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From the* Ignatius Catholic Study Bible*–3rd Sunday of Lent

Gospel Reading
**From: John 2:13-25

The Cleansing of the Temple
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[13] The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. [14] In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers at their business. [15] And making a whip of cords, he drove them all, with the sheep and oxen, out of the temple; and he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. [16] And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; you shall not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” [17] His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for thy house will consume me.” [18] The Jews then said to him, “What signs have you to show us for doing this?” [19] Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” [20] The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” [21] But he spoke of the temple of his body. [22] When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.

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Commentary:*

**2:13 The Passover: ** Celebrated every spring to commemorate Israel’s rescue from Egyptian slavery (Ex 12). Three times the Passover is mentioned in John, indicating that Jesus’ ministry extended beyond two years (6:4; 13:1). See note on 6:4. **Jerusalem: **Nearly 80 percent of John’s narrative places Jesus in Jerusalem. The Synoptic Gospels give greater attention to the ministry of Jesus in Galilee.

** 2:14-22: ** The cleansing of the Temple is recorded in all four Gospels. One difference among them is that John places the event at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, while the other Gospels place it at the end of his ministry. Two explanations for this are possible. (1) All four accounts may refer to the same event. If so, John moved the episode to the beginning of his narrative to highlight an important truth. As it stands, the Temple cleansing makes the same theological point as that in the preceding Cana episode: Jesus brings a New Covenant that supersedes the institutions of the Old. (2) Jesus may have cleansed the Temple twice. In fact, some have dated the episode in John around A.D. 27 or 28, calculating “forty-six years” from the time Herod the Great began renovating the Temple in 19 or 20 B.C. (2:20). This date fits more easily into the early period of Jesus’ ministry than the latter part of it.

Concluded on the next post…

 

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**2:14 In the temple:  **The Jerusalem Temple was divided into several courts. The outermost court, open to Gentile pilgrims, was used for selling sacrificial animals and exchanging foreign currency for the appropriate coins needed to pay the annual Temple tax. Jesus is angry that the merchants are robbing Israel through inflated rates of exchange and robbing the Gentiles of the opportunity to worship and pray (CCC 583-84). See note on Mt 17:24.

**• [Mt] 17:24 …**the half-shekel tax: Literally, the didrachma, or “two-drachma tax”, required annually of all male Jews over 20years old. Moses levied a similar tax for the services of the Tabernacle (Ex 30:11-16). This was re-implemented with King Joash for Solomon’s Temple (2 Chron 24:6), while a comparable “third part of a shekel” was required for the Second Temple (Neh 10:32)…

**2:16 poured out…overturned: **the aggressive actions of Jesus are a prophetic sign of the Temple’s imminent destruction (Mk 13:1-2). The expulsion of oxen, sheep and pigeons (2:14) from the Temple precincts likewise signifies the termination of animal sacrifices in the Temple (4:21-24). See note on Mk 11:15.

• [Mk] 11:15 to drive out: Animals were sold in the outer court of the Temple as a service to Passover pilgrims who traveled to the city to offer sacrifice, merchants, however, exploited this arrangement for their own financial gain. According to Jesus, they offended God by what they were doing and where they were doing it. The Temple should be a house of worship, not a place where daylight thievery and business traffic make prayer impossible.** *** Jesus dramatic demonstration of overturning tables foreshadows the Temple’s violent destruction in A.D. 70. Several OT passages resonate in the background. (1) His aggressive cleansing of the outer court recalls Mal 3:1-4, where the Lord forewarned Jerusalem that he would make a divine inspection of the Temple to purify the sanctuary and its priests. (1) His temporary interruption of the Temple liturgy (11:16) is a prelude to a more permanent disruption in the sacrificial cult foretold in Dan 9:26-27. (3) His expulsion of the merchants recalls the vision of Zech 14:21, where the prophet predicts that no trader will be found within the precincts in the messianic age. See note on 13:2 and CCC 584.
• [Mk] 13:2 one stone upon another: ** Jesus’ words were fulfilled in A.D. 70 when Roman legions destroyed Jerusalem and brought the Old Covenant to a dramatic and violent end (Lk 19:41-44). More than one million Jews perished in the catastrophe. * **Jesus forecasts the Temple’s doom, much as the OT prophets predicted the devastation of Solomon’s Temple by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. (Jer 26:6; Mic 3:12).

***** Allegorically (Origen, Comm. in Jo. 10, 16), the sanctuary is the undisciplined soul, filled, not with animals and merchants, but with earthly and senseless attachments. Christ must expel them with the whip of his divine doctrine to make spiritual worship possible.

** 2:17 Zeal for your house: ** A reference to Ps 69:9**. *** Psalm 69 depicts the suffering of the righteous, who are pained by the insults that sinners heap upon God. Jesus, burning with righteous indignation, is outraged that business dealings have taken the place of prayer in the Temple courts.

** 2:19 Destroy this temple: ** Jesus challenges his critics to destroy, not the sacred building, but his own body (2:21-22). Ironically, the latter is destined to replace the former: after the Crucifixion, the Temple of Jerusalem will be razed to the ground in divine judgment while the temple of Jesus’ body will be raised from the grave in divine glory (CCC 586, 994).

** 2:25 he knew all men: ** The supernatural knowledge of Jesus is often highlighted in the Gospels (4:39; 16:30; Mt 9:4; 17:27; Mk 11:2-4; Lk 22:9-13). Here he detects deficient faith in those who marvel at his miracles but fail to grasp the significance of his mission. In the next episode, Nicodemus is representative of such inadequate belief (3:1-15) (CCC 473).

