Cure of St Peter's mother-in-law and others

 St Mark Chapter I : Verses 29-34

Healing Peter's mother-in-law. J-J Tissot

[29] And immediately going out of the synagogue they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 

[30] And Simon's wife's mother lay in a fit of a fever: and forthwith they tell him of her.
[31] And coming to her, he lifted her up, taking her by the hand; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them. 

 

[29] Et protinus egredientes de synagoga, venerunt in domum Simonis et Andreæ, cum Jacobo et Joanne. 

[30] Decumbebat autem socrus Simonis febricitans : et statim dicunt ei de illa.
[31] Et accedens elevavit eam, apprehensa manu ejus : et continuo dimisit eam febris, et ministrabat eis.

Notes

29. They, i.e. our Lord, Peter and Andrew, James and John. It was on the Sabbath that this miracle was wrought. Probably Jesus went to the Apostle’s house to take food.

30. Simon's wife's mother : hence St Peter was a married man. of a fever. St Luke tells us it was a great fever.

31. And coming. Notice our Lord’s condescension so graphically related by St Mark.

(a) Jesus went to the sufferer.

(b) He took her by the hand.

(c) He lifted her up.

(d) He rebuked the fever and healed her.

the fever left her. She was completely cured, and as a proof she ministered unto them.

And he healed many... J-J Tissot

[32] And when it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all that were ill and that were possessed with devils. 

[33] And all the city was gathered together at the door. 

[34] And he healed many that were troubled with divers diseases; and he cast out many devils, and he suffered them not to speak, because they knew him.

[32] Vespere autem facto cum occidisset sol, afferebant ad eum omnes male habentes, et dæmonia habentes : 

[33] et erat omnis civitas congregata ad januam. 

[34] Et curavit multos, qui vexabantur variis languoribus, et dæmonia multa ejiciebat, et non sinebat ea loqui, quoniam sciebant eum.

Notes

32. After sunset. All the Synoptic writers give this detail. The people waited, probably because it was then cooler than in the afternoon, and because they wished to respect the rest of the Sabbath, which finished at sunset. This latter precaution was not necessary, since it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath, as our Lord teaches. Note also that the news of the healing of St Peter’s mother-in-law would not have been known in the city until the evening.

diseased. Those suffering from sicknesses.

possessed with devils. The Evangelist distinguishes between the sick and those possessed by the devil.

33. at the door, — i.e. of St Peter’s house. St Matthew (viii. 17) points out how our Lord, by healing the afflicted, fulfilled the prophecy, He took our infirmities and lore our diseases (Isaias liii. 4).

34. they knew him, i.e. they knew that he was the Holy One of God (see verse 24)

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

The cure of the demoniac at Capharnaum

St Mark Chapter I : Verses 21-28

Christ casts out the unclean spirit. J-J Tissot

[21] And they entered into Capharnaum, and forthwith upon the sabbath days going into the synagogue, he taught them. 
[22] And they were astonished at his doctrine. For he was teaching them as one having power, and not as the scribes. 

[23] And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, 

[24] Saying: What have we to do with thee, Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know who thou art, the Holy One of God. 

[25] And Jesus threatened him, saying: Speak no more, and go out of the man.
[26] And the unclean spirit tearing him, and crying out with a loud voice, went out of him. 

[27] And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying: What thing is this? what is this new doctrine? for with power he commandeth even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.

[28] And the fame of him was spread forthwith into all the country of Galilee.

[21] Et ingrediuntur Capharnaum : et statim sabbatis ingressus in synagogam, docebat eos. [22] Et stupebant super doctrina ejus : erat enim docens eos quasi potestatem habens, et non sicut scribæ. [23] Et erat in synagoga eorum homo in spiritu immundo : et exclamavit, [24] dicens : Quid nobis et tibi, Jesu Nazarene? venisti perdere nos? scio qui sis, Sanctus Dei. [25] Et comminatus est ei Jesus, dicens : Obmutesce, et exi de homine. [26] Et discerpens eum spiritus immundus, et exclamans voce magna, exiit ab eo. [27] Et mirati sunt omnes, ita ut conquirerent inter se dicentes : Quidnam est hoc? quænam doctrina haec nova? quia in potestate etiam spiritibus immundis imperat, et obediunt ei. [28] Et processit rumor ejus statim in omnem regionem Galilææ. 

Notes

This is the first of eighteen miracles recorded in St Mark's Gospel. See Miracles below for complete list.

21. Capharnaum. A city on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. Many of our Lord’s miracles were worked here (see Geog. Notes, below), e.y. Healing of the centurion’s servant (St Matt. viii. 5) ; Healing of Simon’s wife’s mother (St Matt. viii. 14) ; Cure of the paralytic (St Matt. ix. 6).

synagogue. This was most likely the synagogue built by the centurion, whose son Jesus healed (St Luke vii. 5).

22. They were astonished, literally were “enraptured.” Jesus won the admiration of the people by His doctrine, which was not based on human traditions, and by His divine eloquence : Never did man speak like this man (St John vii. 46).

scribes. Men who copied and explained the law of Moses and the traditions of the Rabbis. On these, the scribes based all their teaching, whereas Jesus taught as one having authority. I say unto you, was often His introduction to a discourse.

