#947E Masses for Various Occasions Context (III. In Various Public Circumstances, 26A. In Thanksgiving to God for the Gift of Human Life. First Option)
In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth,
the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss,
while a mighty wind swept over the waters.
Then God said,
"Let there be light," and there was light.
God saw how good the light was.
God then separated the light from the darkness.
God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night."
Thus evening came, and morning followed—the first day.
Then God said,
"Let there be a dome in the middle of the waters,
to separate one body of water from the other."
And so it happened:
God made the dome,
and it separated the water above the dome from the water below it.
God called the dome "the sky."
Evening came, and morning followed—the second day.
Then God said,
"Let the water under the sky be gathered into a single basin,
so that the dry land may appear."
And so it happened:
the water under the sky was gathered into its basin,
and the dry land appeared.
God called the dry land "the earth,"
and the basin of the water he called "the sea."
God saw how good it was.
Then God said,
"Let the earth bring forth vegetation:
every kind of plant that bears seed
and every kind of fruit tree on earth
that bears fruit with its seed in it."
And so it happened:
the earth brought forth every kind of plant that bears seed
and every kind of fruit tree on earth
that bears fruit with its seed in it.
God saw how good it was.
Evening came, and morning followed—the third day.
Then God said:
"Let there be lights in the dome of the sky,
to separate day from night.
Let them mark the fixed times, the days and the years,
and serve as luminaries in the dome of the sky,
to shed light upon the earth."
And so it happened:
God made the two great lights,
the greater one to govern the day,
and the lesser one to govern the night;
and he made the stars.
God set them in the dome of the sky,
to shed light upon the earth,
to govern the day and the night,
and to separate the light from the darkness.
God saw how good it was.
Evening came, and morning followed—the fourth day.
Then God said,
"Let the water teem with an abundance of living creatures,
and on the earth let birds fly beneath the dome of the sky."
And so it happened:
God created the great sea monsters
and all kinds of swimming creatures with which the water teems,
and all kinds of winged birds.
God saw how good it was, and God blessed them, saying,
"Be fertile, multiply, and fill the water of the seas;
and let the birds multiply on the earth."
Evening came, and morning followed—the fifth day.
Then God said,
"Let the earth bring forth all kinds of living creatures:
cattle, creeping things, and wild animals of all kinds."
And so it happened:
God made all kinds of wild animals, all kinds of cattle,
and all kinds of creeping things of the earth.
God saw how good it was.
Then God said:
"Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.
Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea,
the birds of the air, and the cattle,
and over all the wild animals
and all the creatures that crawl on the ground."
God created man in his image;
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
God blessed them, saying:
"Be fertile and multiply;
fill the earth and subdue it.
Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air,
and all the living things that move on the earth."
God also said:
"See, I give you every seed-bearing plant all over the earth
and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food;
and to all the animals of the land, all the birds of the air,
and all the living creatures that crawl on the ground,
I give all the green plants for food."
And so it happened.
God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good.
Evening came, and morning followed—the sixth day.
Thus the heavens and the earth and all their array were completed.
Since on the seventh day God was finished
with the work he had been doing,
he rested on the seventh day from all the work he had undertaken.
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Commentary on Gn 1:1—2:2
Scripture begins with the first creation account from Genesis. God creates the universe, the earth, and all living things. God creates an orderly universe out of primordial chaos. The separation of the waters (fresh water from salt waters of the sea and “the upper waters” held up by the dome of the sky) are later referenced in 2 Kings 7:2, 2 Kings 7:19 and Psalm 104:13. The ancient authors considered a day to begin at sunset. The literary structure used, breaking God’s creative effort into six days, stressed the sacredness of the seventh day in the faith structure of the Israelites. His final creation is the Sabbath, a day of rest and worship. The creation of humankind is considered the climax of God’s creative action primarily because God gives dominion to us over the rest of creation.
CCC: Gn 1:1-2:4 337; Gn 1:1 268, 279, 280, 290; Gn 1:2-3 292; Gn 1:2 243, 703, 1218; Gn 1:3 298; Gn 1:4 299; Gn 1:10 299; Gn 1:12 299; Gn 1:14 347; Gn 1:18 299; Gn 1:21 299; Gn 1:26-29 2402; Gn 1:26-28 307; Gn 1:26-27 1602; Gn 1:26 36, 225, 299, 343, 2501, 2809; Gn 1:27 355, 383, 1604, 2331; Gn 1:28-31 2415; Gn 1:28 372, 373, 1604, 1607, 1652, 2331, 2427; Gn 1:31 299, 1604; Gn 2:1-3 345; Gn 2:2 314, 2184
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Or: Genesis 1:1, 26-31a
In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth,
God said: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.
Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea,
the birds of the air, and the cattle,
and over all the wild animals
and all the creatures that crawl on the ground."
God created man in his image;
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
God blessed them, saying:
"Be fertile and multiply;
fill the earth and subdue it.
Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air,
and all the living things that move on the earth."
God also said:
"See, I give you every seed-bearing plant all over the earth
and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food;
and to all the animals of the land, all the birds of the air,
and all the living creatures that crawl on the ground,
I give all the green plants for food."
And so it happened.
God looked at everything he had made, and found it very good.
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Commentary on Genesis 1:1, 26-31a
This shorter version of the first creation account from Genesis omits how God created the universe and the earth. It begins with the creation of all living things and concludes with the creation of man and woman. The focus is changed from emphasis on all creation to the creation of life in all its diversity.
CCC: Gn 1:1-2:4 337; Gn 1:1 268, 279, 280, 290; Gn 1:2-3 292; Gn 1:26-28 307; Gn 1:26-27 1602; Gn 1:26 36, 225, 299, 343, 2501, 2809; Gn 1:27 355, 383, 1604, 2331; Gn 1:28-31 2415; Gn 1:28 372, 373, 1604, 1607, 1652, 2331, 2427; Gn 1:31 299, 1604
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Genesis 1:1-19
#329 Weekday Year 1 Context (Monday of the 5th Week in Ordinary Time)
In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth,
the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss,
while a mighty wind swept over the waters.
Then God said,
"Let there be light," and there was light.
God saw how good the light was.
God then separated the light from the darkness.
God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night."
Thus evening came, and morning followed—the first day.
Then God said,
"Let there be a dome in the middle of the waters,
to separate one body of water from the other."
And so it happened:
God made the dome,
and it separated the water above the dome from the water below it.
God called the dome "the sky."
Evening came, and morning followed—the second day.
Then God said,
"Let the water under the sky be gathered into a single basin,
so that the dry land may appear."
And so it happened:
the water under the sky was gathered into its basin,
and the dry land appeared.
God called the dry land "the earth,"
and the basin of the water he called "the sea."
God saw how good it was.
Then God said,
"Let the earth bring forth vegetation:
every kind of plant that bears seed
and every kind of fruit tree on earth
that bears fruit with its seed in it."
And so it happened:
the earth brought forth every kind of plant that bears seed
and every kind of fruit tree on earth that
bears fruit with its seed in it.
God saw how good it was.
Evening came, and morning followed—the third day.
Then God said:
"Let there be lights in the dome of the sky,
to separate day from night.
Let them mark the fixed times, the days and the years,
and serve as luminaries in the dome of the sky,
to shed light upon the earth."
And so it happened:
God made the two great lights,
the greater one to govern the day,
and the lesser one to govern the night;
and he made the stars.
God set them in the dome of the sky,
to shed light upon the earth,
to govern the day and the night,
and to separate the light from the darkness.
God saw how good it was.
Evening came, and morning followed—the fourth day.
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Commentary on Gn 1:1-19
This selection is the beginning of Genesis, the first book in the Bible. Here we see the first four days of the first of two creation accounts. This, the Priestly account, shows how God creates order out of chaos. There are several important concepts referenced in this selection that are used or referenced by later authors. Reference to the “abyss” in v. 2 was, according to Semitic cosmology, the gathering of all water. In the creative act, God separated the waters into seas (salt water) and springs ̶ fresh water from under the earth (see Psalm 33:7; Ezekiel 31:4). Another portion of water is held in the dome of the sky (“the upper water” see Psalm 33:7; Ezekiel 31:4) to fall as rain (Genesis 7:11; 2 Kings 7:2, 19; Psalm 104:13).
CCC: Gn 1:1-2:4 337; Gn 1:1 268, 279, 280, 290; Gn 1:2-3 292; Gn 1:2 243, 703, 1218; Gn 1:3 298; Gn 1:4 299; Gn 1:10 299; Gn 1:12 299; Gn 1:14 347; Gn 1:18 299
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Genesis 1:11-12
#912 Mass for Various Needs Context (III. In Various Public Circumstances, 19. For Productive Land)
God said,
"Let the earth bring forth vegetation:
every kind of plant that bears seed
and every kind of fruit tree on earth
that bears fruit with its seed in it."
And so it happened:
the earth brought forth every kind of plant that bears seed
and every kind of fruit tree on earth that
bears fruit with its seed in it.
God saw how good it was.
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Commentary on Gen 1:11-12
These verses speak to the creation of all things growing on earth. God created all things that grow, each having its own place and function. Each species was created with the ability to grow and to reproduce itself from seed. This creation account is later used to describe the cycle of death to life as seed must first fall to the ground and then rise again.
CCC: Gn 1:12 299
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Genesis 1:14-18
#902 Mass for Various Needs Context (III. In Various Public Circumstances, 17. For the Beginning of the Civil War, 1.)
God said:
"Let there be lights in the dome of the sky,
to separate day from night.
Let them mark the fixed times, the days and the years,
and serve as luminaries in the dome of the sky,
to shed light upon the earth."
And so it happened:
God made the two great lights,
the greater one to govern the day,
and the lesser one to govern the night;
and he made the stars.
God set them in the dome of the sky,
to shed light upon the earth,
to govern the day and the night,
and to separate the light from the darkness.
God saw how good it was.
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Commentary on Gen 1:14-18
In his plan of creation, on the “Third Day,” God creates the sun and the moon that provide rhythm to the life of the earth. “Let them mark the fixed times, the days and the years.” These heavenly bodies light the earth and in turn demonstrate the vastness of God’s creation, shining down as countless stars describe the infinite heavens.
CCC: Gn 1:14 347; Gn 1:18 299
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Genesis 1:20—2:4a
#330 Weekday Year I Context (Tuesday of the 5th Week in Ordinary Time)
God said,
"Let the water teem with an abundance of living creatures,
and on the earth let birds fly beneath the dome of the sky."
And so it happened:
God created the great sea monsters
and all kinds of swimming creatures with which the water teems,
and all kinds of winged birds.
God saw how good it was, and God blessed them, saying,
"Be fertile, multiply, and fill the water of the seas;
and let the birds multiply on the earth."
Evening came, and morning followed—the fifth day.
Then God said,
"Let the earth bring forth all kinds of living creatures:
cattle, creeping things, and wild animals of all kinds."
And so it happened:
God made all kinds of wild animals, all kinds of cattle,
and all kinds of creeping things of the earth.
God saw how good it was.
Then God said:
"Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.
Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea,
the birds of the air, and the cattle,
and over all the wild animals
and all the creatures that crawl on the ground."
God created man in his image;
in the divine image he created him;
male and female he created them.
God blessed them, saying:
"Be fertile and multiply;
fill the earth and subdue it.
Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air,
and all the living things that move on the earth."
God also said:
"See, I give you every seed-bearing plant all over the earth
and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food;
and to all the animals of the land, all the birds of the air,
and all the living creatures that crawl on the ground,
I give all the green plants for food."
And so it happened.
God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good.
Evening came, and morning followed—the sixth day.
Thus the heavens and the earth and all their array were completed.
Since on the seventh day God was finished with the work he had been doing,
he rested on the seventh day from all the work he had undertaken.
So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy,
because on it he rested from all the work he had done in creation.
Such is the story of the heavens and the earth at their creation.
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Commentary on Gn 1:20—2:4a
This passage completes the Priestly creation account in Genesis. It describes the creation of all life on earth and concludes with the establishment of the Sabbath on the seventh day, establishing the sacredness of that day. God’s creation of mankind in v. 26 represents the climax of his creative effort in that God give us dominion over the rest of creation.
"The sacred text emphasizes the special significance of this moment: God seems to stop to reflect and plan every detail of his next creation--man. Ancient Jewish interpretation (followed also by some Christian writers) saw the use of the plural 'Let us make...' as meaning that God deliberated with his heavenly court, that is, with the angels (implying that God had created them at the very start, when he 'created the heavens and the earth'). But the use of the plural should rather be taken as reflecting the greatness and power of God. A considerable part of Christian tradition has seen the 'Let us make' as reflecting the Holy Trinity, for New Testament revelation has made the Christian reader more aware of the unfathomable greatness of the divine mystery." [16]
CCC: Gn 1:21 299; Gn 1:26-29 2402; Gn 1:26-28 307; Gn 1:26-27 1602; Gn 1:26 36, 225, 299, 343, 2501, 2809; Gn 1:27 355, 383, 1604, 2331; Gn 1:28-31 2415; Gn 1:28 372, 373, 1604, 1607, 1652, 2331, 2427; Gn 1:31 299, 1604; Gn 2:1-3 345; Gn 2:2 314, 2184
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Genesis 1:26-2:3
#559 Proper of Saint Context (St. Joseph The Worker, May 1)
#882 Masses for Various Needs Context (II. For Public Needs, 13. For the Country or a City or for those who serve in public office or for the Congress or for the President or for the Progress of People, 1.)
#907 Masses for Various Needs Context (III. Various Public Circumstances, 18. For the Blessing of Human Labor, First Option)
God said:
"Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.
Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea,
the birds of the air, and the cattle,
and over all the wild animals
and all the creatures that crawl on the ground."
God created man in his image;
in the divine image he created him;
male and female he created them.
God blessed them, saying:
"Be fertile and multiply;
fill the earth and subdue it.
Have dominion over the fish of the sea,
the birds of the air,
and all the living things that move on the earth."
God also said:
"See, I give you every seed-bearing plant all over the earth
and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it
to be your food; and to all the animals of the land,
all the birds of the air,
and all the living creatures that crawl on the ground,
I give all the green plants for food."
And so it happened.
God looked at everything he had made,
and he found it very good. Evening came,
and morning followed—the sixth day.
Thus the heavens and the earth and all their array were completed.
Since on the seventh day God was finished with the work he had been doing,
God rested on the seventh day from all the work he had undertaken.
So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy,
because on it he rested from all the work he had done in creation.
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Commentary on Gen 1:26-2:3
This selection from Genesis tells the story of the creation of man and woman. Man’s resemblance to God lies primarily in the gift God gives mankind, the gift of “dominion” over all His creation. This final creation is the climax of his creative activity and following it, God establishes the day of rest, the Lord’s Day.
At the time when the LORD God made the earth and the heavens –
while as yet there was no field shrub on earth
and no grass of the field had sprouted,
for the LORD God had sent no rain upon the earth
and there was no man to till the soil,
but a stream was welling up out of the earth
and was watering all the surface of the ground
the LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground
and blew into his nostrils the breath of life,
and so man became a living being.
Then the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east,
and he placed there the man whom he had formed.
Out of the ground the LORD God made various trees grow
that were delightful to look at and good for food,
with the tree of life in the middle of the garden
and the tree of the knowledge of good and bad.
The LORD God then took the man
and settled him in the garden of Eden,
to cultivate and care for it.
The LORD God gave man this order:
"You are free to eat from any of the trees of the garden
except the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
From that tree you shall not eat;
the moment you eat from it you are surely doomed to die."
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Commentary on Gn 2:4b-9, 15-17
This selection provides excerpts of the second creation account (also called the Yahwist account because in Hebrew texts, God is referred to as "Yahweh God" instead of God). In studying the oldest copies of Genesis, it is clear that multiple authors are responsible for the texts, and this is one way scholars distinguish them. This account does not describe creation using a calendar, but rather begins with a lifeless earth and develops the creation of its detailed elements from that point. "It is historical in context but symbolic in description (CCC 362, 375)." [6]
In this passage, the image of man in the Garden of Eden is presented. We also hear the one rule man is given: “You are free to eat from any of the trees of the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. From that tree you shall not eat; the moment you eat from it you are surely doomed to die.” This instruction, using the words "care for it," or "keep" in other translations, instructs Adam and Eve to protect the garden, anticipating an attack on its sacredness by the serpent.
CCC: Gn 2:7 362, 369, 703; Gn 2:8 378; Gn 2:15 378; Gn 2:17 376, 396, 396, 400, 1006, 1008
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Genesis 2:4b-9, 15
#882 Mass for Various Needs Context (II. For Public Needs, 13. For the Country or a City or for those who serve in public office or for the Congress or for the President or for the Progress of People., 2.)
#907 Mass for Various Needs Context (III. Various Public Circumstances, 18. For the Blessing of Human Labor, Second Option)
At the time when the LORD God made the earth and the heavens –
while as yet there was no field shrub on earth
and no grass of the field had sprouted,
for the LORD God had sent no rain upon the earth
and there was no man to till the soil,
but a stream was welling up out of the earth
and was watering all the surface of the ground
the LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground
and blew into his nostrils the breath of life,
and so man became a living being.
Then the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east,
and he placed there the man whom he had formed.
Out of the ground the LORD God made various trees grow
that were delightful to look at and good for food,
with the tree of life in the middle of the garden
and the tree of the knowledge of good and bad.
The LORD God then took the man
and settled him in the garden of Eden,
to cultivate and care for it.
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Commentary on Gn 2:4b-9, 15
This selection provides excerpts of the second creation account (also called the Yahwehist account because in Hebrew texts God is referred to as Yahweh God instead of God). As we go through Genesis it is clear that multiple authors are responsible for the texts and this is one way scholars distinguish them. This account does not go through creation using a calendar but rather begins with a lifeless earth. The summary that follows describes the creation of all life and knowledge – analogized by the “tree of the knowledge of good and bad.” Culminating this creation is the establishment of man in the Garden of Eden. The concluding verse once more establishes our role as stewards of God’s creation.
CCC: Gn 2:7 362, 369, 703; Gn 2:8 378; Gn 2:15 378
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Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7
#22A Sundays A Context (1st Sunday of Lent A)
The Lord God formed man out of the clay of the ground
and blew into his nostrils the breath of life,
and so man became a living being.
Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east,
and placed there the man whom he had formed.
Out of the ground the Lord God made various trees grow
that were delightful to look at and good for food,
with the tree of life in the middle of the garden
and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals
that the Lord God had made.
The serpent asked the woman,
“Did God really tell you not to eat
from any of the trees in the garden?”
The woman answered the serpent:
“We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden;
it is only about the fruit of the tree
in the middle of the garden that God said,
‘You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.’”
But the serpent said to the woman:
“You certainly will not die!
No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it
your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods
who know what is good and what is evil.”
The woman saw that the tree was good for food,
pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom.
So she took some of its fruit and ate it;
and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her,
and he ate it.
Then the eyes of both of them were opened,
and they realized that they were naked;
so they sewed fig leaves together
and made loincloths for themselves.
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Commentary on Gn 2:7-9; 3:1-7
This selection from the Book of Genesis follows the second creation account, and includes the creation of man (the creation of woman followed in the verses omitted). The story resumes in the third chapter of Genesis. Adam’s wife, now settled in the Garden of Eden, is tempted by the serpent, and, with her husband, falls into the original sin, the disobedience of God's commands.
"The account of the fall in Genesis 3 uses figurative language, but affirms a primeval event, a deed that took place at the beginning of the history of man. Revelation gives us the certainty of faith that the whole of human history is marked by the original fault freely committed by our first parents" (CCC 390). The Bible is teaching us here about the origin of evil--of all the evils mankind experiences, and particularly the evil of death. Evil does not come from God (he created man to live a happy life and to be his friend); it comes from sin, that is, from the fact that man broke the divine commandment, thereby destroying the happiness he was created for, and his harmony with God, with himself, and with creation in general. "Man, tempted by the devil, let his trust in his Creator die in his heart and, abusing his freedom, disobeyed God's command. This is what man's first sin consisted of. All subsequent sin would be disobedience toward God and lack of trust in his goodness" (CCC 397).[3]
CCC: Gn 2:7 362, 369, 703; Gn 2:8 378; Gn 3 390, 2795; Gn 3:1-5 391; Gn 3:1-11 397; Gn 3:3 1008; Gn 3:5 392, 398, 399, 1850; Gn 3:6 2541, 2847; Gn 3:7 400
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Genesis 2:18-25
#332 Weekday Year I Context (Thursday of the 5th Week in Ordinary Time)
The LORD God said:
"It is not good for the man to be alone.
I will make a suitable partner for him."
So the LORD God formed out of the ground
various wild animals and various birds of the air,
and he brought them to the man to see what he would call them;
whatever the man called each of them would be its name.
The man gave names to all the cattle,
all the birds of the air, and all the wild animals;
but none proved to be the suitable partner for the man.
So the LORD God cast a deep sleep on the man,
and while he was asleep, he took out one of his ribs
and closed up its place with flesh.
The LORD God then built up into a woman
the rib that he had taken from the man.
When he brought her to the man, the man said:
"This one, at last, is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
this one shall be called 'woman,'
for out of 'her man' this one has been taken."
That is why a man leaves his father and mother
and clings to his wife,
and the two of them become one flesh.
The man and his wife were both naked, yet they felt no shame.
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Commentary on Gn 2:18-25
This selection continues the Yahwist creation account with a description of the creation of life. It is important to note that early Near-Eastern peoples felt that the individual who named a person or thing had dominion or control over it. Here we see man naming all the animals in God’s creation, thereby having dominion over them.
The passage concludes with God’s creation of woman as the perfect companion for man. He does so by taking a rib from the man (thus also explaining why there is a “spare rib”). This passage will be familiar to those who attend weddings as it is one of the texts frequently used because of v. 24: “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one flesh.”
CCC: Gn 2:18-25 1605; Gn 2:18 371, 1652; Gn 2:19-20 371, 2417; Gn 2:22 369, 1607; Gn 2:23 371; Gn 2:24 372, 1627, 1644, 2335; Gn 2:25 376
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Genesis 2:18-24
#140B Solemnities B Context (27th Sunday in Ordinary Time B)
#801 Ritual Mass Context (VI. For the Conferral of the Sacrament of Marriage, 2.)
The LORD God said: "It is not good for the man to be alone.
I will make a suitable partner for him."
So the LORD God formed out of the ground
various wild animals and various birds of the air,
and he brought them to the man to see what he would call them;
whatever the man called each of them would be its name.
The man gave names to all the cattle,
all the birds of the air, and all wild animals;
but none proved to be the suitable partner for the man.
So the LORD God cast a deep sleep on the man,
and while he was asleep,
he took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.
The LORD God then built up into a woman the rib
that he had taken from the man.
When he brought her to the man, the man said:
"This one, at last, is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
this one shall be called 'woman, '
for out of 'her man’ this one has been taken."
That is why a man leaves his father and mother
and clings to his wife,
and the two of them become one flesh.
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Commentary on Gn 2:18-24
This selection continues the Yahwehist creation account with the creation of life. It is important to note that early Near-Eastern peoples felt that the individual who named a person or thing had dominion over it. Here we see man naming all the animals in God’s creation thereby having dominion over them.
The passage concludes with God’s creation of woman as the perfect companion for man. He does so by taking a rib (thus also explaining why there is a “spare rib”). This passage will be familiar to those who attend weddings as it is one of the texts frequently used because of verse 24: “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one flesh.” This passage is quoted by the Lord in Mark 10:7 and is developed into the foundational understanding of the indissolubility of a sacramental marriage.
CCC: Gn 2:18-25 1605; Gn 2:18 371, 1652; Gn 2:19-20 371, 2417; Gn 2:22 369, 1607; Gn 2:23 371; Gn 2:24 372, 1627, 1644, 2335
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Genesis 3:1-8
#333 Weekday Year I Context (Friday of the 5th Week in Ordinary Time)
Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals
that the LORD God had made.
The serpent asked the woman,
"Did God really tell you not to eat
from any of the trees in the garden?"
The woman answered the serpent:
"We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden;
it is only about the fruit of the tree
in the middle of the garden that God said,
'You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.'"
But the serpent said to the woman:
"You certainly will not die!
No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it
your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods
who know what is good and what is evil."
The woman saw that the tree was good for food,
pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom.
So she took some of its fruit and ate it;
and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her,
and he ate it.
Then the eyes of both of them were opened,
and they realized that they were naked;
so they sewed fig leaves together
and made loincloths for themselves.
When they heard the sound of the LORD God moving about in the garden
at the breezy time of the day,
the man and his wife hid themselves from the LORD God
among the trees of the garden.
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Commentary on Gn 3:1-8
Genesis provides the account of “The Fall.” We hear how mankind fell from grace through original sin. The account of temptation by the serpent is given. The serpent (personification of evil) first distorts the truth to tempt the woman, telling her that there would be no punishment. It then tells her that she would become like God. The use of the serpent to represent fallen human nature is probably a reference to the serpent used in pagan fertility rituals at the time. The serpent is one of the “beasts of the field” named by man and is not intrinsically evil.
Genesis 3:1-6, 13-15
#42O-3 BVM Context (The Blessed Virgin Mary, Help of Christians)
Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals
that the LORD God had made.
The serpent asked the woman,
"Did God really tell you not to eat
from any of the trees in the garden?"
The woman answered the serpent:
"We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden;
it is only about the fruit of the tree
in the middle of the garden that God said,
'You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.'"
But the serpent said to the woman:
"You certainly will not die!
No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it
your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods
who know what is good and what is evil."
The woman saw that the tree was good for food,
pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom.
So the woman took some of its fruit and ate it;
and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her,
and he ate it.
The LORD God then asked the woman,
"Why did you do such a thing?"
The woman answered, "The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.'
Then the LORD God said to the serpent:
"Because you have done this, you shall be banned
from all the animals
and from all the wild creatures;
on your belly shall you crawl,
and dirt shall you eat
all the days of your life.
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
her offspring will strike at your head,
while you strike at their heel."
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Commentary on Gn 3:1-6, 13-15
The selection begins as the Book of Genesis provides the account of the story of “The Fall.” We hear how man fell from grace through Original Sin. The account is given of the temptation by the serpent. It first distorts the truth to tempt the woman, telling her that there would be no punishment. It then tells her that she would become like God. The use of the serpent to represent fallen human nature is probably a reference to the serpent used in pagan fertility rituals at the time. The serpent is one of the “beasts of the field” named by man and is not intrinsically evil.
As a consequence of its evil designs, God (vv. 13-15) curses the serpent to be always the enemy of mankind. Always man and serpent (the evil one) will be in contention and without peace.
CCC: Gn 3 390, 2795; Gn 3:1-5 391; Gn 3:1-11 397; Gn 3:3 1008; Gn 3:5 392, 398, 399, 1850; Gn 3:6 2541, 2847; Gn 3:13 1736, 2568; Gn 3:11-13 400; Gn 3:14-19 2427; Gn 3:15 70, 410, 489; Gn 3:16-19 1607; Gn 3:16 376, 400, 1609; Gn 3:16b 1607
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CCC: Gn 3:9-10 399; Gn 3:9 410, 2568; Gn 3:11-13 400; Gn 3:11 2515; Gn 3:12 1607; Gn 3:13 1736, 2568; Gn 3:14-19 2427; Gn 3:15 70, 410, 489
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Genesis 3:9-15, 20
#572A Proper of Saints Context (Memorial of The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church)
#689 Proper of Saints Context (Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, Dec 8)
#707 Commons Context (Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 1.)
#1002 Votive Mass Context (The Blessed Virgin Mary, 1. The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, First Option)
#25O-1 BVM Context (The Blessed Virgin Mary, Image and Mother of the Church, I)
The LORD God then called to the man and asked him, “Where are you?”
He answered, “I heard you in the garden;
but I was afraid, because I was naked,
so I hid myself.”
Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked?
You have eaten, then,
from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!”
The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me
she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.”
The LORD God then asked the woman,
“Why did you do such a thing?”
The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.”
Then the LORD God said to the serpent:
“Because you have done this, you shall be banned
from all the animals
and from all the wild creatures;
on your belly shall you crawl,
and dirt shall you eat
all the days of your life.
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will strike at your head,
while you strike at his heel.”
The man called his wife Eve,
because she became the mother of all the living.
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Commentary on Gn 3:9-15, 20
Adam and Eve are confronted by God after having eaten the forbidden fruit from the tree of wisdom. Adam blames Eve, and Eve blames the serpent. Thus the identity of the serpent is now synonymous with the devil. This passage, because of that linkage, can now be classified as the first prediction of the messianic struggle with evil and ultimate victory.
Contained here is the scriptural evidence of original sin. The story is also called “the fall,” as God’s human creation (personified in Adam and Eve) falls from grace and is condemned to suffer the struggle to regain the blessed state throughout history. Mankind has disobeyed God and defied his will. Through disobedience, sin and death enter the world.
CCC: Gn 3:9-10 399; Gn 3:9 410, 2568; Gn 3:11-13 400; Gn 3:11 2515; Gn 3:12 1607; Gn 3:13 1736, 2568; Gn 3:14-19 2427; Gn 3:15 70, 410, 489; Gn 3:20 489
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In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth,
the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss,
while a mighty wind swept over the waters.
Then God said,
"Let there be light," and there was light.
God saw how good the light was.
God then separated the light from the darkness.
God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night."
Thus evening came, and morning followed—the first day.
Then God said,
"Let there be a dome in the middle of the waters,
to separate one body of water from the other."
And so it happened:
God made the dome,
and it separated the water above the dome from the water below it.
God called the dome "the sky."
Evening came, and morning followed—the second day.
Then God said,
"Let the water under the sky be gathered into a single basin,
so that the dry land may appear."
And so it happened:
the water under the sky was gathered into its basin,
and the dry land appeared.
God called the dry land "the earth,"
and the basin of the water he called "the sea."
God saw how good it was.
Then God said,
"Let the earth bring forth vegetation:
every kind of plant that bears seed
and every kind of fruit tree on earth
that bears fruit with its seed in it."
And so it happened:
the earth brought forth every kind of plant that bears seed
and every kind of fruit tree on earth
that bears fruit with its seed in it.
God saw how good it was.
Evening came, and morning followed—the third day.
Then God said:
"Let there be lights in the dome of the sky,
to separate day from night.
Let them mark the fixed times, the days and the years,
and serve as luminaries in the dome of the sky,
to shed light upon the earth."
And so it happened:
God made the two great lights,
the greater one to govern the day,
and the lesser one to govern the night;
and he made the stars.
God set them in the dome of the sky,
to shed light upon the earth,
to govern the day and the night,
and to separate the light from the darkness.
God saw how good it was.
Evening came, and morning followed—the fourth day.
Then God said,
"Let the water teem with an abundance of living creatures,
and on the earth let birds fly beneath the dome of the sky."
