Catena Aurea: Commentary on the Four Gospels, Collected Out of the Works of the Fathers, Volume IV Part 2, Gospel of St. John

Catena Aurea #1-4

by Thomas Aquinas

St. Thomas’ commentary on the Gospel of St. John is unique among his many writings on Sacred Scripture. It is the work of a master theologian, delivered at the University of Paris, then the intellectual center in Christendom, when Thomas was at the height of his fame and apostolic zeal for souls. A fourteenth-century list of Thomas’ writings notes that this commentary is a reportatio by Reginald of Piperno and adds “better than which none can be found.” Areportatio is a verbal report of an actual lecture taken down by a scribe or student in the course of actual delivery. In this case the scribe was the faithful Friar Reginald of Piperno, who had been the “constant companion,” or socius, for the last fifteen years of Thomas’ short but busy life. The Italian Province of Dominicans wisely provided Thomas with this kind of personal secretary and general factotum after he returned from Paris as a Master in Sacred Theology in 1260. A reportatio is not exactly a dictation in our sense of the term; it is more like a student’s notebook in shorthand containing basically the gist of what is being said, but usually with varying numbers of verbal omissions and inaccuracies. But this commentary is more than a mere scribal report. It was in fact “corrected” by Thomas himself—if we are to believe Tolomeo of Lucca, one of Thomas’ early biographers and confreres—before the commentary went into circulation through copies made by hand, the customary mode of publication before the era of the printing press. More than according to Bernard Gui, another confrere and early biographer, Thomas himself wrote out in full the commentary on the first five chapters of John (and hence this section ought to be considered an authentic expositio, or authoritative version), while the rest of it survived in the hand of Reginald, corrected by Thomas.This commentary was very popular in the Middle Ages, and it ranks among the best of Thomas’ work as a master theologian and saintly man of faith. It was read not only by theologians searching for the truth, but also by preachers and pious men and women desiring solid food for meditation and fervent prayer. Scattered throughout the world there still exist thirty-three complete and thirteen incomplete manuscript copies of this work, attesting to its considerable popularity before the age of printing. Innumerable copies of this work have no doubt been lost or destroyed in the tumult of centuries following the Middle Ages.This detailed commentary is St. Thomas’ personal response to the Word of God Incarnate as described in the sublime words of John “the Divine.” For St. Thomas, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob spoke to his chosen people through the mouth of prophets in the long course of salvation history, “But when the appointed time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born a subject of the Law, to redeem the subjects of the Law and to enable us to be adopted as sons” (Gal 4:4-5). This Incarnate Son, Jesus Christ, is the total manifestation of the Father, the Eternal Word made flesh. There is nothing left unsaid in the Word; the Father’s love is complete in the love the Son bears for the Father and for us. Christ’s whole life, his passion, death, and resurrection, are the praise and glory of the Father “through the working of the Holy Spirit.” “You must believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me” (Jn 14:11). “Whatever you ask for in my name I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (Jn 14:13). Christ’s “food” was to do the will of his Father in all things, thus glorifying the Father in Jesus.

Genres: Catholic, Religion, Theology, Reference, New Testament, Christianity, Nonfiction

1044 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1267

About the author

Philosophy of Saint Thomas Aquinas, a Dominican friar and theologian of Italy and the most influential thinker of the medieval period, combined doctrine of Aristotle and elements of Neoplatonism, a system that Plotinus and his successors developed and based on that of Plato, within a context of Christian thought; his works include the Summa contra gentiles (1259-1264) and the Summa theologiae or theologica (1266-1273).

Saint Albertus Magnus taught Saint Thomas Aquinas.

People ably note this priest, sometimes styled of Aquin or Aquino, as a scholastic. The Roman Catholic tradition honors him as a "doctor of the Church."

Aquinas lived at a critical juncture of western culture when the arrival of the Aristotelian corpus in Latin translation reopened the question of the relation between faith and reason, calling into question the modus vivendi that obtained for centuries. This crisis flared just as people founded universities. Thomas after early studies at Montecassino moved to the University of Naples, where he met members of the new Dominican order. At Naples too, Thomas first extended contact with the new learning. He joined the Dominican order and then went north to study with Albertus Magnus, author of a paraphrase of the Aristotelian corpus. Thomas completed his studies at the University of Paris, formed out the monastic schools on the left bank and the cathedral school at Notre Dame. In two stints as a regent master, Thomas defended the mendicant orders and of greater historical importance countered both the interpretations of Averroës of Aristotle and the Franciscan tendency to reject Greek philosophy. The result, a new modus vivendi between faith and philosophy, survived until the rise of the new physics. The Catholic Church over the centuries regularly and consistently reaffirmed the central importance of work of Thomas for understanding its teachings concerning the Christian revelation, and his close textual commentaries on Aristotle represent a cultural resource, now receiving increased recognition.

