PENTECOST SUNDAY
Christ makes good on His Promise. He has sent His Spirit, the Paraclete, and, Deo gratias, things will never be the same again for His holy Church is officially off and running in fulfilling His command to His disciples to preach the Gospel to all. Peace He has given them to spread not as the world perceives it even today when humanism is trumpeted from the highest echelons of the conciliarists. We must return to what our Lord taught and what His chosen apostles preached without compromise. Peace is only possible when grace flows. Only then can the Sanctifier reach souls. When God withdraws His graces and blessings, corruption and corrosion follow and all man-made institutions will crumble because they are not of divine design.
Comprehensive Catholic Commentary by Fr. George Leo Haydock provided by John Gregory
Editor's Note: We continue with this special feature provided by John Gregory with the Haydock Commentary found at the bottom of each page of the Douay-Rheims Bible. We publish it here in conjunction with the Epistle and Gospel for the Pentecost Sunday Mass in celebrating the birthday of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church as we see even more clearly with the cogent comprehensive Catholic Commentary penned by Father George Leo Haydock.
Epistle: Acts of the Apostles 2: 1-11
1 AND when the days of the Pentecost were accomplished, they were all together
in one place:
Commentary on Verse 1:
Altogether in one place. The Greek signifies, were all of one
mind. Wi.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a mighty wind coming, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
Commentary
on Verse 2: A sound, &
c. Perhaps this was a kind of thunder, accompanied with a great wind,
which filled with terror and awe the whole company, and disposed them to
receive the gift of heaven with humility and fervour. This noise appears to
have been heard over a great part of the city, and to have gathered together a
great crowd, who came to learn the cause. This noise and wind were symbols of
the divinity. It was thus also that formerly on Mount Sinai, thunder and
lightning, the dark cloud, the smoking mountain, & c. marked the majesty of
God. Calmet – Jesus Christ, our Pasch, to answer perfectly the figure, was
offered on the day of the great Jewish Passover; so fifty days after, for
accomplishing the like figure of the law given on Mount Sinai, He sent down the
Holy Ghost on the day of their Pentecost, which meaneth fifty. But our
feasts, as S. Augustin remarks, besides the remembrance of benefits past,
contain great mysteries also of the life to come. Ep. cxix. c. 16.
3 And there appeared to them parted tongues as it were of fire, and it sat upon every
one of them:
Commentary
on Verse 3: Tongues . . . of
fire. The Hebrews use the name tongue, for almost any thing pointed. Thus
they say, a tongue of the earth, for a promontory. Josue
xv. 5. A fiery tongue for a flame in shape of a tongue. Isa. V. 24. The
expression, therefore, in this place, may mean nothing more than sparks, or
rather flames, which appeared above all who were in the house. – Sed et Latinis
quod extremum et acutum est lingua dicitur, quare scopulos summos &
invios linguas dixit Caesar. P. – By the fiery tongues is signified the
efficacy of the apostles’ preaching, and the gift of tongues bestowed upon
them. M.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they began to speak with divers tongues, according as the Holy Ghost gave them to speak.
Commentary
on Verse 4: Began to speak
divers tongues. Perhaps the apostles spoke only their own tongue, and the
miracle consisted in each one’s understanding it as if they spoke it in his
language. S. Greg. Nazianzen. Orat. xliv. – But S. Augustin and most others,
understand the text literally; though the apostles had not this gift on all
occasions, nor on all subjects, and therefore sometimes stood in need of
interpreters. Vide S. Aug. in Psalm xvii. Expos. 2. and Serm. 188. – The same
Father observes, that the conversion of all nations to the Church, and their
being united in one faith, all having one language or confession, is a
perpetuation of the same miracle in the Church.
5 Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem, Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
6 And when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded in mind, because that every man heard them speak in his own tongue.
7 And they were all amazed, and wondered, saying: Behold, are not all these, that speak, Galileans?
8 And how have we heard, every man our own tongue wherein we were born?
9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
10
Phrygia, and Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome,
11 Jews also, and proselytes, Cretes,
and Arabians: we
have heard them speak in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.
Gospel: St. John 14: 23 – 31
23 At that time Jesus said to His disciples: If
any one love me, he
will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him,
and will make our abode with him.
24 He that loveth me not, keepeth not my words. And the word which you have heard, is not Mine; but the Father's who sent me.
25 These things have I spoken to you, abiding
with you.
Commentary
on Verse 23-25: Lord, how is it? Lit, what is done, or,
what will be done, that thou art about to manifest thyself to us, and not to
the world? This apostle imagined, that the Messias would make manifest his
glory of a temporal kingdom, not to them only, but to all the world. But
Christ, by his answer, lets him know, that he spoke only of a manifestation of
his love to those that loved him. If any man love me, my Father will love
him, and we will come to him, that is, the three divine persons, will come
to his soul, in a special manner, so as to bless him with an infusion of
graces, and make our abode in his soul.
