Traditional Latin Mass Gospel Readings

14 For even as a man going into a far country, called his servants, and delivered to them his goods;
Sicut enim homo peregre proficiscens, vocavit servos suos, et tradidit illis bona sua.
 15 And to one he gave five talents, and to another two, and to another one, to every one according to his proper ability: and immediately he took his journey.
Et uni dedit quinque talenta, alii autem duo, alii vero unum, unicuique secundum propriam virtutem : et profectus est statim.
 16 And he that had received the five talents, went his way, and traded with the same, and gained other five.
Abiit autem qui quinque talenta acceperat, et operatus est in eis, et lucratus est alia quinque.
 17 And in like manner he that had received the two, gained other two.
Similiter et qui duo acceperat, lucratus est alia duo.
 18 But he that had received the one, going his way digged into the earth, and hid his lord's money.
Qui autem unum acceperat, abiens fodit in terram, et abscondit pecuniam domini sui.
 19 But after a long time the lord of those servants came, and reckoned with them.
Post multum vero temporis venit dominus servorum illorum, et posuit rationem cum eis.
 20 And he that had received the five talents coming, brought other five talents, saying: Lord, thou didst deliver to me five talents, behold I have gained other five over and above.
Et accedens qui quinque talenta acceperat, obtulit alia quinque talenta, dicens : Domine, quinque talenta tradidisti mihi, ecce alia quinque superlucratus sum.
 21 His lord said to him: Well done, good and faithful servant, because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will place thee over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
Ait illi dominus ejus : Euge serve bone, et fidelis : quia super pauca fuisti fidelis, super multa te constituam; intra in gaudium domini tui.
 22 And he also that had received the two talents came and said: Lord, thou deliveredst two talents to me: behold I have gained other two.
Accessit autem et qui duo talenta acceperat, et ait : Domine, duo talenta tradidisti mihi, ecce alia duo lucratus sum.
 23 His lord said to him: Well done, good and faithful servant: because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will place thee over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
Ait illi dominus ejus : Euge serve bone, et fidelis : quia super pauca fuisti fidelis, super multa te constituam; intra in gaudium domini tui.
St Thomas was born in Spain. He was a religious of the Order of Hermits of St Augustine. He was also Archbishop of Valencia. He gave away to the poor all he possessed. He died 1555 A.D.

9 And when Jesus passed on from hence, he saw a man sitting in the custom house, named Matthew; and he saith to him: Follow me. And he rose up and followed him.
Et, cum transiret inde Jesus, vidit hominem sedentem in telonio, Matthaeum nomine. Et ait illi : Sequere me. Et surgens, secutus est eum.
 10 And it came to pass as he was sitting at meat in the house, behold many publicans and sinners came, and sat down with Jesus and his disciples.
Et factum est, discumbente eo in domo, ecce multi publicani et peccatores venientes, discumbebant cum Jesu, et discipulis ejus.
 11 And the Pharisees seeing it, said to his disciples: Why doth your master eat with publicans and sinners?
Et videntes pharisaei, dicebant discipulis ejus : Quare cum publicanis et peccatoribus manducat magister vester?
 12 But Jesus hearing it, said: They that are in health need not a physician, but they that are ill.
At Jesus audiens, ait : Non est opus valentibus medicus, sed male habentibus.
 13 Go then and learn what this meaneth, I will have mercy and not sacrifice. For I am not come to call the just, but sinners.
Euntes autem discite quid est : Misericordiam volo, et non sacrificium. Non enim veni vocare justos, sed peccatores.
St Matthew was a publican at the toll station at Capernaum. The publicans were looked upon as the greatest sinners by the Jews because of their many acts of injustice and extortion. Matthew himself greatly acknowledged the gracious condescension of the Lord to sinners by his humble confession. At Jesus' invitation he promptly joined him. He wrote the first gospel and preached the Good News in Palestine and in Ethiopia, where he was attacked and killed while saying Mass in 60 A.D.

