january 2015 newsletter catholicismedu

Catholic ismedu

Born at Cartagena, Spain, about 560; died 4 April, 636. Isidore was the son of Seve-rianus and Theodora. His elder brother Leander was his immediate predecessor in the Metropolitan See of Seville; whilst a younger brother St. Fulgentius pre-sided over the Bishopric of Astigi. His sister Florentina was a nun, and is said to have ruled over forty con-vents and one thousand reli-gious. Isidore received his elementary education in the Cathedral school of Seville. In this institution, which was the first of its kind in Spain, the trivium and quadrivium were taught by a body of learned men, among whom was the archbishop, Lean-der. With such diligence did he apply himself to study that in a remarkably short

time mastered Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. Whether Isidore ever em-braced monastic life or not is still an open question, but though he himself may never have been affiliated with any of the religious orders, he esteemed them

highly. On his elevation to the episcopate he immedi-ately constituted himself protector of the monks. In 619 he pronounced anath-ema against any ecclesias-tic who should in any way molest the monasteries. On the death of Leander,

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SA I N T O F T H E M O N T H SA I N T IS I D O R E O F S E VI L L E

January 2015

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

Saint of month 1-7

Classic literature 7-8

Psalm of month 8-9

Saints of month 9-12

Proverb of month 12

Mass readings 13-14

Papal encyclical 14

Pope of month 15-23

Matthew 12:46 24-26

mission 27

Monthly bible 27-29

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U P C O M I N G E V E N T S

Discernment Retreat With the Religious Teachers Filippini Single women ages 17 - 33 Come to the Quiet A mix of peaceful reflective quiet with Adoration, Mass and communal prayer experi-

ences. Spend some time with the Lord on the Jer-sey shore! Friday, January 16 (7PM) thru Sunday, January 18 (11AM) 2015 Thinking about religious life…. Wondering what

religious life is all about… Praying to know God’s Will in your life… This is the retreat for you. CONTACT: Sister Shirlee 917-349-7935 or Email - [email protected]

St isidore of seville

Isidore succeeded to the See of Seville. His long incum-bency to this office was spent in a period of disintegration and transition. The ancient institutions and classic learn-ing of the Roman Empire were fast disappearing. In Spain a new civilization was beginning to evolve itself from the blending racial ele-ments that made up its popu-lation. For almost two centu-ries the Goths had been in full control of Spain, and their barbarous manners and con-tempt of learning threatened greatly to put back her pro-gress in civilization. Realizing that the spiritual as well as the material well-being of the nation depended on the full assimilation of the foreign elements, St. Isidore set him-self to the task of welding into a homogeneous nation the various peoples who made up the Hispano-Gothic kingdom. To this end he availed himself of all the re-sources of religion and edu-cation. His efforts were at-tended with complete suc-cess. Arianism, which had taken deep root among the Visigoths, was eradicated, and the new heresy of Acephales was completely stifled at the very outset; reli-gious discipline was every-where strengthened. Like Leander, he took a most prominent part in the Coun-cils of Toledo and Seville. In all justice it may be said that it was in a great measure due to the enlightened statecraft of these two illustrious broth-

ers the Visigothic leg-islation, which ema-nated from these councils, is regarded by modern historians as exercising a most important influence on the beginnings of representative gov-ernment. Isidore pre-sided over the Sec-ond Council of Seville, be-gun 13 November, 619, in the reign of Sisebut. But it was the Fourth National Council of Toledo that af-forded him the opportu-nity of being of the great-est service to his county. At this council, begun 5 December, 633, all the bishops of Spain were in attendance. St. Isidore, though far advanced in years, presided over its deliberations, and was the originator of most of its enactments. It was at this council and through his influence that a decree was promulgated com-manding all bishops to establish seminaries in their Cathedral Cities, along the lines of the school already existing at Seville. Within his own jurisdiction he had availed himself of the resources of education to counteract the growing influence of Gothic barbarism. His was the quickening spirit that animated the educational movement of which Seville was the centre. The study of Greek and He-brew as well as the liberal

arts, was prescribed. Inter-est in law and medicine was also encouraged. Through the authority of the fourth council this pol-icy of education was made obligatory upon all the bishops of the kingdom. Long before the Arabs had awakened to an apprecia-tion of Greek Philosophy, he had introduced Aristotle to his countrymen. He was the first Christian writer to essay the task of compiling for his co-religionists a summa of universal knowl-edge. This encyclopedia epitomized all learning, ancient as well as modern. In it many fragments of classical learning are pre-served which otherwise had been hopelessly lost. The fame of this work im-parted a new impetus to encyclopedic writing, which bore abundant fruit in the

S A I N T I S I D O R E O F S E V I L L E

St. Isidore set himself

to the task of welding

into a homogeneous

nation the various

peoples who made

up the Hispano-

Gothic kingdom.

isidore

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subsequent centuries of the Middle Ages. His style, though simple and lucid, cannot be said to be classi-cal. It discloses most of the imperfections peculiar to all ages of transition. It particu-larly reveals a growing Visi-gothic influence. Arévalo counts in all Isidore's writing 1640 Spanish words. Isidore was the last of the ancient Christian Philosophers, as he was the last of the great Latin Fathers. He was un-doubtedly the most learned man of his age and exercised a far-reaching and immeas-urable influence on the edu-cational life of the Middle Ages. His contemporary and friend, Braulio, Bishop of Saragossa, regarded him as a man raised up by God to save the Spanish people from the tidal wave of bar-barism that threatened to inundate the ancient civiliza-tion of Spain, The Eighth Council of Toledo (653) re-corded its admiration of his character in these glowing terms: "The extraordinary doctor, the latest ornament of the Catholic Church, the most learned man of the latter ages, always to be named with reverence, Isi-dore". This tribute was en-dorsed by the Fifteenth Council of Toledo, held in 688. Works As a writer, Isi-dore was prolific and versa-tile to an extraordinary de-gree. His voluminous writ-ings may be truly said to constitute the first chapter of Spanish literature. It is

not, however, in the ca-pacity of an original and independent writer, but as an indefatigable com-piler of all existing knowl-edge, that literature is most deeply indebted to him. The most important and by far the best-known of all his writings is the "Etymologiae", or "Origines", as it is some-times called. This work takes its name from the subject-matter of one of its constituent books. It was written shortly before his death, in the full maturity of his wonderful scholar-ship, at the request. of his friend Braulio, Bishop of Saragossa. It is a vast store-house in which is gathered, systematized, and con-densed, all the learning possessed by his time. Throughout the greater part of the Middle Ages it was the textbook most in use in educational institu-tions. So highly was it re-garded as a depository of classical learning that in a great measure, it super-seded the use of the indi-vidual works of the classics themselves. Not even the Renaissance seemed to diminish the high esteem in which it was held, and ac-cording to Arévalo, it was printed ten times between 1470 and 1529. Besides these numerous reprints, the popularity of the "Etymologiae" gave rise to many inferior imitations. It furnishes, abundant evi-

dence that the writer pos-sessed a most intimate knowledge of the Greek and Latin poets. In all, he quotes from one hundred and fifty-four authors, Christian and pagan. Many of these he had read in the originals and the others he consulted in current compi-lations. In style this ency-clopedic work is concise and clear and in order, ad-mirable. Braulio, to whom Isidore sent it for correc-tion, and to whom he dedi-cated it, divided it into twenty books. The first three of these books are taken up with the trivium and quadrivium. The entire first book is devoted to grammar, including metre. Imitating the example of Cassiodorus and Boethius he preserves the logical tradition of the schools by reserving the second book

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he had read in the

originals and the

others he consulted

in current

compilations.

Isidore statue

book

for rhetoric and dialectic. Book four, treats of medi-cine and libraries; book five, of law and chronology; book six, of ecclesiastical books and offices; book seven, of God and of the heavenly and earthly hierarchies; book eight, of the Church and of the sects, of which latter he numbers no less than sixty-eight; book nine, of lan-guages, peoples, kingdoms, and official titles; book ten, of etymology: book eleven, of man; book twelve, of beasts and birds; book thir-teen, of the world and its parts; book fourteen, of physical geography; book fifteen, of public buildings and roadmaking; book six-teen, of stones and metals; book seventeen, of agricul-ture; book eighteen, of the terminology of war, of juris-prudence, and public games; book nineteen, of ships, houses, and clothes; book twenty, of victuals, domestic and agricultural tools, and furniture. In the second book, dealing with dialectic and rhetoric, Isidore is heav-ily indebted to translations from the Greek by Boethius. Caelius Aurelianus contrib-utes generously to that part of the fourth book which deals with medicine. Lactan-tius is the author most ex-tensively quoted in the elev-enth book, concerning man. The twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth books are largely based on the writings of Pliny and Solinus; whilst the

lost "Prata" of Sueto-nius seems to have inspired the general plan of the "Etymologiae", as well as many of its details. Similar in its general character to the "Etymologiae" is a work entitled "Libri duo differentiarum". The two books of which it is composed are entitled re-spectively, "De differentiis verborum" and "De differen-tiis rerum". The former is a dictionary of synonyms, treating of the differences of words with considerable erudition, and not a little ingenuity; the latter an ex-position of theological and ascetical ideas, dealing in particular with the, Trinity and with the Divine and hu-man nature of Christ. It sug-gests, and probably was in-spired by, a similar work of Cato's, It is supplementary to the first two books of the "Etymologiae". The "Synonyma", or, as it is sometimes called on ac-count of its peculiar treat-ment, "Liber lamenta-tionum", is in a manner illus-trative of the first book of the "Differentiae". It is cast in the form of a dialogue between Man and Reason. The general burden of the dialogue is that Man mourns the condition to which he has been reduced through sin, and Reason comforts him with the knowledge of how he may still realize eter-

nal happiness. The second part of this work consists of a dissertation on vice and virtue. The "De natura rerum" a manual of ele-mentary physics, was composed at the request of King Sisebut, to whom it is dedicated. It treats of astronomy, geography, and miscellanea. It is one of Isidore's best known books and enjoyed a wide popularity during the Mid-dle Ages. The authenticity of "De ordine creatura-rum" has been questioned by some critics, though apparently without good reason. Arévalo unhesitat-ingly attributes it to Isi-dore. It deals with various spiritual and physical questions, such as the Trinity, the consequences of sin, eternity, the ocean, the heavens, and the ce-

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book sixteen, of

stones and metals;

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SCH E D U LE O F E VE NT S

• January 16th-18th religious discern-ment retreat.