 

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That’s it for this week. If anyone has any questions about last week’s readings or the upcoming readings, post them here and we can discuss. God bless.

 

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Time to start preparing for next week, the 4th Sunday of Lent. Here are the links to the first group of study aides:

St. Charles Borromeo Bible Study

Catholic Matters

Sunday Preachers Resource

Haydock Commentary, 1st Reading
Haydock Commentary, 2nd Reading
Haydock Commentary, Gospel

Catena Aurea

Sunday Scripture Study for Catholics

 

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Navarre Bible commentary—4th Sunday of Lent

First Reading
**From: 2 Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23

The Reign of Zedekiah (Continuation)
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[14] All the leading priests and’ the people likewise were exceedingly unfaithful, following all the abominations of the nations; and they polluted the house of the LORD which he had hallowed in Jerusalem. [15] The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place; [16] but they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words, and scoffing at his prophets, till the wrath of the LORD rose against his people, till there was no remedy.
**
Deportation. Destruction of Jerusalem (Continuation)
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[19] And they burned the house of God, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, and burned all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all its precious vessels. [20] He took into exile in Babylon those who had escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and to his sons until the establishment of the kingdom of Persia, [21] to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its sabbaths. All the days that it lay desolate it kept sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.

Cyrus’ Edict
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[22] Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth dl Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: [23] ”Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may the LORD his God be with him. Let him go up.”

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Commentary:*

**36:21. **The mention of Jeremiah (cf. Jer 25:1-12; 29:10) indicates that his book was already seen in the Chronicler’s time as being prophetical and holy; and it also underlines the fact that the exile was an event foreseen by God who kept the land in a long “sabbath”, that is, a period of total rest, until the return of those who constituted the true Israel. By refraining from any mention of the governorship of Gedaliah (cf. 2 Kings 25 :22-26) the writer avoids anything that would imply divisions between these who were deported and those who stayed on in Jerusalem.

**36:22-23. **The end of the book of Chronicles is identical with the start of that of Ezra (Ezra 1:1-3) and the repetition was probably inserted when Chronicles was finally separated from the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. But it does serve to reinforce the lesson, contained in the previous verses, that the exile does not mean the end, and that everything will continue as before the exile, because those who belong to the Lord’s people will return, and the key conviction of faith will endure–that the Lord is with them, with all of those who, when this book was being assembled, were members of the people

.

 

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Navarre Bible commentary—4th Sunday of Lent

Second Reading
**From: Ephesians 2:4-10

Salvation As a Free Gift
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[4] But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us, [5] even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), [6] and raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, [7] that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. [8] For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God [9] not because of works, lest any man should boast. [10] For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

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Commentary:*

**4. **God’s mercy is the greatest expression of his love because it shows the total gratuitousness of God’s love towards the sinner, whereby instead of punishing him he forgives him and gives him life. The words “God, who is rich in mercy” have great theological and spiritual depth: they are a kind of summary of all St Paul’s teaching about God’s approach to people who are under the rule of sin, who are “by nature children of wrath”.

Pope John Paul II has chosen these words of Scripture “dives in misericordia”–as the title of one of his encyclicals, an encyclical which explores the divine dimension of the mystery of Redemption. Here is how the Pope sums up biblical teaching on mercy: “The concept of ‘mercy’ in the Old Testament has a long and rich history …]. It is significant that in their preaching the prophets link mercy, which they often refer to because of the people’s sins, with the incisive image of love on God’s part. The Lord loves Israel with the love of a special choosing, much like the love of a spouse (cf. e.g. Hos 2:21-25 and 15; Is 54:6-8) and for this reason he pardons its sins and even its infidelities and betrayals. When he finds repentance and true conversion, he brings his people back to grace (cf. Her 31:20; Ezek 39:25-29). In the preaching of the prophets “mercy” signifies a “special power of love”, which “prevails over the sin and infidelity” of the chosen people …]. The Old Testament encourages people suffering from misfortune, especially those weighed down by sin–as also the whole of Israel, which had entered into the covenant with God–“to appeal for mercy”, and enables them to count upon it” (“Dives In Misericordia”, 4).

In the New Testament also there are many references to God’s mercy, sometimes very touching ones, like the parable of the prodigal son (cf. Lk 15: 32); others take a more dramatic form, for example, Christ’s sacrifice, the supreme expression of the love of God, which is stronger than death and sin. “The ‘Cross of Christ’, on which the Son, consubstantial with the Father, ‘renders full justice to God’, is also ‘a radical revelation of mercy’, or rather of the love that goes against what constitutes the very root of evil in the history of man: against sin and death” (“ibid.”, 8).

**5-6. **The power of God works in the Christian in a way similar to that in which it worked in Christ. St Paul here uses almost the same language as he did earlier (cf. 1:20), to show how radical is the change produced in men by Christ’s salvation.

Just as a dead person is unable to bring himself back to life, so those who are dead through sin cannot obtain grace, supernatural life, by their own effort. Only Christ, by means of the Redemption, offers us that new life which begins with justification and ends with resurrection and eternal happiness in heaven. The Apostle is speaking here of that life of grace, and therefore of our future resurrection and glorification with Christ in heaven; he refers to this as if it were an accomplished fact, and the reason he does so is this: Jesus Christ is our head and we form one body with him (cf. Gal 3:28), and therefore we share in the head’s condition. Christ, after his resurrection, sits at the right hand of the Father. “The body of Christ, which the Church is”, St Augustine comments, “must be at the right hand, that is, in the glory of heaven, as the Apostle says: ‘we have been raised up with him and made to sit with him in heaven.’ Even though our body is not yet there, our hope is already placed there” (“De Agone Christiano”, 26).

