III. FOR ADMISSION TO CANDIDACY FOR THE D1ACONATE AND THE PRIESTHOOD
775 Reading from the Old Testament
First Option
Moses summoned all of Israel and said to them:
"Alone, 1 am unable to carry you.
The LORD, your God, has so multiplied you
that you are now as numerous as the stars in the sky.
May the LORD, the God of your fathers,
increase you a thousand times over,
and bless you as he promised!
But how can I alone bear the crushing burden that you are,
along with your bickering?
Choose wise, intelligent, and experienced men from each of your tribes,
that I may appoint them as your leaders."
They answered, "We agree to do as you have proposed."
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Commentary on Dt 1:9-14
This passage records the institution of the judges, which Moses establishes to help him with the task of governing the people. We note this was also recounted in Exodus 18:13-27 (but the idea there was attributed to Jethro, Moses' father in-law). The attributes of those chosen ("intelligent and experienced") is refined and expanded in the new testament to include moral character (see 1 Timothy 3:1ff). The overarching intent, true throughout sacred history is those chosen are to be fair and impartial, accepting God's call to service for the good of the people, not personal stature.
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Second Option
The one who studies the law of God
explores the wisdom of the men of old
and occupies himself with the prophecies.
He travels among the peoples of foreign lands
to learn what is good and evil among men.
He will give his heart early to the LORD, his Maker,
to petition the Most High,
to open his lips in prayer,
to ask pardon for his sins.
Then, if it pleases the LORD Almighty,
he will be filled with the spirit of understanding.
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Commentary on Sir 39:1,5-8
This section of Sirach (38:24-39:11) is devoted to the vocations of the craftsman and the scribe. In this passage he speaks of the vocation of the scribe or teacher of the faith. That person must devote all their energy to study of the Law, Wisdom and the Prophets. The scribe’s work will be guided by the spirit, to which they must be constantly open. The one who accepts this call with all his heart will be filled with the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
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Third Option
In the year King Uzziah died,
I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne,
with the train of his garment filling the temple.
Seraphim were stationed above.
They cried one to the other,
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts!
All the earth is filled with his glory!”
At the sound of that cry, the frame of the door shook
and the house was filled with smoke.
Then I said, “Woe is me, I am doomed!
For I am a man of unclean lips,
living among a people of unclean lips;
yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”
Then one of the seraphim flew to me,
holding an ember that he had taken with tongs from the altar.
He touched my mouth with it, and said,
“See, now that this has touched your lips,
your wickedness is removed, your sin purged.”
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
“Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?”
“Here I am,” I said; “send me!”
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Commentary on Is 6:1-2a, 3-8
The Prophet Isaiah tells us the story of his call: “In the year King Uzziah died” (742 B.C.). The prophet first relates his belief that he will die, since it is the common belief that no one who had not been purified could see the face of God and live. Then one of the seraphim took a coal from the fire at the altar (there would have been a fire for burning the holocaust, a sacrificial offering completely burnt as opposed to simply slaughtered), and flew to him.
With that coal, the seraphim touched Isaiah’s lips in symbolic cleansing, making the prophet worthy to proclaim God’s word. The Church remembers this event with the priest’s blessing of himself or the deacon before proclaiming the Gospel at Mass with the words: “May the Lord open my lips that I may proclaim the Holy Gospel worthily and well, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”
The reading closes with the phrase that has become a lyric that we express in the song: “Here I am Lord” and many other hymns.
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Fourth Option
The word of the LORD came to me thus:
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I dedicated you,
a prophet to the nations I appointed you.
"Ah, Lord, GOD!" I said,
"I know not how to speak; I am too young.”
But the LORD answered me,
Say not, "I am too young."
To whomever I send you, you shall go;
whatever I command you, you shall speak.
Have no fear before them,
because I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD.
Then the LORD extended his hand and touched my mouth, saying,
See, I place my words in your mouth!