23. with an unclean spirit, more literally “ a man in an unclean spirit,” i.e. one under the influence of a spirit that tempted to sins of impurity. St Luke calls the spirit an unclean devil (iv. 33).

he cried out. The devil was tortured by the presence of our Lord and feared expulsion, hence he made the man cry out.

Capharnaum

Capharnaum — (city of consolation). — This was a Roman settlement on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. The exact site is not definitely known. “ It was the centre of Roman taxation and government in Galilee, and accordingly possessed a garrison (St Matt. viii. 5), with a centurion and other officers, as well as civil representatives of the Roman power, together with a large staff of tax-gatherers (St Mark ii. 15), while the Jews were possibly too small and too poor a colony to build their own synagogues ” (Helps to the Study of the Bible).

Several sites have been conjectured, viz. —

(1) Medjel, (2) Khan Minyeli, (3) the Round Fountain, all on the western side of the lake.

“ The Round Fountain ” best corresponds to the Capharnaum of Josephus. In favour of the Tell Hum are the name and ruins. But, on the whole, Khan Minyeh combines more probabilities than any other single spot. In the plain of Gennesareth, yet not actually on the sea-shore, with a spring close by, and supported by a train of tradition from Arculf (7th century) to Quaresmius. (Stanley, Sinai and Palestine, p. 384).

Capharnaum was in our Lord’s time a thriving town, and a great centre of the fishing trade.

The following events occurred at Capharnaum (Capernaum) : —

(1) The healing of the demoniac in the synagogue (i. 23-38).

(2) St Peter’s wife’s mother cured of a fever (i. 30, 31).

(3) The cleansing of the leper (i. 40-45).

(4) The healing of the paralytic (ii. 3-12).

(5) The call of Matthew or Levi (ii. 14).

(6) The healing of the man with a withered hand (iii. 1-5).

(7) The raising of Jairus’ daughter (v. 21-43).

(8) The rebuke of Jesus to His disciples when they had disputed which should be the greatest (ix. 32-33).

Here also Jesus healed the centurion’s servant (St Matt, viii.) and preached His discourse on “The Bread of Life,” recorded by St John only (vi.). It was one of the three cities which our Lord denounced on account of the incredulity of its inhabitants.

24. What have we to do with thee ? i.e. Why do you interfere with us ? In the Vulgate we find in St Luke’s account, Let us alone, what have, etc. These words are omitted in the Greek. If genuine, they are understood by some commentators rather as an expression of horror, an inarticulate cry-

Art thou come to destroy us ? That is, to bind them in hell, where their tortures would be greater, and where they could not attack the living. Jesus had come to destroy them. For this purpose the Son of God appeared , that He might destroy the works of the devil (1 John iii. 8).

I know who thou art. The devils recognised our Lord as the Holy One, i.e. the Messiah, called by Daniel (ix. 24) the Saint of Saints. St James (ii. 19) tells us the devils believe and tremble. It is clear that after our Lord’s death and resurrection they had no doubt of Christ’s divinity.

The words of the unclean spirit show —

(a) The antagonism between Christ, “the Holy One,” and the impure devils.

(b) The superiority of Christ.

(c) The overthrow of Satan’s power.

25. Jesus threatened him. Jesus spoke with power and authority, being unwilling to receive testimony from the devils, as it was not yet time for Him to be made known as the Messiah. Hence we find Jesus even forbidding His Apostles to proclaim that He is the Christ (St Mark viii. 30). Our Lord proved His divine power by driving out the devil.

Speak no more : literally “ be muzzled.” St Mark uses the same expression in describing the Stilling of the Tempest, be still (iv. 39). The expression is exceedingly graphic, being used ordinarily for a beast only (1 Cor. ix. 9).

26. tearing him. Throwing the man into convulsions, but without injuring him bodily, for St Luke tells us, the devil hurt him not at all.

amazed. The original word expresses astonishment and terror.

27. They questioned among themselves. One of St Mark’s descriptive, touches. They turned to one another and discussed the miracle.

new doctrine. That preached by Jesus Christ.

with power he commandeth. Without ritual ceremonies, hut by a simple word of command.

28. the fame, etc. Report of His miracles, which spread quickly.

On Demoniacal Possession

(a) Possession of the devil. The devils are sometimes permitted by God to harass men externally, as in the case of holy Job, whom they afflicted bodily and deprived of his worldly possessions. They are also occasionally permitted to enter into a man’s body and to dwell there, using his limbs and senses, and depriving him of the use of them. Thus the possessed often do extraordinary things, such as flying in the air, speaking unknown tongues, etc. (see Acts xvi. 16, xix. 16). The devil cannot inhabit the soul, nor is he able to force man’s free will and compel him to sin, but he can cruelly torture the body and cause illusions by deceiving the senses. Even good people have been for a time possessed by the devil, as we read in the lives of the saints, but such examples are rare. The third of the minor orders of the Church is that of the exorcist, whose special office is to perform exorcisms, i.e. to drive out devils. Possessions of the devil were much more frequent before the time of our Lord.

