FEBRUARY 21 - THE GOSPEL breski1 Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 11,29-32. While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them, "This generation is an evil generation …More
FEBRUARY 21 - THE GOSPEL
breski1
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 11,29-32.
While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them, "This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah.
Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.
At the judgment the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here.
At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here."
Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB
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Saint Jerome (347-420)
priest, translator of the Bible, Doctor of the Church
On Jonah, II 2,5,6,11 (SC 43)
Jonah, a prefiguration of Christ
If Jonah is a prefiguration of the Lord who evokes the Savior’s Passion by his dwelling in the belly of the whale for three days and three nights, then his prayer, too, must be an expression of the Lord’s prayer.
“I am banished from your sight. I will again look upon your holy Temple” (Jon 2:5) When I was with you, rejoicing in your light, then I would not say: “I am banished”. But once I am at the bottom of the sea and clothed in human flesh then I take human feelings and say: “I am banished from your sight.” I said this as man but what follows I say as God: “I who, being in your form, did not regard my equality with you (Phil 2:6) because I wanted to raise up humankind to you. But I will again look upon your holy Temple.” In the same way the gospel text says: “Now glorify me, Father, with you, with the glory that I had with you before the world began” (Jn 17:5), and the Father answers: “I have glorified it and will glorify it again” (Jn 12:28). One and the same Lord asks as man and promises as God and is certain of the possession that was always his.
“The waters surged around me up to my neck; the deep enveloped me” (Jon 2:6). May hell not imprison me! May it not refuse me a way out! I made the descent freely, may I freely make the ascent. I came as a captive voluntarily and I have to set free the captives so that this verse may be accomplished: “He ascended on high and took prisoners captive” (Eph 4:8; cf. Ps 68:19). Those, in fact, who formerly were captives in death have been conquered for life by him.
“Then the Lord commanded the fish to vomit Jonah upon dry land” (Jon 2:11). And so he commanded this large whale to restore the Savior to the dry land from the deep and from hell. Thus He who had died to free those held in the bonds of death is able to lead back a great crowd to life together with him.
breski1
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 11,29-32.
While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them, "This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah.
Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.
At the judgment the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here.
At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here."
Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB
Share the Gospel on Facebook
Saint Jerome (347-420)
priest, translator of the Bible, Doctor of the Church
On Jonah, II 2,5,6,11 (SC 43)
Jonah, a prefiguration of Christ
If Jonah is a prefiguration of the Lord who evokes the Savior’s Passion by his dwelling in the belly of the whale for three days and three nights, then his prayer, too, must be an expression of the Lord’s prayer.
“I am banished from your sight. I will again look upon your holy Temple” (Jon 2:5) When I was with you, rejoicing in your light, then I would not say: “I am banished”. But once I am at the bottom of the sea and clothed in human flesh then I take human feelings and say: “I am banished from your sight.” I said this as man but what follows I say as God: “I who, being in your form, did not regard my equality with you (Phil 2:6) because I wanted to raise up humankind to you. But I will again look upon your holy Temple.” In the same way the gospel text says: “Now glorify me, Father, with you, with the glory that I had with you before the world began” (Jn 17:5), and the Father answers: “I have glorified it and will glorify it again” (Jn 12:28). One and the same Lord asks as man and promises as God and is certain of the possession that was always his.
“The waters surged around me up to my neck; the deep enveloped me” (Jon 2:6). May hell not imprison me! May it not refuse me a way out! I made the descent freely, may I freely make the ascent. I came as a captive voluntarily and I have to set free the captives so that this verse may be accomplished: “He ascended on high and took prisoners captive” (Eph 4:8; cf. Ps 68:19). Those, in fact, who formerly were captives in death have been conquered for life by him.
“Then the Lord commanded the fish to vomit Jonah upon dry land” (Jon 2:11). And so he commanded this large whale to restore the Savior to the dry land from the deep and from hell. Thus He who had died to free those held in the bonds of death is able to lead back a great crowd to life together with him.