And so it happened:
God created the great sea monsters
and all kinds of swimming creatures with which the water teems,
and all kinds of winged birds.
God saw how good it was, and God blessed them, saying,
"Be fertile, multiply, and fill the water of the seas;
and let the birds multiply on the earth."
Evening came, and morning followed—the fifth day.
Then God said,
"Let the earth bring forth all kinds of living creatures:
cattle, creeping things, and wild animals of all kinds."
And so it happened:
God made all kinds of wild animals, all kinds of cattle,
and all kinds of creeping things of the earth.
God saw how good it was.
Then God said:
"Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.
Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea,
the birds of the air, and the cattle,
and over all the wild animals
and all the creatures that crawl on the ground."
God created man in his image;
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
God blessed them, saying:
"Be fertile and multiply;
fill the earth and subdue it.
Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air,
and all the living things that move on the earth."
God also said:
"See, I give you every seed-bearing plant all over the earth
and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food;
and to all the animals of the land, all the birds of the air,
and all the living creatures that crawl on the ground,
I give all the green plants for food."
And so it happened.
God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good.
Evening came, and morning followed—the sixth day.
Thus the heavens and the earth and all their array were completed.
Since on the seventh day God was finished
with the work he had been doing,
he rested on the seventh day from all the work he had undertaken.
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Commentary on Gn 1:1—2:2
Scripture begins with the first creation account from Genesis. God creates the universe, the earth, and all living things. God creates an orderly universe out of primordial chaos. The separation of the waters (fresh water from salt waters of the sea and “the upper waters” held up by the dome of the sky) are later referenced in 2 Kings 7:2, 2 Kings 7:19 and Psalm 104:13. The ancient authors considered a day to begin at sunset. The literary structure used, breaking God’s creative effort into six days, stressed the sacredness of the seventh day in the faith structure of the Israelites. His final creation is the Sabbath, a day of rest and worship. The creation of humankind is considered the climax of God’s creative action primarily because God gives dominion to us over the rest of creation.
CCC: Gn 1:1-2:4 337; Gn 1:1 268, 279, 280, 290; Gn 1:2-3 292; Gn 1:2 243, 703, 1218; Gn 1:3 298; Gn 1:4 299; Gn 1:10 299; Gn 1:12 299; Gn 1:14 347; Gn 1:18 299; Gn 1:21 299; Gn 1:26-29 2402; Gn 1:26-28 307; Gn 1:26-27 1602; Gn 1:26 36, 225, 299, 343, 2501, 2809; Gn 1:27 355, 383, 1604, 2331; Gn 1:28-31 2415; Gn 1:28 372, 373, 1604, 1607, 1652, 2331, 2427; Gn 1:31 299, 1604; Gn 2:1-3 345; Gn 2:2 314, 2184
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Or: Genesis 1:1, 26-31a
In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth,
God said: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.
Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea,
the birds of the air, and the cattle,
and over all the wild animals
and all the creatures that crawl on the ground."
God created man in his image;
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
God blessed them, saying:
"Be fertile and multiply;
fill the earth and subdue it.
Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air,
and all the living things that move on the earth."
God also said:
"See, I give you every seed-bearing plant all over the earth
and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food;
and to all the animals of the land, all the birds of the air,
and all the living creatures that crawl on the ground,
I give all the green plants for food."
And so it happened.
God looked at everything he had made, and found it very good.
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Commentary on Genesis 1:1, 26-31a
This shorter version of the first creation account from Genesis omits how God created the universe and the earth. It begins with the creation of all living things and concludes with the creation of man and woman. The focus is changed from emphasis on all creation to the creation of life in all its diversity.
CCC: Gn 1:1-2:4 337; Gn 1:1 268, 279, 280, 290; Gn 1:2-3 292; Gn 1:26-28 307; Gn 1:26-27 1602; Gn 1:26 36, 225, 299, 343, 2501, 2809; Gn 1:27 355, 383, 1604, 2331; Gn 1:28-31 2415; Gn 1:28 372, 373, 1604, 1607, 1652, 2331, 2427; Gn 1:31 299, 1604
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Genesis 1:1-19
#329 Weekday Year 1 Context (Monday of the 5th Week in Ordinary Time)
In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth,
the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss,
while a mighty wind swept over the waters.
Then God said,
"Let there be light," and there was light.
God saw how good the light was.
God then separated the light from the darkness.
God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night."
Thus evening came, and morning followed—the first day.
Then God said,
"Let there be a dome in the middle of the waters,
to separate one body of water from the other."
And so it happened:
God made the dome,
and it separated the water above the dome from the water below it.
God called the dome "the sky."
Evening came, and morning followed—the second day.
Then God said,
"Let the water under the sky be gathered into a single basin,
so that the dry land may appear."
And so it happened:
the water under the sky was gathered into its basin,
and the dry land appeared.
God called the dry land "the earth,"
and the basin of the water he called "the sea."
God saw how good it was.
Then God said,
"Let the earth bring forth vegetation:
every kind of plant that bears seed
and every kind of fruit tree on earth
that bears fruit with its seed in it."
And so it happened:
the earth brought forth every kind of plant that bears seed
and every kind of fruit tree on earth that
bears fruit with its seed in it.
God saw how good it was.
Evening came, and morning followed—the third day.
Then God said:
"Let there be lights in the dome of the sky,
to separate day from night.
Let them mark the fixed times, the days and the years,
and serve as luminaries in the dome of the sky,
to shed light upon the earth."
And so it happened:
God made the two great lights,
the greater one to govern the day,
and the lesser one to govern the night;
and he made the stars.
God set them in the dome of the sky,
to shed light upon the earth,
to govern the day and the night,
and to separate the light from the darkness.
God saw how good it was.
Evening came, and morning followed—the fourth day.
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Commentary on Gn 1:1-19
This selection is the beginning of Genesis, the first book in the Bible. Here we see the first four days of the first of two creation accounts. This, the Priestly account, shows how God creates order out of chaos. There are several important concepts referenced in this selection that are used or referenced by later authors. Reference to the “abyss” in v. 2 was, according to Semitic cosmology, the gathering of all water. In the creative act, God separated the waters into seas (salt water) and springs ̶ fresh water from under the earth (see Psalm 33:7; Ezekiel 31:4). Another portion of water is held in the dome of the sky (“the upper water” see Psalm 33:7; Ezekiel 31:4) to fall as rain (Genesis 7:11; 2 Kings 7:2, 19; Psalm 104:13).
CCC: Gn 1:1-2:4 337; Gn 1:1 268, 279, 280, 290; Gn 1:2-3 292; Gn 1:2 243, 703, 1218; Gn 1:3 298; Gn 1:4 299; Gn 1:10 299; Gn 1:12 299; Gn 1:14 347; Gn 1:18 299
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Genesis 1:11-12
#912 Mass for Various Needs Context (III. In Various Public Circumstances, 19. For Productive Land)
God said,
"Let the earth bring forth vegetation:
every kind of plant that bears seed
and every kind of fruit tree on earth
that bears fruit with its seed in it."
And so it happened:
the earth brought forth every kind of plant that bears seed
and every kind of fruit tree on earth that
bears fruit with its seed in it.
God saw how good it was.
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Commentary on Gen 1:11-12
These verses speak to the creation of all things growing on earth. God created all things that grow, each having its own place and function. Each species was created with the ability to grow and to reproduce itself from seed. This creation account is later used to describe the cycle of death to life as seed must first fall to the ground and then rise again.
CCC: Gn 1:12 299
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Genesis 1:14-18
#902 Mass for Various Needs Context (III. In Various Public Circumstances, 17. For the Beginning of the Civil War, 1.)
God said:
"Let there be lights in the dome of the sky,
to separate day from night.
Let them mark the fixed times, the days and the years,
and serve as luminaries in the dome of the sky,
to shed light upon the earth."
And so it happened:
God made the two great lights,
the greater one to govern the day,
and the lesser one to govern the night;
and he made the stars.
God set them in the dome of the sky,
to shed light upon the earth,
to govern the day and the night,
and to separate the light from the darkness.
God saw how good it was.
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Commentary on Gen 1:14-18
In his plan of creation, on the “Third Day,” God creates the sun and the moon that provide rhythm to the life of the earth. “Let them mark the fixed times, the days and the years.” These heavenly bodies light the earth and in turn demonstrate the vastness of God’s creation, shining down as countless stars describe the infinite heavens.
CCC: Gn 1:14 347; Gn 1:18 299
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Genesis 1:20—2:4a
#330 Weekday Year I Context (Tuesday of the 5th Week in Ordinary Time)
God said,
"Let the water teem with an abundance of living creatures,
and on the earth let birds fly beneath the dome of the sky."
And so it happened:
God created the great sea monsters
and all kinds of swimming creatures with which the water teems,
and all kinds of winged birds.
God saw how good it was, and God blessed them, saying,
"Be fertile, multiply, and fill the water of the seas;
and let the birds multiply on the earth."
Evening came, and morning followed—the fifth day.
Then God said,
"Let the earth bring forth all kinds of living creatures:
cattle, creeping things, and wild animals of all kinds."
And so it happened:
God made all kinds of wild animals, all kinds of cattle,
and all kinds of creeping things of the earth.
God saw how good it was.
Then God said:
"Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.
Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea,
the birds of the air, and the cattle,
and over all the wild animals
and all the creatures that crawl on the ground."
God created man in his image;
in the divine image he created him;
male and female he created them.
God blessed them, saying:
"Be fertile and multiply;
fill the earth and subdue it.
Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air,
and all the living things that move on the earth."
God also said:
"See, I give you every seed-bearing plant all over the earth
and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food;
and to all the animals of the land, all the birds of the air,
and all the living creatures that crawl on the ground,
I give all the green plants for food."
And so it happened.
God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good.
Evening came, and morning followed—the sixth day.
Thus the heavens and the earth and all their array were completed.
Since on the seventh day God was finished with the work he had been doing,
he rested on the seventh day from all the work he had undertaken.
So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy,
because on it he rested from all the work he had done in creation.
Such is the story of the heavens and the earth at their creation.
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Commentary on Gn 1:20—2:4a
This passage completes the Priestly creation account in Genesis. It describes the creation of all life on earth and concludes with the establishment of the Sabbath on the seventh day, establishing the sacredness of that day. God’s creation of mankind in v. 26 represents the climax of his creative effort in that God give us dominion over the rest of creation.
"The sacred text emphasizes the special significance of this moment: God seems to stop to reflect and plan every detail of his next creation--man. Ancient Jewish interpretation (followed also by some Christian writers) saw the use of the plural 'Let us make...' as meaning that God deliberated with his heavenly court, that is, with the angels (implying that God had created them at the very start, when he 'created the heavens and the earth'). But the use of the plural should rather be taken as reflecting the greatness and power of God. A considerable part of Christian tradition has seen the 'Let us make' as reflecting the Holy Trinity, for New Testament revelation has made the Christian reader more aware of the unfathomable greatness of the divine mystery." [16]
CCC: Gn 1:21 299; Gn 1:26-29 2402; Gn 1:26-28 307; Gn 1:26-27 1602; Gn 1:26 36, 225, 299, 343, 2501, 2809; Gn 1:27 355, 383, 1604, 2331; Gn 1:28-31 2415; Gn 1:28 372, 373, 1604, 1607, 1652, 2331, 2427; Gn 1:31 299, 1604; Gn 2:1-3 345; Gn 2:2 314, 2184
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Genesis 1:26-2:3
#559 Proper of Saint Context (St. Joseph The Worker, May 1)
#882 Masses for Various Needs Context (II. For Public Needs, 13. For the Country or a City or for those who serve in public office or for the Congress or for the President or for the Progress of People, 1.)
#907 Masses for Various Needs Context (III. Various Public Circumstances, 18. For the Blessing of Human Labor, First Option)
God said:
"Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.
Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea,
the birds of the air, and the cattle,
and over all the wild animals
and all the creatures that crawl on the ground."
God created man in his image;
in the divine image he created him;
male and female he created them.
God blessed them, saying:
"Be fertile and multiply;
fill the earth and subdue it.
Have dominion over the fish of the sea,
the birds of the air,
and all the living things that move on the earth."
God also said:
"See, I give you every seed-bearing plant all over the earth
and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it
to be your food; and to all the animals of the land,
all the birds of the air,
and all the living creatures that crawl on the ground,
I give all the green plants for food."
And so it happened.
God looked at everything he had made,
and he found it very good. Evening came,
and morning followed—the sixth day.
Thus the heavens and the earth and all their array were completed.
Since on the seventh day God was finished with the work he had been doing,
God rested on the seventh day from all the work he had undertaken.
So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy,
because on it he rested from all the work he had done in creation.
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Commentary on Gen 1:26-2:3
This selection from Genesis tells the story of the creation of man and woman. Man’s resemblance to God lies primarily in the gift God gives mankind, the gift of “dominion” over all His creation. This final creation is the climax of his creative activity and following it, God establishes the day of rest, the Lord’s Day.
These verses relate for us God’s act of our own creation. He creates us to be stewards (have dominion over) of all else that he has created. He creates mankind in his own image and likeness in two sexes – male and female. He then charges his creation to procreate and offers his created children all that he created.
Implicit in this passage is God’s intent to create not just the human form but to instill in it the intellect to understand all else that he created; like God himself, he gave his creation free will.
In specifying two sexes, scripture also defines the marriage covenant as the joining of man and woman. The explicit outgrowth of this union was specifically to facilitate procreation. (CCC 1604ff)
CCC: Gn 1:26-29 2402; Gn 1:26-28 307; Gn 1:26-27 1602; Gn 1:26 36, 225, 299, 343, 2501, 2809; Gn 1:27 355, 383, 1604, 2331; Gn 1:28-31 2415; Gn 1:28 372, 373, 1604, 1607, 1652, 2331, 2427; Gn 1:31 299, 1604; Gn 2:1-3 345; Gn 2:2 314, 2184
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Genesis 1:26-28, 31a
#801 Ritual Mass Context (VI. For the Conferral of the Sacrament of Marriage, 1.)
Then God said:
"Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.
Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea,
the birds of the air, and the cattle,
and over all the wild animals
and all the creatures that crawl on the ground."
God created man in his image;
in the divine image he created him;
male and female he created them.
God blessed them, saying:
"Be fertile and multiply;
fill the earth and subdue it.
Have dominion over the fish of the sea,
the birds of the air,
and all the living things that move on the earth."
God looked at everything he had made,
and he found it very good.
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Commentary on Gen 1:26-28, 31a
These verses relate for us God’s act of our own creation. He creates us to be stewards (have dominion over) of all else that he has created. He creates mankind in his own image and likeness in two sexes – male and female. He then charges his creation to procreate and offers his created children all that he created.
Implicit in this passage is God’s intent to create not just the human form but to instill in it the intellect to understand all else that he created; like God himself, he gave his creation free will.
In specifying two sexes, scripture also defines the marriage covenant as the joining of man and woman. The explicit outgrowth of this union was specifically to facilitate procreation. (CCC 1604ff)
CCC: 1:26-29 2402; Gn 1:26-28 307; Gn 1:26-27 1602; Gn 1:26 36, 225, 299, 343, 2501, 2809; Gn 1:27 355, 383, 1604, 2331; Gn 1:28-31 2415; Gn 1:28 372, 373, 1604, 1607, 1652, 2331, 2427; Gn 1:31 299, 1604
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Genesis 2:4b-9, 15-17
#331 Weekday Year I Context (Wednesday of the 5th Week in Ordinary Time)
Implicit in this passage is God’s intent to create not just the human form but to instill in it the intellect to understand all else that he created; like God himself, he gave his creation free will.
In specifying two sexes, scripture also defines the marriage covenant as the joining of man and woman. The explicit outgrowth of this union was specifically to facilitate procreation. (CCC 1604ff)
CCC: Gn 1:26-29 2402; Gn 1:26-28 307; Gn 1:26-27 1602; Gn 1:26 36, 225, 299, 343, 2501, 2809; Gn 1:27 355, 383, 1604, 2331; Gn 1:28-31 2415; Gn 1:28 372, 373, 1604, 1607, 1652, 2331, 2427; Gn 1:31 299, 1604; Gn 2:1-3 345; Gn 2:2 314, 2184
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Genesis 1:26-28, 31a
#801 Ritual Mass Context (VI. For the Conferral of the Sacrament of Marriage, 1.)
Then God said:
"Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.
Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea,
the birds of the air, and the cattle,
and over all the wild animals
and all the creatures that crawl on the ground."
God created man in his image;
in the divine image he created him;
male and female he created them.
God blessed them, saying:
"Be fertile and multiply;
fill the earth and subdue it.
Have dominion over the fish of the sea,
the birds of the air,
and all the living things that move on the earth."
God looked at everything he had made,
and he found it very good.
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Commentary on Gen 1:26-28, 31a
These verses relate for us God’s act of our own creation. He creates us to be stewards (have dominion over) of all else that he has created. He creates mankind in his own image and likeness in two sexes – male and female. He then charges his creation to procreate and offers his created children all that he created.
Implicit in this passage is God’s intent to create not just the human form but to instill in it the intellect to understand all else that he created; like God himself, he gave his creation free will.
In specifying two sexes, scripture also defines the marriage covenant as the joining of man and woman. The explicit outgrowth of this union was specifically to facilitate procreation. (CCC 1604ff)
CCC: 1:26-29 2402; Gn 1:26-28 307; Gn 1:26-27 1602; Gn 1:26 36, 225, 299, 343, 2501, 2809; Gn 1:27 355, 383, 1604, 2331; Gn 1:28-31 2415; Gn 1:28 372, 373, 1604, 1607, 1652, 2331, 2427; Gn 1:31 299, 1604
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Genesis 2:4b-9, 15-17
#331 Weekday Year I Context (Wednesday of the 5th Week in Ordinary Time)
At the time when the LORD God made the earth and the heavens –
while as yet there was no field shrub on earth
and no grass of the field had sprouted,
for the LORD God had sent no rain upon the earth
and there was no man to till the soil,
but a stream was welling up out of the earth
and was watering all the surface of the ground
the LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground
and blew into his nostrils the breath of life,
and so man became a living being.
Then the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east,
and he placed there the man whom he had formed.
Out of the ground the LORD God made various trees grow
that were delightful to look at and good for food,
with the tree of life in the middle of the garden
and the tree of the knowledge of good and bad.
The LORD God then took the man
and settled him in the garden of Eden,
to cultivate and care for it.
The LORD God gave man this order:
"You are free to eat from any of the trees of the garden
except the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
From that tree you shall not eat;
the moment you eat from it you are surely doomed to die."
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Commentary on Gn 2:4b-9, 15-17
This selection provides excerpts of the second creation account (also called the Yahwist account because in Hebrew texts, God is referred to as "Yahweh God" instead of God). In studying the oldest copies of Genesis, it is clear that multiple authors are responsible for the texts, and this is one way scholars distinguish them. This account does not describe creation using a calendar, but rather begins with a lifeless earth and develops the creation of its detailed elements from that point. "It is historical in context but symbolic in description (CCC 362, 375)." [6]
In this passage, the image of man in the Garden of Eden is presented. We also hear the one rule man is given: “You are free to eat from any of the trees of the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. From that tree you shall not eat; the moment you eat from it you are surely doomed to die.” This instruction, using the words "care for it," or "keep" in other translations, instructs Adam and Eve to protect the garden, anticipating an attack on its sacredness by the serpent.
CCC: Gn 2:7 362, 369, 703; Gn 2:8 378; Gn 2:15 378; Gn 2:17 376, 396, 396, 400, 1006, 1008
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Genesis 2:4b-9, 15
#882 Mass for Various Needs Context (II. For Public Needs, 13. For the Country or a City or for those who serve in public office or for the Congress or for the President or for the Progress of People., 2.)
#907 Mass for Various Needs Context (III. Various Public Circumstances, 18. For the Blessing of Human Labor, Second Option)
At the time when the LORD God made the earth and the heavens –
while as yet there was no field shrub on earth
and no grass of the field had sprouted,
for the LORD God had sent no rain upon the earth
and there was no man to till the soil,
but a stream was welling up out of the earth
and was watering all the surface of the ground
the LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground
and blew into his nostrils the breath of life,
and so man became a living being.
Then the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east,
and he placed there the man whom he had formed.
Out of the ground the LORD God made various trees grow
that were delightful to look at and good for food,
with the tree of life in the middle of the garden
and the tree of the knowledge of good and bad.
The LORD God then took the man
and settled him in the garden of Eden,
to cultivate and care for it.
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Commentary on Gn 2:4b-9, 15
This selection provides excerpts of the second creation account (also called the Yahwehist account because in Hebrew texts God is referred to as Yahweh God instead of God). As we go through Genesis it is clear that multiple authors are responsible for the texts and this is one way scholars distinguish them. This account does not go through creation using a calendar but rather begins with a lifeless earth. The summary that follows describes the creation of all life and knowledge – analogized by the “tree of the knowledge of good and bad.” Culminating this creation is the establishment of man in the Garden of Eden. The concluding verse once more establishes our role as stewards of God’s creation.
CCC: Gn 2:7 362, 369, 703; Gn 2:8 378; Gn 2:15 378
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Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7
#22A Sundays A Context (1st Sunday of Lent A)
The Lord God formed man out of the clay of the ground
and blew into his nostrils the breath of life,
and so man became a living being.
Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east,
and placed there the man whom he had formed.
Out of the ground the Lord God made various trees grow
that were delightful to look at and good for food,
with the tree of life in the middle of the garden
and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals
that the Lord God had made.
The serpent asked the woman,
“Did God really tell you not to eat
from any of the trees in the garden?”
The woman answered the serpent:
“We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden;
it is only about the fruit of the tree
in the middle of the garden that God said,
‘You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.’”
But the serpent said to the woman:
“You certainly will not die!
No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it
your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods
who know what is good and what is evil.”
The woman saw that the tree was good for food,
pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom.
So she took some of its fruit and ate it;
and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her,
and he ate it.
Then the eyes of both of them were opened,
and they realized that they were naked;
so they sewed fig leaves together
and made loincloths for themselves.
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Commentary on Gn 2:7-9; 3:1-7
This selection from the Book of Genesis follows the second creation account, and includes the creation of man (the creation of woman followed in the verses omitted). The story resumes in the third chapter of Genesis. Adam’s wife, now settled in the Garden of Eden, is tempted by the serpent, and, with her husband, falls into the original sin, the disobedience of God's commands.
"The account of the fall in Genesis 3 uses figurative language, but affirms a primeval event, a deed that took place at the beginning of the history of man. Revelation gives us the certainty of faith that the whole of human history is marked by the original fault freely committed by our first parents" (CCC 390). The Bible is teaching us here about the origin of evil--of all the evils mankind experiences, and particularly the evil of death. Evil does not come from God (he created man to live a happy life and to be his friend); it comes from sin, that is, from the fact that man broke the divine commandment, thereby destroying the happiness he was created for, and his harmony with God, with himself, and with creation in general. "Man, tempted by the devil, let his trust in his Creator die in his heart and, abusing his freedom, disobeyed God's command. This is what man's first sin consisted of. All subsequent sin would be disobedience toward God and lack of trust in his goodness" (CCC 397).[3]
CCC: Gn 2:7 362, 369, 703; Gn 2:8 378; Gn 3 390, 2795; Gn 3:1-5 391; Gn 3:1-11 397; Gn 3:3 1008; Gn 3:5 392, 398, 399, 1850; Gn 3:6 2541, 2847; Gn 3:7 400
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Genesis 2:18-25
#332 Weekday Year I Context (Thursday of the 5th Week in Ordinary Time)
The LORD God said:
"It is not good for the man to be alone.
I will make a suitable partner for him."
So the LORD God formed out of the ground
various wild animals and various birds of the air,
and he brought them to the man to see what he would call them;
whatever the man called each of them would be its name.
The man gave names to all the cattle,
all the birds of the air, and all the wild animals;
but none proved to be the suitable partner for the man.
So the LORD God cast a deep sleep on the man,
and while he was asleep, he took out one of his ribs
and closed up its place with flesh.
The LORD God then built up into a woman
the rib that he had taken from the man.
When he brought her to the man, the man said:
"This one, at last, is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
this one shall be called 'woman,'
for out of 'her man' this one has been taken."
That is why a man leaves his father and mother
and clings to his wife,
and the two of them become one flesh.
The man and his wife were both naked, yet they felt no shame.
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Commentary on Gn 2:18-25
This selection continues the Yahwist creation account with a description of the creation of life. It is important to note that early Near-Eastern peoples felt that the individual who named a person or thing had dominion or control over it. Here we see man naming all the animals in God’s creation, thereby having dominion over them.
The passage concludes with God’s creation of woman as the perfect companion for man. He does so by taking a rib from the man (thus also explaining why there is a “spare rib”). This passage will be familiar to those who attend weddings as it is one of the texts frequently used because of v. 24: “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one flesh.”
CCC: Gn 2:18-25 1605; Gn 2:18 371, 1652; Gn 2:19-20 371, 2417; Gn 2:22 369, 1607; Gn 2:23 371; Gn 2:24 372, 1627, 1644, 2335; Gn 2:25 376
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Genesis 2:18-24
#140B Solemnities B Context (27th Sunday in Ordinary Time B)
#801 Ritual Mass Context (VI. For the Conferral of the Sacrament of Marriage, 2.)
The LORD God said: "It is not good for the man to be alone.
I will make a suitable partner for him."
So the LORD God formed out of the ground
various wild animals and various birds of the air,
and he brought them to the man to see what he would call them;
whatever the man called each of them would be its name.
The man gave names to all the cattle,
all the birds of the air, and all wild animals;
but none proved to be the suitable partner for the man.
So the LORD God cast a deep sleep on the man,
and while he was asleep,
he took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.
The LORD God then built up into a woman the rib
that he had taken from the man.
When he brought her to the man, the man said:
"This one, at last, is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
this one shall be called 'woman, '
for out of 'her man’ this one has been taken."
That is why a man leaves his father and mother
and clings to his wife,
and the two of them become one flesh.
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Commentary on Gn 2:18-24
This selection continues the Yahwehist creation account with the creation of life. It is important to note that early Near-Eastern peoples felt that the individual who named a person or thing had dominion over it. Here we see man naming all the animals in God’s creation thereby having dominion over them.
The passage concludes with God’s creation of woman as the perfect companion for man. He does so by taking a rib (thus also explaining why there is a “spare rib”). This passage will be familiar to those who attend weddings as it is one of the texts frequently used because of verse 24: “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one flesh.” This passage is quoted by the Lord in Mark 10:7 and is developed into the foundational understanding of the indissolubility of a sacramental marriage.
CCC: Gn 2:18-25 1605; Gn 2:18 371, 1652; Gn 2:19-20 371, 2417; Gn 2:22 369, 1607; Gn 2:23 371; Gn 2:24 372, 1627, 1644, 2335
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Genesis 3:1-8
#333 Weekday Year I Context (Friday of the 5th Week in Ordinary Time)
Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals
that the LORD God had made.
The serpent asked the woman,
"Did God really tell you not to eat
from any of the trees in the garden?"
The woman answered the serpent:
"We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden;
it is only about the fruit of the tree
in the middle of the garden that God said,
'You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.'"
But the serpent said to the woman:
"You certainly will not die!
No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it
your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods
who know what is good and what is evil."
The woman saw that the tree was good for food,
pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom.
So she took some of its fruit and ate it;
and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her,
and he ate it.
Then the eyes of both of them were opened,
and they realized that they were naked;
so they sewed fig leaves together
and made loincloths for themselves.
When they heard the sound of the LORD God moving about in the garden
at the breezy time of the day,
the man and his wife hid themselves from the LORD God
among the trees of the garden.
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Commentary on Gn 3:1-8
Genesis provides the account of “The Fall.” We hear how mankind fell from grace through original sin. The account of temptation by the serpent is given. The serpent (personification of evil) first distorts the truth to tempt the woman, telling her that there would be no punishment. It then tells her that she would become like God. The use of the serpent to represent fallen human nature is probably a reference to the serpent used in pagan fertility rituals at the time. The serpent is one of the “beasts of the field” named by man and is not intrinsically evil.
"In his description of that original sin and its consequences, the sacred writer uses symbolic language (garden, tree, serpent) in order to convey an important historical and religious truth--that no sooner did he walk the earth than man disobeyed God, and therein lies the cause of evil. We can also see here how every sin happens and what results from it: 'The eyes of our soul grow dull. Reason proclaims itself sufficient to understand everything, without the aid of God.'" [22]
CCC: Gn 3 390, 2795; Gn 3:1-5 391; Gn 3:1-11 397; Gn 3:3 1008; Gn 3:5 392, 398, 399, 1850; Gn 3:6 2541, 2847; Gn 3:7 400; Gn 3:8-10 29
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CCC: Gn 3 390, 2795; Gn 3:1-5 391; Gn 3:1-11 397; Gn 3:3 1008; Gn 3:5 392, 398, 399, 1850; Gn 3:6 2541, 2847; Gn 3:7 400; Gn 3:8-10 29
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Genesis 3:1-6, 13-15
#42O-3 BVM Context (The Blessed Virgin Mary, Help of Christians)
Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals
that the LORD God had made.
The serpent asked the woman,
"Did God really tell you not to eat
from any of the trees in the garden?"
The woman answered the serpent:
"We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden;
it is only about the fruit of the tree
in the middle of the garden that God said,
'You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.'"
But the serpent said to the woman:
"You certainly will not die!
No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it
your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods
who know what is good and what is evil."
The woman saw that the tree was good for food,
pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom.
So the woman took some of its fruit and ate it;
and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her,
and he ate it.
The LORD God then asked the woman,
"Why did you do such a thing?"
The woman answered, "The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.'
Then the LORD God said to the serpent:
"Because you have done this, you shall be banned
from all the animals
and from all the wild creatures;
on your belly shall you crawl,
and dirt shall you eat
all the days of your life.
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
her offspring will strike at your head,
while you strike at their heel."
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Commentary on Gn 3:1-6, 13-15
The selection begins as the Book of Genesis provides the account of the story of “The Fall.” We hear how man fell from grace through Original Sin. The account is given of the temptation by the serpent. It first distorts the truth to tempt the woman, telling her that there would be no punishment. It then tells her that she would become like God. The use of the serpent to represent fallen human nature is probably a reference to the serpent used in pagan fertility rituals at the time. The serpent is one of the “beasts of the field” named by man and is not intrinsically evil.
As a consequence of its evil designs, God (vv. 13-15) curses the serpent to be always the enemy of mankind. Always man and serpent (the evil one) will be in contention and without peace.