is regarded as the chief au-thority on Gothic history in the West. It contains the interesting statement that the Goths de-scended from Gog and Ma-gog. Like the other Historical writings of Isidore, it is largely based on earlier works of history, of which it is a compen-dium. It has come down to us in two recensions, one of which ends at the death of Sisebut (621), and the other continues to the fifth

lestial bodies. The subjects of history and biography are represented by three impor-tant works. Of these the first, "Chronicon", is a uni-versal chronicle. In its pref-ace Isidore acknowledges, his indebtedness to Julius Africanus; to St. Jerome's rendering of Eusebius; and to Victor of Tunnuna. The "Historia de regibus Gotho-rum, Wandalorum, et Suevorum" concerns itself chiefly with the Gothic kings whose conquests and gov-ernment deeply influenced the civilization of Spain. The history of the Vandals and the Suevi is treated in two short appendixes. This work

year of the reign of Swin-tila, his successor. "De viris illustribus" is a work of Christian biography and constitutes a most inter-esting chapter in the litera-ture of patrology. To the number of illustrious writ-ers mentioned therein


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Braulio added the name of Isidore himself. A short ap-pendix containing a list of Spanish theologians was added by Braulio's disciple, Ildephonsus of Toledo. It is the continuation of the work of Gennadius, a Semipela-gian priest of Marseilles, who wrote between 467 and 480. This work of Gennadius was in turn, but the con-tinuation of the work of St. Jerome. Among the scrip-tural and theological works of St. Isidore the following are especially worthy of note: "De ortu et obitu patrum qui in Scriptura laudibus efferuntur" is a work that treats of the more notable Scriptural charac-ters. It contains more than one passage that, in the light of modern scholarship, is naive or fantastic. The ques-tion of authenticity has been raised, though quite unrea-sonably, concerning it. "Allegoriae quaedam Sacrae Scripturae" treats of the al-legorical significance that attaches to the more con-spicuous characters of Scrip-ture. In all some two hun-dred and fifty personalities of the Old and New Testa-ment are thus treated. "Liber numerorum qui in Sanctis Scripturis occurrunt" is a curious dissertation on the mystical significance of Scriptural numbers. "In li-bros Veteris et Novi Testa-menti prooemia", as its name implies, is a general introduction to the Scrip-tures, with special introduc-

tions for particular books in the Old and New Testament. "De Veteri et Novo Testa-mento quastiones" consists of a series of questions concerning the Scriptures. "Secretorum exposi-tiones sacramento-rum, seu quaestiones in Vetus Testamentum" is a mystical rendering of the Old Testament books, of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Josue, Judges, Kings, Es-dras, and Machabees. It is based on the writings of the early Fathers of the Church. "De fide catholica ex Veteri et Novo Testa-mento, contra Judaeos" is one of the best known and most meritorious of Isi-dore's works. It is of an apologetico-polemical char-acter and is dedicated to Florentina, his sister, at whose request it is said to have been written. Its popularity was unbounded in the Middle Ages, and it was translated into many of the vernaculars of the pe-riod. It treats of the Messi-anic prophecies, the pass-ing of the Old Law, and of the Christian Dispensation. The first part deals with the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, and His re-turn for the final judgment. The second part is taken up with the unbelief of the Jews, the calling of the Gentiles, and the passing of the Sabbath. In all, it is an

appeal to the Jews to ac-cept Christianity. "Sententiarum libri tres" is a compendium of moral and dogmatic theology. Gregory the Great and St. Augustine are the most generous contributors to its contents. The Divine attributes, creation, evil, and miscellanea are the subjects treated in the first book. The second is of a miscellaneous character; whilst the third deals with ecclesiastical orders, the judgment and the chas-tisement of God. It is be-lieved that this work greatly influenced Peter Lombard in his famous "Book of Sentences", "De ecclesiasticis officiis" is divided into two books, "De origine officiorum" and "De origine minis-trorum". In the first Isi-dore treats of Divine wor-


in the light of

modern scholarship,

is naive or fantastic.

prayer

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ship and particularly the old Spanish Liturgy. It also Con-tains a lucid explanation of the Holy, Eucharist. The sec-ond treats of the hierarchy of the Church and the vari-ous states of life. In it much interesting information is to be found concerning the development of music in general and its adaptation to the needs of the Ritual. "Regula monachorum" is a manner of life prescribed for monks, and also deals in a general way with the mo-nastic state. The writer fur-nishes abundant proof of the true Christian democ-racy of the religious life by providing for the admission of men of every rank and station of life. Not even slaves were debarred. "God", he said, "has made no difference between the soul of the slave and that of

the freedman." He insists that in the monastery all are equal in the sight of God and of the Church. The first edition of the works of Isidore was pub-lished in folio by Michael Somnius (Paris, 1580). Another edition that is quite complete is based upon the manuscripts of Gomez, with notes by Perez and Grial (Madrid, 1599). Based largely upon the Madrid edition is that published by Du Breul (Paris, 1601; Cologne, 1617). The last edition of all the works of Isidore, which is also regarded as the best, is that of Arévalo (7 vols., Rome, 1797-1803). It is found in P.L., LXXXI-LXXXIV. The "De natura rerum" was edited by G. Becker (Berlin, 1857). Th. Mommsen ed-

ited the historical writings of St. Isidore ("Mon. Germ. Hist.: Auct. antiquiss.", Ber-lin, 1894). Coste produced a German translation of the "Historia de regibus Gotho-rum, Wandalorum et Suevorum" (Leipzig, 1887). O'Connor, John Bonaventure.

"St. Isidore of Seville." The

Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 8.

New York: Robert Appleton

Company, 1910. 24 Dec.

2014

<http://www.newadvent.org/c

athen/08186a.htm>.

ers rather than good. Per-fect men, however, do not readily believe every tale-bearer, because they know that human frailty is prone to evil and is likely to appear in speech. Not to act rashly or to cling obstinately to one’s opin-ion, not to believe every-thing people say or to spread abroad the gossip one has heard, is great wisdom. Take counsel with a wise and conscien-tious man. Seek the advice

The Imitation of Christ by Thomas A'Kempis This book can be downloaded for free here: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/kempis/imitation.html. Book one: Thoughts helpful in the life of the soul. Chapter 4: Prudence in ac-tion. DO NOT yield to every im-pulse and suggestion but con-sider things carefully and pa-tiently in the light of God’s will. For very often, sad to say, we are so weak that we believe and speak evil of oth-

of your betters in prefer-ence to following your own inclinations. A good life God, the wiser and the more at peace he will be in all things. Chapter 5: Reading the Holy scripture


C L A S S I C C A T H O L I C L I T E R A T U R E I M I T A T I O N O F C H R I S T B Y T H O M A S A Q U I N A S

DO NOT yield to

every impulse and

suggestion but

consider things

carefully and

patiently in the light

of God’s will. F

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TRUTH, not eloquence, is to be sought in reading the Holy Scriptures; and every part must be read in the spirit in which it was written. For in the Scriptures we ought to seek profit rather than polished diction. Like-wise we ought to read sim-ple and devout books as willingly as learned and pro-found ones. We ought not to be swayed by the authority of the writer, whether he be a great literary light or an insignificant person, but by the love of simple truth. We ought not to ask who is speaking, but mark what is said. Men pass away, but the truth of the Lord re-mains forever. God speaks to us in many ways without regard for persons. Our curi-osity often impedes our reading of the Scriptures, when we wish to under-stand and mull over what we ought simply to read and

pass by. If you would profit from it, there-fore, read with humil-ity, simplicity, and faith, and never seek a reputation for being learned. Seek willingly and listen attentively to the words of the saints; do not be dis-pleased with the say-ings of the ancients, for they were not made with-out purpose. Chapter 6: unbridled affec-tions WHEN a man desires a thing too much, he at once becomes ill at ease. A proud and avaricious man never rests, whereas he who is poor and humble of heart lives in a world of peace. An unmortified man is quickly tempted and overcome in small, trifling evils; his spirit is weak, in a measure carnal and in-clined to sensual things; he

can hardly abstain from earthly desires. Hence it makes him sad to forego them; he is quick to anger if reproved. Yet if he satisfies his desires, remorse of con-science overwhelms him because he followed his passions and they did not lead to the peace he sought. True peace of heart, then, is found in re-sisting passions, not in sat-isfying them. There is no peace in the carnal man, in the man given to vain at-tractions, but there is peace in the fervent and spiritual man.

5 Or rest to my temples: until I find out a place for the Lord, a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.

6 Behold we have heard of it in Ephrata: we have found it in the fields of the wood.

7 We will go into his taber-nacle: we will adore in the place where his feet stood.

8 *Arise, O Lord, into thy resting place: thou and the ark, which thou hast sancti-fied.

A prayer for the fulfilling of the promise made to David.

1 A gradual canticle. O Lord, remember David, and all his meekness.

2 How he swore to the Lord, he vowed a vow to the God of Jacob.

3 *If I shall enter into the tabernacle of my house: if I shall go up into the bed wherein I lie:

4 If I shall give sleep to my eyes, or slumber to my eye-lids,

9 Let thy priests be clothed with justice: and let thy saints rejoice.

10 For thy servant David's sake, turn not away the

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True peace of heart,

then, is found in

resisting passions,

not in satisfying

them.

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face of thy anointed.

11 The Lord hath sworn truth to David, and he will not make it void: *of the fruit of thy womb I will set

upon thy throne.

12 If thy children will keep thy covenant, and these my testimonies, which I shall teach them: Their children also for evermore shall sit upon thy throne.

13 For the Lord hath chosen Sion: he hath chosen it for his dwelling.

14 This is my rest for ever

and ever: here will I dwell, for I have chosen it.

15 Blessing, I will bless her widow: I will satisfy her poor with bread.

16 I will clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall rejoice with exceedingly great joy.

17 *There will I bring forth a horn to David: I have pre-pared a lamp for my anointed.

18 His enemies I will clothe with confusion: but upon him shall my sanctification

flourish.

3: 2 Kings vii. 2.

8: 2 Par. vi. 41.

11: 2 Kings vii. 12.; Luke i. 53.; Acts ii. 30.

17: Malac. iii. 1.; Luke i. 69.

