have risen against me,
the ruthless seek
my life;
they do not set
God before them. [Se'lah]
4 But surely, God
is my helper;
the Lord is the
upholder of my life.
5 He will repay my
enemies for their evil.
In your
faithfulness, put an end to them.
6 With a freewill
offering I will sacrifice to you;
I will give thanks
to your name, O LORD, for it is good.
7 For he has
delivered me from every trouble,
and my eye has
looked in triumph on my enemies.
Note: Verse numbering
in Roman Catholic bibles is 2 greater than the above.
54 Deus, in nomine (ECUSA BCP)
1 Save
me, O God, by your Name; *
in your might, defend my cause.
2 Hear my
prayer, O God; *
give ear to the words of my mouth.
3 For the
arrogant have risen up against me,
and the ruthless
have sought my life, *
those who have no regard for God.
4 Behold,
God is my helper; *
it is the Lord who sustains my life.
5 Render
evil to those who spy on me; *
in your faithfulness, destroy them.
6 I will
offer you a freewill sacrifice *
and praise your Name, O Lord, for it is good.
7 For you
have rescued me from every trouble, *
and my eye has seen the ruin of my foes.
NEW TESTAMENT:
James 3:13 - 4:3, 7 -
8a (RCL)
James 3:16 - 4:3 (Roman Catholic)
Jame 3:13 (NRSV)
Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works
are done with gentleness born of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and
selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. 15
Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual,
devilish. 16 For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be
disorder and wickedness of every kind. 17 But the wisdom from above is first
pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits,
without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. 18 And a harvest of righteousness
is sown in peace for those who make peace. 4:1 Those conflicts and disputes
among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that
are at war within you? 2 You want something and do not have it; so you commit
murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes
and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive,
because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures.
7 Submit
yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
h/t Montreal
Anglican
The author has identified one sin
commonly found in the community: intemperate speech. Now he seeks to correct a
second: arrogance – and in the process, tells us the qualities of wisdom. His
understanding of wisdom is like that of the Old Testament wisdom writers, and
of Paul. If you do in life with “gentleness”, moderation,
courtesy and humility (all qualities bound up in the same Greek word) then you
are motivated by “wisdom” ( 3:13).
But if “bitter envy” ( 3:14)
or “selfish ambition” controls you, you must not boast of it and must not be
“false to the truth”, i.e. Christian revelation, as put into practice by those
who are wise. (The heart was considered the control centre of
personality.) For being “false”, “such wisdom” ( 3:15)
is “earthly” rather than heavenly (“from above”); it is from the devil. “Envy
and selfish ambition” ( 3:16,
or quarrels) are the tools of evil; the devil works through “disorder”. On the
other hand, godly wisdom is “peaceable ...” (3:17).
It does not dominate, but rather yields “good fruits”, to all, openly.
Then 3:18:
“those who make peace”, i.e. wise people, will, at Judgement Day, have (or be
rewarded with) great integrity in the eyes of God.
But quarrels (“conflicts and disputes”, 4:1)
in the community show a lack of “peace” ( 3:18);
they should be resolved. Are they not the result of conflicting inner urges
(“cravings”, 4:1)?
The author gives two examples: murdering to gain what you do not have, and
desiring something belonging to someone else (“covet”, 4:2).
God gives us whatever we ask, so if you do not receive, it is either because
you do not ask him, or you ask for your personal gain (“your pleasures”, 4:3).
One cannot be in love with earthly things and with God: such loves are
incompatible ( 4:4).
So completely devote yourselves to God’s ways ( 4:7).
Say no to the devil, and he will leave you alone. If you
approach God, he will come close to you.
In the Jewish view, the teacher
is almost identical with wisdom. Paul’s understanding of wisdom is found in 1
Corinthians 1-4,
especially 2:6-16:
“... among the mature we do speak wisdom, though it is not a wisdom of this age
or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to perish. But we speak God's
wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory
...”. [ NJBC] True wisdom is
not a human achievement, but is from God. It reveals itself in a good life. [ NOAB]
3:13:
“works”: The teaching of 2:14-26 (“What
good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have
works? ...”) is here applied to wisdom. [NJBC]
3:13:
“gentleness”: The word in the Greek is prayte . It is also
found in Galatians 5:23; 6:1;
Ephesians 4:2;
2 Timothy 2:25;
Titus 3:2;
1 Peter 3:16;
Matthew 5:5 (in
the teaching of Jesus, NRSV: “meek”); Matthew 11:29 (in
the example of Jesus). [CAB] [ NJBC]
3:14:
In 2 Corinthians 4:7,
Paul writes: “... we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made
clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us”.
[ CAB]
3:14:
“hearts”: Paul prays that the Lord “may strengthen their hearts in holiness” in
1 Thessalonians 3:13.
3:14:
“the truth”: That Christian revelation, as put into practice by the
wise person is meant is also the case in 1:18 and 5:19.