CCC: Gn 3 390, 2795; Gn 3:1-5 391; Gn 3:1-11 397; Gn 3:3 1008; Gn 3:5 392, 398, 399, 1850; Gn 3:6 2541, 2847; Gn 3:13 1736, 2568; Gn 3:11-13 400; Gn 3:14-19 2427; Gn 3:15 70, 410, 489; Gn 3:16-19 1607; Gn 3:16 376, 400, 1609; Gn 3:16b 1607
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#334 Weekday Year I Context (Saturday of the 5th Week in Ordinary Time)
The LORD God called to Adam and asked him, "Where are you?"
He answered, "I heard you in the garden;
but I was afraid, because I was naked,
so I hid myself."
Then he asked, "Who told you that you were naked?
You have eaten, then,
from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!"
The man replied, "The woman whom you put here with me
she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it."
The LORD God then asked the woman,
"Why did you do such a thing?"
The woman answered, "The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it."
Then the LORD God said to the serpent:
"Because you have done this, you shall be banned
from all the animals
and from all the wild creatures;
On your belly shall you crawl,
and dirt shall you eat
all the days of your life.
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
He will strike at your head,
while you strike at his heel."
To the woman he said:
"I will intensify the pangs of your childbearing;
in pain shall you bring forth children.
Yet your urge shall be for your husband,
and he shall be your master."
To the man he said: "Because you listened to your wife
and ate from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat,
"Cursed be the ground because of you!
In toil shall you eat its yield
all the days of your life.
Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to you,
as you eat of the plants of the field.
By the sweat of your face
shall you get bread to eat,
Until you return to the ground,
from which you were taken;
For you are dirt,
and to dirt you shall return."
The man called his wife Eve,
because she became the mother of all the living.
For the man and his wife the LORD God made leather garments,
with which he clothed them.
Then the LORD God said: "See! The man has become like one of us,
knowing what is good and what is evil!
Therefore, he must not be allowed to put out his hand
to take fruit from the tree of life also,
and thus eat of it and live forever."
The LORD God therefore banished him from the garden of Eden,
to till the ground from which he had been taken.
When he expelled the man,
he settled him east of the garden of Eden;
and he stationed the cherubim and the fiery revolving sword,
to guard the way to the tree of life.
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Commentary on Gn 3:9-24
This passage details the punishment placed upon mankind for violating the law God had given them. It is clear from the text what parts of man’s existence were viewed as harsh by the early authors.
God first punished the serpent, placing hostility between humanity and the snake in perpetuity. The snake or serpent in later texts actually became representative of evil, and was ultimately destroyed by the Son of God (Revelation 20: 1-3).
God next punished the woman by intensifying the pain of delivering children and made it even more severe by saying that in spite of the pain, woman would still be drawn to have more children (“Yet your urge shall be for your husband”).
Finally, God punished the man for his role. No longer could he just reach up and take fruit to eat; rather he was forced to till the land to get food, hard work in uncertain conditions, for all his life. The final punishment was the most difficult to bear: humanity became subject to death. Through sin, death came into the world and humanity was forbidden to eat from the tree of life, so Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden.
CCC: Gn 3:9-10 399; Gn 3:9 410, 2568; Gn 3:11-13 400; Gn 3:11 2515; Gn 3:12 1607; Gn 3:13 1736, 2568; Gn 3:14-19 2427; Gn 3:15 70, 410, 489; Gn 3:16-19 1607; Gn 3:16 376, 400, 1609; Gn 3:16b 1607; Gn 3:17-19 378; Gn 3:17 400; Gn 3:19 376, 400, 1008, 1609; Gn 3:20 489; Gn 3:21 1608; Gn 3:24 332
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Genesis 3:9-15
#89B Solemnities B Context(10th Sunday in Ordinary Time B)
The LORD God called to Adam and asked him, "Where are you?"
He answered, "I heard you in the garden;
but I was afraid, because I was naked,
so I hid myself."
Then he asked, "Who told you that you were naked?
You have eaten, then,
from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!"
The man replied, "The woman whom you put here with me
she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it."
The LORD God then asked the woman,
"Why did you do such a thing?"
The woman answered, "The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it."
Then the LORD God said to the serpent:
"Because you have done this, you shall be banned
from all the animals
and from all the wild creatures;
On your belly shall you crawl,
and dirt shall you eat
all the days of your life.
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
He will strike at your head,
while you strike at his heel."
To the woman he said:
"I will intensify the pangs of your childbearing;
in pain shall you bring forth children.
Yet your urge shall be for your husband,
and he shall be your master."
To the man he said: "Because you listened to your wife
and ate from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat,
"Cursed be the ground because of you!
In toil shall you eat its yield
all the days of your life.
Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to you,
as you eat of the plants of the field.
By the sweat of your face
shall you get bread to eat,
Until you return to the ground,
from which you were taken;
For you are dirt,
and to dirt you shall return."
The man called his wife Eve,
because she became the mother of all the living.
For the man and his wife the LORD God made leather garments,
with which he clothed them.
Then the LORD God said: "See! The man has become like one of us,
knowing what is good and what is evil!
Therefore, he must not be allowed to put out his hand
to take fruit from the tree of life also,
and thus eat of it and live forever."
The LORD God therefore banished him from the garden of Eden,
to till the ground from which he had been taken.
When he expelled the man,
he settled him east of the garden of Eden;
and he stationed the cherubim and the fiery revolving sword,
to guard the way to the tree of life.
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Commentary on Gn 3:9-24
This passage details the punishment placed upon mankind for violating the law God had given them. It is clear from the text what parts of man’s existence were viewed as harsh by the early authors.
God first punished the serpent, placing hostility between humanity and the snake in perpetuity. The snake or serpent in later texts actually became representative of evil, and was ultimately destroyed by the Son of God (Revelation 20: 1-3).
God next punished the woman by intensifying the pain of delivering children and made it even more severe by saying that in spite of the pain, woman would still be drawn to have more children (“Yet your urge shall be for your husband”).
Finally, God punished the man for his role. No longer could he just reach up and take fruit to eat; rather he was forced to till the land to get food, hard work in uncertain conditions, for all his life. The final punishment was the most difficult to bear: humanity became subject to death. Through sin, death came into the world and humanity was forbidden to eat from the tree of life, so Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden.
CCC: Gn 3:9-10 399; Gn 3:9 410, 2568; Gn 3:11-13 400; Gn 3:11 2515; Gn 3:12 1607; Gn 3:13 1736, 2568; Gn 3:14-19 2427; Gn 3:15 70, 410, 489; Gn 3:16-19 1607; Gn 3:16 376, 400, 1609; Gn 3:16b 1607; Gn 3:17-19 378; Gn 3:17 400; Gn 3:19 376, 400, 1008, 1609; Gn 3:20 489; Gn 3:21 1608; Gn 3:24 332
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Genesis 3:9-15
#89B Solemnities B Context(10th Sunday in Ordinary Time B)
The LORD God then called to the man and asked him, “Where are you?”
He answered, “I heard you in the garden;
but I was afraid, because I was naked,
so I hid myself.”
Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked?
You have eaten, then,
from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!”
The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me
she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.”
The LORD God then asked the woman,
“Why did you do such a thing?”
The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.”
Then the LORD God said to the serpent:
“Because you have done this, you shall be banned
from all the animals
and from all the wild creatures;
on your belly shall you crawl,
and dirt shall you eat
all the days of your life.
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will strike at your head,
while you strike at his heel.”
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Gn 3:9-15
Adam and Eve are confronted by God after having eaten from the Tree of Wisdom, the fruit of which was forbidden to them. Adam blames Eve, and Eve blames the serpent. Thus, the identity of the serpent is now synonymous with the Devil. This passage, because of that linkage, can now be classified as the first prediction of the Messianic struggle with evil and ultimate victory.
Contained here is the scriptural evidence of Original Sin. The story is also called “The Fall,” as God’s human creation (personified in Adam and Eve) falls from grace and is condemned to suffer the struggle to regain the blessed state throughout history. Mankind has disobeyed God and defied his will; in doing so sin and death enter the world.
He answered, “I heard you in the garden;
but I was afraid, because I was naked,
so I hid myself.”
Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked?
You have eaten, then,
from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!”
The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me
she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.”
The LORD God then asked the woman,
“Why did you do such a thing?”
The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.”
Then the LORD God said to the serpent:
“Because you have done this, you shall be banned
from all the animals
and from all the wild creatures;
on your belly shall you crawl,
and dirt shall you eat
all the days of your life.
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will strike at your head,
while you strike at his heel.”
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Gn 3:9-15
Adam and Eve are confronted by God after having eaten from the Tree of Wisdom, the fruit of which was forbidden to them. Adam blames Eve, and Eve blames the serpent. Thus, the identity of the serpent is now synonymous with the Devil. This passage, because of that linkage, can now be classified as the first prediction of the Messianic struggle with evil and ultimate victory.
Contained here is the scriptural evidence of Original Sin. The story is also called “The Fall,” as God’s human creation (personified in Adam and Eve) falls from grace and is condemned to suffer the struggle to regain the blessed state throughout history. Mankind has disobeyed God and defied his will; in doing so sin and death enter the world.
"The harmony in which they found themselves, thanks to
original justice, is now destroyed: the control of the soul's spiritual
faculties over the body is shattered: the union of man and woman becomes
subject to tensions (cf. Gen
3:7-16), their relations henceforth marked by lust and domination. Harmony
with creation is broken: visible creation has become alien and hostile to man
(cf. Gen 3:17, 19).
Because of man, creation is now subject 'to its bondage to decay' (Rom 8: 21). Finally, the
consequence explicitly foretold for this disobedience will come true: man will
'return to the ground' (Gen
3:19), for out of it he was taken. 'Death makes its entrance into human
history' (cf. Roman 5:12)"
(CCC
400).
CCC: Gn 3:9-10 399; Gn 3:9 410, 2568; Gn 3:11-13 400; Gn 3:11 2515; Gn 3:12 1607; Gn 3:13 1736, 2568; Gn 3:14-19 2427; Gn 3:15 70, 410, 489
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Genesis 3:9-15, 20
#572A Proper of Saints Context (Memorial of The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church)
#689 Proper of Saints Context (Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, Dec 8)
#707 Commons Context (Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 1.)
#1002 Votive Mass Context (The Blessed Virgin Mary, 1. The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, First Option)
#25O-1 BVM Context (The Blessed Virgin Mary, Image and Mother of the Church, I)
The LORD God then called to the man and asked him, “Where are you?”
He answered, “I heard you in the garden;
but I was afraid, because I was naked,
so I hid myself.”
Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked?
You have eaten, then,
from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!”
The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me
she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.”
The LORD God then asked the woman,
“Why did you do such a thing?”
The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.”
Then the LORD God said to the serpent:
“Because you have done this, you shall be banned
from all the animals
and from all the wild creatures;
on your belly shall you crawl,
and dirt shall you eat
all the days of your life.
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will strike at your head,
while you strike at his heel.”
The man called his wife Eve,
because she became the mother of all the living.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Gn 3:9-15, 20
Adam and Eve are confronted by God after having eaten the forbidden fruit from the tree of wisdom. Adam blames Eve, and Eve blames the serpent. Thus the identity of the serpent is now synonymous with the devil. This passage, because of that linkage, can now be classified as the first prediction of the messianic struggle with evil and ultimate victory.
Contained here is the scriptural evidence of original sin. The story is also called “the fall,” as God’s human creation (personified in Adam and Eve) falls from grace and is condemned to suffer the struggle to regain the blessed state throughout history. Mankind has disobeyed God and defied his will. Through disobedience, sin and death enter the world.
CCC: Gn 3:9-10 399; Gn 3:9 410, 2568; Gn 3:11-13 400; Gn 3:11 2515; Gn 3:12 1607; Gn 3:13 1736, 2568; Gn 3:14-19 2427; Gn 3:15 70, 410, 489; Gn 3:20 489
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#335 Weekday Year I Context (Monday of the 6th Week in Ordinary Time)
The man had relations with his wife Eve,
and she conceived and bore Cain, saying,
"I have produced a man with the help of the LORD."
Next she bore his brother Abel.
Abel became a keeper of flocks, and Cain a tiller of the soil.
In the course of time Cain brought an offering to the LORD
from the fruit of the soil,
while Abel, for his part,
brought one of the best firstlings of his flock.
The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,
but on Cain and his offering he did not.
Cain greatly resented this and was crestfallen.
So the LORD said to Cain:
"Why are you so resentful and crestfallen.
If you do well, you can hold up your head;
but if not, sin is a demon lurking at the door:
his urge is toward you, yet you can be his master."
Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let us go out in the field."
When they were in the field,
Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
Then the LORD asked Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?"
He answered, "I do not know.
Am I my brother's keeper?"
The LORD then said: "What have you done!
Listen: your brother's blood cries out to me from the soil!
Therefore you shall be banned from the soil
that opened its mouth to receive
your brother's blood from your hand.
If you till the soil, it shall no longer give you its produce.
You shall become a restless wanderer on the earth."
Cain said to the LORD: "My punishment is too great to bear.
Since you have now banished me from the soil,
and I must avoid your presence
and become a restless wanderer on the earth,
anyone may kill me at sight."
"Not so!" the LORD said to him.
"If anyone kills Cain, Cain shall be avenged sevenfold."
So the LORD put a mark on Cain, lest anyone should kill him at sight.
Adam again had relations with his wife,
and she gave birth to a son whom she called Seth.
"God has granted me more offspring in place of Abel," she said,
"because Cain slew him."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Gn 4:1-15, 25
The story of Cain and Abel first establishes that the ability to join in God’s creative plan through procreation is his gift to us, as Eve exclaims: "I have produced a man with the help of the LORD." “Consequently the Church reminds married couples of their duty 'to transmit human life and to educate their children; they should realize that they are thereby cooperating with the love of God the Creator and are, in a certain sense, its interpreters.'"[1]
The story also gives us the rationale for some of the peoples being nomadic. It establishes the rights of these peoples to subsist on the land. At a deeper level, however, we see that when Cain first became envious, the Lord warned him about sin. God explains that sin is always ready to take the unwary, a “demon lurking at the door.”
CCC: Gen 4:1-2 2335; Gen 4:3-15 401; Gen 4:3-7 2538; Gen 4:4 2569; Gen 4:8-12 2259; Gen 4:10-11 2259; Gen 4:10 1736, 1867, 2268; Gen 4:25-26 2335
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Genesis 4:3-10
#882 Mass for Various Needs Context (II. For Public Needs, 13. For the Country Or a City Or For Those Who Serve In Public Office, Or For the Congress Or For the President Or For the Progress of Peoples, 3.)
#897 Mass for Various Needs Context (II. For Public Needs, 16. In Time of War or Civil Disturbance, First Option)
Cain brought an offering to the LORD from the fruit of the soil,
while Abel, for his part,
brought one of the best firstlings of his flock.
The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,
but on Cain and his offering he did not.
Cain greatly resented this and was crestfallen.
So the LORD said to Cain:
"Why are you so resentful and crestfallen.
If you do well, you can hold up your head;
but if not, sin is a demon lurking at the door:
his urge is toward you, yet you can be his master."
Cain said to his brother Abel,
"Let us go out in the field."
When they were in the field,
Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
Then the LORD asked Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?"
He answered, "I do not know.
Am I my brother's keeper?"
The LORD then said: "What have you done!
Listen: your brother's blood cries out to me from the soil!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Gn 4:3:10
The story of Cain and Abel describes the effect sin has in the world. Cain allows feelings of jealousy to fester into hatred. He turns a deaf ear to the Lord's urging and follows his baser instincts, killing his brother. As we see, when Cain first became envious, the Lord warned him about sin. God explains that it is always ready to take the unwary, a “demon lurking at the door.” In this same way evil and violence festered in the world since the beginning.
CCC: Gen 4:3-15 401; Gen 4:3-7 2538; Gen 4:4 2569; Gen 4:8-12 2259; Gen 4:10-11 2259; Gen 4:10 1736, 1867, 2268
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Genesis 6:5-8; 7:1-5, 10
#336 Weekday Year I Context (Tuesday of the 6th Week in Ordinary Time)
The man had relations with his wife Eve,
and she conceived and bore Cain, saying,
"I have produced a man with the help of the LORD."
Next she bore his brother Abel.
Abel became a keeper of flocks, and Cain a tiller of the soil.
In the course of time Cain brought an offering to the LORD
from the fruit of the soil,
while Abel, for his part,
brought one of the best firstlings of his flock.
The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,
but on Cain and his offering he did not.
Cain greatly resented this and was crestfallen.
So the LORD said to Cain:
"Why are you so resentful and crestfallen.
If you do well, you can hold up your head;
but if not, sin is a demon lurking at the door:
his urge is toward you, yet you can be his master."
Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let us go out in the field."
When they were in the field,
Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
Then the LORD asked Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?"
He answered, "I do not know.
Am I my brother's keeper?"
The LORD then said: "What have you done!
Listen: your brother's blood cries out to me from the soil!
Therefore you shall be banned from the soil
that opened its mouth to receive
your brother's blood from your hand.
If you till the soil, it shall no longer give you its produce.
You shall become a restless wanderer on the earth."
Cain said to the LORD: "My punishment is too great to bear.
Since you have now banished me from the soil,
and I must avoid your presence
and become a restless wanderer on the earth,
anyone may kill me at sight."
"Not so!" the LORD said to him.
"If anyone kills Cain, Cain shall be avenged sevenfold."
So the LORD put a mark on Cain, lest anyone should kill him at sight.
Adam again had relations with his wife,
and she gave birth to a son whom she called Seth.
"God has granted me more offspring in place of Abel," she said,
"because Cain slew him."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Gn 4:1-15, 25
The story of Cain and Abel first establishes that the ability to join in God’s creative plan through procreation is his gift to us, as Eve exclaims: "I have produced a man with the help of the LORD." “Consequently the Church reminds married couples of their duty 'to transmit human life and to educate their children; they should realize that they are thereby cooperating with the love of God the Creator and are, in a certain sense, its interpreters.'"[1]
The story also gives us the rationale for some of the peoples being nomadic. It establishes the rights of these peoples to subsist on the land. At a deeper level, however, we see that when Cain first became envious, the Lord warned him about sin. God explains that sin is always ready to take the unwary, a “demon lurking at the door.”
CCC: Gen 4:1-2 2335; Gen 4:3-15 401; Gen 4:3-7 2538; Gen 4:4 2569; Gen 4:8-12 2259; Gen 4:10-11 2259; Gen 4:10 1736, 1867, 2268; Gen 4:25-26 2335
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Genesis 4:3-10
#882 Mass for Various Needs Context (II. For Public Needs, 13. For the Country Or a City Or For Those Who Serve In Public Office, Or For the Congress Or For the President Or For the Progress of Peoples, 3.)
#897 Mass for Various Needs Context (II. For Public Needs, 16. In Time of War or Civil Disturbance, First Option)
Cain brought an offering to the LORD from the fruit of the soil,
while Abel, for his part,
brought one of the best firstlings of his flock.
The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,
but on Cain and his offering he did not.
Cain greatly resented this and was crestfallen.
So the LORD said to Cain:
"Why are you so resentful and crestfallen.
If you do well, you can hold up your head;
but if not, sin is a demon lurking at the door:
his urge is toward you, yet you can be his master."
Cain said to his brother Abel,
"Let us go out in the field."
When they were in the field,
Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
Then the LORD asked Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?"
He answered, "I do not know.
Am I my brother's keeper?"
The LORD then said: "What have you done!
Listen: your brother's blood cries out to me from the soil!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Gn 4:3:10
The story of Cain and Abel describes the effect sin has in the world. Cain allows feelings of jealousy to fester into hatred. He turns a deaf ear to the Lord's urging and follows his baser instincts, killing his brother. As we see, when Cain first became envious, the Lord warned him about sin. God explains that it is always ready to take the unwary, a “demon lurking at the door.” In this same way evil and violence festered in the world since the beginning.
CCC: Gen 4:3-15 401; Gen 4:3-7 2538; Gen 4:4 2569; Gen 4:8-12 2259; Gen 4:10-11 2259; Gen 4:10 1736, 1867, 2268
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Genesis 6:5-8; 7:1-5, 10
#336 Weekday Year I Context (Tuesday of the 6th Week in Ordinary Time)
When the LORD saw how great was man’s wickedness on earth,
and how no desire that his heart conceived
was ever anything but evil,
he regretted that he had made man on the earth,
and his heart was grieved.
So the LORD said:
“I will wipe out from the earth the men whom I have created,
and not only the men,
but also the beasts and the creeping things and the birds of the air,
for I am sorry that I made them.”
But Noah found favor with the LORD.
Then the LORD said to Noah:
“Go into the ark, you and all your household,
for you alone in this age have I found to be truly just.
Of every clean animal, take with you seven pairs,
a male and its mate;
and of the unclean animals, one pair,
a male and its mate;
likewise, of every clean bird of the air, seven pairs,
a male and a female,
and of all the unclean birds, one pair,
a male and a female.
Thus you will keep their issue alive over all the earth.
Seven days from now I will bring rain down on the earth
for forty days and forty nights,
and so I will wipe out from the surface of the earth
every moving creature that I have made.”
Noah did just as the LORD had commanded him.
As soon as the seven days were over,
the waters of the flood came upon the earth.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Gn 6:5-8; 7:1-5, 10
This selection is the condensed version of God’s commands to Noah in preparation for the great flood. The coming catastrophe is God’s punishment for the sins of mankind. The passage is full of numerological symbolism: seven is the number of completeness, forty the period of a generation. The story itself almost certainly relates a real event. There are numerous mentions of a great flood in other ancient near-eastern texts, although no specific archaeological proofs have been found.
and how no desire that his heart conceived
was ever anything but evil,
he regretted that he had made man on the earth,
and his heart was grieved.
So the LORD said:
“I will wipe out from the earth the men whom I have created,
and not only the men,
but also the beasts and the creeping things and the birds of the air,
for I am sorry that I made them.”
But Noah found favor with the LORD.
Then the LORD said to Noah:
“Go into the ark, you and all your household,
for you alone in this age have I found to be truly just.
Of every clean animal, take with you seven pairs,
a male and its mate;
and of the unclean animals, one pair,
a male and its mate;
likewise, of every clean bird of the air, seven pairs,
a male and a female,
and of all the unclean birds, one pair,
a male and a female.
Thus you will keep their issue alive over all the earth.
Seven days from now I will bring rain down on the earth
for forty days and forty nights,
and so I will wipe out from the surface of the earth
every moving creature that I have made.”
Noah did just as the LORD had commanded him.
As soon as the seven days were over,
the waters of the flood came upon the earth.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Gn 6:5-8; 7:1-5, 10
This selection is the condensed version of God’s commands to Noah in preparation for the great flood. The coming catastrophe is God’s punishment for the sins of mankind. The passage is full of numerological symbolism: seven is the number of completeness, forty the period of a generation. The story itself almost certainly relates a real event. There are numerous mentions of a great flood in other ancient near-eastern texts, although no specific archaeological proofs have been found.
"The flood happens because man rejected the law of God (this process began with Adam and Eve). God punishes man's disobedience by undoing the order of nature that he himself had established for man's benefit. Thus, the waters above and below, which God had wisely separated from the earth (cf. 1:7), now invade the land in full force (cf. 7:11). The result is a return to chaos, and mankind is on the point of disappearing. The situation calls for a new beginning following on a severe purification. The bible is offering us here an impressive lesson about the destiny of mankind when it turns its back on God and rejects the laws that are stamped on creation itself." [23]
CCC: Gen 6:5 401
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Genesis 8:6-13, 20-22
#337 Weekday Year I Context (Wednesday of the 6th Week in Ordinary Time)
At the end of forty days Noah opened the hatch he had made in the ark,
and he sent out a raven,
to see if the waters had lessened on the earth.
It flew back and forth until the waters dried off from the earth.
Then he sent out a dove,
to see if the waters had lessened on the earth.
But the dove could find no place to alight and perch,
and it returned to him in the ark,
for there was water all over the earth.
Putting out his hand, he caught the dove
and drew it back to him inside the ark.
He waited seven days more and again sent the dove out from the ark.
In the evening the dove came back to him,
and there in its bill was a plucked-off olive leaf!
So Noah knew that the waters had lessened on the earth.
He waited still another seven days
and then released the dove once more;
and this time it did not come back.
In the six hundred and first year of Noah’s life,
in the first month, on the first day of the month,
the water began to dry up on the earth.
Noah then removed the covering of the ark
and saw that the surface of the ground was drying up.
Noah built an altar to the LORD,
and choosing from every clean animal and every clean bird,
he offered burnt offerings on the altar.
When the LORD smelled the sweet odor, he said to himself:
“Never again will I doom the earth because of man
since the desires of man(s heart are evil from the start;
nor will I ever again strike down all living beings, as I have done.
As long as the earth lasts,
seedtime and harvest,
cold and heat,
Summer and winter,
and day and night
shall not cease.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Gn 8:6-13, 20-22
This selection is the conclusion of the flood story. Hebrew numerology plays a big part in the symbolism of the story. Forty days represents the fullness of the flood, and the seven day periods waiting for the dove, the perfect number.
This passage provides another important symbol, an efficacious sign in the form of a dove. The dove is sent out three times, which would represent the completeness of its mission. It returns finally with an olive branch which has come to symbolize peace, in this case man’s peace with God. The return of the dove at last may represent to some the return of the Holy Spirit, coming back to mankind after our being lost to sin, which was washed away in the waters of the great flood, an image of baptism making an end to sin and a new beginning.
Noah completes the test by building an altar and offering a sacrifice to God that seems to appease his just anger at mankind. The “sweet odor” rising up to God from the sacrifice of Noah provides the Church with the image that later translated into the use of incense, the smoke rising to the Lord as sacrifice is offered at our earthly altar.
CCC: Gen 8:8-12 701; Gen 8:20-9:17 2569
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Genesis 9:1-13
#338 Weekday Year I Context (Thursday of the 6th Week in Ordinary Time)
God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them:
“Be fertile and multiply and fill the earth.
Dread fear of you shall come upon all the animals of the earth
and all the birds of the air,
upon all the creatures that move about on the ground
and all the fishes of the sea;
into your power they are delivered.
Every creature that is alive shall be yours to eat;
I give them all to you as I did the green plants.
Only flesh with its lifeblood still in it you shall not eat.
For your own lifeblood, too, I will demand an accounting:
from every animal I will demand it,
and from one man in regard to his fellow man
I will demand an accounting for human life.
If anyone sheds the blood of man,
by man shall his blood be shed;
For in the image of God
has man been made.
Be fertile, then, and multiply;
abound on earth and subdue it.”
God said to Noah and to his sons with him:
“See, I am now establishing my covenant with you
and your descendants after you
and with every living creature that was with you:
all the birds, and the various tame and wild animals
that were with you and came out of the ark.
I will establish my covenant with you,
that never again shall all bodily creatures be destroyed
by the waters of a flood;
there shall not be another flood to devastate the earth.”
God added:
“This is the sign that I am giving for all ages to come,
of the covenant between me and you
and every living creature with you:
I set my bow in the clouds to serve as a sign
of the covenant between me and the earth.”
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Commentary on Gn 9:1-13
The first section of this reading provides God’s blessing and instructions to Noah and his sons who are to now repopulate the earth. They first receive dominion over all life, as man did at the creation, with no dietary restrictions save one: don’t eat raw meat or living flesh. “Because a living being dies when it loses most of its blood, the ancients regarded blood as the seat of life, and therefore as sacred. Although in itself the prohibition against eating meat with blood in it is comparable to the ritual laws of the Mosaic code, the Jews considered it binding on all men, because it was given by God to Noah, the new ancestor of all mankind; therefore the early Christian Church retained it for a time (Acts 15:20, 29)”[2]
There follows a short statement that prefigures the Ten Commandments – thou shall not kill.
The Lord then goes on to establish and seal his covenant with the earth in the person of Noah, using the rainbow as an eternal symbol. In this covenant, God promises not to destroy the earth using a great flood ever again.
CCC: Gen 8:20-9:17 2569; Gen 9:1-4 2417; Gen 9:5-6 2260; Gen 9:8-16 2569; Gen 9:9 56
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Genesis 9:8-15
#23B Solemnities B Context (1st Sunday of Lent B)
God said to Noah and to his sons with him:
"See, I am now establishing my covenant with you
and your descendants after you
and with every living creature that was with you:
all the birds, and the various tame and wild animals
that were with you and came out of the ark.
I will establish my covenant with you,
that never again shall all bodily creatures be destroyed
by the waters of a flood;
there shall not be another flood to devastate the earth."
God added:
"This is the sign that I am giving for all ages to come,
of the covenant between me and you
and every living creature with you:
I set my bow in the clouds to serve as a sign
of the covenant between me and the earth.
When I bring clouds over the earth,
and the bow appears in the clouds,
I will recall the covenant I have made
between me and you and all living beings,
so that the waters shall never again become a flood
to destroy all mortal beings."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Gn 9:8-15
In this passage God establishes and seals his covenant with the earth in the person of Noah, using, as an eternal symbol, the rainbow. In this covenant, God once again gives humankind dominion over all his creation. He further promises not to destroy the earth using a great flood. The requirements placed upon Noah and his sons, which fall upon all of their descendants as well, are found in the opening verses of this chapter (see text and commentary of Genesis 9:1-13)
"After the unity of the human race was shattered by sin God at once sought to save humanity part by part. The covenant with Noah after the flood gives expression to the principle of the divine economy toward the 'nations', in other words, towards men grouped 'in their lands, each with [its] own language, by their families, in their nations'." [13]
CCC: Gen 8:20-9:17 2569; Gen 9:8-16 2569; Gen 9:9 56
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Genesis 11:1-9
#62A B C Sundays ABC Context (Pentecost Sunday - Vigil ABC)
#339 Weekday Year I Context (Friday of the 6th Week in Ordinary Time)
The whole world spoke the same language, using the same words.
While the people were migrating in the east,
they came upon a valley in the land of Shinar and settled there.
They said to one another,
"Come, let us mold bricks and harden them with fire."
They used bricks for stone, and bitumen for mortar.
Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city
and a tower with its top in the sky,
and so make a name for ourselves;
otherwise we shall be scattered all over the earth."
The LORD came down to see the city and the tower
that they had built.
Then the LORD said: "If now, while they are one people,
all speaking the same language,
they have started to do this,
nothing will later stop them from doing whatever they presume to do.
Let us then go down and there confuse their language,
so that one will not understand what another says."
Thus the LORD scattered them from there all over the earth,
and they stopped building the city.
That is why it was called Babel,
because there the LORD confused the speech of all the world.
It was from that place that he scattered them all over the earth.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Gn 11:1-9
The author uses the story of the Tower of Babel as an explanation of how there came to be multiple languages used around the world. It is coupled with the moral lesson which illustrates how pride in one’s own strength is folly. In the story, which is based upon the temple towers or ziggurats of Babylonia, the author describes the increasing wickedness of the people as they thought they could accomplish anything they wanted without God’s help.
