Catena Aurea - Gospel of Mark - documentacatholicaomnia.eu

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by  St. Thomas Aquinas

Catena Aurea - Gospel of Mark
by
St. Thomas Aquinas
About Catena Aurea - Gospel of Mark by St. Thomas Aquinas
Title: Catena Aurea - Gospel of Mark
URL: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/aquinas/catena2.html
Author(s): Aquinas, Thomas, Saint (1225?-1274)
Whiston, William (Translator)
Publisher: Grand Rapids, MI: Christian Classics Ethereal Library
Print Basis: London: J.G.F. and J. Rivington, 1842
Date Created: 2000-07-09
General Comments: (tr. William Whiston)
CCEL Subjects: All; Classic; Bibles;
LC Call no: BS2555
LC Subjects: The Bible
New Testament
Special parts of the New Testament
Catena Aurea - Gospel of Mark St. Thomas Aquinas
Table of Contents
About This Book. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. ii
Title Page. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 1
Preface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 2
Gospel of Mark. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 3
Chapter 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 3
Chapter 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 27
Chapter 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 40
Chapter 4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 53
Chapter 5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 67
Chapter 6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 80
Chapter 7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 100
Chapter 8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 112
Chapter 9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 126
Chapter 10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 148
Chapter 11. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 168
Chapter 12. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 181
Chapter 13. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 195
Chapter 14. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 209
Chapter 15. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 236
Chapter 16. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 254
Indexes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 267
Index of Scripture References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 267
Index of Scripture Commentary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 269
Index of Pages of the Print Edition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 269
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St. Thomas Aquinas
Catena Aurea (Golden Chain)
Volume II.
J.G.F. and J. Rivington
London, 1842
Catena Aurea - Gospel of Mark St. Thomas Aquinas
PREFACE
The Remarks prefixed to the first volume of this Translation of the Aurea Catena, apply in their
substance to the following portion of it, which contains the Commentary on S. Mark. Wherever
the variations from the original writers were such as to destroy the sense of the passage, the true
reading has been followed, and has been placed in the margin. In other cases the text has been
translated, as it is found in S. Thomas.
Many of the passages ascribed to S. Chrysostom are not found in the works of that Father. Most
of these occur also in a Greek Catena on S. Mark, published by Possinus, from a MS. in the Library
of the Archbishop of Tolouse, and still more of them in the Edition which has been recently printed
by the Oxford University Press, from a MS. in the Bodleian. A Latin Version of this Catena or
Commentary had previously been published by Peltanus, and is found in the Bibliotheca Patrum;
and contains far the greater number of the same passages marked as S. Chrysostom’s in the Catena
Aurea. It is commonly ascribed to Victor of Antioch; though by some, with probability, to S. Cyril
of Alexandria. A Commentary on a portion of S. Mark published by Wastel, who gives the authorship
of it and of the Opus Imperfectum in Matthaeum to John of Jerusalem, also contains a number of
the same passages which S. Thomas ascribes to S. Chrysostom. Some of the extracts marked “Cyril”
are found in a Commentary of S. Cyril of Alexandria on S. Luke, lately published . by Mai.
The passages ascribed to S. Jerome, are taken from a Commentary found among his works, but
universally pronounced to be spurious. It has been ascribed to Pelagius, but with more probability
to Philippus Presbyter, a friend and disciple of S. Jerome. It is entirely mystical, and is in many
places hopelessly obscure.
For the translation of the Volume now presented to the reader, the Editors have to make their
acknowledgments to JOHN DOBBEE DALGAIRNS, M. A. of Exeter College.
J. H. N.
ERRATUM M.
P. 184. note 1. for A.D. 1417. read Paris 1517.
OXFORD
JOHN HENRY PARKER
J.G.F. AND J. RIVINGTON, LONDON;
MDCCCXLII
BAXTER, PRINTER, OXFORD
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Catena Aurea - Gospel of Mark St. Thomas Aquinas
Chapter 1
Ver. 1: The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
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Jerome, in Prolog: Mark the Evangelist, who served the priesthood in Israel, according to the flesh
a Levite, having been converted to the Lord, wrote his Gospel in Italy, shewing in it how even his
family benefited Christ. For commencing his Gospel with the voice of the prophetic cry, he shews
the order of the election of Levi, declaring that John the son of Zachariah was sent forth by the
voice of an angel, and saying, “The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”
Pseudo-Jerome: The Greek word ‘Evangelium’ means good tidings, in Latin it is explained, ‘bona
annunciatio,’ or, the good news; these terms properly belong to the kingdom of God and to the
remission of sins; for the Gospel is that by which comes the redemption of the faithful and the
beatitude of the saints.