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Commentary on Jeremiah 1:4-9
This is the beginning of the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah. It is clear that the author sees the call of the prophet from before his birth (see Isaiah 49:1, 5; Luke 1:15; Galatians 1:15-16. I knew you: I loved you and chose you. I dedicated you: I set you apart to be a prophet.)
In spite of protesting that he was not yet of age (he was less than thirty years of age), God tells him that he (the Lord) will overcome all obstacles (“To whomever I send you, you shall go; whatever I command you, you shall speak. Have no fear before them, because I am with you to deliver you”).
CCC: Jer 1:5 2270; Jer 1:6 2584
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776 Reading from the New Testament
First Option
#776 Ritual Mass (III. For the Admission to Candidacy for the Diaconate and the Priesthood, First Option)
Paul and Barnabas returned to Lystra and to Iconium
and to Antioch.
They strengthened the spirits of the disciples
and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying,
"It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships
to enter the Kingdom of God."
They appointed presbyters for them in each Chnrch and,
with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord
in whom they had put their faith.
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Commentary on Acts 14:21-27
This reading recounts the first missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas. It describes the model of how the church was built. Persecution drives further expansion of the Church to another town. Paul and Barnabas would enter a region and proclaim the Good News. They would then identify leaders among the converted, entrust the word to them and then move on having accomplished the establishment of a foothold among the gentiles. (See also 1 Corinthians 16:9 and 2 Corinthians 2:12.)
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Second Option
Brothers and sisters:
If I preach the Gospel, this is no reason for me to boast,
for an obligation has been imposed on me,
and woe to me if I do not preach it!
If I do so willingly, I have a recompense,
but if unwillingly, then I have been entrusted with a stewardship.
What then is my recompense?
That, when I preach,
I offer the Gospel free of charge
so as not to make full use of my right in the Gospel.
Although I am free in regard to all,
I have made myself a slave to all
so as to win over as many as possible.
To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak.
I have become all things to all, to save at least some.
All this I do for the sake of the Gospel,
so that I too may have a share in it.
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Commentary on 1 Cor 9:16-19, 22-23
St. Paul continues to exhort the church at Corinth to follow his example. He begins this selection with a restatement of his own imperative call: to proclaim the Gospel is a “divine compulsion.” His reward for responding to that call is that he “too may have a share in it.” His clear message is that the Gospel he proclaims and the work he accomplishes should bring glory to Christ, not to himself.
The Church teaches that proclaiming the Gospel is a universal duty of Christians. "There is nothing colder than a Christian who is not concerned about the salvation of others [...]. Do not say, I cannot help others: for, if you are truly a Christian it is impossible not to. Natural objects have properties that cannot be denied; the same is true of what I have just said, because it is the nature of a Christian to act in that way. Do not offend God by deception. If you said that the sun cannot shine, you would be committing an offense against God and making a liar of him. It is easier for the sinner to shine or give warmth than for a Christian to cease to give light: it is easier for that to happen than for light to become darkness. Do not say that that is impossible: what is impossible is the contrary [...]. If we behave in the correct way, everything else will follow as a natural consequence. The light of Christians cannot be hidden, a lamp shining so brightly cannot be hidden" (St John Chrysostom, "Hom. on Acts", 20).
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Third Option
Brothers and sisters:
There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit;
there are different forms of service but the same Lord;
there are different workings but the same God
who produces all of them in everyone.
To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit
is given for some benefit.
To one is given through the Spirit the expression of wisdom;
to another, the expression of knowledge according to the
same Spirit;
to another, faith by the same Spirit;
to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit;
to another, mighty deeds;
to another, prophecy;
to another, discernment of spirits;
to another, varieties of tongues;
to another, interpretation of tongues.
But one and the same Spirit produces all of these,
distributing them individually to each person as he wishes.
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Commentary on 1 Cor 12:4-11
St. Paul associates different gifts (charisms from the Greek: charismata) within the community to the same Holy Spirit. He thus calls out the beauty of diversity and the need for it within the community of faith. All gifts serve the same purpose, the greater glory of God. All gifts are needed within the body of Christ which is his Church.