(b) Obsession of the devil : when the devil attacks a man persistently from without, and presents phantoms to the senses. Many saints have experienced this trial. Exorcisms are —

(a) Ordinary : as in baptism, blessing of holy water.

(b) Extraordinary : in the case of bodily possessions.

Our Lord frequently exorcised during His public life, and so did the Apostles, both when sent out on their first apostolic mission (St Luke ix. 1) and later on (Acts xvi. 18, xix. 12)

Miracles in St Mark's Gospel

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

Jesus begins His ministry

St Mark Chapter I : Verses 14-20

[14] And after that John was delivered up, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

[15] And saying: The time is accomplished, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent, and believe the gospel.

[14] Postquam autem traditus est Joannes, venit Jesus in Galilæam, praedicans Evangelium regni Dei, 

[15] et dicens : Quoniam impletum est tempus, et appropinquavit regnum Dei : pœnitemini, et credite Evangelio.

Notes

14. Galilee. This was the most northern and most populous of the divisions of Palestine. The others were Samaria (central) and Judea (in the south). Jesus now begins His ministry in Galilee.

the gospel of the kingdom of God. The redemption wrought by Jesus Christ, the establishment of the Church on earth. Jesus takes up and continues the ministry of St John the Baptist.

15. The time is accomplished. The time of grace and salvation fore¬ told by the prophets has now arrived. The Messiah has come.

The first four disciples

The calling of Simon and Andrew. J-J Tissot

[16] And passing by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother, casting nets into the sea (for they were fishermen).

[17] And Jesus said to them: Come after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. 

[18] And immediately leaving their nets, they followed him.

[16] Et præteriens secus mare Galilaeae, vidit Simonem, et Andream fratrem ejus, mittentes retia in mare (erant enim piscatores),

[17] et dixit eis Jesus : Venite post me, et faciam vos fieri piscatores hominum. 

[18] Et protinus relictis retibus, secuti sunt eum.

The calling of James and John. J-J Tissot

[19] And going on from thence a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were mending their nets in the ship: 

[20] And forthwith he called them. And leaving their father Zebedee in the ship with his hired men, they followed him.

[19] Et progressus inde pusillum, vidit Jacobum Zebedæi, et Joannem fratrem ejus, et ipsos componentes retia in navi : 

[20] et statim vocavit illos. Et relicto patre suo Zebedæo in navi cum mercenariis, secuti sunt eum.

Notes

16. the Sea of Galilee. It had various names, drawn chiefly from the towns or localities on its shores (see Geog. Notes, p. 84).

He saw Simon. Not for the first time. He was already our Lord’s disciple (St John i. 40-42).

casting nets. There were two kinds of nets used by fishermen. The casting net and the bag or hand net. The casting net is here spoken of. It was circular in shape and had weights attached to make it sink. It was probably at this time, before the call of the first four Apostles, that the first miraculous draught of fishes took place (St Luke v. 1 ).

Order of events : —

(a) Jesus walks by the Sea of Galilee.

(b) The crowds press around Him.

(c) He enters Peter’s boat and preaches to the people.

(d) The miraculous draught of fishes, was caught.

(e) Jesus calls the four Apostles.

saw Simon , etc., casting nets. Doubtless the net was cast in obedience to our Lord’s command.

17. Come after me , i.e. “ Follow Me,” as a disciple accompanies his master.

Fishers of men, i.e. men chosen to bring souls into the Church of Christ by their preaching and holy lives. Hence the Pope, the successor of St Peter, signs, “ under the seal of the Fisherman.” Of old, God promised, Behold, I will send many fishers .... and they shall fish them (Jer. xvi. 16).

19. in the ship, i.e. in their fishing boat

20. hired men. From the fact that Zebedee owned two boats and employed paid hands, we may safely conclude that he was not poor. Also we find later that his son St John was known to the high-priest (St John xviii. 15).

Additional Notes

It is interesting to note the steps by which our Lord’s first four disciples were gradually led to give up all and follow

Him.

(1) They were disciples of St John the Baptist.

(2) They heard St John point out Jesus as the Lamb of God (St John

i. 36).

(3) They followed Jesus, saw where He dwelt, and stayed with him that day (St John i. 39).

(4) They were present at the marriage at Cana (St John ii. 2).

(5) After the first miraculous draught of fishes, Jesus called them to follow Him.

(6) They were enrolled with eight others as the chosen Apostles of Jesus.

Galilee (Sea of)

This is a beautiful lake, the second formed  by the Jordan in its course. It  lies embosomed among steep mountains, of which the deep gorges act as gigantic funnels,  and thus cause violent and sudden tempests, due to the differences of temperature in the airof the sea- level and that  above. It is about 13 miles long and 6 miles broad, and lies  700 feet below the level of the sea.

