June 15 2010 Tuesday Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
Saint of the Day – St. John Francis Regis
Official Readings of the Liturgy at – http://www.usccb.org/bible/

2 Kings 2:1, 6-14
Douay-Rheims Challoner

And it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elias, into heaven, by a whirlwind, that Elias (Elijah) and Eliseus (Elisha) were going from Galgal. And Elias said to him:

Stay here, because the Lord hath sent me as far as the Jordan.

And he said:

as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on together.

And fifty men, of the sons of the prophets, followed them, and stood in sight, at a distance: but they two stood by the Jordan. And Elias took his mantle, and folded it together, and struck the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, and they both passed over on dry ground. And when they were gone over, Elias said to Eliseus:

Ask what thou wilt have me to do for thee, before I be taken away from thee.

And Eliseus said:

I beseech thee, that in me may be thy double spirit.

And he answered:

Thou hast asked a hard thing; nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, thou shalt have what thou hast asked: but if thou see me not, thou shalt not have it.

And as they went on, walking and talking together, behold, a fiery chariot and fiery horses parted them both asunder: and Elias went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Eliseus saw him, and cried:

My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the driver thereof.

And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own garments, and rent them in two pieces. And he took up the mantle of Elias, that fell from him: and going back, he stood on the bank of the Jordan; And he struck the waters with the mantle of Elias, that had fallen from him, and they were not divided. And he said:

Where is now the God of Elias?

And he struck the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, and Eliseus passed over.

Responsorial Psalm 30:20, 21, 24
DR Challoner Text Only

O how great is the multitude of thy sweetness, O Lord,
which thou hast hidden for them that fear thee!
Which thou hast wrought for them that hope in thee,
in the sight of the sons of men.
Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy face,
from the disturbance of men.
Thou shalt protect them in thy tabernacle
from the contradiction of tongues.
O love the Lord, all ye his saints:
for the Lord will require truth,
and will repay them abundantly that act proudly.

The Holy Gospel Of Jesus Christ According to Saint Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
Haydock New Testament

Jesus said:

Take heed that you do not your justice before men, to be seen by them: otherwise you shall have no reward of your Father, who is in heaven. Therefore when thou dost an alms-deed, sound not a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues, and in the streets, that they may be honoured by men. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when thou dost alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth: That thy alms may be in secret, and thy Father, who seeth in secret, will repay thee. And when you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, who love to pray standing in the synagogues, and at the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men: Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But thou, when thou shalt pray, enter into thy chamber, and having shut the door, pray to the Father in secret: and thy Father, who seeth in secret, will reward thee.

And when you fast, be not as the hypocrites, sad: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear fasting to men. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face, that thou appear not fasting to men, but to thy Father who is in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret, will repay thee.

Haydock Commentary 2 Kings 2:1, 6-14 (4 Kings)
Notes copied from Haydock Commentary Site