From the moment of our incorporation into Christ by Baptism, his resurrection and exaltation is something which is already present in us in an incomplete way: “Thus by Baptism”, Vatican II teaches, “men are grafted into the paschal mystery of Christ; they die with him, are buried with him, and rise with him (cf. Rom 6:4; Eph 2:6; Col 3:1; 2 Tim 2:11f). They receive the spirit of adoption as sons in which ‘we cry, Abba, Father’ (Rom 8:15) and thus become true adorers such as the Father seeks (cf. Jn 4:23)” (“Sacrosanctum Concilium”, 6). See the note on Rom 6:9-10.

The Redemption has already been accomplished, and man has available to him all the grace he needs for salvation: the gates of heaven are open wide; it is now the responsibility of every individual to make room for grace in his soul, to avail of grace to respond to our Lord’s call. Through Christ, “we have been reborn spiritually, for through him we are crucified to the world,” St Zozimus comments. “By his death that decree of death has been destroyed which Adam caused and which was passed on to every soul–that sentence which we incur through our descent, from which absolutely no one is free prior to being set free by Baptism” (“Epist. ‘Tractoria’, Dz-Sch”, 231).

Continued on the next post…

 

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**8-9. **Salvation is the work of God, a gratuitous gift of God: it originates in God’s mercy. It acts in man by means of faith, that is, by man’s acceptance of the salvation offered him in Jesus Christ. But even faith, St Paul tells us, is a divine gift; man cannot merit it by his own efforts alone; it is not exclusively the outcome of human freedom; at all stages, from the very beginning, recognition and acceptance of Christ as Savior means that God’s grace is at work.

On the basis of this passage in Ephesians and other passages of Scripture, the Church has taught: “According to the passages of Sacred Scripture and the explanations of the Holy Fathers [specified] we, with God’s help must believe and preach the following: The free will of man was made so weak and unsteady through the sin of the first man that, after the Fall, no one could love God as was required, or believe in God, or perform good works for God unless the grace of divine mercy anticipated him …]. Even after the coming of Christ this grace of faith is not found in the free will of all who desire to be baptized but is conferred through the generosity of Christ, according to what has already been said and according to what the Apostle Paul teaches: ‘It has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake’ (Phil 1:29). And also: ‘he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ’ (Phil 1:6). And again: ‘By grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God’ (Eph 2:8). And the Apostle says of himself: ‘As one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy’ (1 Cor 7:25; cf. 1 Tim 1:13) …]. And Scripture says further: ‘What have you that you did not receive?’ (1 Cor 4:7). And again: ‘Every good endowment and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights’ (Jas 1:17). And again: ‘No one can receive anything except what is given from heaven’ (Jn 3:27)” (Second Council of Orange, “De Gratia”, conclusion).

The Second Vatican Council provides the same teaching: "‘By faith manfreely commits his entire self to God …]; before this faith can be exercised, man must have the grace of God to move and assist him; he must have the interior help of the Holy Spirit, who moves the heart and converts it to God, who opens the eyes of the mind and ‘makes it easy for all to accept and believe the truth’ (“De Gratia”, can . 7; “Dei Filius”)’’ (“Dei Verbum”, 5).

When St Paul says that faith does not come from works (v. 9), he is referring to things man can do on his own, without the help of grace. If faith did come from works, then man would have something to boast to God about, something which would bring salvation without dependence on Christ–which would be inadmissible, because then our Lord’s death would make no sense, nor would even the Incarnation of the Word, whom “God has made our wisdom, our righteousness and sanctification and redemption; therefore, as it is written, 'Let him who boasts, boast of the Lord”’ (1 Cor 1:30-31). See also the notes on Jas 2:14; Rom 3:20-31; 9:31.

10. The Christian became a new creation–“we are his workmanship”-- when he was inserted into Christ at Baptism (cf. 2 Cor 5:17). Once justified by Baptism, he should live in a manner consistent with his faith, that is, with his new life. The life of grace in fact moves him to do those good works which God wishes to see performed (he had already laid down that this should be so) and which perfect the work of salvation. Deeds, works, prove the genuineness of faith: “faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead” (Jas 2:17). Without these works–the practice of the theological and moral virtues–not only would faith be dead; our love for God and neighbor would be false.

Having said that, it is also true that to bring about this renewal in man God counts on man’s readiness to respond to grace and on his carrying out “good works”.

Christian Tradition has always taught that the fruits of faith are a proof of its vitality. For example, this is what St Polycarp has to say: “It does my heart good to see how the solid roots of your faith, which have such a reputation ever since early times, are still flourishing and bearing fruit in Jesus Christ …]. Many desire to share in your joy, well knowing that it is by the will of God that you are saved through Jesus Christ” (“Letter to the Philippians”, chap. 1).

 

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Navarre Bible commentary—4th Sunday of Lent

Gospel Reading
**From: John 3:14-21

The Visit of Nicodemus (Continuation)
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(Jesus said to Nicodemus,) [14] And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, [15] that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life." [16] For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God sent the Son into world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. [18] He who believes in Him is not condemned; He who does not believe is condemned already, because He had not believed in the name of the only Son of God. [19] And this is the judgment, that the light has come into world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. [20] For every one who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. [21] But he who does what is true comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been wrought in God."