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January 1st-The Circumcision of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Octave of His Nativity. At Rome, St. Almachius, martyr, martyrdom of thirty holy soldiers, St. Martina, virgin, mar-tyr. At Spoleto, St. Concordius, priest and martyr, St. Magnus, martyr. At Caesarea, in Cappadocia, St. Basil, bishop, In Africa, St. Fulgentius, bishop of Ruspoe, At Chieti, in Abruzzo,St. Justin*, bishop, In the diocese of Lyons, in the monastery of St. Claude, St. Eugendus, abbot, At Souvigny, St. Odilo, abbot of Cluny, In Tuscany, on Mount Senario, blessed Bonfilius, confessor, At Alexandria,St. Euphrosyna, virgin. January 2nd- The Octave of St. Stephen, the first martyr. At Rome, the commemoration of many holy martyrs, At Antioch, the passion of blessed Isidore, bishop. At Tomis, in Pontus, three holy brothers, martyrs, Argeus, Narcissus, and the young man Marcellinus. At Milan, St. Martinian, bishop. In Nitria, in Egypt, blessed Isidore, bishop and confessor. St. Siridion, bishop. In Thebais, St. Macarius of Alexandria, abbot. January 3rd- The Octave of St. John, apostle and evangelist. At Rome, pope St. Anterus, St. Peter martyr, the holy martyrs Cyrinus, Primus, and Theogenes. At Caesarea, St. Gor-dius, centurion, In Cilicia, the holy martyrs Zozimus, and the notary Athanasius. Saints Theopemptus and Theonas martyrs, At Padua, St. Daniel, martyr. At Vienne, in France, St. Florentius, bishop, martyr. At Paris, St. Genevieve, virgin. January 4th- The Octave of the Holy Innocents. In Crete, of St. Titus, At Rome, the holy martyrs Priscus, priest, Priscillian, cleric, and Benedicta, Dafrosa, At Bologna, the Saints Hermes, Aggoeus, and Caius, martyrs, At Adrumetum, in Africa, St. Mavilus, martyr, in Africa, martyrs Aquilinus, Geminus, Eugenius, Marcian, Quinctus, Theodotus, and Try-phon. At Langres, St. Gregory, At Rheims, in France, St. Rigobertus, bishop and confessor. January 5th- The vigil of the Epiphany of our Lord. At Rome,St. Telesphorus, pope, mar-tyr. In Egypt, many holy martyrs, At Antioch, St. Simeon, monk, In England, St. Edward, king, At Alexandria, St. Syncletica, At Rome, the holy virgin Emiliana, St. Apollinaris, vir-gin. January 6th- The Epiphany of Our Lord. In the diocese of Rheims, the martyrdom of St.

For the Lord hath chosen Sion: he hath chosen it for his dwelling.

quote

Macra, virgin, In Africa, the commemoration of many holy martyrs, At Rennes, in France, St. Melanius, bishop and confessor, At Florence, St. Andrew Corsini, a Florentine Carme-lite and bishop of Fiesoli. At Geris, in Egypt, St. Nilammon, anchoret. January 7th- The bringing back of the Child Jesus from Egypt. blessed Lucian, a priest, martyr, At Antioch, St. Clerus, deacon, martyr. In the city of Heraclea, the holy martyrs Felix and Januarius. St. Julian, martyr. In Denmark, St. Canute, king and martyr. At Pavia, St. Crispin, bishop and confessor. In Dacia, St. Nicetas, bishop, In Egypt, St. Theodore, a saintly monk, At Barcelona, St. Raymond of Pennafort, of the Order of Preachers. January 8th- At Beauvais, in France, the holy martyrs Lucian, priest, Maximian and Julian. St. Eugenian, martyr. In Lybia, the holy martyrs Theophilus, deacon, and Helladius, At Venice, the demise of blessed Lawrence Justinian, confessor, At Hierapolis, in Asia, St. Apollinaris, bishop, At Naples, in Campania, St. Severin. January 9th- At Antioch, Saints Julian, martyr, and Basilissa, Anthony, a priest, and Anas-tasius, Celsus, Marcionilla, seven brothers, and many others. In Mauritania Caesariensis (now Algeria), St. Marciana, virgin, martyr, At Smyrna, the holy martyrs Vitalis, Revoca-tus, and Fortunatus. In Africa, the holy martyrs Epictetus, Jucundus, Secundus, Vitalis, Felix, and seven others. At Sebaste, in Armenia, St. Peter, bishop, brother of St. Basil the Great. At Ancona, St. Marcellinus, bishop. January 10th- At Cyprus, blessed Nicanor, At Rome, pope St. Agatho, At Bourges, in Aquitaine, St. William, archbishop and confessor, At Milan, St. John the Good, bishop and confessor. In Thebais, the birthday of St. Paul, the first hermit, At Constantinople, St. Marcian, priest. In the monastery of Cusani, the birthday of St. Peter Urseolus (Orsini), confessor. January 11th- At Rome, St. Hyginus, pope, martyr. In Africa, blessed Salvius, martyr, At Alexandria, the holy martyrs Peter, Severus, and Leucius. At Fermo, in the Marches, St. Alexander, bishop and martyr. At Amiens, St. Salvius, bishop and martyr. At Brindisi, St. Leucius, bishop and confessor. In Cappadocia, in a village called Magariassum, St. Theo-dosius, abbot, In Thebais, St.Palaemon, abbot, At Suppentonia, near Mount Soractes, the holy monk Anastasius, and his companions, At Pavia, St. Honorata, virgin. January 12th- At Rome, St. Tatiana, martyr, In Achaia, St. Satyrus, martyr. In Africa, the holy martyrs Zoticus, Rogatus, Modestus, Castulus, and forty soldiers. At Constantinople, the Saints Tygrius, priest, and Eutropius, lector, At Tivoli, St. Zoticus, martyr. At Ephesus, the passion of forty-two holy monks, At Ravenna, St. John, bishop and confessor. At Ve-rona, St. Probus, bishop. In England, St. Benedict, abbot and confessor. January 13th- The Octave of the Epiphany of Our Lord. At Rome, on the Lavican road, forty holy soldiers martyrs, In Sardinia, St. Potitus, martyr, At Cordova, the holy martyrs Gumesindus, priest, and Servideus, monk. At Poitiers, in France, St. Hilary, bishop and confessor of the Catholic faith, At Caesarea, in Cappadocia, St. Leontius, a bishop, At Treves, St. Agritius, bishop. In the monastery of Verzy, St. Viventius, confessor. At Amasea, in Pontus, St. Glaphyra, virgin. At Milan, in the monastery of St. Martha, blessed Veronica of Binasco, virgin of the Order of St. Augustine. January 14th- St. Hilary, bishop of Poitiers and confessor, At Nola, in Campania, St. Felix, priest, In Judaea, St. Malachy, prophet. On Mount Sinai, thirty-eight holy monks, martyrs. In Egypt, in the district of Raithy, forty-three holy monks,martyrs, At Milan, St. Datius, bishop and confessor, In Africa, St. Euphrasius, bishop. In Syria, At Neocaesarea, in Pontus, St. Macrina. January 15th- St. Paul, the first hermit, In Judaea, the holy prophets Habacue and Michaeas, At Anagni, St. Secundina, virgin and martyr, At Cagliari, in Sardinia, St.


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CATHOLICISM EDU

Ephisius, martyr, At Nola, in Campania, St. Maximus, bishop. At Clermont, in Auvergne, St. Bonitus, bishop and confessor. In Egypt, St. Macarius, abbot, At Rome, St. John Caly-bita.

January 16th- At Rome, pope St. Marcellus, a martyr, At Morocco, in Africa, holy martyrs of the Order of Minorites, Berard, Peter, Accursius, Adjutus, and Otto. At Arles, St. Hon-oratus, bishop and confessor, At Oderzo, St. Titian, bishop and confessor. At Rhinocolura, in Egypt, bishop, martyr Melas, At Fundi, in Campania, St. Honoratus, abbot, In the mon-astery of Peronne, St. Fursey, confessor. At Rome, St. Priscilla. January 17th- At Thebais, St. Anthony, abbot At Langres, saints Speusippus, martyrs. At Bourges, St. Sulpicius, At Rome, in the monastery of St. Andrew, the blessed monks An-thony, Merulus, and John. January 18th- The Chair of the apostle St. Peter. St. Prisca, virgin and martyr, In Pontus, holy martyrs Moseus and Ammonius, soldiers, St. Athenogenes, an aged divine, At Tours, in France, St. Volusian, bishop, St. Leobardus, anchoret, In Brittany, St. Deicola, abbot, At Como, St. Liberata, virgin. January 19th- At Rome, holy martyrs Marius and his wife Martha, with their sons Audifax and Abachum, St. Canute, king and martyr, At Smyrna, blessed Germanicus, martyr, In Africa, the holy martyrs Paul, Gerontius, Januarius, Saturninus, Successus, Julius, Catus, Pia, and Germana. At Spoleto, St. Pontian, martyr, At Lodi, St. Bassian, bishop and con-fessor,At Worcester, in England, St. Wulstan, bishop and confessor. January 20th- At Rome, St. Fabian, pope, martyr. martyr St. Sebastian. At Nicaea, in Bithynia, St. Neophytus, martyr, At Cesena, St. Maurus, bishop, In Palestine, St. Euthym-ius, abbot.

January 21st- At Rome, St. Agnes of rome, virgin, At Athens, St. Publius, bishop, At Tar-ragona, in Spain, holy martyrs Fructuosus, bishop, Augurius and Eulogius, deacons, At Troyes, St. Patroclus, martyr, In the monastery of Reichenau, St. Meinrad, hermit, mar-tyr. At Pavia, St. Epiphanius, bishop and confessor. January 22nd- At Valencia, in Spain, St. Vincent, deacon and martyr, At Rome, at Aquae Salviae, St. Anastasius, a Persian monk, martyrdom seventy of his companions, At Em-brun, in France, the holy martyrs Vincent, Orontius, and Victor, At Novara, St. Gauden-tius, bishop and confessor. At Sora, the abbot St. Dominic, renowned for miracles. January 23rd- At Barcelona, St. Raymond of Pennafort. At Rome, the holy virgin and mar-tyr Emerentiana. At Philippi, in Macedonia, St. Parmenas, one of the first seven deacons, martyr. At Caesarea, in Mauritania (Morocco), the holy martyrs Severian and his wife Aquila, At Antinous, a city of Egypt, St. Asclas, martyr, At Ancyra, in Galatia, St. Clement, bishop, martyr. St. Agathangelus, martyr. At Alexandria, St. John the Almoner, bishop of that city, At Toledo, St. Ildefonsus, bishop, In the Province of Valeria, St. Martyrius, monk. January 24th- St. Timothy, disciple of the apostle St. Paul, martyr. At Antioch, the bishop, martyr St. Babylas, martyrs Urbanus, Philidian, Epolonius, At Neocaesarea, the holy mar-tyrs Mardonius, Musonius, Eugenius, and Metellus, At Foligno, holy martyrs Thyrsus and Projectus. At Bologna, St. Zamas, the first bishop of that city, blessed Suranus, abbot.

January 25th- The conversion of St. Paul the Apostle, At Damascus, St. Ananias, martyr. At Antioch, holy martyrs Juventinus and Maximus, At Clermont, in Auvergne, the Saints Projectus, bishop, and Marinus, a man of God, martyrs. holy martyrs Donatus, Sabinus, and Agape. At Tomis, in Scythia, St. Bretannion, bishop, At Arras, in France, St. Poppo, abbot.