This lake is known under four names The  Sea  of Galilee  (vii. 31.)  The Lake of  Gennesareth (St Luke v. 1). Sea of  Oenereth  (Num. xxxiv.11). Sea of  Tiberias (St John vi. 1).

St  Mark  always refers to it as the Sea of Galilee, or “the sea.”  It is mentioned in his gospel four times : —

(1)  The call of Simon, Andrew, James and John (i. 16-20).

(2)  The call of Levi or Matthew (ii. 13,14).

(3)  The stilling of the tempest (iv. 37-40).

(4)  Jesus walking on the sea  (vi. 47-53).

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

The Baptism of Christ and His Temptation

 St Mark Chapter I : Verses 9-13

The Baptism of Jesus

Christ's Baptism. J-J Tissot. 

[9] And it came to pass, in those days, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

[10] And forthwith coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit as a dove descending, and remaining on him.

[11] And there came a voice from heaven: Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

[9] Et factum est : in diebus illis venit Jesus a Nazareth Galilaeae : et baptizatus est a Joanne in Jordane.

[10] Et statim ascendens de aqua, vidit caelos apertos, et Spiritum tamquam columbam descendentem, et manentem in ipso.

[11] Et vox facta est de caelis : Tu es Filius meus dilectus, in te complacui.

Notes

9. In those days. Either an indefinite formula referring to St J ohn’s preaching, or more probably a reference to the days of our Lord’s hidden life at Nazareth, which ended when He attained His thirtieth year. 

Nazareth. A small despised city on the southern slopes of Galilee. Can any thing of good come from Nazareth ? (St John i. 46).

in the Jordan. One local tradition points out an ancient ford, near Succoth, as the spot where Jesus was baptized, another refers it to a ford near Jericho. The latter was easier of access.
10. forthwith — immediately ; both favourite words of St Mark. This adverb, as employed by St Mark, does not always express uninterrupted sequence.
He saw the heavens opened. “He” refers to Jesus Himself, but St John also saw the rent in the heavens, and probably the people present perceived the miracle.
opened. Literally “ rent ” or “ torn.” The same word is used to express the rending of the rocks at our Lord’s crucifixion.
11. a voice from heaven. During our Saviour’s lifetime a miraculous
voice was heard three times : —
(a) At His Baptism : Thou art My beloved Son, in Thee I am well pleased.
(b) At the Transfiguration : This is My beloved Son, hear ye Him.
(c) In the Temple during Holy Week : I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.

Verses 10 and 11. Note the explicit mention of the three Persons of the Blessed Trinity. God the Father spoke from Heaven. God the Son stood in the river. God the Holy Ghost descended “in bodily shape as a dove.”

HOLY, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts. Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory. Hosanna in the highest. 
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
SANCTUS, Sanctus, Sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth. Pleni sunt caeli et terra gloria tua. Hosanna in excelsis. 
Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini. Hosanna in excelsis.

Nazareth

A small town  of Lower Galilee, situated about midway between the Sea of Galilee  and the Mediterranean, lying on the southern slope of a hill. The rocks tower up almost  perpendicularly behind the town, and a hill is  pointed out called  “the Hill of Precipitation,” as the spot where the Nazarenes tried to cast our Lord down.  St Mark refers to it as our Lord’s own country (vi. 1).  He also tells us that  Jesus could not do any miracles there, only that He cured a  few.... and He wondered because of their unbelief.

Notes

10. heavens opened. It was not an instantaneous clearing up of the sky, as when after rain the sun shines forth, but “ a sudden brilliant light, apparently proceeding from the uppermost clouds, indicating that the Holy Ghost and the voice came from the heavens themselves.”

he saw the heavens opened. Who saw the heavens opened ? Evidently Jesus Himself. “The heavens were opened to Him” (Matt. iii. 16), and St John the Baptist also witnessed the miracle, for we read, “I saw the Spirit coming down” (John i. 32). It is questioned as to whether the multitude saw the heavens opened.

I. Reasons against.

(1) The gospel mentions only our Lord and His precursor as witnesses of the miracle.

(2) The gospels assert that St John was to give testimony of the miracle, but this would have been superfluous if the people had seen it.

II. Reasons for.

(1) It is the more common opinion that all witnessed the miracle.

(2) It would have needed a second miracle to prevent the people from seeing what was evident to the senses.

(3) The threefold miracle of —

(a) The heavens opening,

(b) The Holy Ghost descending in visible form,

(c) and of the voice from heaven, had for object to confirm Christ’s mission, and hence needed to be seen.

(4) Only those who were present at the baptism of Jesus could have seen the miracle, and they were but few compared with the inhabitants of Judea, to whom St John could give testimony.

he saw, etc. St Luke adds a detail, “Jesus also being baptized and praying, heaven was opened” (iii. 21). Note how all our Lord’s important actions were accompanied with

prayer, e.g. —

The calling of the twelve Apostles (St Luke vi. 13).

The Transfiguration (St Luke ix. 29).

The Agony in the garden (St Matt. xxvi.).

 

as a dove. “In a bodily shape as a dove ” (St Luke iii. 22). It was not a real dove, but a miraculous appearance, which signified the coming of the Holy Ghost. “ The Dove of God bore witness to the Lamb of God.”