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Commentary:*

**14-15. **The bronze serpent which Moses set up on a pole was established by God to cure those who had been bitten by the poisonous serpents in the desert (cf. Numbers 21:8-9). Jesus compares this with His crucifixion, to show the value of His being raised up on the cross: those who look on Him with faith can obtain salvation. We could say that the good thief was the first to experience the saving power of Christ on the cross: he saw the crucified Jesus, the King of Israel, the Messiah, and was immediately promised that he would be in Paradise that very day (cf. Luke 23:39-43).

The Son of God took on our human nature to make known the hidden mystery of God’s own life (cf. Mark 4:11; John 1:18; 3:1-13; Ephesians 3:9) and to free from sin and death those who look at Him with faith and love and who accept the cross of every day.

The faith of which our Lord speaks is not just intellectual acceptance of the truths He has taught: it involves recognizing Him as Son of God (cf. 1 John 5:1), sharing His very life (cf. John 1:12) and surrendering ourselves out of love and therefore becoming like Him (cf. John 10:27; 1 John 3:2). But this faith is a gift of God (cf. John 3:3, 5-8), and we should ask Him to strengthen it and increase it as the Apostles did: Lord “increase our faith!” (Luke 17:5). While faith is a supernatural, free gift, it is also a virtue, a good habit, which a person can practise and thereby develop: so the Christian, who already has the divine gift of faith, needs with the help of grace to make explicit acts of faith in order to make this virtue grow.

Concluded on the post below…

 

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**16-21. **These words, so charged with meaning, summarize how Christ’s death is the supreme sign of God’s love for men (cf. the section on charity in the “Introduction to the Gospel according to John”: pp. 31ff above). “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son' for its salvation. All our religion is a revelation of God's kindness, mercy and love for us. God is love’ (1 John 4:16), that is, love poured forth unsparingly. All is summed up in this supreme truth, which explains and illuminates everything. The story of Jesus must be seen in this light. (He) loved me', St. Paul writes. Each of us can and must repeat it for himself--He loved me, and gave Himself for me’ (Galatians 2:20)” ([Pope] Paul VI, “Homily on Corpus Christi”, 13 June 1976).

Christ’s self-surrender is a pressing call to respond to His great love for us: “If it is true that God has created us, that He has redeemed us, that He loves us so much that He has given up His only-begotten Son for us (John 3:16), that He waits for us–every day!–as eagerly as the father of the prodigal son did (cf. Luke 15:11-32), how can we doubt that He wants us to respond to Him with all our love? The strange thing would be not to talk to God, to draw away and forget Him, and busy ourselves in activities which are closed to the constant promptings of His grace” ([St] J. Escriva, “Friends of God”, 251).

"Man cannot live without love. He remains a being that is incomprehensible for himself, his life is senseless, if love is not revealed to him, if he does not encounter love, if he does not experience it and make it his own, if he does not participate intimately in it. This …] is why Christ the Redeemer fully reveals man to himself'. If we may use the expression, this is the human dimension of the mystery of the Redemption. In this dimension man finds again the greatness, dignity and value that belong to his humanity. ...] The one who wishes to understand himself thoroughly ...] must, with his unrest and uncertainty and even his weakness and sinfulness, with his life and death, draw near to Christ. He must, so to speak, enter into Him with all his own self, he must appropriate’ and assimilate the whole of the reality of the Incarnation and Redemption in order to find himself. If this profound process takes place within him, he then bears fruit not only of adoration of God but also of deep wonder at himself.

How precious must man be in the eyes of the Creator, if he gained so great a Redeemer', ("Roman Missal, Exultet" at Easter Vigil), and if God gave His only Son’ in order that man `should not perish but have eternal life’. …]

`Increasingly contemplating the whole of Christ’s mystery, the Church knows with all the certainty of faith that the Redemption that took place through the Cross has definitively restored his dignity to man and given back meaning to his life in the world, a meaning that was lost to a considerable extent because of sin. And for that reason, the Redemption was accomplished in the paschal mystery, leading through the Cross and death to Resurrection" ([Pope] John Paul II, “Redemptor Hominis”, 10).

Jesus demands that we have faith in Him as a first prerequisite to sharing in His love. Faith brings us out of darkness into the light, and sets us on the road to salvation. “He who does not believe is condemned already” (verse 18).

“The words of Christ are at once words of judgment and grace, of life and death. For it is only by putting to death that which is old that we can come to newness of life. Now, although this refers primarily to people, it is also true of various worldly goods which bear the mark both of man’s sin and the blessing of God. …] No one is freed from sin by himself or by his own efforts, no one is raised above himself or completely delivered from his own weakness, solitude or slavery; all have need of Christ, who is the model, master, liberator, savior, and giver of life. Even in the secular history of mankind the Gospel has acted as a leaven in the interests of liberty and progress, and it always offers itself as a leaven with regard to brotherhood, unity and peace” (Vatican II, “Ad Gentes”, 8).

 

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Navarre Bible commentary—4th Sunday of Lent

**2nd Reading
From: Ephesians 2:4-10

Salvation As a Free Gift
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[4] But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us, [5] even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), [6] and raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, [7] that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. [8] For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God [9] not because of works, lest any man should boast. [10] For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

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Commentary:*

**2:1-22** A tragic picture of man without God. The chapter falls into two halves: the first explains how Christ reconciles men with God (2:1-10), and the second how Christ reconciles men and nations with one another (2:11-22). Notice that Paul stresses the radical difference between living “by grace” (2:5) and living “by nature” (2:3).

** 2:5-6** By grace we share in the exaltation of Christ: his rising from the dead, his ascent in to heaven, and his enthronement at the Father’s right hand. Paul articulates this theology of participation by using the preposition with three times in these verses (in Greek, the verbal prefix –syn).