January 26th- At Smyrna, St. Polycarp, and twelve others martyrs. At Hippo Regius, in Africa, the holy bishop Theogenes and thirty-six others, martyrs. At Bethlehem of Juda, St. Paula, widow, martyr. In the diocese of Paris, the saintly queen Bathildis. January 27th- At Constantinople, St. John, bishop, At Sora, St. Julian, martyr, In Africa, St. Avitus, martyr. the holy martyrs, Datius, Reatrus, and their companions, the holy martyrs Dativus, Julian, Vincent, and twenty-seven others. At Rome, St. Vitalian, pope. At Le Mans, St. Julian, the first bishop of that city, In the monastery of Bobacum, St. Maur, ab-bot. At Brixen, St. Angela Merici, virgin. January 28th- At Rome, the second feast of St. Agnes. St. Flavian, martyr, At Apollonia, the holy martyrs Thyrsus, Leucius, and Callinicus, In Thebais, the holy martyrs Leonides and his companions, At Alexandria, the commemoration of many holy martyrs, St. Cyril, bishop of the same city, At Saragossa, St. Valerius, bishop. At Cuenca, in Spain, St. Julian, bishop, In the monastery of Rheims, holy priest named John, a man of God. In Palestine, St. James, a hermit. January 29th- At Lyons, in France, St. Francis of Sales, bishop of Geneva, confessor and Doctor of the Church, At Rome, the holy martyrs Papius and Maurus, At Perugia, in the time of Marcus Aurelius, St. Constantius, bishop and martyr, who together with his com-panions, At Edessa, in Syria, the holy martyrs Sarbelius and his sister Barbea, In the terri-tory of Troyes, St. Sabinian, martyr, At Milan, St. Aquilinus, priest,At Treves, blessed bishop Valerius, At Bourges, St. Sulpicius Severus, bishop. January 30th- At Rome, St. Martina, virgin and martyr, At Antioch, blessed priest Hip-polytus, In Africa, holy martyrs Felician, Philappian, and one hundred and twenty-four others. At Edessa, in Syria, St. Barsimaeus, bishop, martyr. St. Barsen, bishop, blessed Alexander, martyr. At Jerusalem, St. Matthias, bishop, At Rome, pope St. Felix, At Pavia, St. Armentarius, bishop and confessor. In the monastery of Maubeuge, in Hainaut, St. Aldegundes, a virgin, At Milan, St. Savina, At Viterbo, the holy virgin Hyacintha de Maris-cotti. January 31st- At Barcelona, in Spain, St. Peter Nolasco, confessor, At Rome, on the road to Ostia, the holy martyrs Cyrus and John, At Alexandria, St. Metran, martyr, the holy martyrs Saturninus, Thyrsus and Victor. holy martyrs Tharsicius, Zoticus, Cyriacus, and their companions. At Cyzicum, in Hellespont, St. Triphenes, martyr, At Modena, St. Gem-inian, bishop, In the province of Milan, St. Julius, priest and confessor, At Rome, St. Marcella, a widow, blessed Louisa Albertonia, a Roman widow, the translation of the evangelist St. Mark.

2 Every way of a man seem right to himself: but the Lord weigh the

hearts.

SA I N T S O F T H E M O N TH

P R O V E R B O F T H E M O N T H : P R O V E R B 2 1 V E R S E 2

Volume 2, issue 1

CATHOLICISM EDU

M A S S R E A D I N G F O R T H E M O N T H

Thu the 1st: Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. Num 6:22-27; Ps 67:1-8; Gal 4:4-7; Luke 2:16-21

Fri the 2nd: Memorial of Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, bishops and doc-tors. 1 John 2:22-28; Ps 98:1-4; John 1:19-28

Sat the 3rd: The Most Holy Name of Jesus. 1 John 2:29-3:6; Ps 98:1-6; John 1:29-34

Sun the 4th: (Memorial of Elizabeth Ann Seton (Americas).) Sir 24:1-16; Ps 147:12-20; Eph 1:3-18; John 1:1-18

Mon the 5th: Memorial of John Neumann (Americas). Vigil of Solemnity of Epiphany. 1 John 3:11-21; Ps 100:1-5; John 1:43-51

Tue the 6th: Solemnity of Epiphany. Isa 60:1-6; Ps 72:1-13; Eph 3:1-6; Matt 2:1-12

Wed the 7th: Optional memorial of Raymond of Penyafort, priest. 1 John 3:22-4:6; Ps 2:7-12; Matt 4:12-25

Thu the 8th: 1 John 4:7-10; Ps 72:1-8; Mark 6:34-44

Fri the 9th: 1 John 4:11-18; Ps 72:1-13; Mark 6:45-52

Sat the 10th: 1 John 4:19-5:4; Ps 72:1-17; Luke 4:14-22

Sun the 11th: Feast of The Baptism of the Lord. Isa 55:1-11; Isa 12:1-6; 1 John 5:1-9; Mark 1:7-11

Mon the 12th: Heb 1:1-6; Ps 97:1-9; Mark 1:15; Mark 1:14-20

Tue the 13th: Optional memorial of Hilary, bishop and doctor. Heb 2:5-12; Ps 8:2-9; 1 Thess 2:13; Mark 1:21-28

Wed the 14th: Heb 2:14-18; Ps 105:1-9; John 10:27; Mark 1:29-39

Thu the 15th: Heb 3:7-14; Ps 95:6-11; Matt 4:23; Mark 1:40-45

Fri the 16th: Heb 4:1-11; Ps 78:3-8; Luke 7:16; Mark 2:1-12

Sat the 17th: Memorial of Anthony, abbot. Heb 4:12-16; Ps 19:8-15; Luke 4:18; Mark 2:13-17

Sun the 18th: 1 Sam 3:3-19; Ps 40:1-10; 1 Cor 6:13-20; John 1:35-42

Mon the 19th: Heb 5:1-10; Ps 110:1-4; Heb 4:12; Mark 2:18-22

Tue the 20th: Optional memorial of Fabian, pope and martyr. Optional memorial of Sebastian, martyr. Heb 6:10-20; Ps 111:1-10; Eph 1:17-18; Mark 2:23-28

Wed the 21st: Memorial of Agnes, virgin and martyr. Heb 7:1-17; Ps 110:1-4; Matt 4:23; Mark 3:1-6

Thu the 22nd: Optional memorial of Vincent, deacon and martyr. Heb 7:25-8:6; Ps 40:7-17; 2 Tim 1:10; Mark 3:7-12

Fri the 23rd: Heb 8:6-13; Ps 85:8-14; 2 Cor 5:19; Mark 3:13-19

Sat the 24th: Memorial of Francis de Sales, bishop and doctor. Heb 9:1-3, 11-14; Ps 47:1-9; Acts 16:14; Mark 3:20-21

P A PA L E N C Y C L I C A L D I G N U M A R B I T R A M U R E T C O N G R U U M

M A S S R E A D I N G S F O R T H E M O N T H

which run in any capac-ity, in the eagerness of Salamanca, although they are found to be fit for the government, except by repeated examination in the same kind of harm, however, by no means to be allowed to rule as in other places, not so often there was a swarm incur them elsewhere, when-ever possible, to feed them, provide your quit over this apostolic be-nevolence Petit. We, therefore, carisimi in Christ, the son of our God. and the king of Cas-tile and Leon, your prayers, bending to the illustrious, so that, after a master in any faculty or scholars living in Sala-manca, an examination of the lawful that pre-

cedes it, is found to be suitable for ruling, in each of the general program of studies, the exception only of Paris and Bologna, for which there is in the same faculty once underwent examination, examination and again without any contradiction to govern effectively, you and your successors authority pre-sents indulge. No one, therefore ... Given at Anagni on the tenth of January. Pont October. our first year.

1255, September, 22.

Alexander, bishop, servant of the servants of God, the beloved of the sons of the masters and scholars of the university of Salamanca. greeting. It is right and fit-ting that we think not that they which are able to per-ceive the knowledge of a field of study in order to cul-tivate the pearl daily dis-courses, enjoy the favorable and friendly man in his prayers that we have found, that the more of them have perceived themselves to the study of the apostolic com-munity of the popularity of how much more freely exer-cised. Thus, when, as is clear from the tenor of your peti-tion, received, examined and approved once it hap-pens at times that they

It is right and fitting

that we think not

that they which are

able to perceive the

knowledge

Volume 2, issue 1

Sun the 25th: (Feast of Conversion of Paul.) Jon 3:1-10; Ps 25:4-9; 1 Cor 7:29-31; Mark 1:14-20

Mon the 26th:

Memorial of Timothy and Titus, bishops. Heb 9:15-28; Ps 98:1-6; 2 Tim 1:10; Mark 3:22-30

Tue the 27th: Optional memorial of Angela Merici, virgin. Heb 10:1-10; Ps 40:2-11; Matt 11:25; Mark 3:31-35

Wed the 28th:

Memorial of Thomas Aquinas, priest and doctor. Heb 10:11-18; Ps 110:1-4; Mark 4:1-20

Thu the 29th: Heb 10:19-25; Ps 24:1-6; Ps 119:105; Mark 4:21-25

Fri the 30th: Heb 10:32-39; Ps 37:3-40; Matt 11:25; Mark 4:26-34

Sat the 31st: Memorial of John Bosco, priest. Heb 11:1-19; Luke 1:69-75; John 3:16; Mark 4:35-41

CATHOLICISM EDU

Pope Clement I (called CLEMENS ROMANUS to dis-tinguish him from the Alex-andrian), is the first of the successors of St. Peter of whom anything definite is known, and he is the first of the "Apostolic Fathers". His feast is celebrated 23 No-vember. He has left one genuine writing, a letter to the Church of Corinth, and many others have been at-tributed to him. The fourth pope According to Tertullian, writ-ing c. 199, the Roman Church claimed that Clem-ent was ordained by St. Pe-ter (De Praescript., xxxii), and St. Jerome tells us that in his time "most of the Latins" held that Clement was the immediate succes-sor of the Apostle (Illustrious Men 15). St. Jerome himself in several other places fol-lows this opinion, but here he correctly states that Clement was the fourth pope. The early evidence shows great variety. The most ancient list of popes is one made by Hegesippus in the time of Pope Anicetus, c. 160 (Harnack ascribes it to an unknown author under Soter, c. 170), cited by St. Epiphanius (Haer., xxvii, 6). It seems to have been used by St. Irenæus (Haer., III, iii), by Julius Africanus, who composed a chronography in 222, by the third- or fourth-century author of a Latin poem against Marcion,

and by Hippolytus, who see chronology extends to 234 and is probably found in the "Liberian Catalogue" of 354. That catalogue was itself adopted in the "Liber Pontificalis". Eusebius in his chronicle and his-tory used Africanus; in the latter he slightly corrected the dates. St. Jerome's chronicle is a trans-lation of Eusebius's, and is our principal means for re-storing the lost Greek of the latter; the Armenian version and Coptic epitomes of it are not to be depended on. The varieties of order are as follows: Linus, Cletus, Clemens (Hegesippus, ap. Epiphanium, Canon of Mass). Linus, Anencletus, Clemens (Irenaeus, Afri-canus ap. Eusebium). Linus, Anacletus, Clemens (Jerome). Linus, Cletus, Anacletus, Clemens (Poem against Marcion), Linus, Clemens, Cletus, Anacletus [Hippolytus (?), "Liberian Catal."- "Liber. Pont."]. Linus, Clemens, Anacletus (doubts that Cletus, Ana-cletus, Anencletus, are the same person. Anacletus is a Latin error; Cletus is a short-ened (and more Christian) form of Anencletus. Lightfoot thought that the transposition of Clement in the "Liberian Catalogue" was a mere accident, like the similar error "Anicetus, Pius" for "Pius Anicetus",

further on in the same list. But it may have been a deliberate alteration by Hippolytus, on the ground of the tradition mentioned by Tertullian. St. Irenæus (III, iii) tells us that Clem-ent "saw the blessed Apostles and conversed with them, and had yet ringing in his ears the preaching of the Apostles and had their tradition before his eyes, and not he only for many were then surviving who had been taught y the Apos-tles". Similarly Epiphanius tells us (from Hegesippus) that Clement was a con-temporary of Peter and Paul. Now Linus and Cletus had each twelve years at-tributed to them in the list. If Hippolytus found Cletus doubled by an error