"Charisms are given as personal gifts but not merely for private benefit (1 Corinthians 12:11 [above]). They unite us with the Spirit's mission to build up all members of the Church and bring them to salvation (1 Peter 4:10-11). Catholic teaching distinguishes between sanctifying grace, which imparts the gift of divine sonship, and charismatic or ministerial grace, which equips the saints for service to others (CCC 2003)."[2]
CCC: 1 Cor 12 1988, 2003; 1 Cor 12:3 152, 449, 455, 683, 2670, 2681; 1 Cor 12:4-6 249; 1 Cor 12:6 308; 1 Cor 12:7 801, 951; 1 Cor 12:9 1508
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Fourth Option
Beloved:
You have followed my teaching, way of life,
purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions,
and sufferings, such as happened to me
in Antioch, Iconimn, and Lystra,
persecutions that I endured.
Yet from all these things the Lord delivered me.
In fact, all who want to live religiously in Christ Jesus
will be persecuted.
But you, remain faithful to what you have learned and believed,
because you know from whom you learned it,
and that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures,
which are capable of giving you wisdom for salvation
through faith in Christ Jesus.
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Commentary on 2 Tm 3:10-12, 14-15
St. Paul, in his instructions to St. Timothy tells him that sacred Scripture provides wisdom because it is inspired by God (Here he is speaking of the Hebrew Canon since the first Christian Canon has not yet been codified. However, Dei Verbum from Dogmatic Constitution On Divine Revelation quotes this passage as the Church’s view on that body of Holy Scripture as well.)
It is important, in this passage to understand what St. Paul is not saying as well. “Paul extols Scripture as a preeminent guide for the moral life. He does not claim, however, that Scripture supplies us with comprehensive instruction in all matters of Christian doctrine, worship, and ecclesial government."[1]
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777 Responsorial Psalm
First Option
R. (5) You are my inheritance, O Lord.
Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, "My Lord are you."
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
I bless the LORD who counsels me;
even at night my heart exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
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Commentary on Ps 16:1-2a and 5, 7-8, 11
Psalm 16 is an individual hymn of praise. The psalmist prays that God will shield the faithful from harm and expresses confidence in the Lord’s salvation. The passage closes with praise for God’s loving mercy. This selection is structured to support the Pauline ideal of placing God first in the life of the faithful. Their greatest possession is being loved by God and loving God in return.
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Second Option
R. (see 6) Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
The Lord’s are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Who can ascend the mountain of the Lord?
or who may stand in his holy place?
He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
He shall receive a blessing from the Lord,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks for him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
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Commentary on Ps 24:1bc-2, 3-4ab, 5-6
Psalm 24 is a processional song. It recalls that God is the great creator, and he calls his people to be faithful. It is part of a hymn of entrance, sung as the Ark of the Covenant was brought into the Temple, followed by the faithful. The song asks the question: who can come into his presence, and answers: only those who are sinless (completely reconciled to God). Those who achieve that beatified state will receive the reward of eternal life from the savior.
The hymn focuses on the character of the one who worthily seeks God, and the one who is worthy to come into God’s kingdom and stand before him. This same concept is borrowed in a passage from John’s Revelation (Revelation 14:4ff): who are the ones allowed full access to God? They are those: “whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain.” In other words they are clean in heart, body, and spirit.
CCC: Ps 24:6 2582
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Third Option
R. (see 2b) The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
Sing praise to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and melodious song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
sing joyfully before the King, the LORD.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
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Commentary on Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4, 5-6
The psalm is a song of praise to God for his saving work (very much like Psalm 96 in form and structure). Scholars contend that it is much like a warrior’s victory song, where Yahweh is the great warrior-king winning salvation for his chosen people. [3] From our perspective, knowing that he sent us His Son for our salvation, we see clearly the reference to Jesus as God’s saving hand is extended.