Note. — St Mark gives a very brief summary of the baptism of our Lord. From the three Synoptic writers we learn the following details : —

(1) Jesus came from Galilee to be baptized (St Matt. iii. 13).

(2) Jesus was baptized after all the people were baptized (St Luke iii. 21).

(3) St John hesitated about baptizing Jesus (St Matt. iii. 14).

(5) After His baptism, Jesus prayed (St Luke iii. 21).

(6) Jesus saw the heavens open (St Mark i. 10).

(7) The Holy Ghost descended in bodily shape (St Luke iii. 22). 

The Temptation of Christ

Satan tempts Christ in the wilderness. J-J Tissot

[12] And immediately the Spirit drove him out into the desert.
[13] And he was in the desert forty days and forty nights, and was tempted by Satan; and he was with beasts, and the angels ministered to him.

[12] Et statim Spiritus expulit eum in desertum.

[13] Et erat in deserto quadraginta diebus, et quadraginta noctibus : et tentabatur a Satana : eratque cum bestiis, et angeli ministrabant illi.

Notes

12. The Spirit drove him. “The Holy Ghost who dwelt in all His fulness in our Lord, influenced Him to act energetically but at the same time freely.” Cf. “led” by the Spirit (St Matt. iv. 1., St Luke iv. 1).
out into the desert. A local tradition points to Quarantania, a district north-west of Jericho, as the scene of our Lord’s fasting and temptation.
13. forty days, etc. Satan ( = adversary) perhaps tempted our Lord the whole forty days, but with greater violence at the end.
with beasts. A detail peculiar to St Mark.
The district of Quarantania was infested with wild-boars, foxes, leopards, wolves, etc. This closes St Mark’s brief mention of the Temptation.
Angels ministered. They supplied our Lord’s bodily wants.
St Mark defers the account of St John’s imprisonment, which is related with his martyrdom in chap. vi. 17-29.

V R S N S M V - S M Q L I V B are letters found on the medal of St Benedict (AD 480-548). They are the initial letters of a Latin prayer of exorcism against Satan:

Vade retro Satana! Nunquam suade mihi vana! Sunt mala quae libas. Ipse venena bibas!

Begone Satan! Never tempt me with your vanities! What you offer me is evil. Drink the poison yourself!

Additional Notes

The temptation and fast of our Lord in the desert was a solemn preparation for His public life. It was thus that Moses the lawgiver and Elias the prophet had fasted. The second Adam began His work by triumphing over Satan.

13. forty days, etc. This number is frequently mentioned both in the Old and in the New Testament. The fast of Lent, which is of apostolic tradition, is in memory of our Lord’s fasting in the desert. Canonical penances were often imposed for a period of forty days. The fast of our Saviour is not mentioned by St Mark. Theologians are generally of opinion that our Lord experienced the pangs of hunger only when the forty days “ were ended” (St Luke iv. 2).

Duration of the Temptation. St Mark says, “ he was in the desert forty days, and forty nights, and was tempted by Satan.” St Luke adds, “ he was led by the Spirit into the desert for the space of forty days ; and was tempted by the devil ” (iv.). Some writers think our Lord was tempted during the whole period, but that the temptations increased in violence towards the end ; others opine that our Lord was subjected to temptation only at the close of the forty days.

the tempter coming , said to him (St Matt. iv. 3). The sacred writers seem to indicate that the devil took the form of a man, since—

(a) he approached our Lord,

(b) he asked Jesus to adore him,

(c) he took Him to the Holy City,

(d) and to the high mountain.

First Temptation, (a) Place : the desert, (b) Nature : “ If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread ” (St Matt. iv. 3). Satan tempts our Lord —

(i) to satisfy His hunger by wrong means,

(ii) to ostentation of His divine power,

(iii) to distrust of God’s providence.

The devil probably wished to find out whether Jesus was the Son of God.

(c) Our Lord's answer. — “ It is written, not in bread alone doth man live, but in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God ” (St Matt. iv. 4), Jesus uses the “ sword of the Spirit,” i.e. the sacred Scriptures, to defeat the tempter. By His reply Jesus —

(1) vindicates God’s honour, which the devil had indirectly attacked.

(2) He gives the devil no answer touching His own divinity.

(3) He teaches us how to resist temptation.

The words not alone in bread doth man live are quoted textually from Deut. viii. 3, where Moses reminds the Israelites that God could nourish them by other means if He thought fit. The greater number of the Fathers and of commentators incline to the opinion that the devil did not know that Christ was the Son of God. Satan seems to have suspected it, and to have desired an assurance concerning Him.

Second Temptation, (a) Place : “ a very high mountain ” (St Matt. iv. 8). It is uncertain to which mountain Satan carried Jesus. It may have been Olivet, Thabor, Nebo, or a mountain out of Palestine. Our Lord’s vision, “ all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them ” (St Matt. iv. 8), was not merely subjective. Perhaps the devil worked a miracle and caused a visual image of all the kingdoms of the world to pass before Him “ in a moment of time,” for evidently from no mountain would it be possible to see all the kingdoms of the world. In this temptation, Satan appealed to Christ as the Messias, of Whom it is said, “ He shall rule from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth ” (Ps. lxxi. 8).