CCC: Gen 11:4-6 57
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Genesis 12:1-9
#371 Weekday Year I Context (Monday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time)
The LORD said to Abram:
"Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk
and from your father's house to a land that I will show you.
"I will make of you a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
so that you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you
and curse those who curse you.
All the communities of the earth
shall find blessing in you."
Abram went as the LORD directed him, and Lot went with him.
Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.
Abram took his wife, Sarai, his brother's son Lot,
all the possessions that they had accumulated,
and the persons they had acquired in Haran,
and they set out for the land of Canaan.
When they came to the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the land
as far as the sacred place at Shechem,
by the terebinth of Moreh.
(The Canaanites were then in the land.)
The LORD appeared to Abram and said,
"To your descendants I will give this land."
So Abram built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him.
From there he moved on to the hill country east of Bethel,
pitching his tent with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east.
He built an altar there to the LORD and invoked the LORD by name.
Then Abram journeyed on by stages to the Negeb.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Gn 12:1-9
In this passage from Genesis we find the beginnings for God’s interaction with Abram. In the previous chapter Abram’s father had come east out of modern day Iraq (Ur of the Chaldeans). Here God calls Abram, and commands him, with his nomadic family unit, to go into Palestine and then to the desert-like region south, the Negeb. Along the way Abram sets up altars for sacrifice in thanksgiving and prays to God for direction.
God greatly blesses the one he has called, pledging his constant support. In return he asks him to leave behind all that he has known. “Jewish and Christian tradition sees the three things God requires Abram to give up as epitomizing the demands of faith: 'Through these three departures—from country, kindred and father's house,' according to Alcuin's interpretation, 'is meant that we have to leave behind the earthly man, the ties of our vices, and the world under the devil's power' ('lnterrogationes in Genesim', 154).”[4]
CCC: Gn 12:1-4 145; Gn 12:1 59; Gn 12:2 762, 1669; Gn 12:3 706, 2676; Gn 12:3 LXX 5959; Gn 12:4 2570
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Genesis 12:1-7
#707 Commons Context (Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
#1A BVM Context (The Blessed Virgin Mary, Daughter of Israel, Advent 1)
The LORD said to Abram:
"Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk
and from your father's house to a land that I will show you.
"I will make of you a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
so that you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you
and curse those who curse you.
All the communities of the earth
shall find blessing in you."
Abram went as the LORD directed him, and Lot went with him.
Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.
Abram took his wife, Sarai, his brother's son Lot,
all the possessions that they had accumulated,
and the persons they had acquired in Haran,
and they set out for the land of Canaan.
When they came to the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the land
as far as the sacred place at Shechem,
by the terebinth of Moreh.
(The Canaanites were then in the land.)
The LORD appeared to Abram and said,
"To your descendants I will give this land."
So Abram built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him.
From there he moved on to the hill country east of Bethel,
pitching his tent with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east.
He built an altar there to the LORD and invoked the LORD by name.
Then Abram journeyed on by stages to the Negeb.
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Commentary on Gn 12:1-7
In this passage from Genesis we find the beginnings for God’s interaction with Abram. In the previous chapter Abram’s father had come east out of modern day Iraq (Ur of the Chaldeans). Now God calls Abraham and commands him with his nomadic family unit to go into Palestine. Along the way Abram sets up altars for sacrifice in thanksgiving and prays to God for direction.
God greatly blesses the one he has called, pledging his constant support. In return he asks him to leave behind all that he has known. “Jewish and Christian tradition sees the three things God requires Abram to give up as epitomizing the demands of faith: 'Through these three departures—from country, kindred and father's house,' according to Alcuin's interpretation, 'is meant that we have to leave behind the earthly man, the ties of our vices, and the world under the devil's power' ("lnterrogationes in Genesim", 154).” [4]
CCC: Gn 12:1-4 145; Gn 12:1 59; Gn 12:2 762, 1669; Gn 12:3 706, 2676; Gn 12:3 LXX 59; Gn 12:4 2570
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Genesis 12:1-4a
#25A Sundays A Context (2nd Sunday of Lent A)
#510A Proper of Saints Context (St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious, Jan 4)
#737 Commons Context (Common of Holy Men and Women)
#743 Ritual Mass Context (I. For the Conferral of Christian Initiation, 1. Catechumenate and Christian Initiation of Adults, Entrance into the Order of Catechumens)
#811 Ritual Mass Context (VIII. For the Consecration of Virgins and Religious Profession, 1.)
#857 Mass for Various Needs Context (I. For the Holy Church, 8 For Vocations to Holy Orders or Religious Life, 1.)
The Lord said to Abram:
“Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk
and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you.
“I will make of you a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
so that you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you
and curse those who curse you.
All the communities of the earth
shall find blessing in you.”
Abram went as the Lord directed him.
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Commentary on Gn 12:1-4a
The genealogy of the Hebrew generations that ended with Abram and his wife migrating from the land of Ur (Genesis 11:27ff) sets this reading as a formal introduction. Abram (later Abraham) is chosen by God to become a great leader of people in holiness. "The universalism that marked Genesis chapters 1-11 having now failed, the Lord begins anew, singling out one Mesopotamian - in no way distinguished from his peers as yet - and promising to make of him a great nation, not numbered in the seventy nations of chapter 10. What the Lord promises Abram (his name is changed to "Abraham" only in Chapter 17) - land, numerous offspring, and blessing - constitutes to a large extent a reversal of some of the curses on Adam and Eve - exile, pain in childbirth, and uncooperative soil (Genesis 3:16-24)."[9]
The blessing provided here is discussed at some length in the notes on this section: “Shall find blessing in you: the sense of the Hebrew expression is probably reflexive, "shall bless themselves through you" (i.e., in giving a blessing they shall say, "May you be as blessed as Abraham"), rather than passive, "shall be blessed in you." Since the term is understood in a passive sense in the New Testament (Acts 3:25; Galatians 3:8), it is rendered here by a neutral expression that admits to both meanings; so also in the blessings given by God to Isaac (Genesis 26:4) and Jacob (Genesis 28:14).”[8]
CCC: Gn 12:1-4 145; Gn 12:1 59; Gn 12:2 762, 1669; Gn 12:3 706, 2676; Gn 12:3 LXX 59; Gn 12:4 2570
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Genesis 13:2, 5-18
#372 Weekday Year I Context (Tuesday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time)
Abram was very rich in livestock, silver, and gold.
Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents,
so that the land could not support them if they stayed together;
their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together.
There were quarrels between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock
and those of Lot's.
(At this time the Canaanites and the Perizzites
were occupying the land.)
So Abram said to Lot:
"Let there be no strife between you and me,
or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are kinsmen.
Is not the whole land at your disposal?
Please separate from me.
If you prefer the left, I will go to the right;
if you prefer the right, I will go to the left."
Lot looked about and saw how well watered
the whole Jordan Plain was as far as Zoar,
like the LORD's own garden, or like Egypt.
(This was before the LORD had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)
Lot, therefore, chose for himself the whole Jordan Plain
and set out eastward.
Thus they separated from each other;
Abram stayed in the land of Canaan,
while Lot settled among the cities of the Plain,
pitching his tents near Sodom.
Now the inhabitants of Sodom were very wicked
in the sins they committed against the LORD.
After Lot had left, the LORD said to Abram:
"Look about you, and from where you are,
gaze to the north and south, east and west;
all the land that you see I will give to you
and your descendants forever.
I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth;
if anyone could count the dust of the earth,
your descendants too might be counted.
Set forth and walk about in the land, through its length and breadth,
for to you I will give it."
Abram moved his tents and went on to settle
near the terebinth of Mamre, which is at Hebron.
There he built an altar to the LORD.
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Commentary on Gn 13:2, 5-18
The focus of this selection is the separation of Abram and Lot. The blessings of the Lord follow Abram and Lot as they return to the north from the Negeb. With prosperity comes crowding of the herds, so they agree to move apart with Lot moving toward the east (near Sodom) and Abram staying in Canaan. God again tells Abram that the land is for him and his descendants.
CCC: Gn 13:8 500
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Genesis 14:18-20
#169C Solemnities C Context (The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ C)
#785 Ritual Mass Context (IV. For the Conferral of Ministries, 2. Institution of Acolytes, 1.)
#976 Votive Mass Context (The Most Holy Eucharist, 1.)
(In those days,*) Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine,
and being a priest of God Most High,
he blessed Abram with these words:
"Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
the creator of heaven and earth;
and blessed be God Most High,
who delivered your foes into your hand."
Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
*Used for the solemnity but not the ritual or votive masses
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Commentary on Gn 14:18-20
The Melchizedek story in this chapter of Genesis drives the interpretation of the entire chapter. Using the lens of this passage, the chapter becomes a testament to the power of God and the irresistible nature of his plan.
Placed against the tapestry of God’s involvement with mankind, Melchizedek, priest-king of Jerusalem (Salem is likely a reference to the same geographical place) is probably celebrating a covenant meal with Abram following their great victory.
CCC: Gn 14:18 58, 1333, 1544
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Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18
#373 Weekday Year I Context (Wednesday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time)
The word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:
“Fear not, Abram!
I am your shield;
I will make your reward very great.”
But Abram said,
“O Lord God, what good will your gifts be,
if I keep on being childless
and have as my heir the steward of my house, Eliezer?”
Abram continued,
“See, you have given me no offspring,
and so one of my servants will be my heir.”
Then the word of the Lord came to him:
“No, that one shall not be your heir;
your own issue shall be your heir.”
He took him outside and said:
“Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can.
Just so,” he added, “shall your descendants be.”
Abram put his faith in the Lord,
who credited it to him as an act of righteousness.
He then said to him,
“I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans
to give you this land as a possession.”
“O Lord God,” he asked,
“how am I to know that I shall possess it?”
He answered him,
“Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old she-goat,
a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”
Abram brought him all these, split them in two,
and placed each half opposite the other;
but the birds he did not cut up.
Birds of prey swooped down on the carcasses,
but Abram stayed with them.
As the sun was about to set, a trance fell upon Abram,
and a deep, terrifying darkness enveloped him.
When the sun had set and it was dark,
there appeared a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch,
which passed between those pieces.
It was on that occasion that the Lord made a covenant with Abram,
saying: “To your descendants I give this land,
from the Wadi of Egypt to the Great River the Euphrates.
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Commentary on Gn 15:1-12, 17-18
Abram, as we have heard earlier, was promised the land he occupied at this point as a possession. In this reading Abram is complaining that he has no heir, and therefore all he has will pass to his servant. In response God tells him that he will be given offspring, and then has Abram offer a sacrifice using the covenant formula. The promise made by God is sealed by fire passed between the halves of the sacrifice.
CCC: Gn 15:2-3 2570; Gn 15:2 2374; Gn 15:5-6 762; Gn 15:5 146, 288; Gn 15:6 146, 2571
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Genesis 15:1-6, 18a
#751 Ritual Mass Context (I. For the Conferral of Christian Initiation, 1. Christian Initiation Apart from the Easter Vigil, 1.)
The word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision:
Fear not, Abram!
I am your shield;
I will make your reward very great.
But Abram said,
"O Lord GOD, what good will your gifts be,
if I keep on being childless
and have as my heir the steward of my house, Eliezer?"
Abram continued,
"See, you have given me no offspring,
and so one of my servants will be my heir."
Then the word of the LORD came to him:
"No, that one shall not be your heir;
your own issue shall be your heir."
He took him outside and said:
"Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can.
Just so," he added, "shall your descendants be."
Abram put his faith in the LORD,
who credited it to him as an act of righteousness.
It was on that occasion that the LORD made a covenant with Abram,
saying: "To your descendants I give this land."
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Commentary on Gn 15:1-6, 18a
Abram was promised the land he is in as a possession just prior to this exchange. Abram protested that he has no heir and therefore all he has will pass to his servant. In response God tells him that he will be given innumerable offspring. God tells him, "Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can. Just so," he added, "shall your descendants be." The passage concludes with God making a covenant with Abram assuring the land to his posterity.
CCC: Gn 15:2-3 2570; Gn 15:2 2374; Gn 15:5-6 762; Gn 15:5 146, 288; Gn 15:6 146, 2571
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+++
Genesis 15:1-6; 21:1-3
#17B Solemnities B Context (Feast of the Holy Family B)
Some time after these events,
the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying:
“Fear not, Abram!
I am your shield;
I will make your reward very great.”
But Abram said,
“O Lord GOD, what good will your gifts be,
if I keep on being childless
and have as my heir the steward of my house, Eliezer?”
Abram continued,
“See, you have given me no offspring,
and so one of my servants will be my heir.”
Then the word of the LORD came to him:
“No, that one shall not be your heir;
your own issue shall be your heir.”
He (the Lord) took Abram outside and said,
“Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can.
Just so,” he added, “shall your descendants be.”
Abram put his faith in the LORD,
who credited it to him as an act of righteousness.
The LORD took note of Sarah as he had said he would;
he did for her as he had promised.
Sarah became pregnant and bore Abraham a son in his old age,
at the set time that God had stated.
Abraham gave the name Isaac to this son of his
whom Sarah bore him.
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Commentary on Gn 15:1-6; 21:1-3
Abram was earlier promised the land he now occupies as a possession. In this section we find Abram complaining that he has no heir and therefore all he has will pass to his servant. In response God tells him that he will be given offspring; “Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can. Just so,” he added, “shall your descendants be.”
"A critical juncture in the spiritual journey of Abram. He clings to the Lord's promise of many descendants (13:16) and a land inheritance (12:7; 13:14-15), but he is forced to wrestle with the unsolved problem of childlessness (15:2). As later [below] in 22:1-14, God is giving him an opportunity to be tested and found faithful (1 Mac 2:52) (CCC 2374, 2570)."[11]
God’s physical response is found in the first three verses of Chapter 21 as Sarah, the wife of Abraham, is given Isaac, the heir of their union (in the intervening verses, Hagar, Sarah’s servant, bears him Ishmael). "The birth of Isaac and the banishment of Ishmael: these pivotal events ensure that Isaac alone will inherit the covenant promises made to Abraham (17:21; 21:12)."[12]
CCC: Gn 15:2-3 2570; Gn 15:2 2374; Gn 15:5-6 762; Gn 15:5 146, 288; Gn 15:6 146, 2571
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Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18
#27C Solemnities C Context (2nd Sunday of Lent C)
The Lord God took Abram outside and said,
“Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can.
Just so,” he added, “shall your descendants be.”
Abram put his faith in the LORD,
who credited it to him as an act of righteousness.
He then said to him,
“I am the LORD who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans
to give you this land as a possession.”
“O Lord GOD,” he asked,
“how am I to know that I shall possess it?”
He answered him,
“Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old she-goat,
a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”
Abram brought him all these, split them in two,
and placed each half opposite the other;
but the birds he did not cut up.
Birds of prey swooped down on the carcasses,
but Abram stayed with them.
As the sun was about to set, a trance fell upon Abram,
and a deep, terrifying darkness enveloped him.
When the sun had set and it was dark,
there appeared a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch,
which passed between those pieces.
It was on that occasion that the LORD made a covenant with Abram,
saying: “To your descendants I give this land,
from the Wadi of Egypt to the Great River, the Euphrates.”
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Commentary on Gn 15:5-12, 17-18
We hear, in this reading, of the ritual formalization of the covenant between God and Abram (before his name was changed to Abraham). In this covenant God promises Abram that he will be the father of a great nation. God promises him this posterity and the land to support it. Within the context of this selection is a prophecy (v. 13-16) of some of the trials to come. But God makes this promise, sealed with a sacrifice indicating a pledge on both sides.
A three year old animal was ritually mature, and the animal being cut in half is preserved in ritual as a sign of that covenant. We see it in the sacrifice of the Mass when the priest breaks the large host in half and pronounces the words: “This is the Lamb of God…” While it is not explicit in this text, Abram probably walked between the halves of the sacrifice to symbolize what happened to them would also happen to him if he failed in his part of the agreement (see Jeremiah 34:18).
CCC: Gn 15:5-6 762; Gn 15:5 146, 288; Gn 15:6 146, 2571
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Genesis 16:1-12, 15-16*
#374 Weekday Year I Context (Thursday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time)
Abram's wife Sarai had borne him no children.
She had, however, an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar.
Sarai said to Abram:
"The LORD has kept me from bearing children.
Have intercourse, then, with my maid;
perhaps I shall have sons through her."
Abram heeded Sarai's request.
Thus, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan,
his wife Sarai took her maid, Hagar the Egyptian,
and gave her to her husband Abram to be his concubine.
He had intercourse with her, and she became pregnant.
When she became aware of her pregnancy,
she looked on her mistress with disdain.
So Sarai said to Abram:
"You are responsible for this outrage against me.
I myself gave my maid to your embrace;
but ever since she became aware of her pregnancy,
she has been looking on me with disdain.
May the LORD decide between you and me!"
Abram told Sarai: "Your maid is in your power.
Do to her whatever you please."
Sarai then abused her so much that Hagar ran away from her.
The LORD's messenger found her by a spring in the wilderness,
the spring on the road to Shur, and he asked,
"Hagar, maid of Sarai, where have you come from
and where are you going?"
She answered, "I am running away from my mistress, Sarai."
But the LORD's messenger told her:
"Go back to your mistress and submit to her abusive treatment.
I will make your descendants so numerous," added the LORD's messenger,
"that they will be too many to count.
Besides," the LORD's messenger said to her:
"You are now pregnant and shall bear a son;
you shall name him Ishmael,
For the LORD has heard you,
God has answered you.
This one shall be a wild ass of a man,
his hand against everyone,
and everyone's hand against him;
In opposition to all his kin
shall he encamp."
Hagar bore Abram a son,
and Abram named the son whom Hagar bore him Ishmael.
Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.
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Commentary on Gn 16:1-12, 15-16
The story of Abram continues today and in it we find God’s promise of offspring for Abram kept, but in a surprising way. Not through his wife did God give Abram his first son, but through Hagar, Sarai’s maid servant. Here, ironically, is the beginning of Islam as well. Out of Ishmael comes the Prophet Mohammed and the prophetic statement by the Lord’s messenger “his hand against everyone, and everyone’s hand against him,” seems to be coming to pass in our generation.
The whole world spoke the same language, using the same words.
While the people were migrating in the east,
they came upon a valley in the land of Shinar and settled there.
They said to one another,
"Come, let us mold bricks and harden them with fire."
They used bricks for stone, and bitumen for mortar.
Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city
and a tower with its top in the sky,
and so make a name for ourselves;
otherwise we shall be scattered all over the earth."
The LORD came down to see the city and the tower
that they had built.
Then the LORD said: "If now, while they are one people,
all speaking the same language,
they have started to do this,
nothing will later stop them from doing whatever they presume to do.
Let us then go down and there confuse their language,
so that one will not understand what another says."
Thus the LORD scattered them from there all over the earth,
and they stopped building the city.
That is why it was called Babel,
because there the LORD confused the speech of all the world.
It was from that place that he scattered them all over the earth.
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Commentary on Gn 11:1-9
The author uses the story of the Tower of Babel as an explanation of how there came to be multiple languages used around the world. It is coupled with the moral lesson which illustrates how pride in one’s own strength is folly. In the story, which is based upon the temple towers or ziggurats of Babylonia, the author describes the increasing wickedness of the people as they thought they could accomplish anything they wanted without God’s help.
CCC: Gen 11:4-6 57
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Genesis 12:1-9
#371 Weekday Year I Context (Monday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time)
The LORD said to Abram:
"Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk
and from your father's house to a land that I will show you.
"I will make of you a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
so that you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you
and curse those who curse you.
All the communities of the earth
shall find blessing in you."
Abram went as the LORD directed him, and Lot went with him.
Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.
Abram took his wife, Sarai, his brother's son Lot,
all the possessions that they had accumulated,
and the persons they had acquired in Haran,
and they set out for the land of Canaan.
When they came to the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the land
as far as the sacred place at Shechem,
by the terebinth of Moreh.
(The Canaanites were then in the land.)
The LORD appeared to Abram and said,
"To your descendants I will give this land."
So Abram built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him.
From there he moved on to the hill country east of Bethel,
pitching his tent with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east.
He built an altar there to the LORD and invoked the LORD by name.
Then Abram journeyed on by stages to the Negeb.
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Commentary on Gn 12:1-9
In this passage from Genesis we find the beginnings for God’s interaction with Abram. In the previous chapter Abram’s father had come east out of modern day Iraq (Ur of the Chaldeans). Here God calls Abram, and commands him, with his nomadic family unit, to go into Palestine and then to the desert-like region south, the Negeb. Along the way Abram sets up altars for sacrifice in thanksgiving and prays to God for direction.
God greatly blesses the one he has called, pledging his constant support. In return he asks him to leave behind all that he has known. “Jewish and Christian tradition sees the three things God requires Abram to give up as epitomizing the demands of faith: 'Through these three departures—from country, kindred and father's house,' according to Alcuin's interpretation, 'is meant that we have to leave behind the earthly man, the ties of our vices, and the world under the devil's power' ('lnterrogationes in Genesim', 154).”[4]
CCC: Gn 12:1-4 145; Gn 12:1 59; Gn 12:2 762, 1669; Gn 12:3 706, 2676; Gn 12:3 LXX 5959; Gn 12:4 2570
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Genesis 12:1-7
#707 Commons Context (Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
#1A BVM Context (The Blessed Virgin Mary, Daughter of Israel, Advent 1)
The LORD said to Abram:
"Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk
and from your father's house to a land that I will show you.
"I will make of you a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
so that you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you
and curse those who curse you.
All the communities of the earth
shall find blessing in you."
Abram went as the LORD directed him, and Lot went with him.
Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.
Abram took his wife, Sarai, his brother's son Lot,
all the possessions that they had accumulated,
and the persons they had acquired in Haran,
and they set out for the land of Canaan.
When they came to the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the land
as far as the sacred place at Shechem,
by the terebinth of Moreh.
(The Canaanites were then in the land.)
The LORD appeared to Abram and said,
"To your descendants I will give this land."
So Abram built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him.
From there he moved on to the hill country east of Bethel,
pitching his tent with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east.
He built an altar there to the LORD and invoked the LORD by name.
Then Abram journeyed on by stages to the Negeb.
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Commentary on Gn 12:1-7
In this passage from Genesis we find the beginnings for God’s interaction with Abram. In the previous chapter Abram’s father had come east out of modern day Iraq (Ur of the Chaldeans). Now God calls Abraham and commands him with his nomadic family unit to go into Palestine. Along the way Abram sets up altars for sacrifice in thanksgiving and prays to God for direction.
God greatly blesses the one he has called, pledging his constant support. In return he asks him to leave behind all that he has known. “Jewish and Christian tradition sees the three things God requires Abram to give up as epitomizing the demands of faith: 'Through these three departures—from country, kindred and father's house,' according to Alcuin's interpretation, 'is meant that we have to leave behind the earthly man, the ties of our vices, and the world under the devil's power' ("lnterrogationes in Genesim", 154).” [4]
CCC: Gn 12:1-4 145; Gn 12:1 59; Gn 12:2 762, 1669; Gn 12:3 706, 2676; Gn 12:3 LXX 59; Gn 12:4 2570
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Genesis 12:1-4a
#25A Sundays A Context (2nd Sunday of Lent A)
#510A Proper of Saints Context (St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious, Jan 4)
#737 Commons Context (Common of Holy Men and Women)
#743 Ritual Mass Context (I. For the Conferral of Christian Initiation, 1. Catechumenate and Christian Initiation of Adults, Entrance into the Order of Catechumens)
#811 Ritual Mass Context (VIII. For the Consecration of Virgins and Religious Profession, 1.)
#857 Mass for Various Needs Context (I. For the Holy Church, 8 For Vocations to Holy Orders or Religious Life, 1.)
The Lord said to Abram:
“Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk
and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you.
“I will make of you a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
so that you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you
and curse those who curse you.
All the communities of the earth
shall find blessing in you.”
Abram went as the Lord directed him.
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Commentary on Gn 12:1-4a
The genealogy of the Hebrew generations that ended with Abram and his wife migrating from the land of Ur (Genesis 11:27ff) sets this reading as a formal introduction. Abram (later Abraham) is chosen by God to become a great leader of people in holiness. "The universalism that marked Genesis chapters 1-11 having now failed, the Lord begins anew, singling out one Mesopotamian - in no way distinguished from his peers as yet - and promising to make of him a great nation, not numbered in the seventy nations of chapter 10. What the Lord promises Abram (his name is changed to "Abraham" only in Chapter 17) - land, numerous offspring, and blessing - constitutes to a large extent a reversal of some of the curses on Adam and Eve - exile, pain in childbirth, and uncooperative soil (Genesis 3:16-24)."[9]
The blessing provided here is discussed at some length in the notes on this section: “Shall find blessing in you: the sense of the Hebrew expression is probably reflexive, "shall bless themselves through you" (i.e., in giving a blessing they shall say, "May you be as blessed as Abraham"), rather than passive, "shall be blessed in you." Since the term is understood in a passive sense in the New Testament (Acts 3:25; Galatians 3:8), it is rendered here by a neutral expression that admits to both meanings; so also in the blessings given by God to Isaac (Genesis 26:4) and Jacob (Genesis 28:14).”[8]
CCC: Gn 12:1-4 145; Gn 12:1 59; Gn 12:2 762, 1669; Gn 12:3 706, 2676; Gn 12:3 LXX 59; Gn 12:4 2570
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Genesis 13:2, 5-18
#372 Weekday Year I Context (Tuesday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time)
Abram was very rich in livestock, silver, and gold.
Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents,
so that the land could not support them if they stayed together;
their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together.
There were quarrels between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock
and those of Lot's.
(At this time the Canaanites and the Perizzites
were occupying the land.)
So Abram said to Lot:
"Let there be no strife between you and me,
or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are kinsmen.
Is not the whole land at your disposal?
Please separate from me.
If you prefer the left, I will go to the right;
if you prefer the right, I will go to the left."
Lot looked about and saw how well watered
the whole Jordan Plain was as far as Zoar,
like the LORD's own garden, or like Egypt.
(This was before the LORD had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)
Lot, therefore, chose for himself the whole Jordan Plain
and set out eastward.
Thus they separated from each other;
Abram stayed in the land of Canaan,
while Lot settled among the cities of the Plain,
pitching his tents near Sodom.
Now the inhabitants of Sodom were very wicked
in the sins they committed against the LORD.
After Lot had left, the LORD said to Abram:
"Look about you, and from where you are,
gaze to the north and south, east and west;
all the land that you see I will give to you
and your descendants forever.
I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth;
if anyone could count the dust of the earth,
your descendants too might be counted.
Set forth and walk about in the land, through its length and breadth,
for to you I will give it."
Abram moved his tents and went on to settle
near the terebinth of Mamre, which is at Hebron.
There he built an altar to the LORD.
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Commentary on Gn 13:2, 5-18
The focus of this selection is the separation of Abram and Lot. The blessings of the Lord follow Abram and Lot as they return to the north from the Negeb. With prosperity comes crowding of the herds, so they agree to move apart with Lot moving toward the east (near Sodom) and Abram staying in Canaan. God again tells Abram that the land is for him and his descendants.
CCC: Gn 13:8 500
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Genesis 14:18-20
#169C Solemnities C Context (The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ C)
#785 Ritual Mass Context (IV. For the Conferral of Ministries, 2. Institution of Acolytes, 1.)
#976 Votive Mass Context (The Most Holy Eucharist, 1.)
(In those days,*) Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine,
and being a priest of God Most High,
he blessed Abram with these words:
"Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
the creator of heaven and earth;
and blessed be God Most High,
who delivered your foes into your hand."
Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
*Used for the solemnity but not the ritual or votive masses
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Commentary on Gn 14:18-20
The Melchizedek story in this chapter of Genesis drives the interpretation of the entire chapter. Using the lens of this passage, the chapter becomes a testament to the power of God and the irresistible nature of his plan.
Placed against the tapestry of God’s involvement with mankind, Melchizedek, priest-king of Jerusalem (Salem is likely a reference to the same geographical place) is probably celebrating a covenant meal with Abram following their great victory.
CCC: Gn 14:18 58, 1333, 1544
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Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18
#373 Weekday Year I Context (Wednesday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time)
The word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:
“Fear not, Abram!
I am your shield;
I will make your reward very great.”
But Abram said,
“O Lord God, what good will your gifts be,
if I keep on being childless
and have as my heir the steward of my house, Eliezer?”
Abram continued,
“See, you have given me no offspring,
and so one of my servants will be my heir.”
Then the word of the Lord came to him:
“No, that one shall not be your heir;
your own issue shall be your heir.”
He took him outside and said:
“Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can.
Just so,” he added, “shall your descendants be.”
Abram put his faith in the Lord,
who credited it to him as an act of righteousness.
He then said to him,
“I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans
to give you this land as a possession.”
“O Lord God,” he asked,
“how am I to know that I shall possess it?”
He answered him,
“Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old she-goat,
a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”
Abram brought him all these, split them in two,
and placed each half opposite the other;
but the birds he did not cut up.
Birds of prey swooped down on the carcasses,
but Abram stayed with them.
As the sun was about to set, a trance fell upon Abram,
and a deep, terrifying darkness enveloped him.
When the sun had set and it was dark,
there appeared a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch,
which passed between those pieces.
It was on that occasion that the Lord made a covenant with Abram,
saying: “To your descendants I give this land,
from the Wadi of Egypt to the Great River the Euphrates.
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Commentary on Gn 15:1-12, 17-18
Abram, as we have heard earlier, was promised the land he occupied at this point as a possession. In this reading Abram is complaining that he has no heir, and therefore all he has will pass to his servant. In response God tells him that he will be given offspring, and then has Abram offer a sacrifice using the covenant formula. The promise made by God is sealed by fire passed between the halves of the sacrifice.
CCC: Gn 15:2-3 2570; Gn 15:2 2374; Gn 15:5-6 762; Gn 15:5 146, 288; Gn 15:6 146, 2571
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Genesis 15:1-6, 18a
#751 Ritual Mass Context (I. For the Conferral of Christian Initiation, 1. Christian Initiation Apart from the Easter Vigil, 1.)
The word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision:
Fear not, Abram!
I am your shield;
I will make your reward very great.
But Abram said,
"O Lord GOD, what good will your gifts be,
if I keep on being childless
and have as my heir the steward of my house, Eliezer?"
Abram continued,
"See, you have given me no offspring,
and so one of my servants will be my heir."
Then the word of the LORD came to him:
"No, that one shall not be your heir;
your own issue shall be your heir."
He took him outside and said:
"Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can.
Just so," he added, "shall your descendants be."
Abram put his faith in the LORD,
who credited it to him as an act of righteousness.
It was on that occasion that the LORD made a covenant with Abram,
saying: "To your descendants I give this land."