**2:6 sit with him:** i.e., we are made to share in the heavenly reign of Christ (CCC 1003).

**2:8 grace:** The biblical term for (1) God’s favor and (2) God’s supernatural life. The former designates the *conditions* of its bestowal (a free and undeserved gift, Rom 6:23), and the latter designates the *content* of the gift we receive (a share in the divine nature, 2 Pet 1:4) (CCC1996-2003). **have been saved:** Salvation is here described as a present state resulting from a past action. The preceding context indicates that deliverance from sin and spiritual death is in view (2:1-3), that salvation is not thereby assured but is also a future hope, see note on Rom 5:10.

• [Rom] 5:10 shall we be saved: Salvation can be described in terms of the past, present, and future. It is past with reference to Baptism, which saves us from the filth of our sins (1 Pet 3:21). It is a present reality when we allow grace to make us steadily more virtuous and holy (1 Cor 1:18). It is a future hope that we will for ever live with the Lord in glory (Heb 9:28) (CCC 169, 1026).
**
through faith: Faith is instrumental in saving us and uniting us with Christ. In the context of conversion, salvation is conferred through the instrument of Baptism (1 Peter 3:21), and salvation is received through the instrument of faith (Rom 3:24-25). For Paul, belief in Jesus Christ is a divine gift (Phil 1:29) that we exercise when we adhere to God with trust (personal aspect) and assent to the truth he has revealed in the gospel (propositional aspect) (CCC 177).

** 2:9 lest any…boast:** Because salvation is neither a payment for services rendered nor a personal achievement, there is no room for pride or boasting on our part (1 Cor 4:7).

** 2:10 good works:** works of righteousness that pertain to salvation (2:6-7). These are made possible by the grace of God empowering us from within (Phil 2:12-13; Heb 13:20-21). *** **The Second Council of Orange decreed in A.D. 529 that man, weakened by the Fall of Adam, is incapable of performing works worthy of eternal life by his own natural strength. Only by the supernatural help of the Spirit can we be humble, obedient, and loving in a way that truly pleases the Lord (Canons 1-25) (CCC 2008-11).

 

[Fidelis]

Navarre Bible commentary—4th Sunday of Lent

Gospel Reading
**From: John 3:14-21

Nicodemus Visits Jesus
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[14] And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, [15] that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life."

[16] For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God sent the Son into world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. [18] He who believes in Him is not condemned; He who does not believe is condemned already, because He had not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

[19] And this is the judgment, that the light has come into world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. [20] For every one who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. [21] But he who does what is true comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been wrought in God."
*

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Commentary:*

**3:14 the serpent: **a reference to the episode in Num 21:4-9. * Moses hoisted a bronze serpent upon a pole as a remedy for faithless Israel. Although God punished them with poisonous serpents, he promised to save everyone who looked to the bronze serpent in search of his mercy. Jesus sees the relic as an image of his own Crucifixion and the healing it will bring to a rebellious world (CCC 2130). **be lifted up:** A shorthand reference to the Paschal Mystery, when Jesus is lifted up *on* the Cross, *from* the grave, and *into* heaven (8:28; 12:32).

3:16 gave his only-begotten Son: The early mission of Jesus is part of the heavenly plan of the Father, who displays the depth of his love through the sacrifice of his Son (Rom 5:8; 1 Jn 3:16; CCC 219). This verse marks a transition from the dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus (3:1-15) to an extended monologue by either Jesus or the evangelist himself (3:16-21). eternal life: The expression refers both to the divine quality on new life in Christ as well as its duration. We receive this gift already on earth in the hope that we will possess it irrevocably in heaven (10:10; 1 Jn 5:13).

**3:18 condemned already: **Unbelief is a form of rebellion that puts offenders outside the safety of the covenant. To reject the Son of God is to reject the light of faith in preference to spiritual darkness, death, and disinheritance (3:20; CCC 679).

 

[Fidelis]

That’s it for this week. If anyone has any questions about last week’s readings or the upcoming readings, post them here and we can discuss. God bless.

 

[Fidelis]

Time to start preparing for next week, the 5th Sunday of Lent. Here are the links to the first group of study aides:

St. Charles Borromeo Bible Study

Catholic Matters

Sunday Preachers Resource

Haydock Commentary, 1st Reading
Haydock Commentary, 2nd Reading
Haydock Commentary, Gospel

Catena Aurea

Sunday Scripture Study for Catholics

 

[Fidelis]

Navarre Bible commentary–5th Sunday of Lent

First Reading
**From: Jeremiah 31:31-34

The New Covenant
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[31] ”Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judith, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant which they broke, though I was their husband, says the LORD. [33] But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. [34] And no longer shall each man teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

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Commentary:*

**31:31-37. **The words of this oracle are central to Jeremiah’s message, and they constitute the passage in the book that has had most impact on the New Testament and on Christian teaching. Most ancient and modern commentators consider these words to be original words of Jeremiah, and they generally attribute them to the early stages of his, ministry, because they express support for King Josiah’s religious reform.

The oracle is made up of two contrasting parts: the first (vv. 31-32) describes the Old Covenant, broken by the people’s sins; the second (vv. 33-35) speaks very forcefully of the New Covenant which will endure forever.

Concluded on the next post…

 

[Fidelis]

The old Covenant is described in terms of three characteristic features: it carried the force of tradition because it was a pact made “with the fathers”; it was a sign of divine election, as can be seen from a phrase exclusive to Jeremiah: “when “I took them by the hand” to bring them out of the land of Egypt”; and it showed the Lord’s authority over his people.