34 But the Pharisees hearing that he had silenced the Sadducees, came together:
Pharisaei autem audientes quod silentium imposuisset sadducaeis, convenerunt in unum :
 35 And one of them, a doctor of the law, asking him, tempting him:
et interrogavit eum unus ex eis legis doctor, tentans eum :
 36 Master, which is the greatest commandment in the law?
Magister, quod est mandatum magnum in lege?
 37 Jesus said to him: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind.
Ait illi Jesus : Diliges Dominum Deum tuum ex toto corde tuo, et in tota anima tua, et in tota mente tua.
 38 This is the greatest and the first commandment.
Hoc est maximum, et primum mandatum.
 39 And the second is like to this: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Secundum autem simile est huic : Diliges proximum tuum, sicut teipsum.
 40 On these two commandments dependeth the whole law and the prophets.
In his duobus mandatis universa lex pendet, et prophetae.
 41 And the Pharisees being gathered together, Jesus asked them,
Congregatis autem pharisaeis, interrogavit eos Jesus,
 42 Saying: What think you of Christ? whose son is he? They say to him: David's.
dicens : Quid vobis videtur de Christo? cujus filius est? Dicunt ei : David.
 43 He saith to them: How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying:
Ait illis : Quomodo ergo David in spiritu vocat eum Dominum, dicens :
 44 The Lord said to my Lord, Sit on my right hand, until I make thy enemies thy footstool?
Dixit Dominus Domino meo : Sede a dextris meis, donec ponam inimicos tuos scabellum pedum tuorum?
 45 If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?
Si ergo David vocat eum Dominum, quomodo filius ejus est?
 46 And no man was able to answer him a word; neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.
Et nemo poterat ei respondere verbum : neque ausus fuit quisquam ex illa die eum amplius interrogare.
Jesus turns the question around
This is where the Gospel takes a dramatic turn.
Jesus asks the Pharisees:
“What think you of Christ? Whose son is he?”
They answer:
“David's.”
That's correct as far as it goes. The Messiah was indeed to be the son of David.
But Jesus then quotes Psalm 109:
“The Lord said to my Lord: Sit thou on my right hand…”
And Jesus asks, essentially:
If the Messiah is merely David's descendant, why does David himself call Him “Lord”?
That's the puzzle.
A son normally comes after his father, and yet David calls this descendant “Lord.”
This is much more than a clever argument.
Jesus is leading them toward the realization that the Messiah is greater than merely a human descendant of David.
He is David's Son and David's Lord.
For Christians, that's pointing directly toward the mystery of the Incarnation:
Jesus is truly man, descended from David, and truly God.
And notice how Matthew places this right after the Greatest Commandment.
The Gospel begins:
Love God with everything you have.
And then ends by asking:
Who is Jesus?
That's not accidental.
The One we are commanded to love above everything else is standing right there before them.
Jesus is revealing something about who He is

6 He spoke also this parable: A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it, and found none.
Dicebat autem et hanc similitudinem : Arborem fici habebat quidam plantatam in vinea sua, et venit quaerens fructum in illa, et non invenit.
 7 And he said to the dresser of the vineyard: Behold, for these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down therefore: why cumbereth it the ground?
Dixit autem ad cultorem vineae : Ecce anni tres sunt ex quo venio quaerens fructum in ficulnea hac, et non invenio : succide ergo illam : ut quid etiam terram occupat?
 8 But he answering, said to him: Lord, let it alone this year also, until I dig about it, and dung it.
At ille respondens, dicit illi : Domine dimitte illam et hoc anno, usque dum fodiam circa illam, et mittam stercora,
 9 And if happily it bear fruit: but if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.
et siquidem fecerit fructum : sin autem, in futurum succides eam.
 10 And he was teaching in their synagogue on their sabbath.
Erat autem docens in synagoga eorum sabbatis.
 11 And behold there was a woman, who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years: and she was bowed together, neither could she look upwards at all.
Et ecce mulier, quae habebat spiritum infirmitatis annis decem et octo : et erat inclinata, nec omnino poterat sursum respicere.
 12 Whom when Jesus saw, he called her unto him, and said to her: Woman, thou art delivered from thy infirmity.
Quam cum videret Jesus, vocavit eam ad se, et ait illi : Mulier, dimissa es ab infirmitate tua.
 13 And he laid his hands upon her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
Et imposuit illi manus, et confestim erecta est, et glorificabat Deum.
 14 And the ruler of the synagogue (being angry that Jesus had healed on the sabbath) answering, said to the multitude: Six days there are wherein you ought to work. In them therefore come, and be healed; and not on the sabbath day.
Respondens autem archisynagogus, indignans quia sabbato curasset Jesus, dicebat turbae : Sex dies sunt in quibus oportet operari : in his ergo venite, et curamini, et non in die sabbati.
 15 And the Lord answering him, said: Ye hypocrites, doth not every one of you, on the sabbath day, loose his ox or his ass from the manger, and lead them to water?
Respondens autem ad illum Dominus, dixit : Hypocritae, unusquisque vestrum sabbato non solvit bovem suum, aut asinum a praesepio, et ducit adaquare?
 16 And ought not this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?
Hanc autem filiam Abrahae, quam alligavit Satanas, ecce decem et octo annis, non oportuit solvi a vinculo isto die sabbati?
 17 And when he said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the things that were gloriously done by him.
Et cum haec diceret, erubescant omnes adversarii ejus : et omnis populus gaudebat in universis, quae gloriosae fiebant ab eo.