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Commentary on Gn 15:1-6, 18a
Abram was promised the land he is in as a possession just prior to this exchange. Abram protested that he has no heir and therefore all he has will pass to his servant. In response God tells him that he will be given innumerable offspring. God tells him, "Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can. Just so," he added, "shall your descendants be." The passage concludes with God making a covenant with Abram assuring the land to his posterity.
CCC: Gn 15:2-3 2570; Gn 15:2 2374; Gn 15:5-6 762; Gn 15:5 146, 288; Gn 15:6 146, 2571
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Genesis 15:1-6; 21:1-3
#17B Solemnities B Context (Feast of the Holy Family B)
Some time after these events,
the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying:
“Fear not, Abram!
I am your shield;
I will make your reward very great.”
But Abram said,
“O Lord GOD, what good will your gifts be,
if I keep on being childless
and have as my heir the steward of my house, Eliezer?”
Abram continued,
“See, you have given me no offspring,
and so one of my servants will be my heir.”
Then the word of the LORD came to him:
“No, that one shall not be your heir;
your own issue shall be your heir.”
He (the Lord) took Abram outside and said,
“Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can.
Just so,” he added, “shall your descendants be.”
Abram put his faith in the LORD,
who credited it to him as an act of righteousness.
The LORD took note of Sarah as he had said he would;
he did for her as he had promised.
Sarah became pregnant and bore Abraham a son in his old age,
at the set time that God had stated.
Abraham gave the name Isaac to this son of his
whom Sarah bore him.
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Commentary on Gn 15:1-6; 21:1-3
Abram was earlier promised the land he now occupies as a possession. In this section we find Abram complaining that he has no heir and therefore all he has will pass to his servant. In response God tells him that he will be given offspring; “Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can. Just so,” he added, “shall your descendants be.”
"A critical juncture in the spiritual journey of Abram. He clings to the Lord's promise of many descendants (13:16) and a land inheritance (12:7; 13:14-15), but he is forced to wrestle with the unsolved problem of childlessness (15:2). As later [below] in 22:1-14, God is giving him an opportunity to be tested and found faithful (1 Mac 2:52) (CCC 2374, 2570)."[11]
God’s physical response is found in the first three verses of Chapter 21 as Sarah, the wife of Abraham, is given Isaac, the heir of their union (in the intervening verses, Hagar, Sarah’s servant, bears him Ishmael). "The birth of Isaac and the banishment of Ishmael: these pivotal events ensure that Isaac alone will inherit the covenant promises made to Abraham (17:21; 21:12)."[12]
CCC: Gn 15:2-3 2570; Gn 15:2 2374; Gn 15:5-6 762; Gn 15:5 146, 288; Gn 15:6 146, 2571
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Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18
#27C Solemnities C Context (2nd Sunday of Lent C)
The Lord God took Abram outside and said,
“Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can.
Just so,” he added, “shall your descendants be.”
Abram put his faith in the LORD,
who credited it to him as an act of righteousness.
He then said to him,
“I am the LORD who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans
to give you this land as a possession.”
“O Lord GOD,” he asked,
“how am I to know that I shall possess it?”
He answered him,
“Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old she-goat,
a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”
Abram brought him all these, split them in two,
and placed each half opposite the other;
but the birds he did not cut up.
Birds of prey swooped down on the carcasses,
but Abram stayed with them.
As the sun was about to set, a trance fell upon Abram,
and a deep, terrifying darkness enveloped him.
When the sun had set and it was dark,
there appeared a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch,
which passed between those pieces.
It was on that occasion that the LORD made a covenant with Abram,
saying: “To your descendants I give this land,
from the Wadi of Egypt to the Great River, the Euphrates.”
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Commentary on Gn 15:5-12, 17-18
We hear, in this reading, of the ritual formalization of the covenant between God and Abram (before his name was changed to Abraham). In this covenant God promises Abram that he will be the father of a great nation. God promises him this posterity and the land to support it. Within the context of this selection is a prophecy (v. 13-16) of some of the trials to come. But God makes this promise, sealed with a sacrifice indicating a pledge on both sides.
A three year old animal was ritually mature, and the animal being cut in half is preserved in ritual as a sign of that covenant. We see it in the sacrifice of the Mass when the priest breaks the large host in half and pronounces the words: “This is the Lamb of God…” While it is not explicit in this text, Abram probably walked between the halves of the sacrifice to symbolize what happened to them would also happen to him if he failed in his part of the agreement (see Jeremiah 34:18).
CCC: Gn 15:5-6 762; Gn 15:5 146, 288; Gn 15:6 146, 2571
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Genesis 16:1-12, 15-16*
#374 Weekday Year I Context (Thursday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time)
Abram's wife Sarai had borne him no children.
She had, however, an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar.
Sarai said to Abram:
"The LORD has kept me from bearing children.
Have intercourse, then, with my maid;
perhaps I shall have sons through her."
Abram heeded Sarai's request.
Thus, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan,
his wife Sarai took her maid, Hagar the Egyptian,
and gave her to her husband Abram to be his concubine.
He had intercourse with her, and she became pregnant.
When she became aware of her pregnancy,
she looked on her mistress with disdain.
So Sarai said to Abram:
"You are responsible for this outrage against me.
I myself gave my maid to your embrace;
but ever since she became aware of her pregnancy,
she has been looking on me with disdain.
May the LORD decide between you and me!"
Abram told Sarai: "Your maid is in your power.
Do to her whatever you please."
Sarai then abused her so much that Hagar ran away from her.
The LORD's messenger found her by a spring in the wilderness,
the spring on the road to Shur, and he asked,
"Hagar, maid of Sarai, where have you come from
and where are you going?"
She answered, "I am running away from my mistress, Sarai."
But the LORD's messenger told her:
"Go back to your mistress and submit to her abusive treatment.
I will make your descendants so numerous," added the LORD's messenger,
"that they will be too many to count.
Besides," the LORD's messenger said to her:
"You are now pregnant and shall bear a son;
you shall name him Ishmael,
For the LORD has heard you,
God has answered you.
This one shall be a wild ass of a man,
his hand against everyone,
and everyone's hand against him;
In opposition to all his kin
shall he encamp."
Hagar bore Abram a son,
and Abram named the son whom Hagar bore him Ishmael.
Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.
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Commentary on Gn 16:1-12, 15-16
The story of Abram continues today and in it we find God’s promise of offspring for Abram kept, but in a surprising way. Not through his wife did God give Abram his first son, but through Hagar, Sarai’s maid servant. Here, ironically, is the beginning of Islam as well. Out of Ishmael comes the Prophet Mohammed and the prophetic statement by the Lord’s messenger “his hand against everyone, and everyone’s hand against him,” seems to be coming to pass in our generation.
"The patriarchs follow the customs of their time; some of which (as in this case) were morally defective. In the light of the teaching of the Bible taken as a whole, we can see that behavior of this sort was a consequence of man's original sin, and we can also see that God gradually led man back to a morality that was fully in keeping with human dignity as reflected in the Creation accounts. Consider, for example, what Jesus has to say on the subject of marriage (Mt 5:31-32)." [24]
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Or: Genesis 16:6b-12, 15-16
Abram told Sarai: "Your maid is in your power.
Do to her whatever you please."
Sarai then abused her so much that Hagar ran away from her.
The LORD's messenger found her by a spring in the wilderness,
the spring on the road to Shur, and he asked,
"Hagar, maid of Sarai, where have you come from
and where are you going?"
She answered, "I am running away from my mistress, Sarai."
But the LORD's messenger told her:
"Go back to your mistress and submit to her abusive treatment.
I will make your descendants so numerous," added the LORD's messenger,
"that they will be too many to count.
Besides," the LORD's messenger said to her:
"You are now pregnant and shall bear a son;
you shall name him Ishmael,
For the LORD has heard you,
God has answered you.
This one shall be a wild ass of a man,
his hand against everyone,
and everyone's hand against him;
In opposition to all his kin
shall he encamp."
Hagar bore Abram a son,
and Abram named the son whom Hagar bore him Ishmael.
Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.
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Commentary on Gn 16:6b-12, 15-16
In the alternate short form of this reading, the decision by Sarai, Abram’s wife to give her maid, Hagar, as concubine to her husband is omitted, as is the combative reaction of the two women toward each other once Hagar becomes pregnant. The reading instead focuses on God’s consolation of Hagar and the prediction of Ishmael’s birth as the firstborn of Abraham.
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Genesis 17:1, 9-10, 15-22
#375 Weekday Year I context (Friday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time)
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him
and said: "I am God the Almighty.
Walk in my presence and be blameless."
God also said to Abraham:
"On your part, you and your descendants after you
must keep my covenant throughout the ages.
This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you
that you must keep:
every male among you shall be circumcised."
God further said to Abraham:
"As for your wife Sarai, do not call her Sarai;
her name shall be Sarah.
I will bless her, and I will give you a son by her.
Him also will I bless; he shall give rise to nations,
and rulers of peoples shall issue from him."
Abraham prostrated himself and laughed as he said to himself,
"Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old?
Or can Sarah give birth at ninety?"
Then Abraham said to God,
"Let but Ishmael live on by your favor!"
God replied: "Nevertheless, your wife Sarah is to bear you a son,
and you shall call him Isaac.
I will maintain my covenant with him as an everlasting pact,
to be his God and the God of his descendants after him.
As for Ishmael, I am heeding you: I hereby bless him.
I will make him fertile and will multiply him exceedingly.
He shall become the father of twelve chieftains,
and I will make of him a great nation.
But my covenant I will maintain with Isaac,
whom Sarah shall bear to you by this time next year."
When he had finished speaking with him, God departed from Abraham.
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Commentary on Gn 17:1, 9-10, 15-22
This selection follows the birth of Ishmael in Chapter 16. In the first 9 verses omitted (see readings and commentary Genesis 17:3-9) Abram’s name is changed to Abraham and God’s promise is made. In this passage, the second half of the Covenant with Abraham is laid out, explaining what Abraham and his descendants are expected to do to honor God. It is here that circumcision becomes a mark of faith.
The selection continues with God renaming Abraham’s wife from Sarai to Sarah, a unique mark of favor and dedication, used to identify individuals who have a special mission from the Father. In Sarah’s case this mission is to bear a son, Isaac, an heir to Abraham. Isaac is to be the living sign of God’s covenant, blessed by him.
CCC: Gn 17:1-2 2571
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Genesis 17:1-8
#751 Ritual Mass Context (I. For the Conferral of Christian Initiation, 1. Christian Initiation Apart From the Easter Vigil, 2.)
When Abram was ninety-nine years old,
the LORD appeared to him and said:
"I am God the Almighty.
Walk in my presence and be blameless.
Between you and me I will establish my covenant,
and I will multiply you exceedingly."
When Abram prostrated himself. God continued to speak to him:
"My covenant with you is this:
you are to become the father of a host of nations.
No longer shall you be called Abram;
your name shall be Abraham,
for I am making you the father of a host of nations.
I will render you exceedingly fertile,
I will make nations of you;
kings shall stem from you.
I will maintain my covenant with you
and your descendants after you
throughout the ages as an everlasting pact,
to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
I will give to you and to your descendants after you
the land in which you are now staying,
the whole land of Canaan,
as a permanent possession; and I will be their God."
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Commentary on Gn 17:1-8
God establishes his covenant with Abraham. In ancient tradition, God changes the name of Abram to Abraham and takes dominion over him. He establishes his covenant and, in return for faithful worship from Abraham and his descendants, God promises to make Abraham’s line interminable and the land he lives in a permanent possession. It is interesting to note that this action takes place after the birth of Ishmael to Hagar and before the birth of Isaac to Sarai, his wife. Later we see God's covenental promise fulfilled. "Several Ancient peoples descend from Abraham: the Israelites (from Isaac and Jacob, 21:1-3; 35:22-26), Ishmaelites (from Ishmael, 17:20; 25:12-18), the Edomites (from Esau, 36:1-43), and the Midianites and others (from the sons of Abraham's second wife, Keturah, 25:1-4).[5]
CCC: Gn 17:1-2 2571; Gn 17:4-8 1819; Gn 17:5 59
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Genesis 17:3-9
#254 Weekday Years I & II Context (Thursday of the 5th Week of Lent)
When Abram prostrated himself, God spoke to him:
"My covenant with you is this:
you are to become the father of a host of nations.
No longer shall you be called Abram;
your name shall be Abraham,
for I am making you the father of a host of nations.
I will render you exceedingly fertile;
I will make nations of you;
kings shall stem from you.
I will maintain my covenant with you
and your descendants after you
throughout the ages as an everlasting pact,
to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
I will give to you
and to your descendants after you
the land in which you are now staying,
the whole land of Canaan, as a permanent possession;
and I will be their God."
God also said to Abraham:
"On your part, you and your descendants after you
must keep my covenant throughout the ages."
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Commentary on Gn 17:3-9
In ancient tradition, God changes the name of Abram to Abraham and takes dominion over him. “In traditional societies, and particularly in the OT, names were much more important than they are today. If for us personal names are little more than labels, in the OT they express a person’s character and destiny, at least as the parents perceive them (cf. [Genesis] 4:1, 25; 5:29; 16:15); usually children are named at birth by their parents.” [20] He establishes his covenant, and in return for faithful worship from Abraham and his descendants (repeated three times in this short selection to indicate the absolute promise of fulfillment), God promises to make Abraham’s line interminable, and the land he lives in a permanent possession. It is interesting to note that this action takes place after the birth of Ishmael to Hagar and before the birth of Isaac to Sarai, his wife, later renamed Sarah by God.
CCC: Gn 17:4-8 1819; Gn 17:5 59
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Genesis 18:1-10a
#108C Solemnities C Context (16th Sunday in Ordinary Time C)
The Lord appeared to Abraham by the terebinth of Mamre,
as he sat in the entrance of his tent,
while the day was growing hot.
Looking up, Abraham saw three men standing nearby.
When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them;
and bowing to the ground, he said:
"Sir, if I may ask you this favor,
please do not go on past your servant.
Let some water be brought, that you may bathe your feet,
and then rest yourselves under the tree.
Now that you have come this close to your servant,
let me bring you a little food, that you may refresh yourselves;
and afterward you may go on your way."
The men replied, "Very well, do as you have said."
Abraham hastened into the tent and told Sarah,
"Quick, three measures of fine flour! Knead it and make rolls."
He ran to the herd, picked out a tender, choice steer,
and gave it to a servant, who quickly prepared it.
Then Abraham got some curds and milk,
as well as the steer that had been prepared,
and set these before the three men;
and he waited on them under the tree while they ate.
They asked Abraham, "Where is your wife Sarah?"
He replied, "There in the tent."
One of them said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year,
and Sarah will then have a son."
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Commentary on Gn 18:1-10a
Abraham has already begotten Ishmael through Hagar, Sarah’s slave. We see him now encounter God (“The Lord appeared to Abraham”) in the form of a traveler with two messengers (this is revealed later). After extending them the hospitality required by custom, God tells Abraham that Sarah, his wife, will bear him a son within a year. Because Sarah has been barren and is now past child-bearing years, this prediction, ultimately fulfilled in the birth of Isaac, is miraculous.
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Or: Genesis 16:6b-12, 15-16
Abram told Sarai: "Your maid is in your power.
Do to her whatever you please."
Sarai then abused her so much that Hagar ran away from her.
The LORD's messenger found her by a spring in the wilderness,
the spring on the road to Shur, and he asked,
"Hagar, maid of Sarai, where have you come from
and where are you going?"
She answered, "I am running away from my mistress, Sarai."
But the LORD's messenger told her:
"Go back to your mistress and submit to her abusive treatment.
I will make your descendants so numerous," added the LORD's messenger,
"that they will be too many to count.
Besides," the LORD's messenger said to her:
"You are now pregnant and shall bear a son;
you shall name him Ishmael,
For the LORD has heard you,
God has answered you.
This one shall be a wild ass of a man,
his hand against everyone,
and everyone's hand against him;
In opposition to all his kin
shall he encamp."
Hagar bore Abram a son,
and Abram named the son whom Hagar bore him Ishmael.
Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.
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Commentary on Gn 16:6b-12, 15-16
In the alternate short form of this reading, the decision by Sarai, Abram’s wife to give her maid, Hagar, as concubine to her husband is omitted, as is the combative reaction of the two women toward each other once Hagar becomes pregnant. The reading instead focuses on God’s consolation of Hagar and the prediction of Ishmael’s birth as the firstborn of Abraham.
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Genesis 17:1, 9-10, 15-22
#375 Weekday Year I context (Friday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time)
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him
and said: "I am God the Almighty.
Walk in my presence and be blameless."
God also said to Abraham:
"On your part, you and your descendants after you
must keep my covenant throughout the ages.
This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you
that you must keep:
every male among you shall be circumcised."
God further said to Abraham:
"As for your wife Sarai, do not call her Sarai;
her name shall be Sarah.
I will bless her, and I will give you a son by her.
Him also will I bless; he shall give rise to nations,
and rulers of peoples shall issue from him."
Abraham prostrated himself and laughed as he said to himself,
"Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old?
Or can Sarah give birth at ninety?"
Then Abraham said to God,
"Let but Ishmael live on by your favor!"
God replied: "Nevertheless, your wife Sarah is to bear you a son,
and you shall call him Isaac.
I will maintain my covenant with him as an everlasting pact,
to be his God and the God of his descendants after him.
As for Ishmael, I am heeding you: I hereby bless him.
I will make him fertile and will multiply him exceedingly.
He shall become the father of twelve chieftains,
and I will make of him a great nation.
But my covenant I will maintain with Isaac,
whom Sarah shall bear to you by this time next year."
When he had finished speaking with him, God departed from Abraham.
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Commentary on Gn 17:1, 9-10, 15-22
This selection follows the birth of Ishmael in Chapter 16. In the first 9 verses omitted (see readings and commentary Genesis 17:3-9) Abram’s name is changed to Abraham and God’s promise is made. In this passage, the second half of the Covenant with Abraham is laid out, explaining what Abraham and his descendants are expected to do to honor God. It is here that circumcision becomes a mark of faith.
The selection continues with God renaming Abraham’s wife from Sarai to Sarah, a unique mark of favor and dedication, used to identify individuals who have a special mission from the Father. In Sarah’s case this mission is to bear a son, Isaac, an heir to Abraham. Isaac is to be the living sign of God’s covenant, blessed by him.
CCC: Gn 17:1-2 2571
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Genesis 17:1-8
#751 Ritual Mass Context (I. For the Conferral of Christian Initiation, 1. Christian Initiation Apart From the Easter Vigil, 2.)
When Abram was ninety-nine years old,
the LORD appeared to him and said:
"I am God the Almighty.
Walk in my presence and be blameless.
Between you and me I will establish my covenant,
and I will multiply you exceedingly."
When Abram prostrated himself. God continued to speak to him:
"My covenant with you is this:
you are to become the father of a host of nations.
No longer shall you be called Abram;
your name shall be Abraham,
for I am making you the father of a host of nations.
I will render you exceedingly fertile,
I will make nations of you;
kings shall stem from you.
I will maintain my covenant with you
and your descendants after you
throughout the ages as an everlasting pact,
to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
I will give to you and to your descendants after you
the land in which you are now staying,
the whole land of Canaan,
as a permanent possession; and I will be their God."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Gn 17:1-8
God establishes his covenant with Abraham. In ancient tradition, God changes the name of Abram to Abraham and takes dominion over him. He establishes his covenant and, in return for faithful worship from Abraham and his descendants, God promises to make Abraham’s line interminable and the land he lives in a permanent possession. It is interesting to note that this action takes place after the birth of Ishmael to Hagar and before the birth of Isaac to Sarai, his wife. Later we see God's covenental promise fulfilled. "Several Ancient peoples descend from Abraham: the Israelites (from Isaac and Jacob, 21:1-3; 35:22-26), Ishmaelites (from Ishmael, 17:20; 25:12-18), the Edomites (from Esau, 36:1-43), and the Midianites and others (from the sons of Abraham's second wife, Keturah, 25:1-4).[5]
CCC: Gn 17:1-2 2571; Gn 17:4-8 1819; Gn 17:5 59
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Genesis 17:3-9
#254 Weekday Years I & II Context (Thursday of the 5th Week of Lent)
When Abram prostrated himself, God spoke to him:
"My covenant with you is this:
you are to become the father of a host of nations.
No longer shall you be called Abram;
your name shall be Abraham,
for I am making you the father of a host of nations.
I will render you exceedingly fertile;
I will make nations of you;
kings shall stem from you.
I will maintain my covenant with you
and your descendants after you
throughout the ages as an everlasting pact,
to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
I will give to you
and to your descendants after you
the land in which you are now staying,
the whole land of Canaan, as a permanent possession;
and I will be their God."
God also said to Abraham:
"On your part, you and your descendants after you
must keep my covenant throughout the ages."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Gn 17:3-9
In ancient tradition, God changes the name of Abram to Abraham and takes dominion over him. “In traditional societies, and particularly in the OT, names were much more important than they are today. If for us personal names are little more than labels, in the OT they express a person’s character and destiny, at least as the parents perceive them (cf. [Genesis] 4:1, 25; 5:29; 16:15); usually children are named at birth by their parents.” [20] He establishes his covenant, and in return for faithful worship from Abraham and his descendants (repeated three times in this short selection to indicate the absolute promise of fulfillment), God promises to make Abraham’s line interminable, and the land he lives in a permanent possession. It is interesting to note that this action takes place after the birth of Ishmael to Hagar and before the birth of Isaac to Sarai, his wife, later renamed Sarah by God.
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Genesis 18:1-10a
#108C Solemnities C Context (16th Sunday in Ordinary Time C)
The Lord appeared to Abraham by the terebinth of Mamre,
as he sat in the entrance of his tent,
while the day was growing hot.
Looking up, Abraham saw three men standing nearby.
When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them;
and bowing to the ground, he said:
"Sir, if I may ask you this favor,
please do not go on past your servant.
Let some water be brought, that you may bathe your feet,
and then rest yourselves under the tree.
Now that you have come this close to your servant,
let me bring you a little food, that you may refresh yourselves;
and afterward you may go on your way."
The men replied, "Very well, do as you have said."
Abraham hastened into the tent and told Sarah,
"Quick, three measures of fine flour! Knead it and make rolls."
He ran to the herd, picked out a tender, choice steer,
and gave it to a servant, who quickly prepared it.
Then Abraham got some curds and milk,
as well as the steer that had been prepared,
and set these before the three men;
and he waited on them under the tree while they ate.
They asked Abraham, "Where is your wife Sarah?"
He replied, "There in the tent."
One of them said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year,
and Sarah will then have a son."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Gn 18:1-10a
Abraham has already begotten Ishmael through Hagar, Sarah’s slave. We see him now encounter God (“The Lord appeared to Abraham”) in the form of a traveler with two messengers (this is revealed later). After extending them the hospitality required by custom, God tells Abraham that Sarah, his wife, will bear him a son within a year. Because Sarah has been barren and is now past child-bearing years, this prediction, ultimately fulfilled in the birth of Isaac, is miraculous.
"This new appearance of God to Abraham is somewhat mysterious: the three men stand for God. When Abraham speaks to them, sometimes he addresses them in the singular (as if there were one person there: cf. v. 3), and sometimes in the plural (as if there were three: cf. v. 4). That is why some Fathers interpreted this appearance as an early announcement of the mystery of the Holy Trinity; others, following Jewish tradition (cf. Hebrews 13:2) take these personages to be angels." [28]
CCC: Gn 18:1-15 706, 2571
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Genesis 18:1-15
#376 Weekday Year I Context (Saturday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time)
The LORD appeared to Abraham by the Terebinth of Mamre,
as Abraham sat in the entrance of his tent,
while the day was growing hot.
Looking up, he saw three men standing nearby.
When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them;
and bowing to the ground, he said:
"Sir, if I may ask you this favor,
please do not go on past your servant.
Let some water be brought, that you may bathe your feet,
and then rest yourselves under the tree.
Now that you have come this close to your servant,
let me bring you a little food, that you may refresh yourselves;
and afterward you may go on your way."
The men replied, "Very well, do as you have said."
Abraham hastened into the tent and told Sarah,
"Quick, three measures of fine flour!
Knead it and make rolls."
He ran to the herd, picked out a tender, choice steer,
and gave it to a servant, who quickly prepared it.
Then Abraham got some curds and milk,
as well as the steer that had been prepared,
and set these before them;
and he waited on them under the tree while they ate.
They asked him, "Where is your wife Sarah?"
He replied, "There in the tent."
One of them said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year,
and Sarah will then have a son."
Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent, just behind him.
Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years,
and Sarah had stopped having her womanly periods.
So Sarah laughed to herself and said,
"Now that I am so withered and my husband is so old,
am I still to have sexual pleasure?"
But the LORD said to Abraham: "Why did Sarah laugh and say,
'Shall I really bear a child, old as I am?'
Is anything too marvelous for the LORD to do?
At the appointed time, about this time next year, I will return to you,
and Sarah will have a son."
Because she was afraid, Sarah dissembled, saying, "I didn't laugh."
But he replied, "Yes you did."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Gn 18:1-15
Abraham and Sarah encounter God and two messengers in this selection from Genesis. Abraham recognizes the Lord (we note his act of obeisance and form of address “’ădonāy”), and acts as is required by oriental hospitality, providing rest, drink, and food. It is clear that the Lord is the key figure in the story. The messengers are soon forgotten as Abraham hears God’s prediction that he would return, and when he did Abraham and Sarah would have a son. When Sarah hears this, she laughs. Sarah's laughter is actually a bit of ironic coloring. We recall in Genesis 17: 17 that Abraham laughed when he was first told he would bear a son. In Hebrew, the word is yitshaq, which is identical to Isaac. The name Isaac means "he laughs."[10]
CCC: Gn 18:1-15 706, 2571
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Genesis 18:16-33
#377 Weekday Year I Context (Monday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time)
Abraham and the men who had visited him by the Terebinth of Mamre
set out from there and looked down toward Sodom;
Abraham was walking with them, to see them on their way.
The Lord reflected: “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do,
now that he is to become a great and populous nation,
and all the nations of the earth are to find blessing in him?
Indeed, I have singled him out
that he may direct his children and his household after him
to keep the way of the Lord
by doing what is right and just,
so that the Lord may carry into effect for Abraham
the promises he made about him.”
Then the Lord said:
“The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great,
and their sin so grave,
that I must go down and see whether or not their actions
fully correspond to the cry against them that comes to me.
I mean to find out.”
While the two men walked on farther toward Sodom,
the Lord remained standing before Abraham.
Then Abraham drew nearer to him and said:
“Will you sweep away the innocent with the guilty?
Suppose there were fifty innocent people in the city;
would you wipe out the place, rather than spare it
for the sake of the fifty innocent people within it?
Far be it from you to do such a thing,
to make the innocent die with the guilty,
so that the innocent and the guilty would be treated alike!
Should not the judge of all the world act with justice?”
The Lord replied,
“If I find fifty innocent people in the city of Sodom,
I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
Abraham spoke up again:
“See how I am presuming to speak to my Lord,
though I am but dust and ashes!
What if there are five less than fifty innocent people?
Will you destroy the whole city because of those five?”
He answered, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.”
But Abraham persisted, saying, “What if only forty are found there?”
He replied, “I will forbear doing it for the sake of forty.”
Then Abraham said, “Let not my Lord grow impatient if I go on.
What if only thirty are found there?”
He replied, “I will forbear doing it if I can find but thirty there.”
Still Abraham went on,
“Since I have thus dared to speak to my Lord,
what if there are no more than twenty?”
He answered, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.”
But he still persisted:
“Please, let not my Lord grow angry if I speak up this last time.
What if there are at least ten there?”
He replied, “For the sake of those ten, I will not destroy it.”
The Lord departed as soon as he had finished speaking with Abraham,
and Abraham returned home.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Gn 18:16-33
Following the fulfillment of the promise to Abraham and Sarah ("I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah will then have a son." Genesis 18:10), the messengers of the Lord leave the hospitality of his tent. Led by Abraham, they travel together to where Lot and his household had gone (Genesis 13:12) and prepare to punish the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah for their sinfulness. Abraham, for his part, attempts to negotiate for the cities asking for mercy for the innocent. He is successful, demonstrating the mercy of God to the innocent.
CCC: Gn 18:16-33 2571; Gn 18:20 1867
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Genesis 18:20-32
#111C Solemnities C Context (17th Sunday in Ordinary Time C)
In those days, the Lord said: “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great,
and their sin so grave,
that I must go down and see whether or not their actions
fully correspond to the cry against them that comes to me.
I mean to find out.”
While Abraham’s visitors walked on farther toward Sodom,
the Lord remained standing before Abraham.
Then Abraham drew nearer and said:
“Will you sweep away the innocent with the guilty?
Suppose there were fifty innocent people in the city;
would you wipe out the place, rather than spare it
for the sake of the fifty innocent people within it?
Far be it from you to do such a thing,
to make the innocent die with the guilty
so that the innocent and the guilty would be treated alike!
Should not the judge of all the world act with justice?”
The Lord replied,
“If I find fifty innocent people in the city of Sodom,
I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
Abraham spoke up again:
“See how I am presuming to speak to my Lord,
though I am but dust and ashes!
What if there are five less than fifty innocent people?
Will you destroy the whole city because of those five?”
He answered, “I will not destroy it, if I find forty-five there.”
But Abraham persisted, saying “What if only forty are found there?”
He replied, “I will forbear doing it for the sake of the forty.”
Then Abraham said, “Let not my Lord grow impatient if I go on.
What if only thirty are found there?”
He replied, “I will forbear doing it if I can find but thirty there.”
Still Abraham went on,
“Since I have thus dared to speak to my Lord,
what if there are no more than twenty?”
The Lord answered, “I will not destroy it, for the sake of the twenty.”
But he still persisted:
“Please, let not my Lord grow angry if I speak up this last time.
What if there are at least ten there?”
He replied, “For the sake of those ten, I will not destroy it.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Gn 18:20-32
This selection continues the story of Abraham’s encounter with the Lord at the terebinth of Mamre. The Lord and two messengers have already predicted the birth of a son to Abraham and Sarah. They now have departed for Sodom and Gomorrah joined by Abraham “to see them on their way.” The text envisions God coming down to see what punishment must come to the cities. The sin of Sodom and Gomorrah is not specifically known (the account from Genesis says homosexuality (Genesis 19:4-5), Isaiah indicates the lack of social justice (Isaiah 1:9-10; 3:9), Ezekiel says disregard for the poor (Ezekiel 16:46-51), and Jeremiah identifies general immorality (Jeremiah 23:14)).
“Will you sweep away the innocent with the guilty?” In early Israel it was common for the innocent to be punished along with the guilty (see Joshua 7:16-26). We find Moses challenging this idea, interceding for the innocent who reside in those cities. The Lord agrees to spare them if there are ten innocent people from those towns.