(b) Nature. “All these will I give thee, if falling down thou wilt adore me ” (St Matt. iv. 9). This was a temptation —

(1) to ambition,

(2) to avoid suffering and death, which were foretold as the means of acquiring this dominion (see Isaias liii. 2-12).

(c) Our Lord’s answer. “ Begone, Satan : for it is written : The Lord thy God shalt thou adore, and him only shalt thou serve.” These words are a quotation from Deut. vi. 13. Jesus shews His indignation when Satan attacks the honour of God, “ Begone, Satan.”

Third Temptation. St Luke puts this temptation last ; St Matthew places it as the second.

(a) Place : the pinnacle of the Temple. “ The devil took him up into the holy city and set him upon the pinnacle of the temple ” (St Matt. iv. 5). These words seem to imply that Jesus allowed Satan to carry Him bodily through the air. We need not be surprised if He permitted Himself to be carried up into a mountain by Satan, since He permitted Himself to be crucified by the members of Satan (St Gregory).

The pinnacle of the Temple is generally supposed to mean some portion of the roof of the Holy Place or of the Holy of Holies, since the rest of the Temple was open to the air.

(b) Nature of the temptation. “ If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written : That he hath given his angels charge over thee, and in their hands shall they bear thee up, lest perhaps thou dash thy foot against a stone ” (St Matt. iv. 6). This was a temptation to presumption. Notice that the devil uses Scripture in imitation of our Lord, but he misquotes it.

(c) Our Lord’s answer. “It is written again : Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God” (St Matt. iv. 7). Again Jesus quotes Scripture, and gives Satan no assurance of His divinity.

After the Temptation. (1) The devil being conquered, left Jesus “for a time.” We are not told when he renewed his attacks, but we know that the lonely vigil in Gethsemani was one of the hours of “ the power of darkness.”

(2) angels ministered to him: they supplied His bodily wants. One angel would have sufficed, but the host of angels that waited on our Lord marked His triumph over Satan more completely. The Evangelist does not relate how our Lord returned to the desert, whether by His own divine power or by the ministry of His angels, but we can hardly believe that when Jesus had defeated Satan, He would have allowed the fiend to carry Him back to the desert.

Lessons from the Temptation of Jesus.

(1) To hold no useless parley with the devil.

(2) To use the “sword of the Spirit” when tempted.

(3) To pray with confidence to our Saviour, who was “ tempted in all points ” even as we are, and yet conquered by the same means that we have at our disposal.

(4) To be on our watch even after a victory, knowing the respite is only for a time.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

Mission of St John the Baptist

St Mark Chapter I : Verses 1-8

There cometh after me one mightier than I... J-J Tissot

[1] The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 

[2] As it is written in Isaias the prophet: Behold I send my angel before thy face, who shall prepare the way before thee. 

[3] A voice of one crying in the desert: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. 

[4] John was in the desert baptizing, and preaching the baptism of penance, unto remission of sins. 

[5] And there went out to him all the country of Judea, and all they of Jerusalem, and were baptized by him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.

[6] And John was clothed with camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and he ate locusts and wild honey. 

[7] And he preached, saying: There cometh after me one mightier than I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy *to stoop down and loose. 

[8] I have baptized you with water; but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.

[1] Initium Evangelii Jesu Christi, Filii Dei. 

[2] Sicut scriptum est in Isaia propheta : Ecce ego mitto angelum meum ante faciem tuam, qui præparabit viam tuam ante te. 

[3] Vox clamantis in deserto : Parate viam Domini, rectas facite semitas ejus. 

[4] Fuit Joannes in deserto baptizans, et praedicans baptismum poenitentiae in remissionem peccatorum. 

[5] Et egrediebatur ad eum omnis Judææ regio, et Jerosolymitae universi, et baptizabantur ab illo in Jordanis flumine, confitentes peccata sua.

[6] Et erat Joannes vestitus pilis cameli, et zona pellicea circa lumbos ejus, et locustas et mel silvestre edebat. 

[7] Et prædicabat dicens : Venit fortior post me, cujus non sum dignus *procumbens solvere corrigiam calceamentorum ejus. 

[8] Ego baptizavi vos aqua, ille vero baptizabit vos Spiritu Sancto.

*  All details peculiar to St Mark are printed in italics in the text of the Gospel.

Notes

1. Most writers regard this verse as the title of the book.

Gospel , i.e. the tidings of salvation, or the story of the life of Jesus Christ (see Intro., p. 15).

Jesus = Saviour. Christ = Anointed. Kings, priests and prophets were anointed, and Jesus was all three.

2. In Isaias the prophet : The voice of one crying in the desert : Prepare ye the way of the Lord , make straight in the wilderness the paths of our God (xl. 3). St Mark, however, begins by a quotation from Malachias, Behold , I send My angel , and he shall prepare the way before My face (iii. 1). Our Lord Himself applies these words to St John. This is he of whom it is written: Behold , I send, etc. (St Matt. xi. 10.)