But the four Gospels are one, and one Gospel in four. In Hebrew, His name is Jesus, in Greek,
Soter, in Latin, Salvator; but men say Christus in Greek, Messias in Hebrew, Unctus in Latin, that
is, King and Priest.
Bede, in Marc., i, 1: The beginning of this Gospel should be compared with that of Matthew, in
which it is said, “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham.”
But here He is called “the Son of God.”
Now from both we must understand one Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, and of man. And fitly the
first Evangelist names Him “Son of man,” the second, “Son of God,” that from less things our
sense may by degrees mount up to greater, and by faith and the sacraments of the human nature
assumed, rise to the acknowledgment of His divine eternity.
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Fitly also did He, who was about to describe His human generation, begin with a son of man,
namely, David or Abraham. Fitly again, he who was beginning his book with the first preaching
of the Gospel, chose rather to call Jesus Christ, “the Son of God;” for it belonged to the human
nature to take upon Him the reality of our flesh, of the race of the patriarchs, and it was the work
of Divine power to preach the Gospel to the world.
Hilary, de Trin., iii, 11: He has testified, that Christ was the Son of God, not in name only, but by
His own proper nature. We are the sons of God, but He is not a son as we are; for He is the very
and proper Son, by origin, not by adoption; in truth, not in name; by birth, not by creation.
2. As it is written in the Prophets, “Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare
thy way before thee.” [Mal 3:1]
3. “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths
straight.” [Isa 40:3]
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Bede: Being about to write his Gospel, Mark rightly puts first the testimonies of the Prophets, that
he might notify to all, that what he should write was to be received without scruple of doubt, in
that he shewed that these things were beforehand foretold by the Prophets. At once, by one and the
same beginning of his Gospel, he prepared the Jews, who had received the Law and the Prophets,
for receiving the grace of the Gospel, and those sacraments, which their own prophecies had foretold;
and he also calls upon the Gentiles, who came to the Lord by publishing of the Gospel, to receive
and venerate the authority of the Law and the Prophets; whence he says, “As it is written in the
prophet Isaiah, Behold, &c.”
Jerome: Hierom. ad Pammach, Epist 57: But this is not written in Isaiah, but in Malachi, the last
of the twelve prophets.
Pseudo-Chrys., Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.: But it may be said that it is a mistake of the writer.
Otherwise it may be said that he has compressed into one, two prophecies delivered in different
places by two prophets; for in the prophet Isaiah it is written after the story of Hezekiah, “The voice
of one crying in the wilderness;” but in Malachi, “Behold, I send mine angel.”
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The Evangelist therefore, taking parts of two prophecies, has put them down as spoken by Isaiah,
and refers them here to one passage, without mentioning, however, by whom it is said, “Behold, I
send mine angel.”
Pseudo-Aug., Quaest. nov. et vet. Test. lvii: For knowing that all things are to be referred to their
author, he has brought these sayings back to Isaiah, who was the first to intimate the sense.
Lastly, after the words of Malachi, he immediately subjoins, “The voice of one crying in the
wilderness,” in order to connect the words of each prophet, belonging as they do to one meaning,
under the person of the elder prophet.
Bede: Or otherwise, we must understand, that although these words are not found in Isaiah, still
the sense of them is found in many other places, and most clearly in this which he has subjoined,
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness.” For that which Malachi has called, the angel to be sent
before the face of the Lord, to prepare His way, is the same thing as Isaiah has said is to be heard,
“the voice of one crying in the wilderness, saying, Prepare ye the way of the Lord.”
But in each sentence alike, the way of the Lord to be prepared is proclaimed. It may be, too, that
Isaiah occurred to the mind of Mark, in writing his Gospel, instead of Malachi, as often happens;
which he would, however, without doubt correct, at least when reminded by other persons, who
might read his work whilst he was yet in the flesh; unless he though that, since his memory was
then ruled by the Holy Spirit, it was not without a purpose that the name of one prophet had occurred
to him instead of another. For thus whatsoever things the Holy Spirit spoke by the prophets are
implied each to have belonged to all, and all to each.
Jerome: By Malachi, therefore, the voice of the Holy Spirit resounds to the Father concerning the
Son, who is the countenance of the Father by which He has been known.
