1962 Missal - Commentary on the Mass Readings: Sun, Mar 8 (3rd Sunday of Lent)

3rd Sunday of Lent

The epistle from the letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians, chapter 5, verses 1-9.

Brethren, be ye followers of God as most dear children, and walk in love, as Christ also

hath loved us, and hath delivered himself for us, an oblation and a sacrifice to God

for an odor of sweetness.

But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not so much as be named among you,

as become its saints, or obscenity, or foolish talking, or scurility, which is to no purpose,

but rather giving up thanks.

For know you this and understand that no fornicator or unclean or covetous person, which

is a serving of idols, hath inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

Let no man deceive you with vain words, for because of these things come at the anger

of God upon the children of unbelief, be ye not there for partakers with them, for you

were here to for darkness, but now light in the Lord.

Walk then as children of the light, for the fruit of the light is in all goodness and justice

and truth.

Hey dot commentary.

The Latin word for covetousness is generally taken for a coveting or immoderate desire

of money and riches.

St. Jerome and others observe that the Greek word in this and diverse other places in the

New Testament may signify any unsatiable desire, or the lusts of sensual pleasures.

And on this account, St. Jerome thinks that it is here joined with fornication and uncleanness.

But St. John Chrysostom shows that by the Greek word is understood avarice, or in a moderate

desire of riches, when he says that this sin is condemned by those words of Christ in

Luke 1613, you cannot serve both God and Maman.

What is here meant by the word obscenity, St. John Chrysostom tells us at large in the

moral exhortation after his 17th homily, gests with immodest suggestions or a double meaning,

and ralery or buffunery against the rules of good conversation.

This made use of by any but men of low condition and of a mean genius, which is not to the

purpose of a Christian who must give an account to God of all his words.

The covetous man is called an idolater whose idol is Maman, though it may also be set

of other sinners that the vices they are addicted to are their idols.

The apostle puts them in mind of the general judgment when the angel of God will on account

of their crimes of avarice, fornication, etc. fall on the children of unbelief by which

are meant the wicked.

He had before assured them that the perpetrators of such crimes would be excluded from the kingdom

of heaven, and now he moreover informs them that the severeist punishments will be inflicted

on such wicked persons.

Be ye not therefore partakers with them, do not imitate their wickedness or the wrath

of the Almighty will likewise fall on you.

By darkness is meant the state of infidelity into which they had been plunged so far as

to adore stones as God, and committed without remorse the above mentioned grievous sins,

but delivered by Christ from this darkness they have become light in the Lord, shining

in faith and justice.

The gospel from Luke 11 verses 14 through 28.

At that time Jesus was casting out a devil, and the same was dumb.

And when he had cast out the devil, the dumb spoke, and the multitudes were in admiration

at it.

But some of them said, he casteth out devils by piezelbub, the Prince of Devils, and others

tempting asked of him a sign from heaven.

But he, seeing their thoughts, said to them, every kingdom divided against itself shall

be brought to desolation, and house upon house shall fall.

And if Satan also be divided against himself, how shall this kingdom stand?

Because you say that through piezelbub I cast out devils.

But if I cast out devils by piezelbub by whom do your children cast them out, therefore

they shall be your judges.

But if I by the finger of God cast out devils, doubtless the kingdom of God has come upon you.

When a strong man armed keepeth his cord, those things are in peace which he possesseth.

But if a stronger than he come upon him and overcome him, he will take away all his armor

wherein he trusted, and will distribute his spoils.

He that is not with me is against me, and he that gathereth not with me, scattereth.

When the unclean spirit has gone out of the man, he walketh through places without water,

seeking rest, and not finding, he sayeth, I will return into my house once I came out.

And when he is come, he findeth it swept and garnished.

Then he goeth and takeeth with him, seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and entering

in they dwell there.

And the last state of that man becomes worse than the first.

And it came to pass as he spoke these things, a certain woman from the crowd lifting up her

voice said to him, blessed is the womb that bore thee, and the paps that gave thee suck.

But he said, yea, rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it.

Hayda Commentary

This possessed person is set in the gospel of Matthew to have also been blind.

Upon him therefore were wrought three wonders.

The blind saw, the dumb spoke, the possessed was delivered, which daily takes place in

the persons of such as are converted to the number of true believers.

The devil is expelled, and they both receive the light of faith beaming upon their eyes,

and having the strings of their silent organs loose to sound forth the praises of God.

So says venerable bead.

The multitude, though devoid of learning, were constant admirers of the actions of our

Lord, whilst the scribes and Pharisees either denied them, or by a sinister interpretation,

ascribe them to the power of the unclean spirit.

Therefore, they will be your judges.

They will condemn you of injustice, envy, and hatred against me, and blasphemy against

God, because when they perform any exorcisms, though they appear but little more than human

in their actions, yet you ascribe them to the virtue of God.

But when I perform any miracle, though they always appear most evident signs of the

power and virtue of God, you ascribe all to the hand and machinations of the devil.

By this one man is meant the whole Jewish people, out of whom the unclean spirit had been

driven by the law.

So says St. Ambrose.

For as long as they were in Egypt, they lived after the manners of the Egyptians, and

were the habitation of the unclean spirit.

But it was expelled from them when they slew the Paschalam in figure of Christ, and escaped

destruction by sprinkling themselves with its blood.

So says St. Cyril.

But the evil spirit returned to his former habitation, the Jews, because he saw them

devoid of virtue, barren, and open for his reception.

And their latter state is worse than their former.

For more wicked demons possess the breasts of the Jews than before.

Then they raged against the prophets only, but now they persecute the Lord himself of

the prophets.

Therefore have they suffered much greater extremities from Vespasian and Titus than from

Egypt and Babylon.

For besides being deprived of the merciful protection of providence, which before watched

over them, they are destitute of all grace and delivered up to a more poignant misery

and a more cruel tyranny of the devil.

So says St. John Chrysostom.

But these words are also addressed to us Christians, who may often and with reason fear

less the vice we think extinguished in us, again return and seize on our slothful and

careless souls, finding them cleansed indeed from the filth of sin by the grace of baptism,

but destitute of every ornamental and protective virtue.

It brings with it seven other evil spirits by which we must understand every vicious

inclination.

So says venerable bead.

The latter state of these souls is worse than the former, because having been delivered

from all former sins and adorned with grace, if they again return to their iniquities,

a much more grievous punishment will be due for every subsequent crime.

So says St. John Chrysostom.

Our Savior does not hear wish to deny what the woman said in praise of his mother, but

rather to confirm it.

Indeed how could he deny that his mother was blessed?

By these words he only wishes to tell his auditors what great advantage they might obtain

by attending to his words.

For the blessed Virgin, as St. Augustine says, was more happy in having our Savior in

her heart and affections than in having conceived him in her womb.

So says St. John Chrysostom.