The new pact has three key features, too: it is “new”, it is something “interior”, and it is “heartfelt”, written upon their hearts. It is “new”, because prior to this the pact with God was never described in that way; that is, it is new not in terms of the previous covenant which has ceased to operate (cf. Heb 8:18-13) but in the sense that it is definitive and will not be superseded. When, at the Last Supper, Jesus said the words of consecration over the chalice: “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant” (Lk 22:20; 1 Cor 11:25), he brings Jeremiah’s words to fulfillment. It is “interior” because it is etched in the heart of the people and of each individual. Its content did not change (it is the Law of God) but people will know it in a different way: the previous covenant was written on tablets of stone (Ex 31:38; 34:28ff), but this one will be written on the heart and soul of man. Therefore, it is part of a person’s very being; it is not just an external obligation; people’s well-formed consciences tell them what they ought to do; if they fail to live up to the demands of the Covenant, they lose their identity until they are converted and are redeemed from sin. In the Letter to the Hebrews it says, by way of explaining this passage, that in the New Covenant Christ has obtained forgiveness of sins for us through the cross, and therefore the old sin offerings no longer have any effect: “Where there is forgiveness (of sins), there is no longer any offering for sin” (Heb 10:18). Finally, it is “heartfelt” because it is based on a loving relationship between God and his people. The wording that Jeremiah likes so much (“I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (Jer 31:33; cf. 7:23) implies bonds, of fidelity and love. The nearest precedent for this is Hosea, who used the metaphor of marriage as the hinge of his preaching and who defined sin as estrangement from God, and punishment in terms of marital breakdown: “Call his name not my people, for you are not my people and I am not your God” (Hos 1:9). Therefore, moral imperatives should not come via legal imposition from outside; they should arise from a person’s heart–the aim being not so much perfect, guiltless behavior as living in union with God: “All who keep his commandments abide in him, and he in them” (1 Jn 3:24).

The New Covenant has given its name to the, “New Testament”, on which the new people of God is founded, as the Second Vatican Council says: “At all times and in every race God has given welcome to whosoever fears him and does what is right. God, however, does not make men holy and save them merely as individuals, without bond or link between one another. Rather has it pleased him to bring men together as one people, a people that acknowledges him in truth and serves him in holiness. He therefore chose the race of Israel as a people unto himself. With it he setup a covenant. Step by step he taught and prepared this people, making known in its history both himself and the decree of his will and making it holy unto himself. All these things, however, were done by way of preparation and as a figure of that new and perfect covenant, which was to be ratified in Christ, and of that fuller revelation which was to be given through the Word of God Himself made flesh. ‘Behold the days shall come saith the Lord, and I will make a new covenant with the House of Israel, and with the house of Judah. …] I will give my law in their bowels, and I will write it in their heart, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people…] For all of them shall know Me, from the least of them even to the greatest, saith the Lord’ (Jer 31:31-34). Christ instituted this new covenant, the new testament, that is to say, in his Blood, calling together a people made up of Jew and Gentile, making them one, not according to the flesh but in the Spirit" (“Lumen Gentium”, 9).

 

[Fidelis]

Navarre Bible commentary–5th Sunday of Lent

Second Reading
**From: Hebrews 5:7-9

Christ Has Been Made High Priest by God the Father
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[7] In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who has able to save him from death, and he was heard for his godly fear. [8] Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; [9] and being made perfect he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, [10] being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

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Commentary:*

**1-10. **The central theme of the epistle, broached in 2:17 and taken up again in 4:14-15, is discussed from here up to the start of chapter 10–the theme of Christ as high priest, the high priest who really can free us from all sin. In fact, Christ is the only perfect Priest: other priests–in both natural religions and the Jewish religion–are only prefigurements of Christ. The first thing to be emphasized, because the writer is addressing people of Jewish background, is that Christ’s priesthood is on a higher plane than that of the priests of the Old Law. However, the argument applies not only to the priesthood of Aaron, to whose family all Israelite priests belonged, but also, indirectly, to all forms of priesthood before Christ. But there is a basic difference, in that whereas other priests were chosen by men, Aaron was chosen by God. Sacred Scripture introduces him as Moses’ brother (cf. Ex 6:20), acting as his interpreter to Pharaoh (because Moses was “slow of speech”: Ex 4:10; cf. 7:1-2) and joining him to lead the people out of Egypt (cf. Ex 4:27-30). After the Israelites left Egypt, God himself instituted the priesthood of Aaron to minister and carry out divine worship at the tabernacle and later at the temple in Jerusalem (cf. Ex 28:1-5).

Divine intervention, therefore, brought to a close the period when sacrifice was offered by the head of the family or the chief of the tribe and when no specific calling or external ordination rite was connected with priesthood. Thus, for example, in the Book of Genesis we read that Cain, and Abel, themselves offered sacrifices (cf. Gen 4:35), as did Noah after coming safely through the flood (cf. Gen 8:20); and the patriarchs often offered sacrifices to God in adoration or thanksgiving or to renew their Covenant–for example, Abraham (cf. Gen 12:8; 15:8-17; 22:1-13) and Jacob (cf. Gen 26:25; 33:20), etc.

