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. |
From inside the book
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Page 18
... Saviour t.ii.c.12 , is said to be some things not for Himself , but for others ; others again , both for Himself and others . When it is said then , That which was made in Him was life ; we must enquire whether the life is for Himself ...
... Saviour t.ii.c.12 , is said to be some things not for Himself , but for others ; others again , both for Himself and others . When it is said then , That which was made in Him was life ; we must enquire whether the life is for Himself ...
Page 22
... Saviour also . Yet , inasmuch as he underwent the similitude of our sinful flesh , it is not incor- rectly said of Him , that in Him there was some darkness ; for He took our darkness upon Himself , in order that He might dissipate it ...
... Saviour also . Yet , inasmuch as he underwent the similitude of our sinful flesh , it is not incor- rectly said of Him , that in Him there was some darkness ; for He took our darkness upon Himself , in order that He might dissipate it ...
Page 161
... Saviour of the world , implies that they looked on this world as miserable and lost ; and that , whereas Prophets and Angels had come to save it , this was the only real Saviour , the Author not only of temporal but eternal salvation ...
... Saviour of the world , implies that they looked on this world as miserable and lost ; and that , whereas Prophets and Angels had come to save it , this was the only real Saviour , the Author not only of temporal but eternal salvation ...
Common terms and phrases
Abraham adds ALCUIN Apostle Arian Art thou baptism baptized BEDE beginning begotten believeth birth blind body born bread called Capernaum carnal Christ CHRYS circumcision cometh darkness death devil disciples divine doctrine doeth doth eternal Evangelist eyes faith feast flesh follows Galilee give given glory grace GREG healed hear heard heaven HILARY Holy Ghost Holy Spirit honour human Jerusalem Jesus answered Jesus saith unto Jews Joan John Judæa judge knew light live Lord's Manichæans meaning miracles Moses nature Only-Begotten Orig ORIGEN Passover Pharisees preaching Prophets received resurrection sabbath salvation Samaria Samaritans say unto Scriptures servant sheep Shepherd shew sinner sins Son of God soul speak spoke teach temple testimony thee Theoph THEOPHYL things Thou art Tract Trin true truth understand verily voice Vulg whence whereas Wherefore wished woman Word worship ye believe