  • Ver. 1. Heaven. By heaven here is meant, the air, the lowest of the heavenly regions, (Ch). through which he was carried by the ministry of angels, who directed the storm, (H.) to the place designed for him. — It is generally supposed to be Paradise, (C.) whither Henoch had been translated.  H. — They are still living, (C.) and must come again, to invite all to repent.  After which they will die martyrs, in the persecution of Antichrist.  H. — See S. Aug. de Gen. ad lit. ix. 6. et Apoc. xi.  W. — Eccli. xlviii. 10.  M. — They are a proof of a future resurrection.  C. — To decide where the paradise which they inhabit, (H.) is situated. would be rash.  S. Chrys. hom. 21. in Gen. &c.  Some suppose it is still in some unknown region of the earth: others place it above the sky, (M.) or in the bosom of Abraham.  C. — The Jews (ap. Munster) assert that Elias penetrated the sphere of fire, where his body was consumed.  Vat. — The earthly paradise is very probably no longer existing, in its ancient luxuriant state.  H. — It may now be covered with the waters of the Persian Gulf.  Worthington.
  • Ver. 6. Thee. Elias had tried the constancy of his disciple three times, as Christ required of S. Peter a triple confession of love.  Jo. xxi. 17.  H. — Humility might also prompt the prophet to desire to be alone.  Salien.
  • Ver. 8. Mantle. Sept. mhlwthn, “sheep skin,” (M.) such as the prophets wore.  The Syriac explains it of an ornament or bandage of the head; others, of a leathren mantle to keep off rain.  Ad subitas nunquam scortea diset aquas. Martial xiv.
  • Ver. 9. Double spirit. A double portion of thy spirit, as thy eldest son and heir: or thy spirit, which is double, in comparison of that which God usually imparteth to his prophets; (Ch). or the power of working miracles, as well as of prophesying.  W. — He wishes to excel his fellow disciples, rather than his master.  T.  Cajet.  Amama. — Double often means, great and perfect.  Jer. xvii. 18.  If Eliseus even begged that he might perform more and greater wonders than his master, (as Christ enabled his disciples to surpass himself, in this particular.  Jo. xiv. 12.  H.) he might do it without pride, purely for the glory of God.  He certainly shone forth with peculiar splendour; and some have enumerated sixteen or twenty-four of his miracles, while they can only find eight (Lyran.) or twelve recorded of Elias.  See A. Lapide, in Eccli. xlviii. 13.  C. — We read a similar expression in Pindar, (Olym. vi.) where Neptune gave his son Jamus ( Qhsauron didumon mantosunaV) “the double treasure of divination,” p. 50. Ed. Step.  H.
  • Ver. 10. Hard thing. Heb. lit. “thou art hardened to ask” a thing so difficult, and which I have not the power to grant.  But I will pray that thou mayst receive it; (C.) and I feel confident that thou wilt, if God shall grant thee the power to see me, at my departure.  H. — This he did, v. 12.  M. — Elias had perhaps imagined that his disciple would have desired some of his clothes, or some advice.  C. — He left him his mantle, (v. 13.  H.) and by prayer was enabled to communicate his spirit to him; as Moses and the apostles did to their assistants in the ministry.  C.
  • Ver. 11. Horses.Angels assumed these forms, (Grotius) or a cloud, resembling a fiery chariot and horses, was impelled by a strong wind, under their guidance.  Tostat.  M.  Salien, A.C. 914. — As the name of Elias is very like Helios, “the sun,” some have supposed that hey have the same meaning: (Sedulius, pasc. 1.) but the Heb. term signifies, “He is my God.”  The pagans have taken occasion from this history to represent the sun drawn in a fiery chariot, by horses composed of the same element.
    • Animosos ignibus illis,
    • Quos in pectore habent, quos ore & naribus efflant. Metam. xii.  C.
    • — Heaven; (see v. 1.) where he lives free from all disturbance.  T. — It is a constant, that he will come again before the last judgment; as his representative, John the Baptist, announced the first appearance of our Redeemer.  S. Greg. hom. 7. in Ev.  Of this the Jews were convinced.  S. Justin, dial.  See Malac. iv. 5.
  • Ver. 12. Thereof. Thou alone wast equal to an army, in our defence.  Chariots were then very common.  C. — Chal. and Vatab. “Thou wast, by thy prayer, better to Israel than chariots and horses.”  So we should call a person, a pillar of the state, &c.  T. — In giving the character of Elias, the Holy Ghost dwells in a particular manner on his burning zeal.  C. — Elias stood up as a fire, and his word burnt like a torch…he brought down fire from heaven thrice, on the holocaust, and on the captains.  H. — Who can glory like to thee? Eccli. lxviii. 1. 4.  See SS. Amb. and Chrys. on Elias.  His resemblance with Christ is very striking.  His name puts us in mind of Christ’s divinity; who burnt with zeal for God’s house, (Jo. ii. 17.) was persecuted, (C.) raised the dead to life, rose again and ascended triumphant into heaven, having imparted his blessing (H.) and his sacraments to his disciples.  C. — No more, as he was taken from the company of men.  H. — Pieces, to express his grief, at being deprived of so excellent a master.  M.
  • Ver. 13. Mantle, as an earnest of his affection.  By the imposition of this mantle, he had been called to be a prophet.  3 K. xix. 19.
  • Ver. 14. Not divided. God thus prevented him from giving way to vanity, (Abul. q. 28.) or thinking that he could do any thing himself.  H. — Elias. Heb. “where is he?”  C. — The original and Sept. (Alex. and Vat.) do not specify that he struck the waters twice, or that they did not divide at first.  H. — This is taken from other copies of the Sept.  Amama. — The exclamation contains a most fervent prayer.  Heb. “he smote the waters, and said: Where is the Lord God of Elias? and when he had stricken the,” &c. which removes the idea of presumption, which (H.) some discover in the words of Eliseus.  T.  Sanctius. — Now. Heb. aph hu. Sept. affw, retaining the words which Theodotion renders “the hidden” god.  H. — “Even he himself.”  Aquila.  C. — When I stand so much in need of his assistance, (M.) having performed his important functions, which cannot be done without his spirit, nor without the confirmation of miracles, before an unbelieving people.  H.