CCC: Gn 18:16-33 2571; Gn 18:20 1867
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Genesis 19:15-29
#378 Weekday year I Context (Tuesday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time)
As dawn was breaking, the angels urged Lot on, saying, "On your way!
Take with you your wife and your two daughters who are here,
or you will be swept away in the punishment of Sodom."
When he hesitated, the men, by the LORD's mercy,
seized his hand and the hands of his wife and his two daughters
and led them to safety outside the city.
As soon as they had been brought outside, he was told:
"Flee for your life!
Don't look back or stop anywhere on the Plain.
Get off to the hills at once, or you will be swept away."
"Oh, no, my lord!" Lot replied,
"You have already thought enough of your servant
to do me the great kindness of intervening to save my life.
But I cannot flee to the hills to keep the disaster from overtaking me,
and so I shall die.
Look, this town ahead is near enough to escape to.
It's only a small place.
Let me flee there-it's a small place, is it not?-
that my life may be saved."
"Well, then," he replied,
"I will also grant you the favor you now ask.
I will not overthrow the town you speak of.
Hurry, escape there!
I cannot do anything until you arrive there."
That is why the town is called Zoar.
The sun was just rising over the earth as Lot arrived in Zoar;
at the same time the LORD rained down sulphurous fire
upon Sodom and Gomorrah
from the LORD out of heaven.
He overthrew those cities and the whole Plain,
together with the inhabitants of the cities
and the produce of the soil.
But Lot's wife looked back, and she was turned into a pillar of salt.
Early the next morning Abraham went to the place
where he had stood in the LORD's presence.
As he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah
and the whole region of the Plain,
he saw dense smoke over the land rising like fumes from a furnace.
Thus it came to pass: when God destroyed the Cities of the Plain,
he was mindful of Abraham by sending Lot away from the upheaval
by which God overthrew the cities where Lot had been living.
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Commentary on Gn 19:15-29
This passage describes the salvation of Lot along with his wife and daughters from the destruction heaped upon Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot is given the boon of salvation because of his righteous actions in the previous section (Genesis 19 1-14). Lot is instructed to flee and not look back at God’s destructive wrath. Lot’s wife violates this instruction (looking upon that which was forbidden by God) and is turned into a pillar of salt.
The language used to describe the destruction “He overthrew those cities and the whole Plain” (literally, turned upside down) would be consistent with an earthquake followed by fire. The passage concludes indicating that a principal reason for Lot’s salvation was his relationship to Abraham (Genesis 12:5).
CCC: Gn 19 332; Gn 19:1-29 2357
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Genesis 21:5, 8-20a
#379 Weekday Year I Context (Wednesday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time)
Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
Isaac grew, and on the day of the child's weaning
Abraham held a great feast.
Sarah noticed the son whom Hagar the Egyptian
had borne to Abraham
playing with her son Isaac;
so she demanded of Abraham:
"Drive out that slave and her son!
No son of that slave is going to share the inheritance
with my son Isaac!"
Abraham was greatly distressed,
especially on account of his son Ishmael.
But God said to Abraham: "Do not be distressed about the boy
or about your slave woman.
Heed the demands of Sarah, no matter what she is asking of you;
for it is through Isaac that descendants shall bear your name.
As for the son of the slave woman,
I will make a great nation of him also,
since he too is your offspring."
Early the next morning Abraham got some bread and a skin of water
and gave them to Hagar.
Then, placing the child on her back, he sent her away.
As she roamed aimlessly in the wilderness of Beer-sheba,
the water in the skin was used up.
So she put the child down under a shrub,
and then went and sat down opposite him, about a bowshot away;
for she said to herself, "Let me not watch to see the child die."
As she sat opposite Ishmael, he began to cry.
God heard the boy's cry,
and God's messenger called to Hagar from heaven:
"What is the matter, Hagar?
Don't be afraid; God has heard the boy's cry in this plight of his.
Arise, lift up the boy and hold him by the hand;
for I will make of him a great nation."
Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water.
She went and filled the skin with water, and then let the boy drink.
God was with the boy as he grew up.
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Commentary on Gn 21:5, 8-20a
The saga of Abraham (Abram) continues in this passage as he strives to follow God’s will. The birth of Isaac is announced and immediately tension arises. His wife Sarah (Sarai) has demanded that Hagar and Ishmael (firstborn of Abraham) be cast out of their family group. This is truly the beginning of the split in Abraham’s descendants, as the Jewish people would begin through his son Isaac, and the followers of Islam develop through his son Ishmael. The same God (whose Only Son is the Messiah) that favored the early Jewish people also shows his love for Hagar and Ishmael and their descendants.
CCC: Gn 18:1-15 706, 2571
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Genesis 18:1-15
#376 Weekday Year I Context (Saturday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time)
The LORD appeared to Abraham by the Terebinth of Mamre,
as Abraham sat in the entrance of his tent,
while the day was growing hot.
Looking up, he saw three men standing nearby.
When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them;
and bowing to the ground, he said:
"Sir, if I may ask you this favor,
please do not go on past your servant.
Let some water be brought, that you may bathe your feet,
and then rest yourselves under the tree.
Now that you have come this close to your servant,
let me bring you a little food, that you may refresh yourselves;
and afterward you may go on your way."
The men replied, "Very well, do as you have said."
Abraham hastened into the tent and told Sarah,
"Quick, three measures of fine flour!
Knead it and make rolls."
He ran to the herd, picked out a tender, choice steer,
and gave it to a servant, who quickly prepared it.
Then Abraham got some curds and milk,
as well as the steer that had been prepared,
and set these before them;
and he waited on them under the tree while they ate.
They asked him, "Where is your wife Sarah?"
He replied, "There in the tent."
One of them said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year,
and Sarah will then have a son."
Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent, just behind him.
Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years,
and Sarah had stopped having her womanly periods.
So Sarah laughed to herself and said,
"Now that I am so withered and my husband is so old,
am I still to have sexual pleasure?"
But the LORD said to Abraham: "Why did Sarah laugh and say,
'Shall I really bear a child, old as I am?'
Is anything too marvelous for the LORD to do?
At the appointed time, about this time next year, I will return to you,
and Sarah will have a son."
Because she was afraid, Sarah dissembled, saying, "I didn't laugh."
But he replied, "Yes you did."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Gn 18:1-15
Abraham and Sarah encounter God and two messengers in this selection from Genesis. Abraham recognizes the Lord (we note his act of obeisance and form of address “’ădonāy”), and acts as is required by oriental hospitality, providing rest, drink, and food. It is clear that the Lord is the key figure in the story. The messengers are soon forgotten as Abraham hears God’s prediction that he would return, and when he did Abraham and Sarah would have a son. When Sarah hears this, she laughs. Sarah's laughter is actually a bit of ironic coloring. We recall in Genesis 17: 17 that Abraham laughed when he was first told he would bear a son. In Hebrew, the word is yitshaq, which is identical to Isaac. The name Isaac means "he laughs."[10]
CCC: Gn 18:1-15 706, 2571
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Genesis 18:16-33
#377 Weekday Year I Context (Monday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time)
Abraham and the men who had visited him by the Terebinth of Mamre
set out from there and looked down toward Sodom;
Abraham was walking with them, to see them on their way.
The Lord reflected: “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do,
now that he is to become a great and populous nation,
and all the nations of the earth are to find blessing in him?
Indeed, I have singled him out
that he may direct his children and his household after him
to keep the way of the Lord
by doing what is right and just,
so that the Lord may carry into effect for Abraham
the promises he made about him.”
Then the Lord said:
“The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great,
and their sin so grave,
that I must go down and see whether or not their actions
fully correspond to the cry against them that comes to me.
I mean to find out.”
While the two men walked on farther toward Sodom,
the Lord remained standing before Abraham.
Then Abraham drew nearer to him and said:
“Will you sweep away the innocent with the guilty?
Suppose there were fifty innocent people in the city;
would you wipe out the place, rather than spare it
for the sake of the fifty innocent people within it?
Far be it from you to do such a thing,
to make the innocent die with the guilty,
so that the innocent and the guilty would be treated alike!
Should not the judge of all the world act with justice?”
The Lord replied,
“If I find fifty innocent people in the city of Sodom,
I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
Abraham spoke up again:
“See how I am presuming to speak to my Lord,
though I am but dust and ashes!
What if there are five less than fifty innocent people?
Will you destroy the whole city because of those five?”
He answered, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.”
But Abraham persisted, saying, “What if only forty are found there?”
He replied, “I will forbear doing it for the sake of forty.”
Then Abraham said, “Let not my Lord grow impatient if I go on.
What if only thirty are found there?”
He replied, “I will forbear doing it if I can find but thirty there.”
Still Abraham went on,
“Since I have thus dared to speak to my Lord,
what if there are no more than twenty?”
He answered, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.”
But he still persisted:
“Please, let not my Lord grow angry if I speak up this last time.
What if there are at least ten there?”
He replied, “For the sake of those ten, I will not destroy it.”
The Lord departed as soon as he had finished speaking with Abraham,
and Abraham returned home.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Gn 18:16-33
Following the fulfillment of the promise to Abraham and Sarah ("I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah will then have a son." Genesis 18:10), the messengers of the Lord leave the hospitality of his tent. Led by Abraham, they travel together to where Lot and his household had gone (Genesis 13:12) and prepare to punish the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah for their sinfulness. Abraham, for his part, attempts to negotiate for the cities asking for mercy for the innocent. He is successful, demonstrating the mercy of God to the innocent.
CCC: Gn 18:16-33 2571; Gn 18:20 1867
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Genesis 18:20-32
#111C Solemnities C Context (17th Sunday in Ordinary Time C)
In those days, the Lord said: “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great,
and their sin so grave,
that I must go down and see whether or not their actions
fully correspond to the cry against them that comes to me.
I mean to find out.”
While Abraham’s visitors walked on farther toward Sodom,
the Lord remained standing before Abraham.
Then Abraham drew nearer and said:
“Will you sweep away the innocent with the guilty?
Suppose there were fifty innocent people in the city;
would you wipe out the place, rather than spare it
for the sake of the fifty innocent people within it?
Far be it from you to do such a thing,
to make the innocent die with the guilty
so that the innocent and the guilty would be treated alike!
Should not the judge of all the world act with justice?”
The Lord replied,
“If I find fifty innocent people in the city of Sodom,
I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
Abraham spoke up again:
“See how I am presuming to speak to my Lord,
though I am but dust and ashes!
What if there are five less than fifty innocent people?
Will you destroy the whole city because of those five?”
He answered, “I will not destroy it, if I find forty-five there.”
But Abraham persisted, saying “What if only forty are found there?”
He replied, “I will forbear doing it for the sake of the forty.”
Then Abraham said, “Let not my Lord grow impatient if I go on.
What if only thirty are found there?”
He replied, “I will forbear doing it if I can find but thirty there.”
Still Abraham went on,
“Since I have thus dared to speak to my Lord,
what if there are no more than twenty?”
The Lord answered, “I will not destroy it, for the sake of the twenty.”
But he still persisted:
“Please, let not my Lord grow angry if I speak up this last time.
What if there are at least ten there?”
He replied, “For the sake of those ten, I will not destroy it.”
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Commentary on Gn 18:20-32
This selection continues the story of Abraham’s encounter with the Lord at the terebinth of Mamre. The Lord and two messengers have already predicted the birth of a son to Abraham and Sarah. They now have departed for Sodom and Gomorrah joined by Abraham “to see them on their way.” The text envisions God coming down to see what punishment must come to the cities. The sin of Sodom and Gomorrah is not specifically known (the account from Genesis says homosexuality (Genesis 19:4-5), Isaiah indicates the lack of social justice (Isaiah 1:9-10; 3:9), Ezekiel says disregard for the poor (Ezekiel 16:46-51), and Jeremiah identifies general immorality (Jeremiah 23:14)).
“Will you sweep away the innocent with the guilty?” In early Israel it was common for the innocent to be punished along with the guilty (see Joshua 7:16-26). We find Moses challenging this idea, interceding for the innocent who reside in those cities. The Lord agrees to spare them if there are ten innocent people from those towns.
CCC: Gn 18:16-33 2571; Gn 18:20 1867
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Genesis 19:15-29
#378 Weekday year I Context (Tuesday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time)
As dawn was breaking, the angels urged Lot on, saying, "On your way!
Take with you your wife and your two daughters who are here,
or you will be swept away in the punishment of Sodom."
When he hesitated, the men, by the LORD's mercy,
seized his hand and the hands of his wife and his two daughters
and led them to safety outside the city.
As soon as they had been brought outside, he was told:
"Flee for your life!
Don't look back or stop anywhere on the Plain.
Get off to the hills at once, or you will be swept away."
"Oh, no, my lord!" Lot replied,
"You have already thought enough of your servant
to do me the great kindness of intervening to save my life.
But I cannot flee to the hills to keep the disaster from overtaking me,
and so I shall die.
Look, this town ahead is near enough to escape to.
It's only a small place.
Let me flee there-it's a small place, is it not?-
that my life may be saved."
"Well, then," he replied,
"I will also grant you the favor you now ask.
I will not overthrow the town you speak of.
Hurry, escape there!
I cannot do anything until you arrive there."
That is why the town is called Zoar.
The sun was just rising over the earth as Lot arrived in Zoar;
at the same time the LORD rained down sulphurous fire
upon Sodom and Gomorrah
from the LORD out of heaven.
He overthrew those cities and the whole Plain,
together with the inhabitants of the cities
and the produce of the soil.
But Lot's wife looked back, and she was turned into a pillar of salt.
Early the next morning Abraham went to the place
where he had stood in the LORD's presence.
As he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah
and the whole region of the Plain,
he saw dense smoke over the land rising like fumes from a furnace.
Thus it came to pass: when God destroyed the Cities of the Plain,
he was mindful of Abraham by sending Lot away from the upheaval
by which God overthrew the cities where Lot had been living.
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Commentary on Gn 19:15-29
This passage describes the salvation of Lot along with his wife and daughters from the destruction heaped upon Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot is given the boon of salvation because of his righteous actions in the previous section (Genesis 19 1-14). Lot is instructed to flee and not look back at God’s destructive wrath. Lot’s wife violates this instruction (looking upon that which was forbidden by God) and is turned into a pillar of salt.
The language used to describe the destruction “He overthrew those cities and the whole Plain” (literally, turned upside down) would be consistent with an earthquake followed by fire. The passage concludes indicating that a principal reason for Lot’s salvation was his relationship to Abraham (Genesis 12:5).
CCC: Gn 19 332; Gn 19:1-29 2357
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Genesis 21:5, 8-20a
#379 Weekday Year I Context (Wednesday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time)
Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
Isaac grew, and on the day of the child's weaning
Abraham held a great feast.
Sarah noticed the son whom Hagar the Egyptian
had borne to Abraham
playing with her son Isaac;
so she demanded of Abraham:
"Drive out that slave and her son!
No son of that slave is going to share the inheritance
with my son Isaac!"
Abraham was greatly distressed,
especially on account of his son Ishmael.
But God said to Abraham: "Do not be distressed about the boy
or about your slave woman.
Heed the demands of Sarah, no matter what she is asking of you;
for it is through Isaac that descendants shall bear your name.
As for the son of the slave woman,
I will make a great nation of him also,
since he too is your offspring."
Early the next morning Abraham got some bread and a skin of water
and gave them to Hagar.
Then, placing the child on her back, he sent her away.
As she roamed aimlessly in the wilderness of Beer-sheba,
the water in the skin was used up.
So she put the child down under a shrub,
and then went and sat down opposite him, about a bowshot away;
for she said to herself, "Let me not watch to see the child die."
As she sat opposite Ishmael, he began to cry.
God heard the boy's cry,
and God's messenger called to Hagar from heaven:
"What is the matter, Hagar?
Don't be afraid; God has heard the boy's cry in this plight of his.
Arise, lift up the boy and hold him by the hand;
for I will make of him a great nation."
Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water.
She went and filled the skin with water, and then let the boy drink.
God was with the boy as he grew up.
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Commentary on Gn 21:5, 8-20a
The saga of Abraham (Abram) continues in this passage as he strives to follow God’s will. The birth of Isaac is announced and immediately tension arises. His wife Sarah (Sarai) has demanded that Hagar and Ishmael (firstborn of Abraham) be cast out of their family group. This is truly the beginning of the split in Abraham’s descendants, as the Jewish people would begin through his son Isaac, and the followers of Islam develop through his son Ishmael. The same God (whose Only Son is the Messiah) that favored the early Jewish people also shows his love for Hagar and Ishmael and their descendants.
"The scene of Hagar in the wilderness is itself an example of the mercy of God for, as St John Chrysostom teaches, 'whenever God wishes, even if we are utterly alone, even if we are in desperate trouble, even if we have no hope of survival, we need no other assistance, since God's grace is all we require. You see, if we win favour from him, no one will get the better of us, but rather we will prevail against anyone' (Homiliae in Genesim, 46, 2)." [25]
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Genesis 22:1b-19
#380 Weekday Year I Context (Thursday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time)
God put Abraham to the test.
He called to him, "Abraham!"
"Here I am," he replied.
Then God said: "Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love,
and go to the land of Moriah.
There you shall offer him up as a burnt offering
on a height that I will point out to you."
Early the next morning Abraham saddled his donkey,
took with him his son Isaac, and two of his servants as well,
and with the wood that he had cut for the burnt offering,
set out for the place of which God had told him.
On the third day Abraham got sight of the place from afar.
Then he said to his servants: "Both of you stay here with the donkey,
while the boy and I go on over yonder.
We will worship and then come back to you."
Thereupon Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering
and laid it on his son Isaac's shoulders,
while he himself carried the fire and the knife.
As the two walked on together, Isaac spoke to his father Abraham:
"Father!" he said.
"Yes, son," he replied.
Isaac continued, "Here are the fire and the wood,
but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?"
"Son," Abraham answered,
"God himself will provide the sheep for the burnt offering."
Then the two continued going forward.
When they came to the place of which God had told him,
Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it.
Next he tied up his son Isaac,
and put him on top of the wood on the altar.
Then he reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.
But the LORD's messenger called to him from heaven,
"Abraham, Abraham!"
"Here I am," he answered.
"Do not lay your hand on the boy," said the messenger.
"Do not do the least thing to him.
I know now how devoted you are to God,
since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son."
As Abraham looked about,
he spied a ram caught by its horns in the thicket.
So he went and took the ram
and offered it up as a burnt offering in place of his son.
Abraham named the site Yahweh-yireh;
hence people now say, "On the mountain the LORD will see."
Again the LORD's messenger called to Abraham from heaven and said:
"I swear by myself, declares the LORD,
that because you acted as you did
in not withholding from me your beloved son,
I will bless you abundantly
and make your descendants as countless
as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore;
your descendants shall take possession
of the gates of their enemies,
and in your descendants all the nations of the earth
shall find blessing all this because you obeyed my command."
Abraham then returned to his servants,
and they set out together for Beer-sheba,
where Abraham made his home.
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Commentary on Gn 22:1b-19
Abraham is put to the test to prove his faithfulness to God. He is to offer his son Isaac as a holocaust, an offering completely burnt on the altar. Abraham, though reluctant, is faithful to God and follows his instructions. At the last moment, when God is sure that Abraham has greater love for God than even for his beloved son Isaac, he stops Abraham and “blesses him abundantly,” making him the father of nations. (Note: the use of the term “beloved,” “Only one: uniquely precious, especially loved; therefore the same term is rendered in Genesis 22:12, 17 as "beloved." This connotation is used extensively in the New Testament identifying Jesus as God’s “beloved” son, again, only one and uniquely precious (Matthew 3:17, Matthew 17:5, Mark 9:7, Colossians 1:13). In his obedience to the will of God, Abraham is found worthy of the honor God will afford him.
This example demonstrates that God expects those faithful to him to place love and obedience to him above all other worldly interests and, in return, those like Abraham, who demonstrate that God is their first priority, will be blessed as only God can bless.
CCC: Gn 22:1-18 1819; Gn 22:8 2572; Gn 22:11 332; Gn 22:17-19 706
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Genesis 22:1-18*
#41ABC Solemnities ABC Context (Easter Vigil in the Holy Night of Easter)
God put Abraham to the test.
He called to him, "Abraham!"
"Here I am," he replied.
Then God said:
"Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love,
and go to the land of Moriah.
There you shall offer him up as a holocaust
on a height that I will point out to you."
Early the next morning Abraham saddled his donkey,
took with him his son Isaac and two of his servants as well,
and with the wood that he had cut for the holocaust,
set out for the place of which God had told him.
On the third day Abraham got sight of the place from afar.
Then he said to his servants:
"Both of you stay here with the donkey,
while the boy and I go on over yonder.
We will worship and then come back to you."
Thereupon Abraham took the wood for the holocaust
and laid it on his son Isaac's shoulders,
while he himself carried the fire and the knife.
As the two walked on together, Isaac spoke to his father Abraham:
"Father!" Isaac said.
"Yes, son," he replied.
Isaac continued, "Here are the fire and the wood,
but where is the sheep for the holocaust?"
"Son," Abraham answered,
"God himself will provide the sheep for the holocaust."
Then the two continued going forward.
When they came to the place of which God had told him,
Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it.
Next he tied up his son Isaac,
and put him on top of the wood on the altar.
Then he reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.
But the LORD's messenger called to him from heaven,
"Abraham, Abraham!"
"Here I am!" he answered.
"Do not lay your hand on the boy," said the messenger.
"Do not do the least thing to him.
I know now how devoted you are to God,
since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son."
As Abraham looked about,
he spied a ram caught by its horns in the thicket.
So he went and took the ram
and offered it up as a holocaust in place of his son.
Abraham named the site Yahweh-yireh;
hence people now say, On the mountain the LORD will see."
Again the LORD's messenger called to Abraham from heaven and said:
"I swear by myself, declares the LORD,
that because you acted as you did
in not withholding from me your beloved son,
I will bless you abundantly
and make your descendants as countless
as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore;
your descendants shall take possession
of the gates of their enemies,
and in your descendants all the nations of the earth shall find blessing
all this because you obeyed my command."
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Commentary on Gn 22:1-18
Abraham is put to the test to prove his faithfulness to God. He is to offer his son Isaac as a holocaust – an offering completely burnt on the altar. Abraham, though reluctant, is faithful to God and follows his instructions. At the last moment, when God is sure that Abraham has greater love for God than even for his beloved son Isaac, he stops Abraham and “blesses him abundantly,” making him the father of nations. (Note: the use of the term “beloved”: “Only one: uniquely precious, especially loved; therefore the same term is rendered in Genesis 22:12, 17 as 'beloved.'"[15] This connotation is used extensively in the New Testament identifying Jesus as God’s “beloved” son; again, only one and uniquely precious (Matthew 3:17, Matthew 17:5, Mark 9:7, Colossians 1:13)
CCC: Gn 22:1-18 1819; Gn 22:8 2572; Gn 22:11 332; Gn 22:17-19 706
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Or: Genesis 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18
+++
God put Abraham to the test.
He called to him, "Abraham!"
"Here I am," he replied.
Then God said:
"Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love,
and go to the land of Moriah.
There you shall offer him up as a holocaust
on a height that I will point out to you."
When they came to the place of which God had told him,
Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it.
Then he reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.
But the LORD's messenger called to him from heaven,
"Abraham, Abraham!"
"Here I am, " he answered.
"Do not lay your hand on the boy," said the messenger.
"Do not do the least thing to him.
I know now how devoted you are to God,
since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son."
As Abraham looked about,
he spied a ram caught by its horns in the thicket.
So he went and took the ram
and offered it up as a holocaust in place of his son.
Again the LORD's messenger called to Abraham from heaven and said:
"I swear by myself, declares the LORD,
that because you acted as you did
in not withholding from me your beloved son,
I will bless you abundantly
and make your descendants as countless
as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore;
your descendants shall take possession
of the gates of their enemies,
and in your descendants all the nations of the earth shall find blessing
all this because you obeyed my command."
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Commentary on Gn 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18
In this shorter form, Abraham is put to the test. He is to offer his son Isaac as a holocaust – an offering completely burnt on the altar. Abraham, though reluctant, is faithful to God and follows his instructions. At the last moment, when God is sure that Abraham has greater love for God than even for his beloved son Isaac, he stops Abraham and “blesses him abundantly,” making him the father of nations.
CCC: Gn 22:1-18 1819; Gn 22:11 332; Gn 22:17-19 706
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Genesis 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18
#26B Solemnities B Context (2nd Sunday of Lent B)
God put Abraham to the test.
He called to him, "Abraham!"
"Here I am!" he replied.
Then God said:
"Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love,
and go to the land of Moriah.
There you shall offer him up as a holocaust
on a height that I will point out to you."
When they came to the place of which God had told him,
Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it.
Then he reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.
But the LORD's messenger called to him from heaven,
"Abraham, Abraham!"
"Here I am!" he answered.
"Do not lay your hand on the boy," said the messenger.
"Do not do the least thing to him.
I know now how devoted you are to God,
since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son."
As Abraham looked about,
he spied a ram caught by its horns in the thicket.
So he went and took the ram
and offered it up as a holocaust in place of his son.
Again the LORD's messenger called to Abraham from heaven and said:
"I swear by myself, declares the LORD,
that because you acted as you did
in not withholding from me your beloved son,
I will bless you abundantly
and make your descendants as countless
as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore;
your descendants shall take possession
of the gates of their enemies,
and in your descendants all the nations of the earth
shall find blessing—
all this because you obeyed my command."
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Commentary on Gn 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18
In this passage Abraham is put to the test. He is to offer his son Isaac as a holocaust – an offering completely burnt on the altar. Abraham, though reluctant, is faithful to God and follows his instructions. At the last moment, when God is sure that Abraham has greater love for God than even for his beloved son Isaac, he stops Abraham and “blesses him abundantly,” making him the father of nations.
This example demonstrates that God expects those faithful to him to place love and obedience to him above all other worldly interests and loves. In return, those, like Abraham, who demonstrate that God is their first priority, will be blessed as only God can bless.
"Isaac is a type of Christ, for he was a son as Christ was a Son, and he carried the wood of his sacrifice just as the Lord bore the wood of the Cross. (Clement of Alexandria, Christ the Educator 1, 5, 23). The Lord carried his Cross as Isaac carried the wood; and the ram, caught by its horns in the thicket, prefigures Jesus crowned with thorns and then slain in sacrifice (St. Augustine, City of God 16, 32)."[14]
CCC: Gen 22:11 332; Gen 22:17-19 706
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Genesis 22:1-2, 9-13, 15-18
#12L BVM Context (The Blessed Virgin Mary at the Foot of the Cross II, Lent 12)
God put Abraham to the test.
He called to him, "Abraham!"
"Here I am!" he replied.
Then God said:
"Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love,
and go to the land of Moriah.
There you shall offer him up as a holocaust
on a height that I will point out to you."
When Abraham and Isaac came to the place of which God had told him,
Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it.
Next he tied up his son Isaac,
and put him on top of the wood on the altar.
Then he reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.
But the LORD's messenger called to him from heaven,
"Abraham, Abraham!"
"Here I am!" he answered.
"Do not lay your hand on the boy," said the messenger.
"Do not do the least thing to him.
I know now how devoted you are to God,
since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son."
As Abraham looked about,
he spied a ram caught by its horns in the thicket.
So he went and took the ram
and offered it up as a holocaust in place of his son.
Again the LORD's messenger called to Abraham from heaven and said:
"I swear by myself, declares the LORD,
that because you acted as you did
in not withholding from me your beloved son,
I will bless you abundantly
and make your descendants as countless
as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore;
your descendants shall take possession
of the gates of their enemies,
and in your descendants all the nations of the earth
shall find blessing—
all this because you obeyed my command."
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Commentary on Gn 22:1-2, 9-13, 15-18
In this passage Abraham is put to the test. He is to offer his son Isaac as a holocaust – an offering completely burnt on the altar. Abraham, though reluctant, is faithful to God and follows his instructions. At the last moment, when God is sure that Abraham has greater love for God than even his beloved son Isaac, he stops Abraham and “blesses him abundantly,” making him the father of nations.
This example demonstrates that God expects those faithful to him to place love and obedience to him above all other worldly interests and loves. In return, those, like Abraham, who demonstrate that God is their first priority, will be blessed as only God can bless.
CCC: Gen 22:11 332; Gen 22:17-19 706
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Genesis 23:1-4, 19; 24:1-8, 62-67
#381 Weekday Year I Context (Friday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time)
The span of Sarah’s life was one hundred and twenty-seven years.
She died in Kiriatharba (that is, Hebron)
in the land of Canaan,
and Abraham performed the customary mourning rites for her.
Then he left the side of his dead one and addressed the Hittites:
“Although I am a resident alien among you,
sell me from your holdings a piece of property for a burial ground,
that I may bury my dead wife.”
After the transaction, Abraham buried his wife Sarah
in the cave of the field of Machpelah,
facing Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan.
Abraham had now reached a ripe old age,
and the Lord had blessed him in every way.
Abraham said to the senior servant of his household,
who had charge of all his possessions:
“Put your hand under my thigh,
and I will make you swear by the Lord,
the God of heaven and the God of earth,
that you will not procure a wife for my son
from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I live,
but that you will go to my own land and to my kindred
to get a wife for my son Isaac.”
The servant asked him:
“What if the woman is unwilling to follow me to this land?
Should I then take your son back to the land from which you migrated?”
“Never take my son back there for any reason,” Abraham told him.
“The Lord, the God of heaven,
who took me from my father’s house and the land of my kin,
and who confirmed by oath the promise he then made to me,
‘I will give this land to your descendants’–
he will send his messenger before you,
and you will obtain a wife for my son there.
If the woman is unwilling to follow you,
you will be released from this oath.
But never take my son back there!”
A long time later, Isaac went to live in the region of the Negeb.
One day toward evening he went out . . . in the field,
and as he looked around, he noticed that camels were approaching.
Rebekah, too, was looking about, and when she saw him,
she alighted from her camel and asked the servant,
“Who is the man out there, walking through the fields toward us?”
“That is my master,” replied the servant.
Then she covered herself with her veil.
The servant recounted to Isaac all the things he had done.
Then Isaac took Rebekah into his tent;
he married her, and thus she became his wife.
In his love for her, Isaac found solace
after the death of his mother Sarah.
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Commentary on Gn 23:1-4, 19; 24:1-8, 62-67
CCC: Gn 23:4 145
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Genesis 24:48-51, 58-67
#801 Ritual Mass Context (IV. For the Conferral of the Sacrament of Marriage, 3.)
The servant of Abraham said to Laban:
"I bowed down in worship of the LORD,
blessing the LORD, the God of my master Abraham,
wh had Led me on the right road
to obtain the daughter of my master's kinsman for his son.
If, therefore, you have in mind to show true loyalty to my master,
let me know;
but if not, let me know that, too.
I can then proceed accordingly."