Although for a considerable time after the institution of the Aaron priesthood, sacrifices continued to be offered also by private individuals–for example, in the period of the Judges, the sacrifice of Gideon (Judg 6: 18,25-26) or that of Samson’s parents (Judg 13:15-20)-- gradually the convictions grew that to be a priest a person had to have a specific vocation, one which was not given to anyone outside males of the line of Aaron (cf. Judg 17:7-13), whom God had chosen from out of all the people of Israel, identifying him by the sign of his rod sprouting buds (Num 17:16-24). God himself meted out severe punishment to Korah and his sons when they tried to set themselves up as rivals of Aaron: they were devoured by fire from heaven (cf. Num 16); and it was specified in Mosaic legislation time and time again that only the sons of Aaron could act as priests (cf. Num 3:10; 17:5; 18:7). This priesthood offered the sacrifices of Mosaic worship–the burnt offerings, cereal offerings, sin offerings and peace offerings (cf. Lev 6). To the descendants of Aaron, assisted by the Levites, was entrusted also the care of the tabernacle and the protection of the ark of the Covenant. They received their ministry and had it confirmed by the offering of sacrifice and by anointing of the man’s head and hands with oil (Ex 29; Lev 8-9; Num 3:3). For all these reasons Hebrew priests were honored and revered by the people and regarded (not without reason, because God had ordained them) as on a much higher plane than other priests particularly those of the peoples of Canaan, the priests of Baal, for example. In Christ’s time the high priest was the highest religious authority in Israel; his words were regarded as oracular statements, and his decisions could have important political repercussions.

However, Christ came with the very purpose of taking this ancient institution and transforming it into a new, eternal priesthood. Every Christian priest is, as it were, Christ’s instrument or an extension of his sacred humanity. Christian priests do not act in their own name, nor are they mere representatives of the people: they act in the name of God. “Here we have the priest’s identity: he is direct and daily instrument of the saving grace which Christ has won for us” ([St] J. Escriva, “In Love with the Church”, 39). It is really Christ who is acting through them by means of their words, gestures etc. All of this means that Christian priesthood cannot be separated from the eternal priesthood of Christ. This extension of God’s providence (in the form of the Old Testament priesthood and the priesthood instituted by Christ in the New Testament and the mission entrusted to New Testament priests) should lead us to love and honor the priesthood irrespective of the human defects and shortcomings of these ministers of God: “To love God and not venerate his Priests…is not possible” (St J. Escriva, “The Way”, 74).

 

[Fidelis]

Navarre Bible commentary–5th Sunday of Lent

Gospel Reading
**From: John 12:20-33

Jesus Foretells His Glorification (Continuation)
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[20] Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. [21] So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” [22] Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew went with Philip and they told Jesus. [23] And Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified. [24] “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. [25] He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. [26] If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there shall my servant be also; if any one serves me, the Father will honor him. [27] Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, for this purpose I have come to this hour. [28] Father, glorify thy name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” [29] The crowd standing by heard it and said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” [30] Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. [31] Now is the judgment of this world, now shall the ruler of this world be cast out; [32] and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” [33] He said this to show by what death he was to die.
*

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Commentary:*
**
20-23. **These “Greeks” approach Philip because seemingly this Apostle, who has a Greek name, must have understood Greek and been able to act as interpreter. If that was the case, then this is a very important moment because it means that people of a non-Jewish culture came in search of Christ: which would make them the firstfruits of the spread of the Christian faith in the hellenic world. This would make it easier to understand our Lord’s exclamation in v. 23, about his own glorification, which has to do not only with his being raised up to the right hand of the Father (cf. Phil 2:6-11) but also with his attracting all men to himself (cf. Jn 12:32).

Jesus refers to “the hour” on other occasions also. Sometimes he means the end of the world (cf. Mt 13:32; Jn 5:25); sometimes, as is the case here, it means the moment of Redemption through his death and glorification (cf. Mk 14:41; Jn 2:4; 4:23; 7:30; 8:20; 12:27; 13:1; 17:1).

Continued on the next post…

 

[Fidelis]

**24-25. **There is an apparent paradox here between Christ’s humiliation and his glorification. Thus, “it was appropriate that the loftiness of his glorification should be preceded by the lowliness of his passion” (St Augustine, “In Ioann. Evang.”, 51, 8).

This is the same idea we find in St Paul, when he says that Christ humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross, and that therefore God the Father exalted him above all created things (cf. Phil 2:8-9). This is a lesson and an encouragement to the Christian, who should see every type of suffering and contradiction as a sharing in Christ’s cross, which redeems us and exalts us. To be supernaturally effective, a person has to die to himself, forgetting his comfort and shedding his selfishness. “If the grain of wheat does not die, it remains unfruitful. Don’t you want to be a grain of wheat, to die through mortification, and to yield a rich harvest? May Jesus bless your wheatfield!” ([St] J. Escriva, “The Way”, 199).

26. Our Lord has spoken about his sacrifice being a condition of his entering into glory. And what holds good for the Master also applies to his disciples (cf. Mt 10:24; Lk 6:40). Jesus wants each of us to be of service to him. It is a mystery of God’s plan that he–who is all, who has all and who needs nothing and nobody–should choose to need our help to ensure that his teaching and the salvation wrought by him reaches all men.

"To follow Christ: that is the secret. We must accompany him so closely that we come to live with him, like the first Twelve did; so closely, that we become identified with him. Soon we will be able to say, provided we have not put obstacles in the way of grace, that we have put on, have clothed ourselves with our Lord Jesus Christ (cf. Rom 13:14). …]

“I have distinguished as it were four stages in our effort to identify ourselves with Christ–seeking him, finding him, getting to know him, loving him. It may seem clear to you that you are only at the first stage. Seek him then, hungrily; seek him within yourselves with all your strength. If you act with determination, I am ready to guarantee that you have already found him, and have begun to get to know him and to love him, and to hold your conversation in heaven (cf. Phil 3:20)” ([St] J. Escriva, “Friends of God”, 299-300).