PO P E O F T H E M O N T H ST . C L E M E N T 1

Apostles and

conversed with

them,

Pope clement 1

Pope clement 1

(Cletus XII, Anacletus XII), the accession of Clement would appear to be thirty-six years after the death of the Apostles. As this would make it almost impossible for Clement to have been their contemporary, it may have caused Hippolytus to shift him to an earlier posi-tion. Further, St. Epiphanius says (loc. cit.): "Whether he received episcopal ordina-tion from Peter in the life-time of the Apostles, and declined the office, for he says in one of his epistles 'I retire, I depart, let the peo-ple of God be in peace', (for we have found this set down in certain Memoirs), or whether he was appointed by the Bishop Cletus after he had succeeded the Apostles, we do not clearly know." The "Memoirs" were cer-tainly those of Hegesippus. It seems unlikely that he is appealed to only for the quotation from the Epistle, c. liv; probably Epiphanius means that Hegesippus stated that Clement had been ordained by Peter and declined to be bishop, but twenty-four years later really exercised the office for nine years. Epiphanius could not reconcile these two facts; Hippolytus seems to have rejected the latter. Chronology The date intended by Hegesippus is not hard to restore. Epiphanius implies that he placed the martyr-dom of the Apostles in the twelfth year of Nero. Afri-

canus calculated the four-teenth year (for he had at-tributed one year too little to the reigns of Caligula and Claudius), and added the imperial date for the accession of each pope; but having two years too few up to Anicetus he could not get the intervals to tally with the years of episco-pate given by Hegesippus. He had a parallel difficulty in his list of the Alexandrian bishops. If we start, as Hegesippus intended, with Nero 12, the sum of his years brings us right for the last three popes. But Afri-canus has started two years wrong, and in order to get right at Hyginus he has to allow one year too little to each of the preceding popes, Sixtus and Telespho-rus. But there is one inhar-monious date, Trajan 2, which gives seven and ten years to Clement and Euar-istus instead of nine and eight. Evidently he felt bound to insert a tradi-tional date — and in fact we see that Trajan 2 was the date intended by Hege-sippus. Now we know that Hegesippus spoke about Clement's acquaintance with the Apostles, and said nothing about any other pope until Telesphorus, "who was a glorious mar-tyr." It is not surprising, then, to find that Africanus had, besides the lengths of episcopate, two fixed dates from Hegesippus, those of the death of Clement in the

second year of Trajan, and of the martyrdom of Telesphorus in the first year of Antoninus Pius. We may take it, therefore, that about 160 the death of St. Clement was be-lieved to have been in 99. Identity Origen identifies Pope Clement with St. Paul's fellow-labourer (Philippians 4:3), and so do Eusebius, Epiphanius, and Jerome — but this Clement was probably a Philippian. In the middle of the nineteenth century it was the custom to iden-tity the pope with the con-sul of 95, T. Flavius Clem-ens, who was martyred by his first cousin, the Em-peror Domitian, at the end of his consulship. But the ancients never suggest this, and the pope is said to have lived on till the reign of Trajan. It is unlikely that he was a member of the imperial family. The continual use of the Old Testament in his Epistle has suggested to Lightfoot, Funk, Nestle, and others that he was of Jewish origin. Probably he was a freedman or son of a freedman of the em-peror's household, which included thousands or tens of thousands. We know that there were Christians in the house-hold of Nero (Philippians 4:22). It is highly probable that the bearers of Clem-ent's letter, Claudius Ephe-

PO P E S T C L E M E N T 1

The "Memoirs"

were certainly those

of Hegesippus

Volume 2, issue 1

CATHOLICISM EDU

bus and Valerius Vito, were of this number, for the names Claudius and Valerius occur with great frequency in inscriptions among the freedmen of the Emperor Claudius (and his two prede-cessors of the same gens) and his wife Valeria Mes-salina. The two messengers are described as "faithful and prudent men, who have walked among us from youth unto old age un-blameably", thus they were probably already Christians and living in Rome before the death of the Apostles about thirty years earlier. The Prefect of Rome during Nero's persecution was Titus Flavius Sabinus, elder brother of the Emperor Vespasian, and father of the martyred Clemens. Flavia Domitilla, wife of the Mar-tyr, was a granddaughter of Vespasian, and niece of Titus and Domitian; she may have died a martyr to the rigours of her banishment The cata-comb of Domitilla is shown by existing inscriptions to have been founded by her. Whether she is distinct from another Flavia Domitilla, who is styled "Virgin and Martyr", is uncertain. (See FLAVIA DOMITILLA and NER-EUS AND ACHILLEUS) The consul and his wife had two sons Vespasian and Domi-tian, who had Quintilian for their tutor. Of their life nothing is known. The elder brother of the martyr Clem-ens was T. Flavius Sabinus, consul in 82, put to death by

Domitian, whose sister he had married. Pope Clem-ent is rep resented as his son in the Acts of Sts. Ner-eus and Achilleus, but this would make him too young to have known the Apostles. Martyrdom Of the life and death of St, Clement nothing is known. The apocryphal Greek Acts of his martyr-dom were printed by Cotelier in his "Patres Apost." (1724, I, 808; re-printed in Migne, P.G., II, 617, best edition by Funk, "Patr. Apost.", II, 28). They relate how he converted Theodora, wife of Sisin-nius, a courtier of Nerva, and (after miracles) Sisin-nius himself and four hun-dred and twenty-three other persons of rank. Tra-jan banishes the pope to the Crimea, where he slakes the thirst of two thousand Christian confes-sors by a miracle. The peo-ple of the country are con-verted, seventy-five churches are built. Trajan, in consequence, orders Clement to be thrown into the sea with an iron an-chor. But the tide every year recedes two miles, revealing a Divinely built shrine which contains the martyr's bones. This story is not older than the fourth century. It is known to Gregory of Tours in the sixth. About 868 St. Cyril, when in the Crimea on the way to evangelize the

Chazars, dug up some bones in a mound (not in a tomb under the sea), and also an anchor. These were believed to be the relics of St. Clement. They were carried by St. Cyril to Rome, and deposited by Adrian II with those of St. Ignatius of Antioch in the high altar of the basilica of St. Clement in Rome. The history of this translation is evidently quite truthful, but there seems to have been no tradition with regard to the mound, which simply looked a likely place to be a tomb. The anchor appears to be the only evidence of iden-tity but we cannot gather from the account that it belonged to the scattered bones. (See Acta SS., 9 March, II, 20.) St. Clement is first mentioned as a martyr by Rufinus (c. 400). Pope Zozimus in a letter to Africa in 417 relates the trial and partial acquittal of the heretic Caelestius in the basilica of St. Clement; the pope had chosen this church because Clement had learned the Faith from St. Peter, and had given his life for it (Ep. ii). He is also called a martyr by the writer known as Praedesti-natus (c. 430) and by the Synod of Vaison in 442. Modern critics think it possible that his martyr-dom was suggested by a confusion with his name-sake, the martyred consul. But the lack of tradition

P O P E S T C L E M E N T 1

which simply looked

a likely place to be a

tomb.

that he was buried in Rome is in favour of his having died in exile. The basilica The church of St. Clement at Rome lies in the valley between the Esquiline and Coelian hills, on the direct road from the Coliseum to the Lateran. It is now in the hands of the Irish Province of Dominicans. With its atrium, its choir enclosed by a wall, its ambos, it is the most perfect model of an early basilica in Rome, though it was built as late as the first years of the twelfth century by Paschal II, after the destruction of this por-tion of the city by the Normans under Robert Guis-card. Paschal II followed the lines of an earlier church, on a rather smaller scale, and employed some of its mate-rials and fittings The marble wall of the present choir is of the date of John II (533-5). In 1858 the older church was unearthed, below the present building, by the Prior Father Mulooly, O.P. Still lower were found cham-bers of imperial date and walls of the Republican pe-riod. The lower church was built under Constantine (d. 337) or not much later. St. Jerome implies that it was not new in his time: "nominis eius [Clementis] memoriam usque hodie Ro-mae exstructa ecclesia cus-todit" (Illustrious Men 15). It is mentioned in inscriptions of Damasus (d. 383) and Siri-cius (d. 398). De Rossi

thought the lowest cham-bers belonged to the house of Clement, and that the room immediately under the altar was probably the original memoria of the saint. These chambers com-municate with a shrine of Mithras, which lies beyond the apse of the church, on the lowest level. De Rossi supposed this to be a Chris-tian chapel purposely pol-luted by the authorities during the last persecution. Lightfoot has suggested that the rooms may have belonged to the house of T. Flavius Clemens the consul, being later mistaken for the dwelling of the pope; but this seems quite gratuitous. In the sanctuary of Mithras a statue of the Good Shep-herd was found. Pseudo-Clementine writ-ings Many writings have been falsely attributed to Pope St. Clement I: The "Second Clementine Epistle to the Corinthians", discussed un-der III. Two "Epistles to Vir-gins", extant in Syriac in an Amsterdam manuscript of 1470. The Greek originals are lost. Many critics have believed them genuine, for they were known in the fourth century to St. Epiphanius (who speaks of their being read in the Churches) and to St. Jerome. But it is now ad-mitted on all hands that they cannot be by the same

author as the genuine Epistle to the Corinthians. Some writers, as Hefele and Westcott, have attrib-uted them to the second half of the second century, but the third is more prob-able (Harnack, Lightfoot). Harnack thinks the two letters were originally one. They were first edited by Wetstein, 1470, with Latin translation, reprinted by Gallandi, "Bibl. vett. Patr.", I, and Migne, P.G., I. They are found in Latin only in Mansi, "Concilia", I, and Funk "Patres Apost.", II. See Lightfoot, "Clement of Rome" (London, 1890), I Bardenhewer, "Gesch. der altkirchl. Litt." (Freiburg im Br., 1902), I; Harnack in "Sitzungsber. der k. preuss. Akad. der Wiss." (Berlin, 1891), 361 and "Chronol." (1904), II, 133. At the head of the Pseudo-Isidorian decretals stand five letters attrib-uted to St. Clement. The first is the letter of Clem-ent to James translated by Rufinus (see III); the sec-ond is another letter to James, found in many manuscripts of the "Recognitions". The other three are the work of Pseudo-Isidore (See FALSE DECRETALS.) Ascribed to Clement are the "Apostolical Con-stitutions", "Apostolic Canons", and the "Testament of Our Lord", also a Jacobite Anaphora (Renaudot, Liturg. Orien-