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779 Gospel
1.
Jesus went around to all the towns and villages,
teaching in their synagogues,
proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness.
At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them
because they were troubled and abandoned,
like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples,
"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest."
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Commentary on Mt 9:35-38
This selection emphasizes Jesus' early struggle to accomplish what he came to do by himself. We sense the humanness as he says: "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few." Immediately following this discourse the 12 are named and sent.
"In this connection Paul VI reminds us: "the responsibility for spreading the Gospel that saves belongs to everyone -- to all who have received it! The missionary duty concerns the whole body of the Church; in different ways and to different degrees, it is true, but we must all of us be united in carrying out this duty. Now let the conscience of every believer ask himself: Have I carried out my missionary duty? Prayer for the Missions is the first way of fulfilling this duty" ("Angelus Address", 23 October 1977)." [4]
"In this connection Paul VI reminds us: "the responsibility for spreading the Gospel that saves belongs to everyone -- to all who have received it! The missionary duty concerns the whole body of the Church; in different ways and to different degrees, it is true, but we must all of us be united in carrying out this duty. Now let the conscience of every believer ask himself: Have I carried out my missionary duty? Prayer for the Missions is the first way of fulfilling this duty" ("Angelus Address", 23 October 1977)." [4]
CCC: Mt 9:38 2611
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2.
After John had been arrested,
Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of God:
“This is the time of fulfillment.
The Kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”
As he passed by the Sea of Galilee,
he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea;
they were fishermen.
Jesus said to them,
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Then they left their nets and followed him.
He walked along a little farther
and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They too were in a boat mending their nets.
Then he called them.
So they left their father Zebedee in the boat
along with the hired men and followed him.
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Commentary on Mk 1:14-20
It is noteworthy to observe that all of the Gospel accounts show Jesus beginning his public ministry after the active ministry of St. John the Baptist has ended. The “Voice” decreases while the “Word” increases. We see the charismatic power of the Lord in the call of the first disciples from St. Mark’s Gospel. They follow him without inducement beyond his simple invitation to follow him. It is also notable that three of these first four, Simon, James, and John, develop the closest relationships with the Lord of all the disciples.
"The message in 1:15 consists of two declarative and two imperative statements, each pair set in synthetic parallelism. The good news from God proclaimed by Jesus concerns the coming to pass of God’s appointed time, the coming of God’s rule into history. The initial statement clearly declares that God is at work bringing to pass the appointed time, the time, of salvation anticipated by the prophets including the Baptist. The coming of God’s appointed time meant no less than that God’s rule had entered into history. Yet the language chosen to express the latter, the 'coming' of the Kingdom, connoted a complex event of arrival and nearness." [5]
CCC: Mk 1:15 541, 1423, 1427; Mk 1:16-20 787
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3.
While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God,
he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.
He saw two boats there alongside the lake;
the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets.
Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon,
he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore.
Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.
After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon,
"Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch."
Simon said in reply,
"Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing,
but at your command I will lower the nets."
When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish
and their nets were tearing.
They signaled to their partners in the other boat
to come to help them.
They came and filled both boats
so that they were in danger of sinking.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said,
"Depart from me. Lord, for I am a sinful man."
For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him
and all those with him,
and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee,
who were partners of Simon.
Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid;
from now on you will be catching men."
When they brought their boats to the shore,
they left everything and followed him.
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Commentary on Lk 5:1-11
St. Luke’s Gospel presents the call of St. Peter, St. James, and St. John to discipleship. The Lord has demonstrated his authority through his teaching, and then through the miraculous catch of fish. We note the similarity of this incident with the post-resurrection incident recounted in St. John’s Gospel (John 21:1-11) when, on the Sea of Tiberias, the unrecognized Lord again asked St. Peter to lower his net after an unsuccessful attempt to catch fish, whereupon John rather than Peter recognized Jesus.