**27. **The thought of the death that awaits him saddens Jesus, and he turns to the Father in a prayer very similar to that of Gethsemane (cf. Mt 26:39; Mk 14:36; Lk 22:42): our Lord, as man, seeks support in the love and power of his Father God, to be strengthened to fulfill his mission. We find this very consoling, for we often feel weak in moments of trial: like Jesus we should seek support in God’s strength, for “thou art my rock and my fortress” (Ps 31:4).

Concluded on the next post…

 

[Fidelis]

**
28.** “Glory” in Sacred Scripture implies God’s holiness and power; the “glory of God” dwelt in the sanctuary in the desert and in the temple of Jerusalem (cf. Ex 40:35; 1 Kings 8:11). The voice of the Father saying “I have glorified it and I will glorify it again” is a solemn ratification that the fullness of divinity dwells in Jesus (cf. Col 2:9; Jn 1:14) and that, through his passion, death and resurrection, it will be made patent, in his human nature itself, that Jesus is the Son of God (cf. Mk 15:39).

This episode evokes other occasions–at Christ’s baptism (cf. Mt 3:13-17 and par.) and his transfiguration (Mt 17: 1-5 and par.)–when God the Father bears witness to the divinity of Jesus.
**
31-33.** Jesus tells them the results that will flow from his passion and death. “Now is the judgment of this world”, that is, of those who persist in serving Satan, the “prince of this world”. Although ‘world’ means the totality of mankind whom Christ comes to save (cf. In 3:16-17), it also often means all that is opposed to God (cf. note on Jn 1:10), which is the sense it has here. On being nailed to the cross, Jesus is the supreme sign of contradiction for all men: those who recognize him as Son of God will be saved (cf Lk 23:39-43); those who reject him will be condemned. Christ crucified is the maximum expression of the Father’s love for us (cf. Jn 3:14-16; Rom 8:32), the sign raised on high which was prefigured in the bronze serpent raised up by Moses in the wilderness (cf. In 3:14; Num 21:9).

Our Lord on the cross, then, is the Judge who will condemn the world (cf. Jn 3:17) and the devil (cf. Jn 16:11); in fact they have provoked their own condemnation by not accepting or believing in God’s love. From the Cross the Lord will attract all men to himself, for all will be able to see him there, crucified.

“Christ our Lord was crucified; from the height of the cross he redeemed the world, thereby restoring peace between God and men. Jesus reminds all of us: 'et ego, si exaltatus fuero a terra, omnia traham ad meipsum” (Jn 12:32), and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to myself’. If you put me at the center of all earthly activities, he is saying, by fulfilling the duty of each moment, in what appears important and what appears unimportant, I will draw everything to myself. My kingdom among you will be a reality!" ([St] J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 183). Every Christian, following Christ, has to be a flag raised aloft, a light on a lampstand–through prayer and mortification, securely attached to the cross, always and in every situation, a sign to men of the saving love of God the Father.

"Through his Incarnation, through his work at Nazareth and his preaching and miracles in the land of Judea and Galilee, through his death on the Cross, and through his resurrection, Christ is the center of the universe, the firstborn and Lord of all creation.

“Our task as Christians is to proclaim this kingship of Christ, announcing it through what we say and do. Our Lord wants men and women of his own in all walks of life. Some he calls away from society, asking them to give up involvement in the world, so that they remind the rest of us by their example that God exists. To others he entrusts the priestly ministry. But he wants the vast majority to stay right where they are, in all earthly occupations in which they work–the factory, the laboratory, the farm, the trades, the streets of the big cities and the trails of the mountains” (“Ibid.”, 105).

32. “I will draw all men to myself”. The Latin Vulgate, following important Greek manuscripts, translates this as “omnia”, “all things”; the New Vulgate, using equally important and more numerous manuscripts, opts for “omnes”, “everyone”. There is no compelling reason for adopting one or other reading: in fact, both are theologically correct and neither excludes the other, for Christ attracts all creation to himself, but especially mankind (cf. Rom 8:18-23).

 

[Fidelis]

Ignatius Catholic Study Bible–5th Sunday of Lent

Second Reading
**From: Hebrews 5:7-9

Jesus the Great High Priest (cont.)
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[7] In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who has able to save him from death, and he was heard for his godly fear. [8] Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; [9] and being made perfect he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him.
*

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Commentary:*

**5:7 days of his flesh:** Recalls the agony of Jesus in Gethsemane (Mark 14:32-42) and possibly his suffering and prayers on the Cross (Mk 15:34; Lk 23:34, 46). offered up: The Greek term is closely linked with priestly sacrifices in Hebrews (5:1, 3; 8:3-4; 9:7, 9; etc.). **able to save him: **Jesus acknowledged that the Father, had he willed it, could have delivered him from torment and death (Mt 26:53; Mk 14:36).** he was heard: **The Father heeded the prayers of the Son, not by sparing him from the experience of death, but by rescuing him from death in the Resurrection (13:20). **godly fear:** The reverential fear of God proved stronger in Jesus than his human fear of death. His reverence was manifest as heroic obedience to the will of the Father (Mt 26:39; Phil 2:8) (CCC 612, 2606).

**5:8 learned obedience: **Not by trial and error, but from the experience of passing through the human trials and ordeals that test our commitment to God. ***** Christ, being eternally divine, possessed the fullness of knowledge from the first instant of his conception as a man. He was ignorant of nothing, so he could not learn anything new by simple recognition. But there is also knowledge acquired by experience, and in this sense he learned obedience through what he suffered. Having accepted our weakness, he learned how difficult it is to obey, for he obeyed in the most difficult of circumstances, even unto death on a cross (St. Thomas Aquinas,* Commentary on Hebrews*, 5, 2).