Reviews

[Friar Stebin John Capuchin]

This is a collection of the Commentaries written by different Church Fathers on the Four Gospels. It is an exquisite collection and helps us reflect well on each gospel. St. Thomas Aquinas collected these commentaries and put them together. I found it a little bit difficult with the language, though it is used in English, I need to read it well to understand the reflections well. Commentaries on each gospel are available, and it is arranged in a different structure. One father's text about the gospel cannot be found together; instead, it is kept in a different structure. Once you are used to that style, it is easy to follow. It is a gem of collection to reflect well on the gospels.

[Friar Stebin John Capuchin]

A book that gives the gems of Church Father's commentary on the Gospel of Luke. This is really a valuable treasure for me. The way the Church Fathers commented and reflected on the Gospel of Luke is very much appreciated. The greatness of the Catholic Church is that we got a lot of treasures to interpret the Scripture. Making use of these texts will enrich our knowledge of the Sacred Scripture. I always see the commentaries of these pages when I prepare for my homilies. Thanks to St. Thomas Aquinas for his valuable work.

[Louise]

These are the Fathers of the Church expounding on the meaning of the biblical text. The literal, typological (connecting NT and OT), moral, and anagoglical (the future and end times) senses of the Bible are all present. I've given it only three stars because it is so long and somewhat boring. However I do recommend reading it. There are hidden gems that make it well worth the slog. I made it my book to read for the year and read 5-6 pages each morning. It is available for free here: http://dhspriory.org/thomas/CALuke.htm.

Bede describes: "the virgin beauty of the Church, that is, Mary; the manly company of spiritual doctors, that is, Joseph"

Chrysostum instructs: "when the body becomes softer, the soul must also share the injury; for generally its workings correspond with the conditions of the body."

Theophylact says: "Marvel then at the power of Christ, how His grace works by means of the unworthy and those who are not His disciples: as also men are sanctified through the priests, although the priests be not holy."

Origen: "Now we say that all men have present with them two angels, a bad one who encourages them to wicked deeds, a good one who persuades all that is best."

[David Miller]

Previously I have reviewed the individual commentaries on the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Now having finished the commentary on the gospel of John, I can review the entire work... I was very sad to reach the end. Reading a commentary so straightforward, so lacking in cant, so lacking in weasel words and lies, was refreshing and renewing in ways that are hard to describe. You see the world in a different way, after you've spent some time with the Our Lord, with the evangelists, with Augustine, Athanasius, Chrysostom, Damascene, Aquinas, and all the others.

[Paul Robinson]

The quotes from the Fathers are great, but the translation is a bit antiquated.

[Connor Longaphie]

this is always and forever the first resource I hit for Sunday lectionary sermon prep every single week. Absolute gold

[Daniel Massett]

I haven’t read the entire thing, but it’s indispensable for those moments when you’re reading the Gospels and think “Now what does that mean?”

Aquinas presents the Fathers like they’re having a Roundtable discussion. It almost feels like reading an oral history like Meet Me in the Bathroom or watching a documentary with a panel of experts. Really cool stuff, and I love that the Fathers have different takes on the texts. Always complimentary/true takes, but from different angles, different symbolic readings, different moral takeaways, etc. And as St. John Henry Newman says in the introduction, Aquinas edits the fathers, not to change their meaning, but always to get to the clear core of their meaning.

Basically, this is an awesome and indispensable resource.

[David Miller]

This commentary on the Gospel according to St. Mark is 1/3 the size of the first volume, on St. Matthew; because Mark's Gospel itself is shorter, and also it covers much of the same ground as Matthew. As with the commentary on St. Matthew, it is set forth as a great conversation between the church fathers; they reply to each other, and put forward alternate readings of the same passages. Are you looking for solid commentary on the text itself, by people who take the Gospel seriously? Are you tired of psychologizing, spiritualizing, modernizing commentary? Tired of the spirit of the times? Then come to the Catena Aurea and be refreshed.

[David Miller]

The introduction says this book depends more on Eastern writers than the volumes on Matthew and Mark. I couldn't tell much of a difference, but then I am reading as a conversation between the commentators and for the subject matter - not for the scholarly details.

St. Luke of course has the most touching details of Our Lord's nativity and infancy, and at least three of the great canticles (the canticle of Zechariah and the Magnificat are said every morning and evening in the traditional daily office, and the canticle of Simeon (the Nunc Dimittis) is said every night).

What a great privilege to live in a time when so many great works are available so easily to so many people.

[Pippo Boyle]

I’ve been reading this along with a Bible Study of Mark and it’s been really cool. The early church is much more concerned with things like how the scriptures apply salvation to the gentiles, or what certain numbers or places mean, than a more modern style of reflective reading, but there are some amazing nuggets every so often. I particularly like where all the Fathers unanimously agree that Christ’s Eucharist is not symbolic (:

[Ilya Kozlov]

http://www.home.duq.edu/~bonin/thomas...
just bought it-a little easier to use it, then on line, very interesting preface by newman

[Sister M.]

wonderful book

[Sergio Maduro]

Compilado de comentários de São Tomás aos evangelhos

[Joseph Raborg]

Great collection of quotes from the Church Fathers on Biblical passages. These really help open up passages of Scripture for one.