26 But the Paraclete,
the Holy Ghost, whom the
Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring all things to your mind, whatsoever I shall have said to you.
Commentary
on Verse 26: The Paraclete,
the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, as proceeding also
from me: and therefore Christ saith, in the next chapter, (v. 26) that he himself
will send him from the Father. He will teach you all things, &
c. He will give you a more perfect knowledge of all those truths, which I
have taught you. Wi. – Teach you all things. Here the Holy Ghost is
promised to the apostles, and their successors, particularly, in order to teach
them all truth, and to preserve them from error. Ch. – The Scripture, in
different places, remarks, that the apostles did not understand the
accomplishment of prophecies, as soon as they were fulfilled. Luke xxiv. 27.
Thy could not draw the comparison between the actions of our Saviour, and the
figures of the old law: but no sooner had the Holy Ghost descended upon them,
than they explained the Scriptures, their hearts and eyes being opened and
enlightened, by the light of the Holy Spirit. Calmet. – See c. xvi. v. 12. and
13.
27 Peace I leave with you,
my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, do I give unto you.
Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid.
28 You have heard that I said to you: I go away, and I come unto you. If you loved me, you
would indeed be glad, because I
go to the Father: for the
Father is greater than I.
Commentary
on Verse 28: The Father is
greater than I. According to the common exposition, Christ here speaks of
himself, as made man, which interpretation is drawn from the circumstances of
the text, Christ being at that time, going to suffer, and die, and shortly
after to rise again, and ascend into heaven, all which agree with him, as man,
and according to his human nature. But the Arians can take no advantage from
these words, (though with divers of the ancient Fathers, we should allow them
to be spoken of Christ, as the Son of God:) the Father may be said in some
manner to be greater than the Son, if we consider the order of the divine
processions, that is, that the Father is the first person, and proceeds from no
other; whereas the Son proceeds from the Father. If any one, says S. Chrys. will contend, that the Father is greater, inasmuch as he is the cause, from which
the Son proceedeth, we will bear with him, and this way of speaking: provided
he grant that the Son is not of a different substance, or nature. S.
Athanasius allows the same, and takes notice, that though the Father is said to
be greater, yet he is not said to be better, nor more excellent, than the Son;
because they are one and the same in substance, nature, and other perfections.
Wi. – The enemies of the divinity of Christ here triumph, and think they have
the confession of Christ himself, that he is less than the Father. But if they
would distinguish the two natures of Christ, their arguments would all fall to
the ground. Jesus Christ, as man, and a creature, is inferior to his Father,
the Creator; but, as God, he is, in every respect, equal to him. S. Basil, S.
Aug. & c. – Others, likewise, answer it thus: Following the confused
opinion of the world, and even of the apostles themselves, who as yet only considered
Christ as a prophet, and as a man, eminent in virtue and sanctity, he was less
than the Father. S. Chrys. Leont. Theophyl. Euthym. – And likewise the title
of Father, (as we generally use the word) is greater, and much more honourable,
that that of Son; and in this respect, Christ is inferior to his Father. S.
Athanas. S. Hilar. S. Epiph. S. Greg. Nazianz. And S. Cyril. – But this
appellation, though really true, does not destroy the equality of the persons,
because Christ has declared, in numerous other places, that he is equal to the
Father; that he is in the Father; and that he and the Father are one. The
apostles ought to have rejoiced that Christ was going to the Father, who was
superior to him, considering him in his human nature; because, then, would the
Son shew forth his honour and glory to be equal to the Father’s, in heaven.
This would have been a mark of a pure, solid, and disinterested love, which
ought to have inspired the apostles, if they truly loved their divine Master.
Calmet. – Protestants assume to themselves the liberty of making the Bible
only, the exclusive rule of faith, yet refuse this privilege to others. Thus
Luther insisted, that his catechism should be taught, and followed. Calvin
burnt Servetus for explaining his faith, by his own private interpretation of
the Bible, particularly of these words, the Father is greater than I. The
Church of England compels every clergyman to swear to the Thirty-nine Articles,
and has inflicted the severest penalties on such as interpreted the Bible
according to the principles of Socinus; and on Catholics, who understand the
words of Jesus Christ, This is my body: this is my blood, in the literal
and obvious sense of the words. As long as each individual is at liberty to
expound Scripture by the private spirit, it is a great injustice to compel any
one, by penal laws, to yield his judgment to any authority, that is not less
fallible than his own.
29 And now I have told you before it comes to pass: that when it shall come to pass, you may believe.
30 I will
not now speak many things with you. For
the prince of this world cometh, and in me he
hath not any thing.
31 But that the world may know, that I love the Father: and as
the Father hath given me commandment, so
do I: Arise, let us go hence.
Commentary on Verse 31: As the Father hath given me commandment, so I
do. – He again speaks of himself, as man. Arise, let us go hence. Yet
by c. xviii. c. 1. Christ still continued the like instructions, either in the
same place, or in the way to Gethsemani. Wi.
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