CCC Cross Reference:
Heb 11:39 147; Heb 11:40 147
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Reading 1: Heb 11:32-40
Brothers and sisters:
What more shall I say?
I have not time to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah,
of David and Samuel and the prophets,
who by faith conquered kingdoms,
did what was righteous, obtained the promises;
they closed the mouths of lions, put out raging fires,
escaped the devouring sword;
out of weakness they were made powerful, became strong in battle,
and turned back foreign invaders.
Women received back their dead through resurrection.
Some were tortured and would not accept deliverance,
in order to obtain a better resurrection.
Others endured mockery, scourging, even chains and imprisonment.
They were stoned, sawed in two, put to death at sword’s point;
they went about in skins of sheep or goats,
needy, afflicted, tormented.
The world was not worthy of them.
They wandered about in deserts and on mountains,
in caves and in crevices in the earth.
Yet all these, though approved because of their faith,
did not receive what had been promised.
God had foreseen something better for us,
so that without us they should not be made perfect.
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 31:20, 21, 22, 23, 24
R. (25) Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
How great is the goodness, O LORD,
which you have in store for those who fear you,
And which, toward those who take refuge in you,
you show in the sight of the children of men.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
You hide them in the shelter of your presence
from the plottings of men;
You screen them within your abode
from the strife of tongues.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
Blessed be the LORD whose wondrous mercy
he has shown me in a fortified city.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
Once I said in my anguish,
“I am cut off from your sight”;
Yet you heard the sound of my pleading
when I cried out to you.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
Love the LORD, all you his faithful ones!
The LORD keeps those who are constant,
but more than requites those who act proudly.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
Gospel: Mk 5:1-20
Jesus and his disciples came to the other side of the sea,
to the territory of the Gerasenes.
When he got out of the boat,
at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him.
The man had been dwelling among the tombs,
and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain.
In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains,
but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed,
and no one was strong enough to subdue him.
Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides
he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones.
Catching sight of Jesus from a distance,
he ran up and prostrated himself before him,
crying out in a loud voice,
“What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?
I adjure you by God, do not torment me!”
(He had been saying to him, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!”)
He asked him, “What is your name?”
He replied, “Legion is my name. There are many of us.”
And he pleaded earnestly with him
not to drive them away from that territory.
Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside.
And they pleaded with him,
“Send us into the swine. Let us enter them.”
And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine.
The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea,
where they were drowned.
The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the town
and throughout the countryside.
And people came out to see what had happened.
As they approached Jesus,
they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion,
sitting there clothed and in his right mind.
And they were seized with fear.
Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happened
to the possessed man and to the swine.
Then they began to beg him to leave their district.
As he was getting into the boat,
the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him.
But Jesus would not permit him but told him instead,
“Go home to your family and announce to them
all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.”
Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis
what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed.
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
First reading: Hebrews 11:32-40
Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, or of David, Samuel and the prophets – these were men who through faith conquered kingdoms, did what is right and earned the promises. They could keep a lion’s mouth shut, put out blazing fires and emerge unscathed from battle. They were weak people who were given strength, to be brave in war and drive back foreign invaders. Some came back to their wives from the dead, by resurrection; and others submitted to torture, refusing release so that they would rise again to a better life. Some had to bear being pilloried and flogged, or even chained up in prison. They were stoned, or sawn in half, or beheaded; they were homeless, and dressed in the skins of sheep and goats; they were penniless and were given nothing but ill-treatment. They were too good for the world and they went out to live in deserts and mountains and in caves and ravines. These are all heroes of faith, but they did not receive what was promised, since God had made provision for us to have something better, and they were not to reach perfection except with us.
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Responsorial Psalm:
Psalm 30(31):20-24
Let your heart take courage, all who hope in the Lord.
How great is the goodness, Lord,
that you keep for those who fear you,
that you show to those who trust you
in the sight of men.
Let your heart take courage, all who hope in the Lord.
You hide them in the shelter of your presence
from the plotting of men;
you keep them safe within your tent
from disputing tongues.
Let your heart take courage, all who hope in the Lord.
Blessed be the Lord who has shown me
the wonders of his love
in a fortified city.
Let your heart take courage, all who hope in the Lord.
‘I am far removed from your sight’
I said in my alarm.
Yet you heard the voice of my plea
when I cried for help.
Let your heart take courage, all who hope in the Lord.
Love the Lord, all you saints.