P O P E S T . C L E M E N T 1

Paschal II followed

the lines of an

earlier church, on a

rather smaller

scale,

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tal. Coll., Paris, 1716, II; Mi-gne, P.G., II). For other attri-butions see Harnack, "Gesch. der altchr. Lit." I, 777-80. The "Clementines" or Pseudo-Clementines. (q.v.) The Epistle to the Corin-thians The Church of Corinth had been led by a few vio-lent spirits into a sedition against its rulers. No appeal seems to have been made to Rome, but a letter was sent in the name of the Church of Rome by St. Clement to re-store peace and unity. He begins by explaining that his delay in writing has been caused by the sudden ca-lamities which, one after another, had just been fal-ling upon the Roman Church. The reference is clearly to the persecution of Domitian. The former high reputation of the Corinthian Church is recalled, its piety and hospitality, its obedi-ence and discipline. Jealousy had caused the divisions; it was jealousy that led Cain, Esau, etc., into sin, it was jealousy to which Peter and Paul and multitudes with them fell victims. The Corin-thians are urged to repent after the example of the Pa-triarchs, and to be humble like Christ himself. Let them observe order, as all crea-tion does. A curious passage on the Resurrection is some-what of an interruption in the sequence: all creation proves the Resurrection, and so does the phoenix, which

every five hundred years consumes itself, that its offspring may arise out of its ashes (23-6). Let us, Clement continues, forsake evil and approach God with purity, clinging to His bless-ing, which the Patriarchs so richly obtained, for the Lord will quickly come with His rewards, let us look to Jesus Christ, our High-Priest, above the angels at the right hand of the Father (36). Discipline and subor-dination are necessary as in an army and in the human body, while arrogance is absurd for man is nothing. The Apostles foresaw feuds, and provided for a succession of bishops and deacons; such, therefore cannot be removed at pleasure. The just have al-ways been persecuted. Read St. Paul's first epistle to you, how he condemns party spirit. It is shocking that a few should disgrace the Church of Corinth. Let us beg for pardon; nothing is more beautiful than char-ity; it was shown by Christ when He gave His Flesh for our flesh, His Soul for our souls; by living in this love, we shall be in the number of the saved through Jesus Christ, by Whom is glory to God for ever and ever, Amen (58). But if any dis-obey, he is in great danger; but we will pray that the Creator may preserve the number of His elect in the whole world.--Here follows a beautiful Eucharistic

prayer (59-61). The con-clusion follows: "We have said enough, on the neces-sity of repentance, unity, peace, for we have been speaking to the faithful, who have deeply studied the Scriptures, and will understand the examples pointed out, and will fol-low them. We shall indeed be happy if you obey. We have sent two venerable messengers, to show how great is our anxiety for peace among you" (62-4). "Finally may the all-seeing God and Master of Spirits and Lord of all flesh, who chose the Lord Jesus Christ and us through Him for a peculiar people, grant unto every soul that is called after His excellent and holy Name faith, fear, peace, patience, long-suffering, temperance, chastity, and soberness, that they may be well-pleasing unto His Name through our High Priest and Guardian. Jesus Christ, through whom unto Him be glory and majesty, might and hon-our, both now and for ever and ever, Amen. Now send ye back speedily unto us our messengers Claudius Ephebus and Va-lerius Bito, together with Fortunatus also, in peace and with joy, to the end that they may the more quickly report the peace and concord which is prayed for and earnestly desired by us, that we also

POP E S T . CL EM EN T 1

His excellent and holy

Name faith, fear,

peace, patience, long

-suffering,

temperance, chastity,

and soberness,

may the more speedily re-joice over your good order. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you and with all men in all places who have been called by God and through Him, through whom is glory and honour, power and greatness and eternal dominion, unto Him, from the ages past and for ever and ever. Amen." (64-5.) The style of the Epistle is earnest and simple, re-strained and dignified, and sometimes eloquent. The Greek is correct, though not classical. The quotations from the Old Testament are long and numerous. The ver-sion of the Septuagint used by Clement inclines in places towards that which appears in the New Testament, yet presents sufficient evidence of independence; his read-ings are often with A, but are less often opposed to B than are those in the New Testament; occasionally he is found against the Septua-gint with Theodotion or even Aquila (see H. B. Swete, Introd. to the 0. T. in Greek, Cambridge 1900). The New Testament he never quotes verbally. Say-ings of Christ are now and then given, but not in the words of the Gospels. It can-not be proved, therefore, that he used any one of the Synoptic Gospels. He men-tions St. Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians, and ap-pears to imply a second. He knows Romans and Titus, and apparently cites several

other of St. Paul's Epistles. But Hebrews is most often employed of all New Testa-ment books. James, proba-bly, and I Peter, perhaps, are referred to. (See the lists of citations in Funk and Lightfoot, Westcott, Intro-ductions to Holy Scripture, such as those of Cornely, Zahn, etc., and "The New Test. in the Apost. Fathers", by a Committee of the Ox-ford Society of Hist. Theol-ogy, Oxford, 1906.) The tone of authority with which the letter speaks is noteworthy, especially in the later part (56, 58, etc.): "But if certain persons should be disobedient unto the words spoken by Him through us let them under-stand that they will entan-gle themselves in no slight transgression and danger; but we shall be guiltless of this sin" (59). "It may, per-haps, seem strange", writes Bishop Lightfoot, "to de-scribe this noble remon-strance as the first step towards papal domination. And yet undoubtedly this is the case." (I, 70.) Doctrine There is little intentional dogmatic teaching in the Epistle, for it is almost wholly hortatory. A passage on the Holy Trinity is impor-tant. Clement uses the Old Testament affirmation "The Lord liveth", substituting the Trinity thus: "As God liveth, and the Lord Jesus Christ liveth and the Holy Spirit — the faith and hope

of the elect, so surely he that performeth", etc. (58). Christ is frequently represented as the High-Priest, and redemption is often referred to. Clement speaks strongly of justifi-cation by works. His words on the Christian ministry have given rise to much discussion (42 and 44): "The Apostles received the Gospel for us from the Lord Jesus Christ; Jesus Christ was sent from God. So then Christ is from God, and the Apostles from Christ. Both [missions] therefore came in due or-der by the will of God..... So preaching everywhere in country and town, they appointed their first-fruits, having proved them by the Spirit, to be bishops and deacons for those who should believe. And this in no new fashion, for it had indeed been written from very ancient times about bishops and dea-cons; for thus saith the Scripture: 'I will appoint their bishops in justice and their deacons in faith"' (a strange citation of Isaiah 60:17). . . . "And our Apos-tles knew through our Lord Jesus Christ that there would be strife over the name of the office of bishop. For this cause therefore, having received complete foreknowledge, they appointed the afore-said persons, and after-wards they have given a law, so that, if these


The style of the

Epistle is earnest

and simple

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should fall asleep, other ap-proved men should succeed to their ministration." Rothe, Michiels (Origines de l'episcopat, Louvain, 1900, 197), and others awkwardly understand "if they, the Apostles, should fall asleep". For epinomen dedokasin, which the Latin renders legem dederunt, Lightfoot reads epimonen dedokasin, "they have provided a con-tinuance". In any case the general meaning is clear, that the Apostles provided for a lawful succession of ministers. Presbyters are mentioned several times, but are not distinguished from bishops. There is abso-lutely no mention of a bishop at Corinth, and the ecclesiastical authorities there are always spoken of in the. plural. R. Sohm thinks there was as yet no bishop at Corinth when Clement wrote (so Michiels and many other Catholic writers; Lightfoot leaves the ques-tion open), but that a bishop must have been appointed in consequence of the letter; he thinks that Rome was the origin of all ecclesiastical institutions and laws (Kirchenrecht 189). Harnack in 1897 (Chronol., I) upheld the paradox that the Church of Rome was so conserva-tive as to be governed by presbyters until Anicetus; and that when the list of popes was composed, c. 170, there had been a bishop for less than twenty years; Clement and others in

the list were only presbyters of special influence. The liturgical character of parts of the Epistle is elabo-rately discussed by Lightfoot. The prayer (59-61) already mentioned, which reminds us of the Anaphora of early liturgies, cannot be regarded, says Duchesne, "as a reproduction of a sa-cred formulary but it is an excellent example of the style of solemn prayer in which the ecclesiastical lead-ers of that time were accus-tomed to express them-selves at meetings for wor-ship" (Origines du culte chret., 3rd ed., 50; tr., 50). The fine passage about Creation, 32-3, is almost in the style of a Preface, and concludes by introducing the Sanctus by the usual men-tion of the angelic powers: "Let us mark the whole host of the angels, how they stand by and minister unto His Will. For the Scripture saith: Ten thousand times ten thousand stood by Him, and thousands of thousands ministered unto Him, and they cried aloud: Holy holy, holy is the Lord of Sabaoth; all creation is full of His glory. Yea, and let us our-selves then being gathered together in concord with intentness of heart, cry unto Him." The combination of Daniel 7:10 with Isaiah 6:3 may be from a liturgical for-mula. It is interesting to note that the contemporary Apocalypse of St. John 4:8 shows the four living crea-

tures, representing all creation, singing the Sanc-tus at the heavenly Mass. The historical references in the letter are deeply interesting: "To pass from the examples of ancient days, let us come to those champions who lived very near to our time. Let us set before us the noble examples which belong to our generation. By reason of jealousy and envy the greatest and most right-eous pillars of the Church were persecuted, and con-tended even until death. Let us set before our eyes the good Apostles. There was Peter, who by reason of unrighteous jealousy endured not one or two, but many labours, and thus having borne his tes-timony went to his ap-pointed Place of glory. By reason of jealousy and strife Paul by his example pointed out the prize of patient endurance. After that he had been seven times in bonds, had been driven into exile, had been stoned, had preached in the East and in the West, he won the noble renown which was the reward of his faith having taught righteousness unto the whole world and having reached the farthest bounds of the West; and when he had borne his testimony before the rul-ers, so he departed from the world and went unto the holy place having been


and thus having

borne his testimony

went to his

appointed Place of

glory.