Bede: But John is called an angel not by community of nature, according to the heresy of Origen
[ed. note: Origen taught that all rational beings, angels, devils, and men, were of one nature, differing
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only in rank and condition, according to their deserts (in Joan, tom. ii, 17) and capable of change:
that men had once been angels: that angels took human nature to serve man, and that St. John
Baptist was an angel, quoting this text. (in Joan, ii, 25.) v Huet, Orig. II, qu. 5, No. 14, 24, 25], but
by the dignity of his office; for angel in Greek is in Latin, nuntius (note: messenger), by which
name that man is rightly called, who was sent by God, that he might bear witness of the light, and
announce to the world the Lord, coming in the flesh; since it is evident that all who are priests may
8 be their office of preaching the Gospel be called angels, as the prophet Malachi says, “The lips of
the priest keep knowledge, and they seek the law at his mouth, because he is the Angel of the Lord
of hosts.” [Mal 2:7]
Theophylact: The Forerunner of Christ, therefore, is call an angel, on account of his angelic life
and lofty reverence. Again, where he says, “Before thy face,” it is as if he said, Thy messenger is
near thee: whence is shewn the intimate connection of the Forerunner with Christ; for those walk
next to kings who are their greatest friends.
There follows, “Who will prepare thy way before thee.”
For by baptism he prepared the minds of the Jews to receive Christ.
Pseudo-Jerome: Or, “the way of the Lord,” by which He comes into men, in penitence, by which
God comes down to us, and we mount up to Him. And for this reason the beginning of John’s
preaching was, “Repent ye.”
Bede: But as John might be called an angel, because he went before the face of the Lord by his
preaching, so he might also be rightly called a voice, because, by his sound, he preceded the Word
of the Lord.
Wherefore there follows, “The voice of one crying, &c.”
For it is an acknowledged thing that the Only-Begotten Son is called the Word of the Father, and
even we, from having uttered words ourselves, know that the voice sounds first, in order that the
word may afterwards by heard.
Pseudo-Jerome: But it is called “the voice of one crying,” for we are wont to use a cry to deaf
persons, and to those afar off, or when we are indignant, all which things we know applied to the
Jews; for “salvation is far from the wicked,” and they “stopped their ears like deaf adders,” and
deserved to hear “indignation, and wrath, and tribulation” from Christ.
Pseudo-Chrys., Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.: But the prophecy, by saying, “In the wilderness,” plainly
shews that the divine teaching was not in Jerusalem, but in the wilderness, which was fulfilled to
the letter by John the Baptist in the wilderness of Jordan, preaching the healthful appearing of the
Word of God.
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The word of prophecy also shews, that besides the wilderness, which was pointed out by Moses,
where he made paths, there was another wilderness, in which it proclaimed that the salvation of
Christ was present.
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Pseudo-Jerome: Or else the voice and the cry is in the desert, because they were deserted by the
Spirit of God, as a house empty, and swept out; deserted also by prophet, priest, and king.
Bede: What he cried is revealed, in that which is subjoined, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make
his paths straight.” For whosoever preaches a right faith and good works, what else does he but
prepare the way for the Lord’s coming to the hearts of His hearers, that the power of grace might
penetrate these hearts, and the light of truth shine in them? And the paths he makes straight, when
he forms pure thoughts in the soul by the word of preaching.
Pseudo-Jerome: Or else, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord,” that is, act out repentance and preach
it; “make his paths straight,” that walking in the royal road, we may love our neighbours as ourselves,
and ourselves as our neighbours. For he who loves himself, and loves not his neighbour, turns aside
to the right; for many act well, and do not correct their neighbour well, as Eli.
He, on the other hand, who, hating himself, loves his neighbour, turns aside to the left; for many,
for instance, rebuke well, but act not well themselves, as did the Scribes and Pharisees.
“Paths” are mentioned after the “way” because moral commands are laid open after penitence.
Theophylact: Or, the “way” is the New Testament, and the “paths” are the Old, because it is a
trodden path. For it was necessary to be prepared for the way, that is, for the New Testament; but
it was right that the paths of the Old Testament should be straightened.
4. John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of
sins.
5. And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized
of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.
6. And John was clothed with camel’s hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did
eat locusts and wild honey;
7. And preached, saying, “There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes
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I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose.
8. I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.”
Pseudo-Jerome: According to the above-mentioned prophecy of Isaiah, the way of the Lord is
prepared by John, through faith, baptism, and penitence; the paths are made straight by the rough
marks of the hair-cloth garment, the girdle of skin, the feeding on locusts and wild honey, and the
most lowly voice; whence it is said, “John was in the wilderness.”
For John and Jesus seek what is lost in the wilderness; where the devil conquered, there he is
conquered; where man fell, there he rises up.
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