He guards his faithful
but the Lord will repay to the full
those who act with pride.
Let your heart take courage, all who hope in the Lord.
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Gospel: Mark 5:1-20
Jesus and his disciples reached the country of the Gerasenes on the other side of the lake, and no sooner had Jesus left the boat than a man with an unclean spirit came out from the tombs towards him. The man lived in the tombs and no one could secure him any more, even with a chain; because he had often been secured with fetters and chains but had snapped the chains and broken the fetters, and no one had the strength to control him. All night and all day, among the tombs and in the mountains, he would howl and gash himself with stones. Catching sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and fell at his feet and shouted at the top of his voice, ‘What do you want with me, Jesus, son of the Most High God? Swear by God you will not torture me!’ – For Jesus had been saying to him, ‘Come out of the man, unclean spirit.’ ‘What is your name?’ Jesus asked. ‘My name is legion,’ he answered ‘for there are many of us.’ And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the district.
Now there was there on the mountainside a great herd of pigs feeding, and the unclean spirits begged him, ‘Send us to the pigs, let us go into them.’ So he gave them leave. With that, the unclean spirits came out and went into the pigs, and the herd of about two thousand pigs charged down the cliff into the lake, and there they were drowned. The swineherds ran off and told their story in the town and in the country round about; and the people came to see what had really happened. They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his full senses – the very man who had had the legion in him before – and they were afraid. And those who had witnessed it reported what had happened to the demoniac and what had become of the pigs. Then they began to implore Jesus to leave the neighborhood. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed begged to be allowed to stay with him. Jesus would not let him but said to him, ‘Go home to your people and tell them all that the Lord in his mercy has done for you.’ So the man went off and proceeded to spread throughout the Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him. And everyone was amazed.
Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible
Monday of the 4th Week in Ordinary Time
From: Hebrews 11:32-40
The Faith of Moses, of the Judges and of the Prophets
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[32] And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets -- [33] who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, received promises, stopped the mouths of lions, [34] quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. [35] Women received their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, that they might rise again to a better life. [36] 0thers suffered mocking and scourging, and even chains and imprisonment. [37] They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, ill-treated -- [38] of whom the world was not worthy -- wandering over deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. [39] And all these, though well attested by their faith, did not receive what was promised [40] since God had foreseen something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.
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Commentary:
32-38. Up to this point, the passage has been recalling outstanding examples of faith from the time of the Patriarchs down to that of Joshua (18th to 13th century B.C.). The epistle now goes on to their exploits and sufferings, wherein their faith brought them victory; the sacred writer then mentions the testimony of faith of heroes, judges, kings, prophets and martyrs from the time of the conquest of Palestine to that of the Maccabees (13th to 2nd centuries B.C.). Not in any strict chronological order, he mentions only the most important Judges (Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah), the greatest of the kings (David) and the most famous of the early prophets (Samuel). Finally he refers to exploits and other deeds inspired by faith and fidelity, without giving names.
We know from Sacred Scripture that many of these people had shortcomings and, in some cases, committed grave sins. However, those weaknesses did not prevent their filling key roles in God's plans: they let themselves be used by God to apply his policy and are therefore worthy of being proposed as examples of faith.
33-35a. "Through faith (they) conquered kingdoms": a reference to the men who conquer the promised land: Barak, who overcame the Canaanites (cf. Judg 11), Gideon, who conquered the Midianites (cf. Judg 7), Jephthah, who conquered the Amonnites (cf. Judg 11), Samson, who defeated the Philistines (cf. Judg 14), and David, who succeeded in subduing all the enemies of Israel (cf. 2 Sam 5:17-25; 8:1f; 10).
"Enforced justice": a reference to the authority exercised by the Judges on a tribal basis, and by Samuel and the kings over the whole of Israel (cf. 1 Sam 12:3; 2 Sam 8:15); it can also be understood as meaning those who practiced righteousness in God's name and made it effective, the prophets being the outstanding examples.
"Received promises": the righteous of the Old Testament received an earnest of the messianic promises in the form of the fulfillment of certain prophecies made by God. Barak defeated Sisera as God had promised (cf. Judg 4:14f); Gideon overcame the Midianites (cf. Judg 6:14; 7:7); David brought peace to the whole land, as Nathan had predicted (cf. 2 Sam 7:11); etc.