Haydock Commentary Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

  • Ver. 1. Your justice;[1] in the common Greek copies, your alms, which seems to be the sense in this place.  Wi. — Hereby it is plain that good works are justice, and that man doing them doth justice, and is thereby just and justified, and not by faith only.  All which justice of a christian man, our Saviour here compriseth in the three eminent good works, alms deeds, prayer, and fasting.  Aug. l. perf. just. c. viii.  So that to give alms is to do justice, and the works of mercy are justice.  Aug. in ps. xlix, v. 5.  B. — S. Gregory says, that the man who by his virtuous actions would gain the applause of men, quits at an easy rate a treasure of immense value; for, with what he might purchase the kingdom of heaven, he only seeks to acquire the transitory applause of mortals.  This precept of Christ, says S. Chrysostom, beautifully evinces the solicitude and unspeakable goodness of God, lest we should have the labour of performing good works, and on account of evil motives be deprived of our reward.  Hom. xix.  “Shut up alms in the heart of the poor.”  Eccles. xxix. 15.
  • Ver. 2. This must be understood figuratively, that we must avoid all ostentation in the performance of our good works.  Many respectable authors are of opinion, that it was customary with the Pharisees and other hypocrites, to assemble the poor they designed to relieve by sound of trumpet.  M. — Let us avoid vain glory, the agreeable plunderer of our good works, the pleasant enemy of our souls, which presents its poison to us under the appearance of honey.  S. Bas.
  • Ver. 3. Be content to have God for witness to your good works, who alone has power to reward you for them.  They will be disclosed soon enough to man, when at the day of general retribution the good and the evil will be brought to light, and every one shall be rewarded according to his works.  A.
  • Ver. 4. This repaying or rewarding of good works, so often mentioned here by Jesus Christ, clearly evinces that good works are meritorious, and that we may do them with a view to a reward, as David did, propter retributionem.  A.
  • Ver. 5. Hypocrisy is forbidden in all these three good works of justice, but not the doing of them openly for the glory of God, the edification of our neighbour, and our own salvation.  Let your light so shine before men, i.e. let your work be so done in public, that the intention remain in secret.  S. Greg.
  • Ver. 6. Because he who should pray in his chamber, and at the same time desire it to be known by men, that he might thence receive vain glory, might truly be said to pray in the street, and sound a trumpet before him: whilst he, who though he pray in public, seeks not thence any vain glory, acts the same as if he prayed in his chamber.  M. — Jesus Christ went up to the temple, to attend public worship on the festival days.
  • Ver. 16. He condemns not public fasts as prescribed to the people of God, (Jud. xx. 26.  2 Esdras ix.  Joel ii. 15.  John iii.) but fasting through vain glory, and for the esteem of men.  B.
  • Ver. 17. The forty days’ fast, my dear brethren, is not an observance peculiar to ourselves; it is kept by all who unite with us in the profession of the same faith.  Nor is it without reason that the fast of Christ should be an observance common to all Christians.  What is more reasonable, than that the different members should follow the example of the head.  If we have been made partakers with him of good, why not also of evil.  Is it generous to exempt ourselves from every thing that is painful, and with to partake with him in all that is agreeable?  With such dispositions, we are members unworthy of such a head. . . . Is it much for us to fast with Christ, who expect to sit at the table of his Father with him?  Is it much for the members to suffer with the head, when we expect to be made one day partakers with him glory?  Happy the man who shall imitate such a Master.  He shall accompany him whithersoever he goes.  S. Bern. Serm, in Quad. — Wherefore, my dear brethren, if the taste only has caused us to offend God, let the taste only fast, and it will be enough.  But if the other members also have sinned, let them also fast.  Let the eye fast, if it has been the cause of sin to the soul; let the ear fast, the tongue, the hand, and the soul itself.  Let the eye fast from beholding objects, which are only calculated to excite curiosity and vanity; that being now humbled, it may be restrained to repentance, which before wandered in guilt.  Let the ear fast from listening to idle stories and words that have no reference to salvation.  Let the tongue fast from detraction and murmuring, from unprofitable and sacrilegious discourse; sometimes also, out of respect to holy silence, from speaking what appears necessary and profitable.  Let the hand also fast from useless works, and from every action that is not commanded.  But above all, let the soul fast from sin and the doing of its own will.  Without these fasts, all others will not be accepted by the Lord.  S. Bern. Serm. 2 de Jejun.  Quad. — Fast from what is in itself lawful, that you may receive pardon for what you have formerly done amiss.  Redeem an eternal fast by a short and transitory one.  For we have deserved hell fire, where there will be no food, no consolation, no end; where the rich man begs for a drop of water, and is not worthy to receive it.  A truly good and salutary fast, the observance of which frees us from eternal punishment, by obtaining for us in this life the remission of our sins.  Nor is it only the remission of former transgressions, but likewise a preservative against future sin, by meriting for us grace to enable us to avoid those faults we might otherwise have committed.  I will add another advantage, which results from tasting, one which I hope I am not deceived in saying you have frequently experienced.  It gives devotion and confidence to prayer.  Observe how closely prayer and fasting are connected.  Prayer gives us power to fast, fasting enables us to pray.  Fasting gives strength to our prayer, praying sanctifies our fast, and renders it worthy of acceptance before the Lord.  S. Bern. Serm. de Orat. & []ejun.

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