Laban and his household said in reply:
"This thing comes from the LORD;
we can say nothing to you either for or against it.
Here is Rebekah, ready for you;
take her with you,
that she may become the wife of your master's son,
as the LORD has said."
So they called Rebekah and asked her,
"Do you wish to go with this man?"
She answered, "I do."
At this they allowed their sister Rebekah and her nurse to take leave,
along with Abraham's servant and his men.
Invoking a blessing on Rebekah, they said:
"Sister, may you grow
into thousands of myriads;
And may your descendants gain possession
of the gates of their enemies!"
Then Rebekah and her maids started out;
they mounted their camels and followed the man.
So the servant took Rebekah and went on his way.
Meanwhile Isaac had gone from Beer-lahai-roi
and was living in the region of the Negeb.
One day toward evening he went out... in the field,
and as he looked around, he noticed that camels were approaching.
Rebekah, too, was looking about, and when she saw him,
she alighted from her camel and asked the servant,
"Who is the man out there, walking through the fields toward us?"
"That is my master," replied the servant.
Then she covered herself with her veil.
The servant recounted to Isaac all the things he had done.
Then Isaac took Rebekah into his tent;
he married her, and thus she became his wife.
In his love for her Isaac found solace
after the death of his mother Sarah.
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Commentary on Gn 24:48-51, 58-67
The various excerpts from Chapters 23 and 24 of Genesis tell the story of the death of Sarah and Abraham’s successful plan to obtain a wife for his son Isaac from the Hebrew community. This passage explains how Rebekah (Rebecca) comes to be Isaac’s wife and how God’s promise to Abraham that his line would endure is fulfilled as Isaac continues to enjoy God’s pleasure. We note that this union was seen as God's will, not simply the desire of the bride and groom. We see the healing mercy that comes from the union as Isaac's grief over the death of his mother is assuaged by the love of Rebekah, an example of God's consolation.
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Genesis 27:1-5, 15-29
#382 Weekday Year I Context (Saturday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time)
When Isaac was so old that his eyesight had failed him,
he called his older son Esau and said to him, "Son!"
"Yes father!" he replied.
Isaac then said, "As you can see, I am so old
that I may now die at any time.
Take your gear, therefore–your quiver and bow–
and go out into the country to hunt some game for me.
With your catch prepare an appetizing dish for me, such as I like,
and bring it to me to eat,
so that I may give you my special blessing before I die."
Rebekah had been listening
while Isaac was speaking to his son Esau.
So, when Esau went out into the country
to hunt some game for his father,
Rebekah [then] took the best clothes of her older son Esau
that she had in the house,
and gave them to her younger son Jacob to wear;
and with the skins of the kids she covered up his hands
and the hairless parts of his neck.
Then she handed her son Jacob the appetizing dish
and the bread she had prepared.
Bringing them to his father, Jacob said, "Father!"
"Yes?" replied Isaac. "Which of my sons are you?"
Jacob answered his father: "I am Esau, your first-born.
I did as you told me.
Please sit up and eat some of my game,
so that you may give me your special blessing."
But Isaac asked, "How did you succeed so quickly, son?"
He answered,
"The LORD, your God, let things turn out well with me."
Isaac then said to Jacob,
"Come closer, son, that I may feel you,
to learn whether you really are my son Esau or not."
So Jacob moved up closer to his father.
When Isaac felt him, he said,
"Although the voice is Jacob's, the hands are Esau's."
(He failed to identify him because his hands were hairy,
like those of his brother Esau;
so in the end he gave him his blessing.)
Again he asked Jacob, "Are you really my son Esau?"
"Certainly," Jacob replied.
Then Isaac said, "Serve me your game, son, that I may eat of it
and then give you my blessing."
Jacob served it to him, and Isaac ate;
he brought him wine, and he drank.
Finally his father Isaac said to Jacob,
"Come closer, son, and kiss me."
As Jacob went up and kissed him,
Isaac smelled the fragrance of his clothes.
With that, he blessed him saying,
"Ah, the fragrance of my son
is like the fragrance of a field
that the LORD has blessed!
"May God give to you
of the dew of the heavens
And of the fertility of the earth
abundance of grain and wine.
"Let peoples serve you,
and nations pay you homage;
Be master of your brothers,
and may your mother's sons bow down to you.
Cursed be those who curse you,
and blessed be those who bless you."
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Commentary on Gn 27:1-5, 15-29
This passage brings us to Isaac’s deathbed. In this selection we hear the plot of Rebecca and Jacob to trick Isaac into giving his final blessing to Jacob, cheating his twin brother Esau out of it. "Here too, as in the case of Isaac (cf. Genesis 21:8-13), the part played by the mother is stressed; she ignores custom, and plays an active part in the furthering of God's plans. The passage also stresses how shrewd the patriarch is by comparison with Esau. Jacob's action is justified in the overall context of the narrative, given that he bought the birthright previously from his brother." [17]
While nothing is said in this passage as to the morality of he means by which Jacob receives this inheritance, his action is condemned in other parts of scripture (see Hosea 12:3 and Jeremiah 9:3). God punishes them for this act by separating Jacob and his mother. This action shows how God takes even the weak and undeserving and uses them to his greater glory.
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Genesis 28:10-22a
#383 Weekday Year I Context (Monday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time)
Jacob departed from Beer-sheba and proceeded toward Haran.
When he came upon a certain shrine, as the sun had already set,
he stopped there for the night.
Taking one of the stones at the shrine, he put it under his head
and lay down to sleep at that spot.
Then he had a dream: a stairway rested on the ground,
with its top reaching to the heavens;
and God's messengers were going up and down on it.
And there was the LORD standing beside him and saying:
"I, the LORD, am the God of your forefather Abraham
and the God of Isaac;
the land on which you are lying
I will give to you and your descendants.
These shall be as plentiful as the dust of the earth,
and through them you shall spread out east and west, north and south.
In you and your descendants
all the nations of the earth shall find blessing.
Know that I am with you;
I will protect you wherever you go,
and bring you back to this land.
I will never leave you until I have done what I promised you."
When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he exclaimed,
"Truly, the LORD is in this spot, although I did not know it!"
In solemn wonder he cried out: "How awesome is this shrine!
This is nothing else but an abode of God,
and that is the gateway to heaven!"
Early the next morning Jacob took the stone
that he had put under his head,
set it up as a memorial stone, and poured oil on top of it.
He called the site Bethel,
whereas the former name of the town had been Luz.
Jacob then made this vow: "If God remains with me,
to protect me on this journey I am making
and to give me enough bread to eat and clothing to wear,
and I come back safe to my father's house, the LORD shall be my God.
This stone that I have set up as a memorial stone shall be God's abode."
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Commentary on Gn 28:10-22a
The story of the first patriarchs of the Jewish people continues with the story of “Jacob’s Dream.” Jacob takes a stone from a shrine at the holy place he later calls Bethel and uses it for a pillow. He has a dream in which God gives him and his descendants the land.
The notion of God being especially present in a specific physical location represents an ancient Jewish belief (shared by many other ancient Near Eastern religions) that God came to earth at “high places,” or special places requiring sacrifice to be offered and altars to be set up. God’s revelation in Christ informs us that God is omnipresent, that is, in all places equally present.
CCC: Gn 28:10-22 2573
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Genesis 28:10-17
#1-2 BVM Appendix Context
Jacob departed from Beer-sheba and proceeded toward Haran.
When he came upon a certain shrine, as the sun had already set,
he stopped there for the night.
Taking one of the stones at the shrine, he put it under his head
and lay down to sleep at that spot.
Then he had a dream: a stairway rested on the ground,
with its top reaching to the heavens;
and God's messengers were going up and down on it.
And there was the LORD standing beside him and saying:
"I, the LORD, am the God of your forefather Abraham
and the God of Isaac;
the land on which you are lying
I will give to you and your descendants.
These shall be as plentiful as the dust of the earth,
and through them you shall spread out east and west, north and south.
In you and your descendants
all the nations of the earth shall find blessing.
Know that I am with you;
I will protect you wherever you go,
and bring you back to this land.
I will never leave you until I have done what I promised you."
When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he exclaimed,
"Truly, the LORD is in this spot, although I did not know it!"
In solemn wonder he cried out: "How awesome is this shrine!
This is nothing else but an abode of God,
and that is the gateway to heaven!"
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Commentary on Gn 28:10-17
The story of the first patriarchs of the Jewish people continues with the story of “Jacob’s Dream.” Jacob takes a stone from a shrine at the holy place he later calls Bethel and uses it for a pillow. He has a dream in which God gives him and his descendants the land.
The notion of God being especially present in a specific physical location represents an ancient Jewish belief (shared by many other ancient near-eastern religions) that God came to earth at “high places” or special places requiring sacrifice to be offered and altars set up. God’s revelation in Christ informs us that God is omnipresent – that is, in all places equally present.
CCC: Gn 28:10-22 2573
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Genesis 28:11-18
#817 Ritual Mass Context (IX. For the Dedication or Blessing of a Church or an Altar, 2. Dedication of an Altar, First Option)
When Jacob came upon a certain shrine, as the sun had already set,
he stopped there for the night.
Taking one of the stones at the shrine, he put it under his head
and lay down to sleep at that spot.
Then he had a dream: a stairway rested on the ground,
with its top reaching to the heavens;
and God's messengers were going up and down on it.
And there was the LORD standing beside him and saying:
"I, the LORD, am the God of your forefather Abraham
and the God of Isaac;
the land on which you are lying
I will give to you and your descendants.
These shall be as plentiful as the dust of the earth,
and through them you shall spread out east and west, north and south.
In you and your descendants
all the nations of the earth shall find blessing.
Know that I am with you;
I will protect you wherever you go,
and bring you back to this land.
I will never leave you until I have done what I promised you."
When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he exclaimed,
"Truly, the LORD is in this spot, although I did not know it!"
In solemn wonder he cried out: "How awesome is this shrine!
This is nothing else but an abode of God,
and that is the gateway to heaven!"
Early the next morning Jacob took the stone
that he had put under his head,
set it up as a memorial stone, and poured oil on top of it.
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Commentary on Gn 28:11-18
The story of the first patriarchs of the Jewish people continues with the story of “Jacob’s Dream.” Jacob takes a stone from a shrine at the holy place he later calls Bethel and uses it for a pillow. He has a dream in which God gives him and his descendants the land.
The notion of God being especially present in a specific physical location represents an ancient Jewish belief (shared by many other ancient near-eastern religions) that God came to earth at “high places” or special places requiring sacrifice to be offered and altars set up. God’s revelation in Christ informs us that God is omnipresent – that is, in all places equally present.
CCC: Gn 28:10-22 2573
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Genesis 32:23-33
#384 Weekday Year I Context (Tuesday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time)
In the course of the night, Jacob arose, took his two wives,
with the two maidservants and his eleven children,
and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.
After he had taken them across the stream
and had brought over all his possessions,
Jacob was left there alone.
Then some man wrestled with him until the break of dawn.
When the man saw that he could not prevail over him,
he struck Jacob's hip at its socket,
so that the hip socket was wrenched as they wrestled.
The man then said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak."
But Jacob said, "I will not let you go until you bless me."
The man asked, "What is your name?"
He answered, "Jacob."
Then the man said,
"You shall no longer be spoken of as Jacob, but as Israel,
because you have contended with divine and human beings
and have prevailed."
Jacob then asked him, "Do tell me your name, please."
He answered, "Why should you want to know my name?"
With that, he bade him farewell.
Jacob named the place Peniel,
"Because I have seen God face to face," he said,
"yet my life has been spared."
At sunrise, as he left Penuel,
Jacob limped along because of his hip.
That is why, to this day, the children of Israel do not eat
the sciatic muscle that is on the hip socket,
inasmuch as Jacob's hip socket was struck at the sciatic muscle.
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Commentary on Gn 32:23-33
In this passage we find Jacob in a wrestling match with an angel of God (while it is not stated in this passage that it is an angel, Hosea 12:5 makes that clear). The match ends in a draw but Jacob takes injury. This mythic battle gives rise to one of the dietary laws regarding eating the sciatic nerve of animals. In the end Jacob receives his blessing and is given the name Israel.
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Genesis 22:1b-19
#380 Weekday Year I Context (Thursday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time)
God put Abraham to the test.
He called to him, "Abraham!"
"Here I am," he replied.
Then God said: "Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love,
and go to the land of Moriah.
There you shall offer him up as a burnt offering
on a height that I will point out to you."
Early the next morning Abraham saddled his donkey,
took with him his son Isaac, and two of his servants as well,
and with the wood that he had cut for the burnt offering,
set out for the place of which God had told him.
On the third day Abraham got sight of the place from afar.
Then he said to his servants: "Both of you stay here with the donkey,
while the boy and I go on over yonder.
We will worship and then come back to you."
Thereupon Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering
and laid it on his son Isaac's shoulders,
while he himself carried the fire and the knife.
As the two walked on together, Isaac spoke to his father Abraham:
"Father!" he said.
"Yes, son," he replied.
Isaac continued, "Here are the fire and the wood,
but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?"
"Son," Abraham answered,
"God himself will provide the sheep for the burnt offering."
Then the two continued going forward.
When they came to the place of which God had told him,
Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it.
Next he tied up his son Isaac,
and put him on top of the wood on the altar.
Then he reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.
But the LORD's messenger called to him from heaven,
"Abraham, Abraham!"
"Here I am," he answered.
"Do not lay your hand on the boy," said the messenger.
"Do not do the least thing to him.
I know now how devoted you are to God,
since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son."
As Abraham looked about,
he spied a ram caught by its horns in the thicket.
So he went and took the ram
and offered it up as a burnt offering in place of his son.
Abraham named the site Yahweh-yireh;
hence people now say, "On the mountain the LORD will see."
Again the LORD's messenger called to Abraham from heaven and said:
"I swear by myself, declares the LORD,
that because you acted as you did
in not withholding from me your beloved son,
I will bless you abundantly
and make your descendants as countless
as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore;
your descendants shall take possession
of the gates of their enemies,
and in your descendants all the nations of the earth
shall find blessing all this because you obeyed my command."
Abraham then returned to his servants,
and they set out together for Beer-sheba,
where Abraham made his home.
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Commentary on Gn 22:1b-19
Abraham is put to the test to prove his faithfulness to God. He is to offer his son Isaac as a holocaust, an offering completely burnt on the altar. Abraham, though reluctant, is faithful to God and follows his instructions. At the last moment, when God is sure that Abraham has greater love for God than even for his beloved son Isaac, he stops Abraham and “blesses him abundantly,” making him the father of nations. (Note: the use of the term “beloved,” “Only one: uniquely precious, especially loved; therefore the same term is rendered in Genesis 22:12, 17 as "beloved." This connotation is used extensively in the New Testament identifying Jesus as God’s “beloved” son, again, only one and uniquely precious (Matthew 3:17, Matthew 17:5, Mark 9:7, Colossians 1:13). In his obedience to the will of God, Abraham is found worthy of the honor God will afford him.
This example demonstrates that God expects those faithful to him to place love and obedience to him above all other worldly interests and, in return, those like Abraham, who demonstrate that God is their first priority, will be blessed as only God can bless.
CCC: Gn 22:1-18 1819; Gn 22:8 2572; Gn 22:11 332; Gn 22:17-19 706
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Genesis 22:1-18*
#41ABC Solemnities ABC Context (Easter Vigil in the Holy Night of Easter)
God put Abraham to the test.
He called to him, "Abraham!"
"Here I am," he replied.
Then God said:
"Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love,
and go to the land of Moriah.
There you shall offer him up as a holocaust
on a height that I will point out to you."
Early the next morning Abraham saddled his donkey,
took with him his son Isaac and two of his servants as well,
and with the wood that he had cut for the holocaust,
set out for the place of which God had told him.
On the third day Abraham got sight of the place from afar.
Then he said to his servants:
"Both of you stay here with the donkey,
while the boy and I go on over yonder.
We will worship and then come back to you."
Thereupon Abraham took the wood for the holocaust
and laid it on his son Isaac's shoulders,
while he himself carried the fire and the knife.
As the two walked on together, Isaac spoke to his father Abraham:
"Father!" Isaac said.
"Yes, son," he replied.
Isaac continued, "Here are the fire and the wood,
but where is the sheep for the holocaust?"
"Son," Abraham answered,
"God himself will provide the sheep for the holocaust."
Then the two continued going forward.
When they came to the place of which God had told him,
Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it.
Next he tied up his son Isaac,
and put him on top of the wood on the altar.
Then he reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.
But the LORD's messenger called to him from heaven,
"Abraham, Abraham!"
"Here I am!" he answered.
"Do not lay your hand on the boy," said the messenger.
"Do not do the least thing to him.
I know now how devoted you are to God,
since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son."
As Abraham looked about,
he spied a ram caught by its horns in the thicket.
So he went and took the ram
and offered it up as a holocaust in place of his son.
Abraham named the site Yahweh-yireh;
hence people now say, On the mountain the LORD will see."
Again the LORD's messenger called to Abraham from heaven and said:
"I swear by myself, declares the LORD,
that because you acted as you did
in not withholding from me your beloved son,
I will bless you abundantly
and make your descendants as countless
as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore;
your descendants shall take possession
of the gates of their enemies,
and in your descendants all the nations of the earth shall find blessing
all this because you obeyed my command."
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Commentary on Gn 22:1-18
Abraham is put to the test to prove his faithfulness to God. He is to offer his son Isaac as a holocaust – an offering completely burnt on the altar. Abraham, though reluctant, is faithful to God and follows his instructions. At the last moment, when God is sure that Abraham has greater love for God than even for his beloved son Isaac, he stops Abraham and “blesses him abundantly,” making him the father of nations. (Note: the use of the term “beloved”: “Only one: uniquely precious, especially loved; therefore the same term is rendered in Genesis 22:12, 17 as 'beloved.'"[15] This connotation is used extensively in the New Testament identifying Jesus as God’s “beloved” son; again, only one and uniquely precious (Matthew 3:17, Matthew 17:5, Mark 9:7, Colossians 1:13)
CCC: Gn 22:1-18 1819; Gn 22:8 2572; Gn 22:11 332; Gn 22:17-19 706
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Or: Genesis 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18
+++
God put Abraham to the test.
He called to him, "Abraham!"
"Here I am," he replied.
Then God said:
"Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love,
and go to the land of Moriah.
There you shall offer him up as a holocaust
on a height that I will point out to you."
When they came to the place of which God had told him,
Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it.
Then he reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.
But the LORD's messenger called to him from heaven,
"Abraham, Abraham!"
"Here I am, " he answered.
"Do not lay your hand on the boy," said the messenger.
"Do not do the least thing to him.
I know now how devoted you are to God,
since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son."
As Abraham looked about,
he spied a ram caught by its horns in the thicket.
So he went and took the ram
and offered it up as a holocaust in place of his son.
Again the LORD's messenger called to Abraham from heaven and said:
"I swear by myself, declares the LORD,
that because you acted as you did
in not withholding from me your beloved son,
I will bless you abundantly
and make your descendants as countless
as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore;
your descendants shall take possession
of the gates of their enemies,
and in your descendants all the nations of the earth shall find blessing
all this because you obeyed my command."
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Commentary on Gn 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18
In this shorter form, Abraham is put to the test. He is to offer his son Isaac as a holocaust – an offering completely burnt on the altar. Abraham, though reluctant, is faithful to God and follows his instructions. At the last moment, when God is sure that Abraham has greater love for God than even for his beloved son Isaac, he stops Abraham and “blesses him abundantly,” making him the father of nations.
CCC: Gn 22:1-18 1819; Gn 22:11 332; Gn 22:17-19 706
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Genesis 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18
#26B Solemnities B Context (2nd Sunday of Lent B)
God put Abraham to the test.
He called to him, "Abraham!"
"Here I am!" he replied.
Then God said:
"Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love,
and go to the land of Moriah.
There you shall offer him up as a holocaust
on a height that I will point out to you."
When they came to the place of which God had told him,
Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it.
Then he reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.
But the LORD's messenger called to him from heaven,
"Abraham, Abraham!"
"Here I am!" he answered.
"Do not lay your hand on the boy," said the messenger.
"Do not do the least thing to him.
I know now how devoted you are to God,
since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son."
As Abraham looked about,
he spied a ram caught by its horns in the thicket.
So he went and took the ram
and offered it up as a holocaust in place of his son.
Again the LORD's messenger called to Abraham from heaven and said:
"I swear by myself, declares the LORD,
that because you acted as you did
in not withholding from me your beloved son,
I will bless you abundantly
and make your descendants as countless
as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore;
your descendants shall take possession
of the gates of their enemies,
and in your descendants all the nations of the earth
shall find blessing—
all this because you obeyed my command."
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Commentary on Gn 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18
In this passage Abraham is put to the test. He is to offer his son Isaac as a holocaust – an offering completely burnt on the altar. Abraham, though reluctant, is faithful to God and follows his instructions. At the last moment, when God is sure that Abraham has greater love for God than even for his beloved son Isaac, he stops Abraham and “blesses him abundantly,” making him the father of nations.
This example demonstrates that God expects those faithful to him to place love and obedience to him above all other worldly interests and loves. In return, those, like Abraham, who demonstrate that God is their first priority, will be blessed as only God can bless.
"Isaac is a type of Christ, for he was a son as Christ was a Son, and he carried the wood of his sacrifice just as the Lord bore the wood of the Cross. (Clement of Alexandria, Christ the Educator 1, 5, 23). The Lord carried his Cross as Isaac carried the wood; and the ram, caught by its horns in the thicket, prefigures Jesus crowned with thorns and then slain in sacrifice (St. Augustine, City of God 16, 32)."[14]
CCC: Gen 22:11 332; Gen 22:17-19 706
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Genesis 22:1-2, 9-13, 15-18
#12L BVM Context (The Blessed Virgin Mary at the Foot of the Cross II, Lent 12)
God put Abraham to the test.
He called to him, "Abraham!"
"Here I am!" he replied.
Then God said:
"Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love,
and go to the land of Moriah.
There you shall offer him up as a holocaust
on a height that I will point out to you."
When Abraham and Isaac came to the place of which God had told him,
Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it.
Next he tied up his son Isaac,
and put him on top of the wood on the altar.
Then he reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.
But the LORD's messenger called to him from heaven,
"Abraham, Abraham!"
"Here I am!" he answered.
"Do not lay your hand on the boy," said the messenger.
"Do not do the least thing to him.
I know now how devoted you are to God,
since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son."
As Abraham looked about,
he spied a ram caught by its horns in the thicket.
So he went and took the ram
and offered it up as a holocaust in place of his son.
Again the LORD's messenger called to Abraham from heaven and said:
"I swear by myself, declares the LORD,
that because you acted as you did
in not withholding from me your beloved son,
I will bless you abundantly
and make your descendants as countless
as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore;
your descendants shall take possession
of the gates of their enemies,
and in your descendants all the nations of the earth
shall find blessing—
all this because you obeyed my command."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Gn 22:1-2, 9-13, 15-18
In this passage Abraham is put to the test. He is to offer his son Isaac as a holocaust – an offering completely burnt on the altar. Abraham, though reluctant, is faithful to God and follows his instructions. At the last moment, when God is sure that Abraham has greater love for God than even his beloved son Isaac, he stops Abraham and “blesses him abundantly,” making him the father of nations.
This example demonstrates that God expects those faithful to him to place love and obedience to him above all other worldly interests and loves. In return, those, like Abraham, who demonstrate that God is their first priority, will be blessed as only God can bless.
CCC: Gen 22:11 332; Gen 22:17-19 706
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Genesis 23:1-4, 19; 24:1-8, 62-67
#381 Weekday Year I Context (Friday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time)
The span of Sarah’s life was one hundred and twenty-seven years.
She died in Kiriatharba (that is, Hebron)
in the land of Canaan,
and Abraham performed the customary mourning rites for her.
Then he left the side of his dead one and addressed the Hittites:
“Although I am a resident alien among you,
sell me from your holdings a piece of property for a burial ground,
that I may bury my dead wife.”
After the transaction, Abraham buried his wife Sarah
in the cave of the field of Machpelah,
facing Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan.
Abraham had now reached a ripe old age,
and the Lord had blessed him in every way.
Abraham said to the senior servant of his household,
who had charge of all his possessions:
“Put your hand under my thigh,
and I will make you swear by the Lord,
the God of heaven and the God of earth,
that you will not procure a wife for my son
from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I live,
but that you will go to my own land and to my kindred
to get a wife for my son Isaac.”
The servant asked him:
“What if the woman is unwilling to follow me to this land?
Should I then take your son back to the land from which you migrated?”
“Never take my son back there for any reason,” Abraham told him.
“The Lord, the God of heaven,
who took me from my father’s house and the land of my kin,
and who confirmed by oath the promise he then made to me,
‘I will give this land to your descendants’–
he will send his messenger before you,
and you will obtain a wife for my son there.
If the woman is unwilling to follow you,
you will be released from this oath.
But never take my son back there!”
A long time later, Isaac went to live in the region of the Negeb.
One day toward evening he went out . . . in the field,
and as he looked around, he noticed that camels were approaching.
Rebekah, too, was looking about, and when she saw him,
she alighted from her camel and asked the servant,
“Who is the man out there, walking through the fields toward us?”
“That is my master,” replied the servant.
Then she covered herself with her veil.
The servant recounted to Isaac all the things he had done.
Then Isaac took Rebekah into his tent;
he married her, and thus she became his wife.
In his love for her, Isaac found solace
after the death of his mother Sarah.
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Commentary on Gn 23:1-4, 19; 24:1-8, 62-67
The various excerpts from Chapters 23 and 24 of
Genesis tell the story of the death of Sarah. “After Eve, Sarah is the first
woman of importance to tread the stage of Genesis. From Cain to Babel, the
primeval history preserves an almost exclusively male orientation; women are
rarely mentioned except as adjuncts to their husbands. But with Sarah we meet a
woman of heroic proportions, worthy grandmother of the nation of Israel. Her
life was far from easy.” [21] Additionally, Sarah was the
only patriarch’s wife whose age and death are recorded.
In chapter 24 the death of Abraham is announced along
with his successful plan to obtain a wife for his son Isaac from the Hebrew
community. His last recorded words are found in the dialogue with his servant. This
passage explains how Rebekah (Rebecca) comes to be Isaac’s wife, and how God’s
promise to Abraham, that his line would endure, is fulfilled as Isaac continues
to enjoy God’s graces and favor.
CCC: Gn 23:4 145
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Genesis 24:48-51, 58-67
#801 Ritual Mass Context (IV. For the Conferral of the Sacrament of Marriage, 3.)
The servant of Abraham said to Laban:
"I bowed down in worship of the LORD,
blessing the LORD, the God of my master Abraham,
wh had Led me on the right road
to obtain the daughter of my master's kinsman for his son.
If, therefore, you have in mind to show true loyalty to my master,
let me know;
but if not, let me know that, too.
I can then proceed accordingly."
Laban and his household said in reply:
"This thing comes from the LORD;
we can say nothing to you either for or against it.
Here is Rebekah, ready for you;
take her with you,
that she may become the wife of your master's son,
as the LORD has said."
So they called Rebekah and asked her,
"Do you wish to go with this man?"
She answered, "I do."
At this they allowed their sister Rebekah and her nurse to take leave,
along with Abraham's servant and his men.
Invoking a blessing on Rebekah, they said:
"Sister, may you grow
into thousands of myriads;
And may your descendants gain possession
of the gates of their enemies!"
Then Rebekah and her maids started out;
they mounted their camels and followed the man.
So the servant took Rebekah and went on his way.
Meanwhile Isaac had gone from Beer-lahai-roi
and was living in the region of the Negeb.
One day toward evening he went out... in the field,
and as he looked around, he noticed that camels were approaching.
Rebekah, too, was looking about, and when she saw him,
she alighted from her camel and asked the servant,
"Who is the man out there, walking through the fields toward us?"
"That is my master," replied the servant.
Then she covered herself with her veil.
The servant recounted to Isaac all the things he had done.
Then Isaac took Rebekah into his tent;
he married her, and thus she became his wife.
In his love for her Isaac found solace
after the death of his mother Sarah.
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Commentary on Gn 24:48-51, 58-67
The various excerpts from Chapters 23 and 24 of Genesis tell the story of the death of Sarah and Abraham’s successful plan to obtain a wife for his son Isaac from the Hebrew community. This passage explains how Rebekah (Rebecca) comes to be Isaac’s wife and how God’s promise to Abraham that his line would endure is fulfilled as Isaac continues to enjoy God’s pleasure. We note that this union was seen as God's will, not simply the desire of the bride and groom. We see the healing mercy that comes from the union as Isaac's grief over the death of his mother is assuaged by the love of Rebekah, an example of God's consolation.
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Genesis 27:1-5, 15-29
#382 Weekday Year I Context (Saturday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time)
When Isaac was so old that his eyesight had failed him,
he called his older son Esau and said to him, "Son!"
"Yes father!" he replied.
Isaac then said, "As you can see, I am so old
that I may now die at any time.
Take your gear, therefore–your quiver and bow–
and go out into the country to hunt some game for me.
With your catch prepare an appetizing dish for me, such as I like,
and bring it to me to eat,
so that I may give you my special blessing before I die."
Rebekah had been listening
while Isaac was speaking to his son Esau.
So, when Esau went out into the country
to hunt some game for his father,
Rebekah [then] took the best clothes of her older son Esau
that she had in the house,
and gave them to her younger son Jacob to wear;
and with the skins of the kids she covered up his hands
and the hairless parts of his neck.
Then she handed her son Jacob the appetizing dish
and the bread she had prepared.
Bringing them to his father, Jacob said, "Father!"
"Yes?" replied Isaac. "Which of my sons are you?"
Jacob answered his father: "I am Esau, your first-born.
I did as you told me.
Please sit up and eat some of my game,
so that you may give me your special blessing."
But Isaac asked, "How did you succeed so quickly, son?"
He answered,
"The LORD, your God, let things turn out well with me."
Isaac then said to Jacob,
"Come closer, son, that I may feel you,
to learn whether you really are my son Esau or not."
So Jacob moved up closer to his father.
When Isaac felt him, he said,
"Although the voice is Jacob's, the hands are Esau's."
(He failed to identify him because his hands were hairy,
like those of his brother Esau;
so in the end he gave him his blessing.)
Again he asked Jacob, "Are you really my son Esau?"
"Certainly," Jacob replied.
Then Isaac said, "Serve me your game, son, that I may eat of it
and then give you my blessing."
Jacob served it to him, and Isaac ate;
he brought him wine, and he drank.
Finally his father Isaac said to Jacob,
"Come closer, son, and kiss me."
As Jacob went up and kissed him,
Isaac smelled the fragrance of his clothes.
With that, he blessed him saying,
"Ah, the fragrance of my son
is like the fragrance of a field
that the LORD has blessed!
