Catena Aurea: Commentary of the Four Gospels Collected Out of the Works of the Fathers, Volume 1, Part 2This commentary on the Four Gospels - the Catena Aurea, or 'Chain of Gold' - is a useful and insightful today as it was when Thomas Aquinas compiled it in the mid-thirteenth century. For each segment of the Gospels he lined up a sequence (the chain of the title), of paragraph-length comments from the writers of the Early Church. This relatively unknown treasure trove is a gift to the preacher, or to anyone who wants to reflect on the Gospels in the company of the church fathers. The way Aquinas arranges his material, following sections in the Gospel text (what a biblical scholar might call a 'pericope'), usually aligns with lectionary portions even today. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) is revered by Roman Catholics as their 'universal' doctor or teacher, and is also highly studies and respected today by Protestants and Anglicans, as one of the greatest of all Christian thinkers. He is well known for his skill in synthesizing theological and philosophical insights, but his greatness also rests on his knowledge of patristic sources, which was remarkably wide for his time: he knew a good many early Greek Christian traditions, as well as to the Latin traditions that might be more obviously for a Western European of his time. He brought his capacious knowledge of those sources to bear in compiling this work, collecting what he saw to be the most illuminating and spiritually productive comments on the Gospels. Unusually, Aquinas goes out of his way to attribute his sources (although more recent scholarship occasionally has to put him right on that score). Recent decades have seen a revival of interest in the biblical commentary of the church fathers, reflected for instance in the ongoing publication of two major patristic commentaries by Eerdmans and InterVarsity Press. They too present a chain of excerpts for each section of the scriptural text, as contemporary witnesses to the value of this approach. Aquinas's Catena, dating from the mid-twentieth century, stands out in the history of the church as a perennially useful example of this kind of commentary. Compiled by the greatest son of the Order of Preachers, no preacher today could fail to be aided and enlightened by it. |
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Page 430
... hath killed hath power to cast into hell ; yea , I say unto you , Fear him . 6. Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings , and not one of them is forgotten before God ? 7. But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered . Fear ...
... hath killed hath power to cast into hell ; yea , I say unto you , Fear him . 6. Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings , and not one of them is forgotten before God ? 7. But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered . Fear ...
Page 463
... hath . BEDE ; For whatever difference there is in the merits of good hearers and good teachers , such also there is in their rewards ; for the one whom when He cometh He finds watch- ing , He will make to sit down ; but the others whom ...
... hath . BEDE ; For whatever difference there is in the merits of good hearers and good teachers , such also there is in their rewards ; for the one whom when He cometh He finds watch- ing , He will make to sit down ; but the others whom ...
Page 541
... hath killed the fatted calf , because he hath received him safe and sound . would 28. And he was angry , and would not go in therefore came his father out , and intreated him . 29. And he answering said to his father , Lo , these many ...
... hath killed the fatted calf , because he hath received him safe and sound . would 28. And he was angry , and would not go in therefore came his father out , and intreated him . 29. And he answering said to his father , Lo , these many ...
Common terms and phrases
adds AMBROSE angels answer Antichrist Apostles BASIL BEDE Beelzebub behold believe blasphemy blessed body bread called cast Christ CHRYS Church coming commanded condemned confess crucified CYRIL dead death desire despised devil disciples divine earth earthly EUSEB evil faith Father fear flesh fruit Galilee Gentiles give glory Gospel grace GREG hath hear heart heaven heavenly Hence it follows Herod Holy Spirit Jerusalem Jesus Jews judge kingdom kingdom of God kingdom of heaven Lazarus lest Lord Lord's Luke Master Matt Matthew mercy NYSS ORIGEN parable pass Passion Passover Peter Pharisees Pilate pray prayer preaching priests Prophets punishment receive repentance resurrection rich righteousness rightly sabbath Saviour say unto Scriptures seek servant shalt shew signifies sinners sins soul speak suffer synagogue teaching temple thee THEOPHYL things thou art thou hast truth ubi sup vineyard virtue wicked words