At Jesus' summons, Simon and the two sons of Zebedee leave all they have and follow the Lord. No mention is made here of Simon’s (Peter’s) brother Andrew who would also have been there, and in fact, as a disciple of John the Baptist, actually introduced the two (John 1:41 ff). We do hear that James and John, Zebedee’s sons, were also there as Simon’s partners, and are called at the same time.
Simon Peter’s response to the Lord’s call is one of being sinful and therefore unworthy of the presence of the Lord. In response to Simon’s fearful humility, Jesus invites them all to leave what they have and become fishers of men.
CCC: Lk 5:8 208
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4.
John was standing with two of his disciples,
and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said,
Behold, the Lamb of God
The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.
Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them,
“What are you looking for?”
They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher),
“where are you staying?”
He said to them, “Come, and you will see.”
So they went and saw where he was staying,
and they stayed with him that day.
It was about four in the afternoon.
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter,
was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus.
He first found his own brother Simon and told him,
“We have found the Messiah,” which is translated Christ.
Then he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said,
“You are Simon the son of John;
you will be called Cephas,” which is translated Peter.
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Commentary on Jn 1:35-42
John the Baptist recognizes Jesus as the Messiah, once again pronouncing the words he spoke when the Lord presented himself for baptism: “Behold, the Lamb of God” (John 1:29-34). It also shows the humility of the “Voice,” always deferring to the “Word.” St. John’s disciples hear him identify Jesus as “the Lamb of God” and follow Jesus. St. John, who must “decrease” (John 3:30), encourages his own disciples to follow Jesus. In this passage, a shortened version of the call of the first disciples, we see the impact of the prophet’s pronouncement on two of his own disciples, one of whom, St. Andrew, we will come to revere as one of the Twelve. He is the brother of Peter. Once he has become aware of the identity of Jesus, he invites his brother to join him in faith. It is Simon Peter who receives his new name, “Rock,” in this story. (See also the commentary on Matthew 16:13-19.)
It is interesting to note the evolution of the name given to St. Andrew's brother through the multi-linguistic nature of the translation of “…you will be called Cephas,” “which is translated Peter.” Cephas is from the Aramaic which means rock; however the original translation was from Aramaic to Greek. Rock in Greek is rendered as Petros. Our name Peter derives from that form.
CCC: Jn 1:36 608
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5.
Philip found Nathanael and told him,
“We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law,
and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.”
But Nathanael said to him,
“Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,
“Here is a true child of Israel.
There is no duplicity in him.”
Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”
Nathanael answered him,
“Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Do you believe
because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?
You will see greater things than this.”
And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will see heaven opened and the angels of God
ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
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Commentary on Jn 1:45-51
St. John’s Gospel gives us the story of the call of Bartholomew (Nathanael). The symbolism used in the story is rich in the Hebrew tradition. When Jesus comments: “Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him,” he is referring to Jacob, who first was called Israel but tricked his father Isaac, receiving his blessing above Esau and therefore was considered duplicitous. “True child” would relate him to Abraham.
Next, we hear the Lord respond to Bartholomew when he asks: “How do you know me?” Jesus says, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.” The fig tree is a symbol of Messianic Peace. In this statement Jesus identifies himself as the Messiah. Bartholomew understands and immediately responds in faith: “Rabbi, you are the Son of God…”
There is a possible reference to Genesis 28:11-17 in the final verse of St. John’s account. The dream of Jacob sees the same “angels of God ascending and descending.” Awakening from his dream, Jacob exclaims: “This is nothing else but an abode of God, and that is the gateway to heaven!"
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[1] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, © 2010, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA. pp. 400
[2] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, © 2010, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA. pp. 302-3
[2] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, © 2010, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA. pp. 302-3
[3] The Word Biblical Commentary, Psalms 51-100, Volume 20 © 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. p.524
[4] The Navarre Bible, “Gospels and Acts”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p. 111
[5] Robert A. Guelich, Mark 1–8:26, vol. 34A, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1989), 45–46.
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