36 And one of the Pharisees desired him to eat with him. And he went into the house of the Pharisee, and sat down to meat.
Rogabat autem illum quidam de pharisaeis ut manducaret cum illo. Et ingressus domum pharisaei discubuit.
 37 And behold a woman that was in the city, a sinner, when she knew that he sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment;
Et ecce mulier, quae erat in civitate peccatrix, ut cognovit quod accubuisset in domo pharisaei, attulit alabastrum unguenti :
 38 And standing behind at his feet, she began to wash his feet, with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
et stans retro secus pedes ejus, lacrimis coepit rigare pedes ejus, et capillis capitis sui tergebat, et osculabatur pedes ejus, et unguento ungebat.
 39 And the Pharisee, who had invited him, seeing it, spoke within himself, saying: This man, if he were a prophet, would know surely who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him, that she is a sinner.
Videns autem pharisaeus, qui vocaverat eum, ait intra se dicens : Hic si esset propheta, sciret utique quae et qualis est mulier, quae tangit eum : quia peccatrix est.
 40 And Jesus answering, said to him: Simon, I have somewhat to say to thee. But he said: Master, say it.
Et respondens Jesus, dixit ad illum : Simon, habeo tibi aliquid dicere. At ille ait : Magister, dic.
 41 A certain creditor had two debtors, the one who owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.
Duo debitores erant cuidam foeneratori : unus debebat denarios quingentos, et alius quinquaginta.
 42 And whereas they had not wherewith to pay, he forgave them both. Which therefore of the two loveth him most?
Non habentibus illis unde redderent, donavit utrisque. Quis ergo eum plus diligit?
 43 Simon answering, said: I suppose that he to whom he forgave most. And he said to him: Thou hast judged rightly.
Respondens Simon dixit : Aestimo quia is cui plus donavit. At ille dixit : Recte judicasti.
 44 And turning to the woman, he said unto Simon: Dost thou see this woman? I entered into thy house, thou gavest me no water for my feet; but she with tears hath washed my feet, and with her hairs hath wiped them.
Et conversus ad mulierem, dixit Simoni : Vides hanc mulierem? Intravi in domum tuam, aquam pedibus meis non dedisti : haec autem lacrimis rigavit pedes meos, et capillis suis tersit.
 45 Thou gavest me no kiss; but she, since she came in, hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
Osculum mihi non dedisti : haec autem ex quo intravit, non cessavit osculari pedes meos.
 46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint; but she with ointment hath anointed my feet.
Oleo caput meum non unxisti : haec autem unguento unxit pedes meos.
 47 Wherefore I say to thee: Many sins are forgiven her, because she hath loved much. But to whom less is forgiven, he loveth less.
Propter quod dico tibi : remittuntur ei peccata multa, quoniam dilexit multum. Cui autem minus dimittitur, minus diligit.
 48 And he said to her: Thy sins are forgiven thee.
Dixit autem ad illam : Remittuntur tibi peccata.
 49 And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves: Who is this that forgiveth sins also?
Et coeperunt qui simul accumbebant, dicere intra se : Quis est hic qui etiam peccata dimittit?
 50 And he said to the woman: Thy faith hath made thee safe, go in peace.
Dixit autem ad mulierem : Fides tua te salvam fecit : vade in pace.
[47] "Many sins are forgiven her, because she hath loved much": In the scripture an effect sometimes seems attributed to one only cause, when there are divers other concurring dispositions; for the sins of this woman, in this verse, are said to be forgiven, because she loved much: but (ver. 50) Christ tells her, Thy faith hath made thee safe. Hence in a true conversion are joined faith, hope, love, sorrow for sin, and other pious dispositions.