"Stopped the mouths of lions": a reference to feats performed by Samson (cf. Jud 14:6), David (cf. 1 Sam 17:34-35), and Benaiah (cf. 2 Sam 23:20), it especially recalls the episode of Daniel in the lion's den: when thrown there by the king on account of his faith, he told him, "My God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths, and they have not hurt me" (Dan 6:22).
Sacred history also includes people who "quenched raging fire" (like the three young men in the fiery furnace in Babylon: cf. Dan 3:21-94); or who "escaped the edge of the sword" (as Moses did, in his flight from Pharaoh's wrath: cf. Ex 18:4); or like David, who "won strength out of weakness" in his victories over Goliath and Saul (cf. 1 Sam 17:34ff; 18:11; 19:11). Thanks to his faith Elijah found protection from Jezebel's persecution (cf. 1 Kings 19:1f); and the Jewish people were able to escape extermination during King Ahasuerus' reign thanks to the prayer and intercession of Esther and Mordecai (cf. Esther 3:6ff).
Through faith King Hezekiah was miraculously cured of mortal illness (cf. Is 38) and Samson received his strength after becoming weak and blind (cf. Judg 15: 19; 16:28-30). Faith enabled the Hebrews, under the Judges, to take on and defeat the pagan peoples of Palestine; it led Judith to behead Holofernes and bring about the destruction of his army; and it enabled the Maccabees to repel the foreign armies of Antiochus (cf. 1 Mac 1:38).
Then there is the example of the widow of Zarephath, who sheltered Elijah and had her son restored when the prophet cured him (cf. 1 Kings 17:17f). And Elisha brought back to life the son of the Shunammite widow (cf. 2 Kings 4:33f).
All these examples show the effectiveness of faith, when it involves a person's hole life and lifestyle, influencing both everyday events and great exploits.
35b-36. Faith not only enables people to perform exploits and miracles:it also enables them to persevere in doing good and to bear all kinds of moral and physical pain, even torture and the most cruel forms of death. And so the text refers to various sorts of suffering inflicted on the prophets and many other just members of the people of Israel.
The writer may have in mind, for example, the death of Eleazar (cf. 2 Mac 6:19ff) and of the seven brothers (cf. 2 Mac 7), who underwent most cruel torture during the persecution mounted by Antiochus IV Epiphanes. The king had promised them their lives if they gave up their faith and laws by eating forbidden meat; but they stayed true to God and were mercilessly martyred.
However, they had unshakeable faith in the rightness of God's judgment and in future resurrection (2 Mac 7:19, 14, 23, 29). They desired to "rise again to a better life": they put their faith in an incomparably more valuable, more real, life than that of a few more years on earth, which would have been the reward of apostasy. "They did not escape death," St Thomas writes, "not because God was not looking after them but so that they might obtain eternal life, which is a more excellent thing than being set free from any present affliction or being raised up again to this life" ("Commentary on Heb.", 11, 5).
The example of these men and women whom faith strengthened to endure suffering, should encourage Christians to face persecution courageously and defend their faith at all costs. "Let us pray to God that we do not suffer persecution, but if that does happen, let us bear it bravely. It befits a prudent man not to fling himself lightly into danger, but it befits a brave man to rise to the occasion when danger falls on him" ("Hom. on Heb.", 5).
37-38. Some righteous men were stoned for their faith -- Zechariah, for example, who was killed by order of King Joash (cf. 2 Chron 24:2021); Naboth, condemned to death through the lies spread by Jezebel (cf. 1 Kings 21:13); and the prophet Jeremiah also, according to an ancient tradition. Others were sawn in two -- Isaiah, for example, whom another Jewish tradition says was martyred by King Manasseh.
Elijah, in flight from persecution, went around dressed in skins (cf. 1 Kings 19: 3ff); similarly Mattathias and his sons during the war against the Seleucid kings, were forced to hide in the mountains and had only goatskins to wear (cf. 1 Mac 2:28).
In our own time there are also people who profess their faith in God by undergoing comparable persecution; but usually hatred of Christ and his followers takes more subtle forms.
40. This verse is the conclusion following from all the examples provided. The righteous of the Old Law were outstanding for their faith and endurance, but for all that they did not have the strength that the grace of Christ bestows; Jesus remarked, when John the Baptist was praised to him, "Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he" (Mt 11:11); and he reminded his disciples of their privileged position: "Blessed are the eyes which see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it" (Lk 10:23-24; cf. Mt 13:16-17).