found a notable pattern of patient endurance (5). It is obvious that these two Apostles are mentioned be-cause they suffered at Rome. It seems that St. Paul went to Spain as he in-tended (Romans 15:28) and as is declared by the spuri-ous Acts of Peter and by the Muratorian fragment. "Unto these men of holy lives was gathered a vast multitude of the elect who through many indignities and tortures, be-ing the victims of jealousy, set a brave example among ourselves. By reason of jeal-ousy women being perse-cuted, after that they had suffered cruel and unholy insults as Danaids and Dir-cae, safely reached the goal in the race of faith, and re-ceived a noble reward, fee-ble though they were in body" (6). The "vast multi-tude" both of men and women "among ourselves" at Rome refers to the horri-ble persecution of Nero, de-scribed by Tacitus, "Ann.", XV, xliv. It is in the recent past, and the writer contin-ues: "We are in the same lists, and the same contest awaits us" (7)- he is under another persecution, that of Domitian, covertly referred to as a series of "sudden and repeated calamities and re-verses", which have pre-vented the letter from being written sooner. The martyr-dom of the Consul Clement (probably patron of the pope's own family) and the

exile of his wife will be among these disasters. Date and authenticity The date of the letter is determined by these no-tices of persecution. It is strange that even a few good scholars (such as Grotius Grabe, Orsi, Uhl-horn, Hefele, Wieseler) should have dated it soon after Nero. It is now univer-sally acknowledged, after Lightfoot, that it was writ-ten about the last year of Domitian (Harnack) or im-mediately after his death in 96 (Funk). In 1996, as Jo-seph Cardinal Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI sup-ported a date of A.D. 70, and by 2002 most scholars a date earlier than 96, some agreeing with the A.D. 70 date. The Roman Church had existed several decades, for the two en-voys to Corinth had lived in it from youth to age. The Church of Corinth is called archai (47). Bishops and deacons have succeeded to bishops and deacons ap-pointed by the Apostles (44). Yet the time of the Apostles is "quite lately" and "our own veneration" (5). The external evidence is in accord. The dates given for Clement's episco-pate by Hegesippus are apparently 90-99, and that early writer states that the schism at Corinth took place under Domitian (Eusebius, Church History III.16, for kata ton de-loumenon is meaningless if

it is taken to refer to Clem-ent and not to Domitian; besides, the whole of Eu-sebius's account of that emperor's persecution, III, xvii-xx, is founded on Hegesippus). St. Irenæus says that Clement still re-membered the Apostles, and so did many others, implying an interval of many years after their death. Volkmar placed the date in the reign of Ha-drian, because the Book of Judith is quoted, which he declared to have been written in that reign. He was followed by Baur, but not by Hilgenfeld. Such a date is manifestly impossi-ble, if only because the Epistle of Polycarp is en-tirely modelled on that of Clement and borrows from it freely. It is possibly employed by St. Ignatius, c. 107, and certainly in the letter of the Smyrnaeans on the martyrdom of St. Polycarp, c. 156. The Epistle is in the name of the Church of Rome but the early au-thorities always ascribe it to Clement. Dionysius, Bishop of Corinth, wrote c. 170 to the Romans in Pope Soter's time: "Today we kept the holy day, the Lord's day, and on it we read your letter- and we shall ever have it to give us instruction, even as the former one written through Clement" (Eusebius, Church History IV.30). Hegesippus attrib-


The "vast

multitude" both of

men and women

"among ourselves

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uted the letter to Clement. Irenaeus, c. 180-5 perhaps using Hegesippus, says: "Under this Clement no small sedition took place among the brethren at Cor-inth and the Church of Rome sent a most sufficient letter to the Corinthians, establish-ing them in peace, and re-newing their faith, and an-nouncing the tradition it had recently received from the Apostles" (III, iii). Clement of Alexandria, c. 200, fre-quently quotes the Epistle as Clement's, and so do Origen and Eusebius. Lightfoot and Harnack are fond of pointing out that we hear earlier of the importance of the Ro-man Church than of the au-thority of the Roman bishop. If Clement had spoken in his own name, they would surely have noted expressly that he wrote not as Bishop of Rome, but as an aged "presbyter" who had known the Apostles. St. John indeed was still alive, and Corinth was rather nearer to Ephe-sus than to Rome. Clement evidently writes officially, with all that authority of the Roman Church of which Ig-natius and Irenaeus have so much to say. The Second Letter to the Corinthians An ancient homily by an anonymous author has come down to us in the same two Greek manu-scripts as the Epistle of Clement, and is called the Second Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians. It is first

mentioned by Eusebius (Church History III.37), who considered it spurious, as being unknown to the an-cients; he is followed (perhaps not independ-ently) by Rufinus and Jerome. Its inclusion as a letter of Clement in the Codex Alexandrinus of the whole Bible in the fifth cen-tury is the earliest testi-mony to a belief in its au-thenticity; in the sixth cen-tury it is quoted by the Mo-nophysite leaders Timothy of Alexandria and Severus of Antioch, and it was later known to many Greek writ-ers. This witness is a great contrast to the very early veneration paid to the genuine letter. Hilgenfeld's theory that it is the letter of Pope Soter to the Corin-thians, mentioned by Dio-nysius in the fragment quoted above, was ac-cepted by many critics, un-til the discovery of the end of the work by Bryennios showed that it was not a letter at all, but a homily. Still Harnack has again and again defended this view. An apparent reference to the Isthmian Games in 7 suggests that the homily was delivered at Corinth; but this would be in charac-ter if it was a letter ad-dressed to Corinth. Lightfoot and others think it earlier than Marcion, c. 140, but its reference to Gnostic views does not al-low us to place it much ear-lier. The matter of the ser-

mon is a very general ex-hortation, and there is no definite plan or sequence. Some citations from un-known Scriptures are in-teresting. Chapman, John. "Pope St. Clement I." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 4. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1908. 28 Dec. 2014 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04012c.htm>.


This witness is a

great contrast to

the very early

veneration paid to

the genuine letter.

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46. While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. 47. Then one said unto him, "Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, de-siring to speak with thee." 48. But he answered and said unto him that told him, "Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?" 49. And he stretched forth his hand toward his disci-ples, and said, "Behold my mother and my brethren! 50. For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother." Hilary: Because He had spo-ken all the aforesaid things in the power of His Father's majesty, therefore the Evan-gelist proceeds to tell what answer He made to one that told Him that His mother and His brethren waited for Him without; "While he yet spake unto the people, his mother and brethren stood without desiring to see him." Aug., De Cons. Ev., ii, 40: We are to understand without doubt that this happened close upon the foregoing; for he begins to tell it with the words, "And while he yet spake." What can that "yet" mean but that it was at the very time He spake the foregoing things? Mark also follows up that which He had said concern-

ing blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, by say-ing, "And there came his mother and his breth-ren." [Mark 3:31] Luke has not observed the order of action here, but has placed this earlier as he happened to recol-lect it. Jerome: From this is taken one of Helvidius' propositions [margin note: Hieron. cont. Helvid. 14, et seq.], on the ground that mention is made in the Gospel of the brethren of the Lord. How says he, are they called brethren of the Lord, if they were not his brethren? But now it should be known that in divine Scripture men are said to be brethren in four different ways, by nature, by nation, by kindred, and by affection. By nature, as Esau and Jacob. By nation, as all Jews are called brethren, as in Deuteronomy, "Thou shalt not set over thee a for-eigner who is not thy brother." [Deut 17:15] They are called brethren by kin-dred who are of one family, as in Genesis, "Abraham said unto Lot, Let there not be strife between thee and we, for we are brethren." [Gen 13:8] Also men are called brethren by affec-tion; which is of two kinds, special and general. Spe-cial, as all Christians are called brethren, as the Sav-iour says, "Go tell my

brethren." [John 20:17] General, inasmuch as all men are born of one fa-ther, we are bound to-gether by a tie of consan-guinity, as in that, "Say unto them that hate you, Ye are our brethren." [Isa 66:5] I ask then, after which manner these are called the Lord's brethren in the Gospel? According to na-ture? But Scripture saith not, neither calling them sons of Mary nor of Jo-seph. By nation? But it is absurd that some few out of all the Jews should be called brethren, seeing that all the Jews who were there might have thus been called brethren. By affection, either of a hu-man sort, or of the Spirit? If that be true, yet how were they more His breth-ren than the Apostles, whom He instructed in the inmost mysteries. Or if be-cause they were men, and all men are brethren, it was foolish to say of them in particular, Behold, thy brethren seek thee. It only remains then that they by

M A T T H E W 1 2 : 4 6 B Y L U K E H A S K E L L

I ask then, after

which manner these

are called the Lord's

brethren in the

Gospel?

quote

should be His brethren by kindred, not by affection, not by privilege of nation, not by nature. Jerome, Hieron. in loc.: But some suspect the brethren of the Lord to be sons of Joseph by another wife, fol-lowing the idle fancies of apocryphal writers, who have coined a certain woman called Esca. But we understand by the brethren of the Lord, not the sons of Joseph, but cousins of the Saviour, sons of a sister of Mary, [margin note: Mark 6:3] an aunt of Our Lord, who is said to be the mother of James the Less, and Jo-seph, and Jude, whom in another place of the Gospel we find called the brethren of the Lord. And that cousins are called brethren, appears from every part of Scripture. Chrys., Hom., xliv: But mark the loftiness of His brethren [ed. note: The text of S. Chrys. has ara goun kai autes kai ekeinon ten apo-noian] when they should have come in and hearkened with the crowd, or if they would not this, to have waited the end of His speech, and then to have approached Him -- they on the contrary call Him out to them, and do this before the multitude, therein shewing their superabundant love of honour, and also, that with all authority they lay their commands upon Christ. This the Evangelist covertly hints when he says, "While

he yet spake;" as much as to say, Was there no other time? But what did they seek to say? Was it aught of the dogmas of truth? then should they have brought it forth before all, that all might profit thereby. But if of other things that con-cerned themselves alone, they should not have called Him in such haste, whence it is plain that they did this out of vain glory. Aug., De Nat. et Grat., 36: But whatever may be de-cided concerning these brethren, yet concerning the holy Virgin Mary, (for the honour of Christ,) when sin in her is in question, I would not have it brought into doubt. For from this only we might know that more abundant grace was conferred upon her that she should overcome sin on all sides, because she mer-ited to conceive and bring forth Him Who it is clear had no sin. It follows; "Then said one unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without seeking thee." Jerome: He that delivers this message, seems to me not to do it casually and without meaning, but as setting a snare for Him, whether He would prefer flesh and blood to the spiri-tual work; and thus the

Lord refused to go out, not because He disowned His mother and His brethren, but that He might confound him that had laid this snare for Him. Chrys.: For He said not, Go and say unto her, She is not My mother, but continues His discourse to him that had brought Him word; as it follows; "But he an-swered and said unto him that told him, Who in my mother? and who are my brethren?" Hilary: And He cannot be held to have thought meanly of His mother, see-ing that in His passion He evinced the most extreme carefulness for her. Chrys.: But had He desired to disown His mother, He would have done it at the time when the Jews cast His birth in His teeth.