[ NJBC]
3:15:
On (true) wisdom being of heavenly origin, see also Proverbs 2:6; 8:22-31;
Wisdom of Solomon 7:25; 9:4, 9-10;
Sirach 1:1-4, 24.
Paul opposes divine wisdom to the wisdom “of the world” (see 1
Corinthians 1:20),
which characterizes the person who is “unspiritual” (see 1 Corinthians 2:14).
[ NJBC] See also the Beatitudes
(Matthew 5:3-10,
the Beatitudes) and 2 Corinthians 4:7.
3:16:
“envy and selfish ambition”: These vices are in the lists of 2
Corinthians 12:20 (NRSV:
“selfishness”) and Galatians 5:19-21 (NRSV:
”quarrels”). [ CAB] Zeloo (“envy”)
means moved with jealousy in this context. Erithea (“selfish
ambition”) has the connotation of factious and seeking
to win followers in rivalry with other factions.
3:17:
Wisdom and godliness are intimately connected: see Job 28:28 (“the
fear of the Lord, that is wisdom”) and Sirach 19:22-24.
[ NOAB]
3:18:
See also Isaiah 32:16-18;
Amos 6:12;
Proverbs 11:30 (“The
fruit of the righteous is a tree of life ...”); Matthew 5:6(“‘Blessed
are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be
filled’”), 9-10;
2 Corinthians 9:10;
Philippians 1:11;
Hebrews 12:11.
[ NOAB] [ CAB]
3:18:
This verse is reminiscent of the association of wisdom, peace and righteousness
in the Septuagint translation
of Proverbs 3:9 (Honour
the Lord with your just labours, and give him the first of your fruits of
righteousness), 17-18; 11:30and
of the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:9:
“‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God’”). [ NJBC] [BLXX]
4:1:
“conflicts and disputes”: These words probably refer to the human situation in
general rather than specific events. See also 1 Peter 2:11.
[ CAB] NJBC offers wars and
fightings.
4:1:
“cravings”: See also Romans 7:5-25;
1 Peter 2:11-12;
Titus 3:3 (“...
we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various
passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, despicable, hating
one another”). [NOAB]
4:2:
“because you do not ask”: This echoes, in negative form, the gospel
exhortations on prayer: see Matthew 7:7-11;
Mark 11:24 (“‘...
whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will
be yours’”); John 14:13-14; 1 John 3:22. Prayer corrects envious desires,
centring instead on actual needs. [NJBC]
4:3:
See also 1:5-8; 5:13-18;
Luke 11:9-13.
For the proper approach to prayer in other books, see 1 John 5:14 (“...
if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us”) and Matthew 6:33.
[ NJBC]
4:4:
“Adulterers”: The Old Testament prophets pictured the covenant as a marriage
between God and Israel. This epithet reflects Old Testament prophetic
representation of unfaithfulness to God as adultery (see Isaiah 1:21;
Jeremiah 3:6-10;
Ezekiel 16;
Hosea 2:2; 3:1),
perhaps echoing the usage of Jesus: In Matthew 12:39,
he answers some scribes and Pharisees who seek a sign from him with “‘An evil
and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it
except the sign of the prophet Jonah’”. See also Matthew 16:4 and
Mark 8:38.
[ NOAB] [ NJBC]
4:4:
“world”: This pejorative sense of “world” (i.e. opposition to God) is also
found in Paul’s writings, 2 Peter, John and 1 John. [ NJBC]
4:4:
“enmity with God”: In Matthew 6:24,
Jesus says: “‘No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the
one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You
cannot serve God and wealth’”. See also Luke 16:11.
[ NOAB]
4:5:
The quotation is not in the Bible. It may be an allusion to Exodus 20:5:
“... I the Lord your God
am a jealous God...”. See also Deuteronomy 4:24 (“...
the Lord your God is a
devouring fire, a jealous God”) and Zechariah 8:2.
[ NOAB] On the other hand, the
author may be quoting an apocryphal work
or a lost variant from a Greek version of the Old Testament. [ NJBC]
4:5:
“spirit”: i.e. the inner, God-given life breathed into humans at their
creation. 2:26 says
“... the body without the spirit is dead ...”. [ NJBC]
4:6:
The quotation is from the Septuagint translation
of Proverbs 3:34.
[ NOAB] 1 Peter 5:5-9 also
quotes this verse in the context of submission to God and rejection of the
devil. This is an example of common dependence of James and 1 Peter (and other
early Christian writings) on a shared stock of Bible-based parenesis (teaching
material). [ NJBC]
4:7-10:
The ten imperatives are a development based on the Septuagint translation of
Proverbs 3:34.
[ NJBC]
4:7:
“Submit yourselves therefore to God”: 1 Peter 5:6 says:
“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt
you in due time”. [ CAB]
4:7:
“Resist the devil”: 1 Peter 5:9 advises:
“Resist him [the devil], steadfast in your faith, for you know that your
brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of
suffering”. [ CAB]
4:8:
“double-minded”: The Greek word is not known in Greek literature prior to
James, but its background in Old Testament theology has to do with those who
cannot commit themselves wholly to God. It is also found in 1:7.
