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Bible_Reader
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I’ve been learning a lot from a book set called the Sunday Sermons of the Great Fathers. This is a four-volume book series that was translated and edited by Dr. M. F. Toal and is introduced by Michael Cardinal Browne (former head of the Dominican Order). published from 1955 to 1963, with each volume being over 400 pages long. The book was republished in 2000 by Ignatius Press, and it is quite handsome. The paper is thick and cream colored, and the books are easy to read and handle.
The book consists or readings and commentary keyed to the pre-Vatican II lectionary. Readings for each Sunday and Feast are provided. There front end-papers index the current three-year lectionary to the volume (unfortunately, with the new lectionary’s additional readings, only about half of the entries are filled) and the back end-papers index the Gospels by chapter and verse to the relevant section.
Each section starts by presenting the reading in the traditional Douay-Rheims reading (and, if there are parallel passages in other Gospels, it presents those as well.)
It follows with a translation of the relevant section of Aquinas’s *Catena Aurea. *(This is not the familiar Newman translation of the Catena but is a new translation.) The Catena contains glosses by the Church Fathers on the gospel portion. These are organized by Aquinas almost as if the Church Fathers were speaking to each other. (In a future post, I’ll review the Newman translation of the Catena Aurea, but in short, I think it is by far the best overview of Patristic commentary on the Gospels.)
Next, the volume reproduces about three to seven homilies from a wide range of Early Church Fathers, complete with Scriptural quotations.
For example, the first chapter is typical. It begins with the reading for the old lectionary on the first Sunday of Advent – Luke 21:25-33, followed by its parallel passages (Matthew 24:29-35, Mark 13:24-31).
The Catena follows, which over the course of six pages, presents glosses (in the order presented, with duplications) from Bede, Ambrose, Eusebius, Chrysostom, Eusebius, Theophylactus, Augustine, Gregory, Theophylactus, Eusebius, Chrysostom, Augustine, Ambrose, Augustine, Ambrose, Augustine, Theophylactus, Chrysostom, Cyril of Alexandria, Gregory, Eusebius, Theophylactus, Gregory, Ambrose, Augustine, Titus, Eusebius, Gregory, Eusebius, Theophylactus, and Gregory.
Then comes approximately a two page homily of St. Ambrose [Doctor of the Church] (On the Gospel).
Next comes an approximately four page homily of St. Ephraem [Doctor of the Church] (On Patience, the Second Coming, and the Last Judgment).
Next comes an approximately three page homily of St. Leo [Pope and Doctor of the Church] (On the Fast of the Tenth Month and on Almsgiving).
Next comes an approximately four and a half page homily of St. Gregory the Great [Pope and Doctor of the Church] (On the Gospel: Given to the People in the Basilica of the Holy Apostle Peter - Homily I).
Finally comes an approximately seven and a half page homily of St. Bernard [Doctor of the Church] (The Advent of the Lord and Its Six Circumstances).
All in all, the readings for this passage consist of 27 pages. For me that is just perfect – long enough to get some meat, but not so long as to deter me from reading it.
Of course, it would be even better to read the works of the Fathers in their entirety, but this presentation allows me to at least sample some of their thought in a manner tied to the lectionary. In the first volume, 74 Fathers are quoted.
Here is the publisher’s page describing the book set. If you are interested in reading more of the Fathers interpretation on the Gospels you may also enjoy the set.
Happy reading!
The book consists or readings and commentary keyed to the pre-Vatican II lectionary. Readings for each Sunday and Feast are provided. There front end-papers index the current three-year lectionary to the volume (unfortunately, with the new lectionary’s additional readings, only about half of the entries are filled) and the back end-papers index the Gospels by chapter and verse to the relevant section.
Each section starts by presenting the reading in the traditional Douay-Rheims reading (and, if there are parallel passages in other Gospels, it presents those as well.)
It follows with a translation of the relevant section of Aquinas’s *Catena Aurea. *(This is not the familiar Newman translation of the Catena but is a new translation.) The Catena contains glosses by the Church Fathers on the gospel portion. These are organized by Aquinas almost as if the Church Fathers were speaking to each other. (In a future post, I’ll review the Newman translation of the Catena Aurea, but in short, I think it is by far the best overview of Patristic commentary on the Gospels.)
Next, the volume reproduces about three to seven homilies from a wide range of Early Church Fathers, complete with Scriptural quotations.
For example, the first chapter is typical. It begins with the reading for the old lectionary on the first Sunday of Advent – Luke 21:25-33, followed by its parallel passages (Matthew 24:29-35, Mark 13:24-31).
The Catena follows, which over the course of six pages, presents glosses (in the order presented, with duplications) from Bede, Ambrose, Eusebius, Chrysostom, Eusebius, Theophylactus, Augustine, Gregory, Theophylactus, Eusebius, Chrysostom, Augustine, Ambrose, Augustine, Ambrose, Augustine, Theophylactus, Chrysostom, Cyril of Alexandria, Gregory, Eusebius, Theophylactus, Gregory, Ambrose, Augustine, Titus, Eusebius, Gregory, Eusebius, Theophylactus, and Gregory.
Then comes approximately a two page homily of St. Ambrose [Doctor of the Church] (On the Gospel).
Next comes an approximately four page homily of St. Ephraem [Doctor of the Church] (On Patience, the Second Coming, and the Last Judgment).
Next comes an approximately three page homily of St. Leo [Pope and Doctor of the Church] (On the Fast of the Tenth Month and on Almsgiving).
Next comes an approximately four and a half page homily of St. Gregory the Great [Pope and Doctor of the Church] (On the Gospel: Given to the People in the Basilica of the Holy Apostle Peter - Homily I).
Finally comes an approximately seven and a half page homily of St. Bernard [Doctor of the Church] (The Advent of the Lord and Its Six Circumstances).
All in all, the readings for this passage consist of 27 pages. For me that is just perfect – long enough to get some meat, but not so long as to deter me from reading it.
Of course, it would be even better to read the works of the Fathers in their entirety, but this presentation allows me to at least sample some of their thought in a manner tied to the lectionary. In the first volume, 74 Fathers are quoted.
Here is the publisher’s page describing the book set. If you are interested in reading more of the Fathers interpretation on the Gospels you may also enjoy the set.
Happy reading!