In Isaias : St Mark, as historian, only quotes the Old Testament twice ; here and in chap. xv. 28, And with the wicked He was reputed. The passage concerning the angel who should prepare the way, referred primarily to the return of the Jews from their exile in Babylon, lout the doctors of the law saw in this prophecy a secondary allusion to the Messiah.

3. A voice of one crying. A reference to a herald preceding a monarch and proclaiming his coming.

in the desert. The desert in which St John preached, was a tract of very thinly-inhabited land, lying east of Jerusalem and north of the Dead Sea.

Prepare ye the way of the Lord. St John exhorted his hearers to do this, by confessing their sins and bringing forth worthy fruits of penance.

make straight his paths. An allusion to the Eastern custom of sending out workmen to prepare the roads for the passage of a monarch.

It consisted in filling valleys, levelling hills, and making devious paths straight and even.

4. baptizing. The use of the present participle denotes an action frequently repeated.

preaching. St John preached before he baptized; the order is here inverted. Baptizing was the characteristic feature of his ministry.

baptism of penance. Not the Sacrament of Baptism but a penitential rite to prepare them for the preaching of our Lord. This “ baptism of penance ” could not, of itself, take away sin.

5. all the country, etc. This is one of St Mark’s graphic touches. The other Gospels mention the various classes of people who listened to St John — soldiers, tax-gatherers (St Luke iii. 10-14).

river of Jordan = river Jordan.

confessing their sins, — i.e. “ declaring their deeds.” These words do not refer to the Sacrament of Penance, which was not then instituted. The Law of Moses prescribed a detailed confession of certain sins, e.g. unjust or rash oaths. Leviticus : Let him do penance for his sin , and offer of the flocks an ewe lamb or a she- goat, and the priest shall pray for him and for his sin (v. 5-6).

6. camel's hair. A rough cloth made from coarse camel’s hair. St John the Baptist led a life of penance, hence his clothes and food were of the poorest.

leathern girdle. The rich wore expensive girdles ; the poor used a plain leathern strap such as the Arabs of the desert still wear.

locusts. A rather large-winged insect considered “ clean ” by the Jews. The food of the poor. The locusts were dried in the sun and sometimes made into cakes.

wild honey was found in quantities in the clefts of the rocks in the desert, or the term may mean the tree-honey, a gum found exuding from certain trees.

7. after me. St John the Baptist was born about six months before our Lord. As no Jew was allowed to preach before his thirtieth year, Jesus began His public life about six months later than St John.

mightier than I. Note the Baptist’s humility, Jesus is “the Mighty God.” Cf. Compare this with the testimony  to  St  John  given  by  Christ Himself. “ Amen  I  say  to  you,  there  hath  not  risen  among  them  that  are  born of  women,  a  greater  than  John  the  Baptist.” [Matt.  xi.  11] 

to stoop down. A minute detail proper to St Mark.

and loose. To loose and carry the shoes was the work of the slave, who performed this office for his master, when the latter entered a temple or a banqueting hall.

latchet. The leathern strap which bound the sandal to the foot.

8. I have baptised you with water, etc. The Baptist exalts Christ’s baptism, which conferred the Holy Ghost, and regenerated the soul.

Additional Notes

2. As it is written. “ It ” is a representative subject, standing for the real subject, viz., the prophecies quoted. The sense would seem to be: “John was in the desert baptizing .... as these two prophecies foretell.”

in Isaias the prophet. The Greek MS. gives, “in the prophets,” but the greater number of MSS. have “ in Isaias.” Probably St Mark followed the Jewish custom, which divided the Scriptures into “ the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms.” Isaias would thus be used as standing for the prophetical books in general.

my angel, — i.e. “ messenger.” St John the Baptist was the forerunner of our Lord. As such, he had a mission to —

(a) Exhort to penance,

(b) Announce the proximity of the kingdom of God,

(c) Declare certain prophecies to be fulfilled in His own person.

The effects of St Johns preaching were that: —

(a) Multitudes of all conditions flocked to hear him.

(b) They received the baptism of penance.

(c) They confessed their sins.

(d) They followed Christ (later on). 

3. A voice. St John the Baptist is not called “ a voice.” It is as if the prophet had heard a voice in the distance and had exclaimed, “ Behold, I hear a voice,” etc.

Who was St Mark? 

He is the John, surnamed Mark, referred to by St Luke in Acts xii. He is mentioned both in the Acts and in the Epistles, and we find him called John Mark, John, or Mark. The latter name is more generally employed. The Jewish name "John" signifies the grace of God. The Latin name "Marcus" was a surname and it is easy to understand why the name of Marcus was retained rather than that of "John," since there were already in the early Church two eminent men who bore that name - St John the Baptist and St John the Evangelist.