[ CAB]
4:10:
A common scriptural theme. See also Job 5:11; 22:29;
Psalm 149:4;
Proverbs 3:34; 29:25;
Matthew 18:14;
1 Peter 5:6.
[ CAB] This reflects the
teaching of Jesus: in Matthew 23:12,
he says: “‘All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble
themselves will be exalted’”. See also Luke 14:11.
[ NJBC]
4:11-12:
The author writes of another cause of quarrels: judging others,
rather than leaving judgement to God. The stricture against judging others is
also found in Matthew 7:1-5;
Luke 6:37-42;
Romans 2:1; 14:4, 10.
But the notion that in judging others one is going against the “law” to love
one’s neighbour is unique to James. [ NJBC]
4:11:
“Do not speak evil against one another”: Leviticus 19:16 commands:
“You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people”. See also
Psalm 50:20;
Proverbs 20:13;
Romans 1:30;
2 Corinthians 12:20;
1 Peter 2:1.
[ CAB]
4:12:
“one”: i.e. God. [ NOAB]
4:12:
“to save and to destroy”: A notion also found in Matthew 16:25,
where Jesus says “‘ those who want to save their life will lose it, and those
who lose their life for my sake will find it’”, and Luke 6:9.
[ NJBC]
GOSPEL: Mark 9: 30 - 37 (all)
Mark 9:30 (NRSV)
They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to
know it; 31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, "The Son of
Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days
after being killed, he will rise again." 32 But they did not understand
what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.
33 Then they came
to Caper'naum; and when he was in the house he asked them, "What were you
arguing about on the way?" 34 But they were silent, for on the way they
had argued with one another who was the greatest. 35 He sat down, called the
twelve, and said to them, "Whoever wants to be first must be last of all
and servant of all." 36 Then he took a little child and put it among them;
and taking it in his arms, he said to them, 37 "Whoever welcomes one such
child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the
one who sent me."
Now, as they travel from Caesarea Philippi to Jerusalem, they
re-enter Jewish territory (“Galilee”, v. 30).
Jesus again wishes to avoid partial understanding of him and his mission. He
again teaches that he, the “Son of Man is to be” (v. 31) killed,
but adds one new idea: he is to be “betrayed” or handed over to
people; this is part of God’s plan. Both his suffering and betrayal are so
beyond the understanding of the disciples that they dare not reveal their
ignorance.
Jesus now teaches more about being his followers. (Presumably “the
house”, v. 33,
is Peter’s – see 1:29.)
The disciples have been arguing over rank. Jesus says, in effect: to be
my disciple, you must abandon seeking position and prestige. He takes an
example (vv. 36-37):
to welcome a child “in my name” (because of regard for who and what I am) is to
welcome me, and indeed God. In Aramaic and Greek the word for “child” is the
same as for servant, so v. 36 may
also speak of welcoming a servant, one sent by his master. If so,
Jesus is saying: whoever receives the servant receives the master. Whoever
receives a child receives Jesus, and whoever receives Jesus receives God, who
sent him. Both child and servant are without status. They are unable to repay a
kindness, in earthly terms.
Verse 30: “They went on ...”: Thus Mark introduces a new
scene. A similar formula is found in 7:24:
“From there he set out and went away ...”.
Verse 30: “He did not want anyone to know it”: Jesus is
notably more concerned about news spreading of who he is in Jewish territory
than he is in Gentile territory.
Verse 31: “betrayed”: Delivered is
another possible translation of the Greek. This theme becomes increasingly
important from now on ( 14:21, 41; 15:1, 10, 15).
Jesus’ death is pivotal to the divine plan of salvation. The mode of Jesus’
death is not made clear. Jesus’ teaching also emphasizes his violent death and
his resurrection in 8:31; 10:33-34 and
Luke 9:22.
[NJBC]
Verse 33: “Capernaum”: Two other verses in Mark also
tell us about Jesus in Capernaum:
- 1:21:
“They [Jesus and his disciples] went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath
came, he entered the synagogue and taught” and
- 2:1:
“When he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he
was at home”.
Verse 33: "the house": 1:29 says
“As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and
Andrew, with James and John”.
Verse 34: “who was the greatest”: Matthew 18:1 adds
“in the kingdom of heaven”. James and John, in Mark 10:37,
suggest an eschatological context,
but in our reading nothing suggests such a context. [ NJBC]
Verse 35: In 10:43-44,
Jesus says: “whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and
whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all”. This notion is also
found in Matthew 20:26-27; 23:11;
Luke 9:48; 22:26.
[NOAB]
Verse 36: 10:16 also
tells us of Jesus’ concern for children: “he took them [little children] up in
his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them”. [ NOAB]
Verses 38-40: There are other ways to ultimate goodness,
i.e. God, than being an explicit follower of Jesus.
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