"May God give to you
of the dew of the heavens
And of the fertility of the earth
abundance of grain and wine.
"Let peoples serve you,
and nations pay you homage;
Be master of your brothers,
and may your mother's sons bow down to you.
Cursed be those who curse you,
and blessed be those who bless you."
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Commentary on Gn 27:1-5, 15-29
This passage brings us to Isaac’s deathbed. In this selection we hear the plot of Rebecca and Jacob to trick Isaac into giving his final blessing to Jacob, cheating his twin brother Esau out of it. "Here too, as in the case of Isaac (cf. Genesis 21:8-13), the part played by the mother is stressed; she ignores custom, and plays an active part in the furthering of God's plans. The passage also stresses how shrewd the patriarch is by comparison with Esau. Jacob's action is justified in the overall context of the narrative, given that he bought the birthright previously from his brother." [17]
While nothing is said in this passage as to the morality of he means by which Jacob receives this inheritance, his action is condemned in other parts of scripture (see Hosea 12:3 and Jeremiah 9:3). God punishes them for this act by separating Jacob and his mother. This action shows how God takes even the weak and undeserving and uses them to his greater glory.
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Genesis 28:10-22a
#383 Weekday Year I Context (Monday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time)
Jacob departed from Beer-sheba and proceeded toward Haran.
When he came upon a certain shrine, as the sun had already set,
he stopped there for the night.
Taking one of the stones at the shrine, he put it under his head
and lay down to sleep at that spot.
Then he had a dream: a stairway rested on the ground,
with its top reaching to the heavens;
and God's messengers were going up and down on it.
And there was the LORD standing beside him and saying:
"I, the LORD, am the God of your forefather Abraham
and the God of Isaac;
the land on which you are lying
I will give to you and your descendants.
These shall be as plentiful as the dust of the earth,
and through them you shall spread out east and west, north and south.
In you and your descendants
all the nations of the earth shall find blessing.
Know that I am with you;
I will protect you wherever you go,
and bring you back to this land.
I will never leave you until I have done what I promised you."
When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he exclaimed,
"Truly, the LORD is in this spot, although I did not know it!"
In solemn wonder he cried out: "How awesome is this shrine!
This is nothing else but an abode of God,
and that is the gateway to heaven!"
Early the next morning Jacob took the stone
that he had put under his head,
set it up as a memorial stone, and poured oil on top of it.
He called the site Bethel,
whereas the former name of the town had been Luz.
Jacob then made this vow: "If God remains with me,
to protect me on this journey I am making
and to give me enough bread to eat and clothing to wear,
and I come back safe to my father's house, the LORD shall be my God.
This stone that I have set up as a memorial stone shall be God's abode."
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Commentary on Gn 28:10-22a
The story of the first patriarchs of the Jewish people continues with the story of “Jacob’s Dream.” Jacob takes a stone from a shrine at the holy place he later calls Bethel and uses it for a pillow. He has a dream in which God gives him and his descendants the land.
The notion of God being especially present in a specific physical location represents an ancient Jewish belief (shared by many other ancient Near Eastern religions) that God came to earth at “high places,” or special places requiring sacrifice to be offered and altars to be set up. God’s revelation in Christ informs us that God is omnipresent, that is, in all places equally present.
CCC: Gn 28:10-22 2573
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Genesis 28:10-17
#1-2 BVM Appendix Context
Jacob departed from Beer-sheba and proceeded toward Haran.
When he came upon a certain shrine, as the sun had already set,
he stopped there for the night.
Taking one of the stones at the shrine, he put it under his head
and lay down to sleep at that spot.
Then he had a dream: a stairway rested on the ground,
with its top reaching to the heavens;
and God's messengers were going up and down on it.
And there was the LORD standing beside him and saying:
"I, the LORD, am the God of your forefather Abraham
and the God of Isaac;
the land on which you are lying
I will give to you and your descendants.
These shall be as plentiful as the dust of the earth,
and through them you shall spread out east and west, north and south.
In you and your descendants
all the nations of the earth shall find blessing.
Know that I am with you;
I will protect you wherever you go,
and bring you back to this land.
I will never leave you until I have done what I promised you."
When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he exclaimed,
"Truly, the LORD is in this spot, although I did not know it!"
In solemn wonder he cried out: "How awesome is this shrine!
This is nothing else but an abode of God,
and that is the gateway to heaven!"
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Commentary on Gn 28:10-17
The story of the first patriarchs of the Jewish people continues with the story of “Jacob’s Dream.” Jacob takes a stone from a shrine at the holy place he later calls Bethel and uses it for a pillow. He has a dream in which God gives him and his descendants the land.
The notion of God being especially present in a specific physical location represents an ancient Jewish belief (shared by many other ancient near-eastern religions) that God came to earth at “high places” or special places requiring sacrifice to be offered and altars set up. God’s revelation in Christ informs us that God is omnipresent – that is, in all places equally present.
CCC: Gn 28:10-22 2573
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Genesis 28:11-18
#817 Ritual Mass Context (IX. For the Dedication or Blessing of a Church or an Altar, 2. Dedication of an Altar, First Option)
When Jacob came upon a certain shrine, as the sun had already set,
he stopped there for the night.
Taking one of the stones at the shrine, he put it under his head
and lay down to sleep at that spot.
Then he had a dream: a stairway rested on the ground,
with its top reaching to the heavens;
and God's messengers were going up and down on it.
And there was the LORD standing beside him and saying:
"I, the LORD, am the God of your forefather Abraham
and the God of Isaac;
the land on which you are lying
I will give to you and your descendants.
These shall be as plentiful as the dust of the earth,
and through them you shall spread out east and west, north and south.
In you and your descendants
all the nations of the earth shall find blessing.
Know that I am with you;
I will protect you wherever you go,
and bring you back to this land.
I will never leave you until I have done what I promised you."
When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he exclaimed,
"Truly, the LORD is in this spot, although I did not know it!"
In solemn wonder he cried out: "How awesome is this shrine!
This is nothing else but an abode of God,
and that is the gateway to heaven!"
Early the next morning Jacob took the stone
that he had put under his head,
set it up as a memorial stone, and poured oil on top of it.
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Commentary on Gn 28:11-18
The story of the first patriarchs of the Jewish people continues with the story of “Jacob’s Dream.” Jacob takes a stone from a shrine at the holy place he later calls Bethel and uses it for a pillow. He has a dream in which God gives him and his descendants the land.
The notion of God being especially present in a specific physical location represents an ancient Jewish belief (shared by many other ancient near-eastern religions) that God came to earth at “high places” or special places requiring sacrifice to be offered and altars set up. God’s revelation in Christ informs us that God is omnipresent – that is, in all places equally present.
CCC: Gn 28:10-22 2573
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Genesis 32:23-33
#384 Weekday Year I Context (Tuesday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time)
In the course of the night, Jacob arose, took his two wives,
with the two maidservants and his eleven children,
and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.
After he had taken them across the stream
and had brought over all his possessions,
Jacob was left there alone.
Then some man wrestled with him until the break of dawn.
When the man saw that he could not prevail over him,
he struck Jacob's hip at its socket,
so that the hip socket was wrenched as they wrestled.
The man then said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak."
But Jacob said, "I will not let you go until you bless me."
The man asked, "What is your name?"
He answered, "Jacob."
Then the man said,
"You shall no longer be spoken of as Jacob, but as Israel,
because you have contended with divine and human beings
and have prevailed."
Jacob then asked him, "Do tell me your name, please."
He answered, "Why should you want to know my name?"
With that, he bade him farewell.
Jacob named the place Peniel,
"Because I have seen God face to face," he said,
"yet my life has been spared."
At sunrise, as he left Penuel,
Jacob limped along because of his hip.
That is why, to this day, the children of Israel do not eat
the sciatic muscle that is on the hip socket,
inasmuch as Jacob's hip socket was struck at the sciatic muscle.
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Commentary on Gn 32:23-33
In this passage we find Jacob in a wrestling match with an angel of God (while it is not stated in this passage that it is an angel, Hosea 12:5 makes that clear). The match ends in a draw but Jacob takes injury. This mythic battle gives rise to one of the dietary laws regarding eating the sciatic nerve of animals. In the end Jacob receives his blessing and is given the name Israel.
"In the context of the narrative the sacred writer explains what the name Israel means--"he who has striven with God". This shows one of the key features of the personality of the father of the chosen people--his struggle to hold on to God, trying to discover his name and obtain his blessing. This is also a defining feature of the religious nature of the people of God." [26]
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Genesis 35:1-4, 6-7a
#751 Ritual Mass Context (I. For the Conferral of Christian Initiation, 1. Christian Initiation Apart from the Easter Vigil, 3.)
God said to Jacob: "Go up now to Bethel.
Settle there and build an altar there to the God
who appeared to you while you were fleeing from your brother Esau."
So Jacob told his family and all the others who were with him:
"Get rid of the foreign gods that you have among you;
then purify yourselves and put on fresh clothes.
We are now to go up to Bethel,
and I will build an altar there to the God who answered me
in my hour of distress
and who has been with me wherever I have gone."
They therefore handed over to Jacob
all the foreign gods in their possession
and also the rings they had in their ears.
Thus Jacob and all the people who were with him arrived in Luz,
that is, Bethel, in the land of Canaan.
There he built an altar and named the place Bethel.
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Commentary on Gn 35:1-4, 6-7a
Jacob received the command by God to take all of his people to Bethel ("house of God" in Hebrew). There he is to set up an altar. This will be the second time an altar has been consecrated at this place by Jacob. The first time was on the occasion of his dream (Genesis 28:18-22). This pilgrimage rededicates Jacob's people to God as he insures they have renounced all foreign gods and returned to the Lord in fidelity. The altar Jacob will consecrate provides a focal point, reminding the people of God's mercy and constant presence among them.
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Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a
#234 Weekday Years I & II Context (Friday of the Second Week of Lent)
Israel loved Joseph best of all his sons,
for he was the child of his old age;
and he had made him a long tunic.
When his brothers saw that their father loved him best of all his sons,
they hated him so much that they would not even greet him.
One day, when his brothers had gone
to pasture their father’s flocks at Shechem,
Israel said to Joseph,
“Your brothers, you know, are tending our flocks at Shechem.
Get ready; I will send you to them.”
So Joseph went after his brothers and caught up with them in Dothan.
They noticed him from a distance,
and before he came up to them, they plotted to kill him.
They said to one another: “Here comes that master dreamer!
Come on, let us kill him and throw him into one of the cisterns here;
we could say that a wild beast devoured him.
We shall then see what comes of his dreams.”
When Reuben heard this,
he tried to save him from their hands, saying,
“We must not take his life.
Instead of shedding blood,” he continued,
“just throw him into that cistern there in the desert;
but do not kill him outright.”
His purpose was to rescue him from their hands
and return him to his father.
So when Joseph came up to them,
they stripped him of the long tunic he had on;
then they took him and threw him into the cistern,
which was empty and dry.
They then sat down to their meal.
Looking up, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead,
their camels laden with gum, balm and resin
to be taken down to Egypt.
Judah said to his brothers:
“What is to be gained by killing our brother and concealing his blood?
Rather, let us sell him to these Ishmaelites,
instead of doing away with him ourselves.
After all, he is our brother, our own flesh.”
His brothers agreed.
They sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver.
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Commentary on Gn 37:3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a
This is the final storyline from Genesis. It is the story of Joseph, the son of Israel, being taken and sold into slavery by his brothers.
"Joseph's brothers sell him into slavery. Ch. 37 begins the story of Joseph, a figure who dominates most of the remaining narrative in Genesis. In structure, the Joseph story is quite different from the preceding material centering on Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Whereas the latter takes the form, predominantly, of small, self-contained passages, the story of Joseph resembles a coherent novella, with a subtle and well-crafted plot.
"Its theology, too, is different. Whereas the patriarchal narrative is replete with appearances of God or His messengers, and oracles from them, Joseph never sees or hears God or His messengers [...] Rather, God works here in a hidden way, secretly guiding the course of human events, even bringing good out of human evil (50.20).
"Lastly, whereas the stories of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob take place in Canaan and Mesopotamia, the novella of Joseph and his brothers takes place mostly in Egypt. The events that result in the return to the promised land will begin only after Joseph's death."[7]
The story is actually told by both authors of Genesis, the Yahwehist and the Elohist, and there are some inconsistencies as a result (specifically which brother tried to save him). On the main points they agree. Instead of killing Joseph as they had initially intended, they sold him to Ishmaelites (Arabs) who took him as a slave to Egypt.
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Genesis 41:55-57; 42:5-7a, 17-24a
#385 Weekday Year I Context (Wednesday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time)
When hunger came to be felt throughout the land of Egypt
and the people cried to Pharaoh
for bread,
Pharaoh directed all the Egyptians to go to Joseph
and do whatever he told them.
When the famine had spread throughout the land,
Joseph opened all the cities that had grain
and rationed it to the Egyptians,
since the famine had gripped the land of Egypt.
In fact, all the world came to Joseph to obtain rations of grain,
for famine had gripped the whole world.
The sons of Israel were among those
who came to procure rations.
It was Joseph, as governor of the country,
who dispensed the rations to all the people.
When Joseph's brothers came and knelt down before him
with their faces to the ground,
he recognized them as soon as he saw them.
But Joseph concealed his own identity from them
and spoke sternly to them.
With that, he locked them up in the guardhouse for three days.
On the third day Joseph said to his brothers:
"Do this, and you shall live; for I am a God-fearing man.
If you have been honest,
only one of your brothers need be confined in this prison,
while the rest of you may go
and take home provisions for your starving families.
But you must come back to me with your youngest brother.
Your words will thus be verified, and you will not die."
To this they agreed.
To one another, however, they said:
"Alas, we are being punished because of our brother.
We saw the anguish of his heart when he pleaded with us,
yet we paid no heed;
that is why this anguish has now come upon us."
Reuben broke in,
"Did I not tell you not to do wrong to the boy?
But you would not listen!
Now comes the reckoning for his blood."
The brothers did not know, of course,
that Joseph understood what they said,
since he spoke with them through an interpreter.
But turning away from them, he wept.
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Commentary on Gn 41:55-57; 42:5-7a, 17-24a
We take up the story of Joseph, the youngest son of Jacob, in midstream. Joseph’s brothers are in Egypt asking Joseph for rations though they do not recognize him. At this point in the story, they had already sold Joseph into slavery out of jealousy and told his father he was dead. Now they are forced to deal with their guilt as they must decide their own fate, unknowingly at the feet of the brother they had wronged. For the first time, Joseph understands their motives and weeps. For their part, the brothers begin to sense divine retribution for the wrong they had done to Joseph.
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Genesis 44:18-21, 23b-29; 45:1-5
#386 Weekday Year I Context (Thursday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time)
Judah approached Joseph and said: "I beg you, my lord,
let your servant speak earnestly to my lord,
and do not become angry with your servant,
for you are the equal of Pharaoh.
My lord asked your servants, 'Have you a father, or another brother?'
So we said to my lord, 'We have an aged father,
and a young brother, the child of his old age.
This one's full brother is dead,
and since he is the only one by that mother who is left,
his father dotes on him.'
Then you told your servants,
'Bring him down to me that my eyes may look on him.
Unless your youngest brother comes back with you,
you shall not come into my presence again.'
When we returned to your servant our father,
we reported to him the words of my lord.
"Later, our father told us to come back and buy some food for the family.
So we reminded him, 'We cannot go down there;
only if our youngest brother is with us can we go,
for we may not see the man if our youngest brother is not with us.'
Then your servant our father said to us,
'As you know, my wife bore me two sons.
One of them, however, disappeared, and I had to conclude
that he must have been torn to pieces by wild beasts;
I have not seen him since.
If you now take this one away from me, too,
and some disaster befalls him,
you will send my white head down to the nether world in grief.'"
Joseph could no longer control himself
in the presence of all his attendants,
so he cried out, "Have everyone withdraw from me!"
Thus no one else was about when he made himself known to his brothers.
But his sobs were so loud that the Egyptians heard him,
and so the news reached Pharaoh's palace.
"I am Joseph," he said to his brothers.
"Is my father still in good health?"
But his brothers could give him no answer,
so dumbfounded were they at him.
"Come closer to me," he told his brothers.
When they had done so, he said:
"I am your brother Joseph, whom you once sold into Egypt.
But now do not be distressed,
and do not reproach yourselves for having sold me here.
It was really for the sake of saving lives
that God sent me here ahead of you."
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Commentary on Gn 44:18-21, 23b-29; 45:1-5
Joseph punishes his bothers for having sold him into slavery by tricking them into bringing Benjamin, their youngest brother, who had taken Joseph’s place as the apple of his father’s eye. When he confronts them and sees their willingness to protect and save Benjamin, he reveals himself to them. Joseph tells his brothers that, in selling him to Egypt, they did God’s will since through him many lives were saved.
"The episode begins and ends with Jacob or Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. It is he who suggests at the beginning a trip to Egypt to “buy a little food”; it is he who finally agrees to go down himself “to see my son Joseph before I die” (43:2; 45:28). He is still the patriarchal head of his extended family, who takes the initiative and makes the ultimate decision to send Benjamin and later to move to Egypt, but in other respects he is very much yesterday’s man. He is still living in the past, now lavishing all his love on Benjamin as formerly he did on Joseph, still regarding Rachel as his only wife, still mourning the death of Joseph (44:27–30), and still mistrustful of his other sons (43:6; 45:26). Yet eventually he concedes what they request, permission for Benjamin to accompany them to Egypt. Though this concession is wrung out of him reluctantly, he then takes charge, trusting as he did with Esau that a large present and divine grace will make 'the man' merciful (43:11–14)." [27]
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Genesis 46:1-7, 28-30
#387 Weekday Year I Context (Friday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time)
Israel set out with all that was his.
When he arrived at Beer-sheba,
he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.
There God, speaking to Israel in a vision by night, called,
"Jacob! Jacob!"
He answered, "Here I am."
Then he said: "I am God, the God of your father.
Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt,
for there I will make you a great nation.
Not only will I go down to Egypt with you;
I will also bring you back here, after Joseph has closed your eyes."
So Jacob departed from Beer-sheba,
and the sons of Israel
put their father and their wives and children
on the wagons that Pharaoh had sent for his transport.
They took with them their livestock
and the possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan.
Thus Jacob and all his descendants migrated to Egypt.
His sons and his grandsons, his daughters and his granddaughters—
all his descendants—he took with him to Egypt.
Israel had sent Judah ahead to Joseph,
so that he might meet him in Goshen.
On his arrival in the region of Goshen,
Joseph hitched the horses to his chariot
and rode to meet his father Israel in Goshen.
As soon as Joseph saw him, he flung himself on his neck
and wept a long time in his arms.
And Israel said to Joseph, "At last I can die,
now that I have seen for myself that Joseph is still alive."
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Commentary on Gn 46:1-7, 28-30
"Jacob goes down to Egypt forced by the famine which is ravaging the land of Canaan (cf. Genesis 47:4). The Lord has prepared the way for him by means of a series of painful events and a series of tests whose meaning is now plain to see." [18]
"Jacob's status is not reduced by his going into Egypt; on the contrary, it is enhanced and underlined: 'For, what does he need if God goes with him? [...] Who is as powerful in his homeland as Jacob was in a strange country? Who had such abundance of wealth, as he had in a time of famine? Who was as strong in his youth, as this man was in his old age? [...] Who was as rich in his kingdom, as this man on his pilgrimage? He even blessed kings [...], and who will call him poor whom the world was not worthy to know? for his company was in heaven, (St. Ambrose, 'De Iacob Et Vita Beata', 2, 9. 38)."[19]
After being told years earlier that his son Joseph had been killed and been shown the bloodied coat he had given Joseph (Genesis 37:20-36), Jacob (Israel) and his son are reunited and the promise of God is fulfilled. Jacob travels to Egypt on God’s reassurance that he will not only be returned to the land he had been given, but that Joseph would “close his eyes,” a burial ritual.
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Genesis 49:2, 8-10
#193 Weekday I & II Context (December 17th of Advent)
Jacob called his sons and said to them:
“Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob,
listen to Israel, your father.
“You, Judah, shall your brothers praise
–your hand on the neck of your enemies;
the sons of your father shall bow down to you.
Judah, like a lion’s whelp,
you have grown up on prey, my son.
He crouches like a lion recumbent,
the king of beasts–who would dare rouse him?
The scepter shall never depart from Judah,
or the mace from between his legs,
While tribute is brought to him,
and he receives the people’s homage.”
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Commentary on Gn 49:2, 8-10
To set the context of this reading, Jacob (also known as “Israel,” son of Isaac, son of Abraham) is on his deathbed. He calls his sons to him and begins to speak to them prophetically, telling them what they will accomplish. After going through Reuben, Simeon, and Levi he comes to Judah. Judah, we hear, will be praised by his older brothers and his line shall produce kings over the land. This reading from Genesis is traditionally viewed as the beginning of the genealogy that leads first to King David and ultimately to the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ. The final verse (v.10) in Hebrew text is interpreted, "until he comes to whom it belongs."
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Genesis 46:1-7, 28-30
#387 Weekday Year I Context (Friday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time)
Israel set out with all that was his.
When he arrived at Beer-sheba,
he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.
There God, speaking to Israel in a vision by night, called,
"Jacob! Jacob!"
He answered, "Here I am."
Then he said: "I am God, the God of your father.
Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt,
for there I will make you a great nation.
Not only will I go down to Egypt with you;
I will also bring you back here, after Joseph has closed your eyes."
So Jacob departed from Beer-sheba,
and the sons of Israel
put their father and their wives and children
on the wagons that Pharaoh had sent for his transport.
They took with them their livestock
and the possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan.
Thus Jacob and all his descendants migrated to Egypt.
His sons and his grandsons, his daughters and his granddaughters—
all his descendants—he took with him to Egypt.
Israel had sent Judah ahead to Joseph,
so that he might meet him in Goshen.
On his arrival in the region of Goshen,
Joseph hitched the horses to his chariot
and rode to meet his father Israel in Goshen.
As soon as Joseph saw him, he flung himself on his neck
and wept a long time in his arms.
And Israel said to Joseph, "At last I can die,
now that I have seen for myself that Joseph is still alive."
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Commentary on Gn 46:1-7, 28-30
"Jacob goes down to Egypt forced by the famine which is ravaging the land of Canaan (cf. Genesis 47:4). The Lord has prepared the way for him by means of a series of painful events and a series of tests whose meaning is now plain to see." [18]
"Jacob's status is not reduced by his going into Egypt; on the contrary, it is enhanced and underlined: 'For, what does he need if God goes with him? [...] Who is as powerful in his homeland as Jacob was in a strange country? Who had such abundance of wealth, as he had in a time of famine? Who was as strong in his youth, as this man was in his old age? [...] Who was as rich in his kingdom, as this man on his pilgrimage? He even blessed kings [...], and who will call him poor whom the world was not worthy to know? for his company was in heaven, (St. Ambrose, 'De Iacob Et Vita Beata', 2, 9. 38)."[19]
After being told years earlier that his son Joseph had been killed and been shown the bloodied coat he had given Joseph (Genesis 37:20-36), Jacob (Israel) and his son are reunited and the promise of God is fulfilled. Jacob travels to Egypt on God’s reassurance that he will not only be returned to the land he had been given, but that Joseph would “close his eyes,” a burial ritual.
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Genesis 49:2, 8-10
#193 Weekday I & II Context (December 17th of Advent)
Jacob called his sons and said to them:
“Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob,
listen to Israel, your father.
“You, Judah, shall your brothers praise
–your hand on the neck of your enemies;
the sons of your father shall bow down to you.
Judah, like a lion’s whelp,
you have grown up on prey, my son.
He crouches like a lion recumbent,
the king of beasts–who would dare rouse him?
The scepter shall never depart from Judah,
or the mace from between his legs,
While tribute is brought to him,
and he receives the people’s homage.”
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Commentary on Gn 49:2, 8-10
To set the context of this reading, Jacob (also known as “Israel,” son of Isaac, son of Abraham) is on his deathbed. He calls his sons to him and begins to speak to them prophetically, telling them what they will accomplish. After going through Reuben, Simeon, and Levi he comes to Judah. Judah, we hear, will be praised by his older brothers and his line shall produce kings over the land. This reading from Genesis is traditionally viewed as the beginning of the genealogy that leads first to King David and ultimately to the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ. The final verse (v.10) in Hebrew text is interpreted, "until he comes to whom it belongs."
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Genesis 49:29-32; 50:15-26a
#388 Weekday Year I Context (Saturday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time)
Jacob gave his sons this charge:
"Since I am about to be taken to my people,
bury me with my fathers in the cave that lies
in the field of Ephron the Hittite,
the cave in the field of Machpelah,
facing on Mamre, in the land of Canaan,
the field that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite
for a burial ground.
There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried,
and so are Isaac and his wife Rebekah,
and there, too, I buried Leah–
the field and the cave in it
that had been purchased from the Hittites."
Now that their father was dead,
Joseph's brothers became fearful and thought,
"Suppose Joseph has been nursing a grudge against us
and now plans to pay us back in full for all the wrong we did him!"
So they approached Joseph and said:
"Before your father died, he gave us these instructions:
'You shall say to Joseph, Jacob begs you
to forgive the criminal wrongdoing of your brothers,
who treated you so cruelly.'
Please, therefore, forgive the crime that we,
the servants of your father's God, committed."
When they spoke these words to him, Joseph broke into tears.
Then his brothers proceeded to fling themselves down before him
and said, "Let us be your slaves!"
But Joseph replied to them:
"Have no fear. Can I take the place of God?
Even though you meant harm to me, God meant it for good,
to achieve his present end, the survival of many people.
Therefore have no fear.
I will provide for you and for your children."
By thus speaking kindly to them, he reassured them.
Joseph remained in Egypt, together with his father's family.
He lived a hundred and ten years.
He saw Ephraim's children to the third generation,
and the children of Manasseh's son Machir
were also born on Joseph's knees.
Joseph said to his brothers: "I am about to die.
God will surely take care of you and lead you out of this land to the land
that he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."
Then, putting the sons of Israel under oath, he continued,
"When God thus takes care of you,
you must bring my bones up with you from this place."
Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten.
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Commentary on Gn 49:29-32; 50:15-26a
In the passage from Genesis today we hear the final chapters of the life of Jacob and then Joseph. We see, following the death of Jacob, the fidelity of Joseph to God’s rule as he forgoes any thoughts of retribution against those brothers of his who had sold him into slavery. God’s plan was clearly revealed and the actions of Joseph’s brothers were forgiven. The line of Abraham continues as Joseph, on his deathbed, predicts the exodus from the land of Egypt to come. (“God will surely take care of you and lead you out of this land to the land that he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.")
CCC: Gn 50:20 312
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#388 Weekday Year I Context (Saturday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time)
Jacob gave his sons this charge:
"Since I am about to be taken to my people,
bury me with my fathers in the cave that lies
in the field of Ephron the Hittite,
the cave in the field of Machpelah,
facing on Mamre, in the land of Canaan,
the field that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite
for a burial ground.
There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried,
and so are Isaac and his wife Rebekah,
and there, too, I buried Leah–
the field and the cave in it
that had been purchased from the Hittites."
Now that their father was dead,
Joseph's brothers became fearful and thought,
"Suppose Joseph has been nursing a grudge against us
and now plans to pay us back in full for all the wrong we did him!"
So they approached Joseph and said:
"Before your father died, he gave us these instructions:
'You shall say to Joseph, Jacob begs you
to forgive the criminal wrongdoing of your brothers,
who treated you so cruelly.'
Please, therefore, forgive the crime that we,
the servants of your father's God, committed."
When they spoke these words to him, Joseph broke into tears.
Then his brothers proceeded to fling themselves down before him
and said, "Let us be your slaves!"
But Joseph replied to them:
"Have no fear. Can I take the place of God?
Even though you meant harm to me, God meant it for good,
to achieve his present end, the survival of many people.
Therefore have no fear.
I will provide for you and for your children."
By thus speaking kindly to them, he reassured them.
Joseph remained in Egypt, together with his father's family.
He lived a hundred and ten years.
He saw Ephraim's children to the third generation,
and the children of Manasseh's son Machir
were also born on Joseph's knees.
Joseph said to his brothers: "I am about to die.
God will surely take care of you and lead you out of this land to the land
that he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."
Then, putting the sons of Israel under oath, he continued,
"When God thus takes care of you,
you must bring my bones up with you from this place."
Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten.
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Commentary on Gn 49:29-32; 50:15-26a
In the passage from Genesis today we hear the final chapters of the life of Jacob and then Joseph. We see, following the death of Jacob, the fidelity of Joseph to God’s rule as he forgoes any thoughts of retribution against those brothers of his who had sold him into slavery. God’s plan was clearly revealed and the actions of Joseph’s brothers were forgiven. The line of Abraham continues as Joseph, on his deathbed, predicts the exodus from the land of Egypt to come. (“God will surely take care of you and lead you out of this land to the land that he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.")
CCC: Gn 50:20 312
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[1] Vatican II, "Gaudium et spes", 50
[2] See NAB footnote on Genesis 9:4
[3] The Navarre Bible: “Pentateuch”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, p. 51
[4] The Navarre Bible: “Pentateuch”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, p. 86[5] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible - Genesis, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 2010, p. 39
[6] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible - Genesis, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 2010, p. 20
[7] The Jewish Study Bible, Oxford University Press, New York, NY, © 2004, p. 74
[8] See NAB footnote on Genesis 12:1-4
[9] The Jewish Study Bible, Oxford University Press, New York, NY, © 2004 p. 30
[10] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, Genesis © 2010, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA. p.40
[11] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, Genesis © 2010, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA. p. 37
[12] ibid p.43
[13] CCC 56
[14] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, Genesis © 2010, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA. pp. 44-45
[15] See NABfootnote on Genesis 22:2
[16] The Navarre Bible: “Pentateuch”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, p. 40
[17] The Navarre Bible: “Pentateuch”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, p. 139
[18] The Navarre Bible: “Pentateuch”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, p. 212
[19] The Navarre Bible: “Pentateuch”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, pp. 213-14.
[20] The Word Biblical Commentary, Genesis 16-50, Volume 2, © 2000 by Thomas Nelson, Inc., p. 21.
[21] Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 16–50, vol. 2, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1994), 129.
[22] The Navarre Bible: “Pentateuch”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, p. 51.
[23] The Navarre Bible: “Pentateuch”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, p. 67.
[24] The Navarre Bible:
“Pentateuch”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, p. 98.
[25] The Navarre Bible: “Pentateuch”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, p. 116.
[26] The Navarre Bible: “Pentateuch”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, pp. 166-67
[27] Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 16–50, vol. 2, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1994), 430–431.
[28] The Navarre Bible: “Pentateuch”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, pp. 103-4.
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