MATTH EW 12 :46

But mark the

loftiness of His

brethren

quote

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quote

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Jerome: He did not then, as Marcion and Manichaeus say, disown His mother, so as to be thought to be born of a phantasm, but He preferred His Apostles to His kindred, that we also in a comparison of our affections should set the spirit before the flesh. Ambrose, Ambros. in Luc. 8, 21: Nor does He overthrow the duty of filial submission, which is conveyed in the command, "Honour thy fa-ther and thy mother," [Ex 20:12] but shews that He owes more to the mysteries and relationship of His Fa-ther, than of His mother; as it follows, "And stretching out his hand to his disciples, he said, Behold my mother and my brethren." Greg., Hom. in Ev., iii, 2: The Lord deigned to call faithful disciples His brethren, saying, "Go, tell my brethren." Since then a man may be made a brother of the Lord by com-ing to the faith, it should be enquired how one may be-come also His mother. Be it known by us then, that he that by believing is made brother or sister of Christ, becomes His mother preach-ing; for in pouring Him into the heart of the hearer, he may be said to beget the Lord; and he is made the Lord's mother, when by his word love of the Lord is be-gotten in the mind of his neighbour. Chrys.: And besides what has been said, He taught also somewhat more, namely, that we should not neglect

virtue relying on any kin-dred. For if it profited His mother nothing that she was such, if she had not had virtue, who is there that shall be saved by his kindred? For there is one only nobility, to do the will of God, and therefore it follows, "Whoso shall do the will of my Father which it in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother." Many women have blessed that holy Virgin and her womb, and have desired to be made such mothers. What is it then that hinders? Behold, He hath set before you a broad way, and not women only, but men like-wise, may become the mother of God. Jerome: Let us also ex-pound in another way. The Saviour is speaking to the multitude -- that is, He teaches the Gentiles the inward mysteries; His mother and His brethren, that is the synagogue and the Jewish people, stand without. Hilary: Although they had like the rest power to come in, yet they abstain from all approach to Him, "for he came unto his own, and his own received him not." Gregory: Thus also His mother is declared to stand without, as though she was not acknowl-edged, because the syna-gogue is therefore not ac-

knowledged by its Author, because it held to the ob-servance of the Law, and having lost the spiritual discernment thereof, kept itself without to guard the letter. Jerome: And when they shall have asked and en-quired, and sent a messen-ger, they shall receive for answer, that their will is free, and that they can en-ter in, if they will believe.

M AT T H E W 12 : 46

And when they shall

have asked and

enquired, and sent

a messenger,

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self unclean, even for his father, or for his mother, or for his brother, or for

his sister, when they die, because the consecration of his God is upon his head.

8 All the days of his sepa-ration he shall be holy to the Lord.

9 But if any man die sud-denly before him, the head of his consecration shall be defiled: and he shall shave

it forthwith on the same day of his purification, and again the seventh day.

10 And on the eighth day he shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons, to the priest in the entry of the covenant of the testi-mony.

11 And the priest shall of-fer one for sin, and the other for a holocaust, and shall pray for him, for that he hath sinned by the dead: and he shall sanctify his head that day:

12 And shall consecrate to the Lord the days of his separation, offering a lamb of one year for sin: yet so

that the former days be made void, because his sanctification was pro-

The law of Nazarites: the form of blessing the people.

1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, *saying:

2 Speak to the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them: When a man, or woman, shall make a vow to

be sanctified, and will conse-crate themselves to the Lord:

3 They shall abstain from wine, and from every thing that may make a man drunk. They shall not drink vinegar of wine, or of any other drink, nor any thing that is pressed out of the grape: nor shall they eat grapes either fresh or dried.

4 All the days that they are consecrated to the Lord by vow: they shall eat nothing that cometh of the vineyard, from the raisin even to the kernel.

5 All the time of his separa-tion,* no razor shall pass over his head until the day be fulfilled of his consecra-tion to the Lord. He shall be holy, and shall let the hair of his head grow.

6 All the time of his conse-cration he shall not go in to any dead,

7 Neither shall he make him-

faned.

13 This is the law of conse-cration. When the days which he had determined by vow shall be expired, he

shall bring him to the door of the tabernacle of the covenant,

14 And shall offer his obla-tion to the Lord: one he-lamb of a year old, without blemish, for a holocaust,

and one ewe-lamb of a year old, without blemish, for a sin-offering, and one ram without blemish for a

victim of peace-offering,

15 A basket also of unleav-ened bread, tempered with oil, and wafers without leaven anointed with oil,

and the libations of each:

16 And the priest shall pre-sent them before the Lord, and shall offer both the sin-offering and the holocaust.

17 But the ram he shall

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M I SS IO N STATEM EN T

They shall abstain

from wine, and

from every thing

that may make a

man drunk.

Volume 2, issue 1

quote

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sons: Thus shall you bless the children of Israel, and you shall say to them:

24 *The Lord bless thee, and keep thee.

25 The Lord shew his face to thee, and have mercy on thee.

26 The Lord turn his countenance to thee, and give thee peace.

27 And they shall invoke my name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them.

____________________

1: A.M. 2514.

5: Judges xiii. 5.

18: Acts xxi. 24.

24: Eccli. xxxvi. 19.

Ver. 2. Sanctified, and sepa-rated from the common sort of people, and obliged to observe abstinence like

the Nazarites, as the Heb. intimates in one word, na-zir. All this was done to ac-quire greater sanctity and

perfection. Sept. "whoever has made a great vow to be very pure to the Lord," and intends thus to signalize his zeal for God's glory. The original term, means also to distinguish oneself by a wonderful thing. There were Nazarites for life, like Samson and S. John the Baptist; and others for a limited time, like S. Paul. Their abstinence from wine, &c. lasted generally for a month, and was to be

immolate for a sacrifice of peace-offering to the Lord, offering at the same time the basket of unleavened bread, and the libations that are due by custom.

18 *Then shall the hair of the consecration of the Nazarite, be shaved off be-fore the door of the taber-nacle of the covenant: and he shall take his hair, and lay it upon the fire, which is un-der the sacrifice of the peace-offerings.

19 And shall take the boiled shoulder of the ram, and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleav-ened wafer, and he shall deliver them into the hands of the Nazarite, after his head is shaven.

20 And receiving them again from him, he shall elevate them in the sight of the Lord: and they being sancti-fied shall belong to the priest, as the breast, which was commanded to be sepa-rated, and the shoulder. Af-ter this the Nazarite may drink wine.

21 This is the law of the Nazarite, when he hath vowed his oblation to the Lord in the time of his con-secration, besides those things which his hands shall find, according to that which he had vowed in his mind, so shall he do for the fulfill-ing of his sanctification.

22 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

23 Say to Aaron and his

performed at Jerusalem. Those of the female sex could not bind themselves by vow till they were ten years and a day old, nor boys before they were full 13. C. --- The custom of cut-ting the hair, in honour of some god, was very com-mon among the pagans; and S. Cyril (de ador. 16,) seems to think that the He-brews had seen it practised in Egypt, and that Moses judged it expedient to let them do so for the sake of the true God, in order to divert their minds from giv-ing way to superstition. C. --- The Hebrews made vows to abstain from wine for 30 days, and then to offer sac-rifices, and to cut their hair, when they were attacked by any dangerous illness. Josep. Bel. ii. 15. S. Paul perhaps made a vow of this nature, in the perils of the sea. Act. xviii. 11. Spencer, Rit. iii. 6. Juvenal alludes to this custom, when he ob-serves, that sailors with their heads shaved, delight in safety to recount the dangers to which they have

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of the Nazariteship, the hair was cut; though per-haps a sort of crown was left at the top of the head, as the 7th verse may be rendered, "the crown of his God," &c. C. --- The Nazarite is under the same regulations as the high priest, with respect to any corpse, v. 6.Maimon. More. p. 3. Lev. xxi. 11. Both were consecrated to God in the most perfect manner. M. --- When the hair of Samson was cut off, he immediately lost his supernatural strength. Jud. xvi.

Ver. 6. Dead. To teach us that those who are conse-crated to God, ought to abstain from the works of

death. H.

Ver. 9. Day. That none might escape; (Theod. q. 11,) though the Heb. may imply that the hair was only shaved on the ninth day, when he was to be purified. C. xix. 12. Then the Nazarite had to begin again, as if he had done nothing, (C.) if his vow were only for a time. Those who had taken a vow for life never shaved.

Ver. 11. Sinned. Contract-ing a legal uncleanness. --- That day, and commence his vow. M.

Ver. 13. He. The priest.

Ver. 18. Fire, on the altar, where the ram has been sacrificed. Abulensis. Lyra-nus thinks it was burnt on the fire, with which the meat

been exposed: Gaudent ubi vertice raso, Garrula securi narrare pericula Nautae. Sat. ii.

Ver. 3. Drunk. Heb. shecar, may signify old or palm wine. Lev. x. 9. --- Drink. Heb. "of shecar," which was a clear wine, with perhaps a mixture of sugar. --- Vinegar was a common beverage among the ancients. Plin. xiv. 16. Ruth ii. 14. The sol-diers gave our Saviour some of theirs to drink. The Turks, who are not allowed to drink wine of the grape, make use of various other sorts of made wine. --- Grape, or the liquor pro-cured from grapes, with a mixture of water, after they have served already to make wine. This liquor is called secondary wine by the Greeks, (M.) being designed for labourers in winter. Varro 54, and Colum. xii. 40. Grapes of every description are forbidden to the Nazarites, as they either tend to inebriate, or at least are too luxurious. H. --- God deigns to give those a rule, who voluntarily consecrate

themselves to his service. "What do the Nazarites des-ignate, but the life of those who abstain, and are conti-nent?" S. Greg. Mor. xxxii. 23. W.

Ver. 4. Kernel, or stone. Nei-ther the inside nor the out-side must be eaten.

Ver. 5. Grow. At the com-mencement, and at the end

was boiled. M. Chaldee. T. --- The Sept., Philo. &c. understand it in the for-mer sense; and Theodoret says the consecrated hair was placed upon the vic-tim on the fire. c.

Ver. 20. Priest, contrary to what was required in other sacrifices. Josep. iv. 4. Both the priest and the Nazarite waved the sacrifice towards the four quarters of the world.

Ver. 21. Mind. If he have vowed any thing more, he must perform it. H.

Ver. 23. Sons. The three forms of benediction for the high priests, have all the same meaning, and they might choose which they pleased. Grotius observes, that they pronounced them aloud standing, with their hands lifted up. The books of Moses are the ritual of the priests.

Ver. 25. Shew. Heb. "make his face shine," joyful and serene, (C.) like a light to direct thy steps. Ps. lxvi. 2.

Ver. 26. Turn. With loving mercy, may he comfort and protect thee. M.

Ver. 27. Invoke. Heb. "they shall name my name (Yehovah, in pronouncing blessings) upon the sons of Israel," which I will ratify. H. --- "They shall place the bless-ing of my name," &c. Chal. They shall praise my name. C. --- God authorizes us to use a determinate from of bless-ing, and grants the effect, when his minister pro-nounces it, (W.) if no obsta-cle be put by the party. H.

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