God did not deny their reward to the righteous of the Old Testament, but he postponed it until heaven's gates were opened by the death and resurrection of our Lord. They too now enjoy eternal life and they will attain their final perfecting when their bodies rise in glory on the last day. God is like a good father, St John Chrysostom comments, who says to his beloved children when they finish their work, that he will not give them their supper until their other brothers come back also. "And you, are you annoyed because you have not received your reward? What should Abel do, then. He was the first to gain the victory, but remained uncrowned. And Noah? And all those of those times who are waiting for you and for those who will come after you? Do you not see how much better off we are? That is why he says: God in his providence had arranged something better for us. And, in order that it should not be thought that those people were superior to us because they received their crown earlier, God disposed that all should be crowned at the very same time; and he who won his many years earlier will be crowned along with you [...]. For if we are all the one body, this body will the more rejoice if all are crowned at the same time and not one by one" ("Hom. on Heb.", 28).
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From: Mark 5:1-20
The Gerasene Demoniac
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[1] They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. [2] And when He (Jesus) had come out of the boat, there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, [3] who lived among the tombs; and no one could bind him any more, even with a chain; [4] for he had often been bound with fetters and chains, but the chains he wrenched apart, and the fetters he broke in pieces; and no one had the strength to subdue him. [5] Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out, and bruising himself with stones. [6] And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshipped Him; [7] and crying out with a loud voice, he said, "What have You to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure You by God, do not torment me." [8] For He had said to him, "Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!" [9] And Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" He replied, "My name is Legion; for we are many." [10] And he begged Him eagerly not to send them out of the country. [11] Now a great herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside; [12] and they begged Him, "Send us to the swine, let us enter them." [13] So, He gave them leave. And the unclean spirits came out, and entered the swine; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and were drowned in the sea.
[14] The herdsmen fled, and told it in the city and the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. [15] And they came to see Jesus, and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the man who had had the legion; and they were afraid. [16] And those who had seen it told what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine. [17] And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their neighborhood. [18] And as He was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged Him that he might be with Him. [19] But He refused, and said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you." [20] And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him; and all men marveled.
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Commentary:
1-20. The inhabitants of Gerasa were mostly pagans, as one can gather from the fact that there was such a huge herd of swine there (which must have belonged to a number of different people). Jews were forbidden to raise pigs or eat pork (Leviticus 11:7).
This miracle emphasizes, once more, the existence of the devil and his influence over men's lives: if God permits it, the devil can harm not only humans but also animals. When Christ allows the demons to enter the swine, the malice of the demons becomes obvious: they are tormented at not being able to do men harm and therefore they ask Christ to let them, at least, inflict themselves on animals. This He does, in order to show that they would have the same effect on men as they have on these swine, if God did not prevent them.
Clearly it was not Jesus' intention to punish the owners of the swine by the loss of the herd: since they were pagans that were not subject to the precepts of the Jewish law. Rather, the death of the swine is visible proof that the demon has gone out of the possessed man.
Jesus permitted the loss of some material goods because these were of infinitely less value than the spiritual good involved in the cure of the possessed man.
15-20. Notice the different attitudes to Jesus Christ: the Gerasenes beg Him to go away; the man freed from the devil wants to stay with Him and follow Him. The inhabitants of Gerasa have had our Lord near them, they have seen His divine powers, but they are very self-centered: all they can think about is the material damage they have suffered through the loss of the herd; they do not realize the marvel Jesus has worked. Christ has invited them and offered them His grace but they do not respond: they reject Him. The man who has been cured wants to follow Jesus with the rest of His disciples but our Lord refuses; instead He gives him a task which shows Christ's unlimited compassion for all men, even for those who reject Him: the man is to stay in Gerasa and proclaim to the whole neighborhood what the Lord has done for him. Perhaps they will think again and realize who He is who has visited them, and escape from the sins their greed has led them to commit. These two attitudes are to be found whenever Christ passes by -- as are Jesus' mercy and continuous offer of grace: our Lord does not want the death of the sinner but rather that he should turn from his way and live. (cf. Ezekiel 18:23).
20. The "Decapolis" or "country of the ten cities", among the more famous of which are Damascus, Philadelphia, Scythopolis, Gadara, Pella and Gerasa. The region was located to the east of the lake of Gennesaret and was inhabited mainly by pagans of Greek and Syrian origin. This territory came under the Roman governor of Syria.
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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.
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