River Jordan

This is the chief  river  of Palestine.  It rises in  Anti-Lebanon, flows due south through the Waters of Meron  and the Sea of Galilee. Its course is very winding and rapid.  Its length is about 200 miles between the Sea of Galilee and  the Dead Sea, though  the distance  between  these  lakes “as the crow  flies” is only 70 miles.  In width, the Jordan varies from  80 to 150 feet; its bed lies in a deep valley. The river is fed  by  the mountains of Lebanon,  and receives numerous tributaries in its course.  St John the Baptist preached in the land about  Jordan, and he baptized our Lord in this river.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

The Feast of St Mark the Evangelist : a New Life

The Light of the World. Holman Hunt. c1850.
St Paul's Cathedral, London.

"Let therefore our chief endeavour be to meditate upon the life of Jesus Christ"

1. He that followeth Me, walketh not in darkness,[1] saith the Lord. These are the words of Christ, which teach us to imitate His life and manners, if we would be truly enlightened, and delivered from all blindness of heart. Let therefore our chief endeavour be to meditate upon the life of Jesus Christ.

2. The teaching of Christ exceeds all the doctrines of holy men; and he that hath the Spirit will find therein the hidden manna. But it happens that many, who often hear the Gospel of Christ, are yet but little affected, because they have not the Spirit of Christ. But whosoever would fully and feelingly understand the words of Christ, must endeavour to conform his life wholly to the life of Christ.

 

1. Qui sequitur me non ambulat in tenebris dicit Dominus. Hæc sunt verba Christi, quibus admonemur quatenus vitam eius et mores imitemur, si volumus veraciter illuminari, et ab omni cæcitate cordis liberari. Summum igitur studium nostrum, sit in vita Jesu meditari.

2. Doctrina Ejus omnes doctrinas Sanctorum præcellit, et qui spiritum haberet absconditum ibi manna inveniret. Sed contingit quod multi ex frequenti auditu Evangelii parvum desiderium sentiunt, quia spiritum Christi non habent. Qui autem vult plene et sapide verba Christi intelligere, oportet ut totam vitam suam illi studeat conformare.

[Book I, the Imitation of Christ, by Thomas à Kempis]

 [1]   I am the light of the world: he that followeth me, walketh not in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Ego sum lux mundi : qui sequitur me, non ambulat in tenebris, sed habebit lumen vitae. John viii. 12.

It has become my custom to recite these words as a preamble to evening prayer, lighting a candle  at the very instant the word illuminari is uttered. At this point, I sometimes recall Christ's words in the Sermon on the Mount:

But thou when thou shalt pray, enter into thy chamber, and having shut the door, pray to thy Father in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret will repay thee.

Tu autem cum oraveris, intra in cubiculum tuum, et clauso ostio, ora Patrem tuum in abscondito : et Pater tuus, qui videt in abscondito, reddet tibi. [Matth. vi 6]

 

Meditating on the Life of Jesus Christ

St Mark the Evangelist. J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum.

I have explored the Life of Christ in a previous series of posts, the last of which concluded in October 2020. The previous posts were based on the work in words and pictures of  l'Abbé Constant Fouard and J-J Tissot

The final line of my adopted motto (see end of post) is Ad Jesum per Mariam, and it seems that our Blessed Mother is inviting me to approach her Son Jesus through a new study, but from the perspective of my patron saint, Peter the Apostle. There is widespread agreement amongst commentators that St Mark's gospel has a particularly close connection to St Peter.[2] This, together with the providential occurrence of the the feast of St Mark today, persuaded me to explore the life of Christ as set out by St Mark, relying on a work by Madame Cecilia published in 1904 entitled The Gospel according to St Mark. I am familiar with her work because in the 1980's I acquired several hard copies in her series of scripture manuals. I gave them away but I have found a number of versions online (see Archive.org.)

[2] Papias (Eusebius, Church History III.39) asserts not later than A.D. 130, on the authority of an "elder", that Mark had been the interpreter (hermeneutes) of Peter, and wrote down accurately, though not in order, the teaching of Peter.

A short life of St Mark

Son of Mary who lived in Jerusalem...

Mark's mother was a prominent member of the infant Church at Jerusalem; it was to her house that Peter turned on his release from prison; the house was approached by a porch (pulon), there was a slave girl (paidiske), probably the portress, to open the door, and the house was a meeting-place for the brethren, "many" of whom were praying there the night St. Peter arrived from prison (Acts xii:12-13).

Peter spoke of Mark as his "son"

Mark may have been the young man who fled naked from Gethsemane [Mark xiv 51-52]

Cousin to Barnabas

Paul, Barnabas & Mark visit Antioch

Paul, Barnabas & Mark visit Pamphylia

Barnabas & Mark visit Cyprus (last mention in Acts)

AD 68: Present during Paul's last imprisonment, in Rome; 

Martyred in Alexandria

Relics transferred to Venice

Detail from the Venetian flag, showing the Lion of St Mark and the words:
"Peace be to thee Mark, my Evangelist." Tradition has it that St. Mark's
remains were transferred from Alexandria (where he suffered martyrdom)
to Venice where they are reserved in the
Patriarchal Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mark. 

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.