Traditional Latin Mass Gospel Readings

44 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure hidden in a field. Which a man having found, hid it, and for joy thereof goeth, and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
Simile est regnum caelorum thesauro abscondito in agro : quem qui invenit homo, abscondit, et prae gaudio illius vadit, et vendit universa quae habet, et emit agrum illum.
 45 Again the kingdom of heaven is like to a merchant seeking good pearls.
Iterum simile est regnum caelorum homini negotiatori, quaerenti bonas margaritas.
 46 Who when he had found one pearl of great price, went his way, and sold all that he had, and bought it.
Inventa autem una pretiosa margarita, abiit, et vendidit omnia quae habuit, et emit eam.
 47 Again the kingdom of heaven is like to a net cast into the sea, and gathering together of all kind of fishes.
Iterum simile est regnum caelorum sagenae missae in mare, et ex omni genere piscium congreganti.
 48 Which, when it was filled, they drew out, and sitting by the shore, they chose out the good into vessels, but the bad they cast forth.
Quam, cum impleta esset, educentes, et secus littus sedentes, elegerunt bonis in vasa, malos autem foras miserunt.
 49 So shall it be at the end of the world. The angels shall go out, and shall separate the wicked from among the just.
Sic erit in consummatione saeculi : exibunt angeli, et separabunt malos de medio justorum,
 50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
et mittent eos in caminum ignis : ibi erit fletus, et stridor dentium.
 51 Have ye understood all these things? They say to him: Yes.
Intellexistis haec omnia? Dicunt ei : Etiam.
 52 He said unto them: Therefore every scribe instructed in the kingdom of heaven, is like to a man that is a householder, who bringeth forth out of his treasure new things and old.
Ait illis : Ideo omnis scriba doctus in regno caelorum, similis est homini patrifamilias, qui profert de thesauro suo nova et vetera.
Laurence of Brindisi, a Capuchin friar who for some years ruled his whole Order, acquired great fame for learning and eloquence, and labored with remarkable success in most parts of Europe preaching to Catholics, to Protestants, and to Jews. When 80,000 Turks invaged Hungary in 1605, he it was who inspired the united Christian armies of 18,000 men to the attack and himself led them to complete victory riding before them bearing a large cross. He died in Lisbon in 1611.
1. The Treasure Hidden in the Field (vv. 44)
A man discovers a treasure so valuable that he joyfully sells everything to buy the field.
Notice two things:
He doesn't give up everything reluctantly.
He gives it up because he has found something infinitely better.
Jesus isn't saying Christians should despise earthly goods. He's saying that once you've discovered the Kingdom, everything else finds its proper place.
2. The Pearl of Great Price (vv. 45–46)
This parable is slightly different.
The first man stumbles upon the treasure.
The merchant has been searching all along.
Some people are converted unexpectedly. Others spend years searching for truth before they find Christ.
Again, Jesus emphasizes the worth of the Kingdom.
3. The Dragnet (vv. 47–50)
Jesus is describing the visible kingdom on earth.
The Church contains:
saints
sinners
people growing in holiness
people resisting grace
The final separation belongs to God.
Sometimes we wonder why evil seems to remain in the world—and even within the visible Church. Jesus says the final judgment comes at the end of the age.4. The Householder (vv. 51–52)
Then He says:
"Every scribe instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings forth from his treasure things new and old." A faithful disciple doesn't discard the old. He doesn't cling only to the new. He treasures both.
As Catholics, we naturally think of:
the Old Testament fulfilled in Christ
the continuity of apostolic teaching
the Church preserving ancient truth while continually proclaiming it anew.

13 Then were little children presented to him, that he should impose hands upon them and pray. And the disciples rebuked them.
Tunc oblati sunt ei parvuli, ut manus eis imponeret, et oraret. Discipuli autem increpabant eos.
 14 But Jesus said to them: Suffer the little children, and forbid them not to come to me: for the kingdom of heaven is for such.
Jesus vero ait eis : Sinite parvulos, et nolite eos prohibere ad me venire : talium est enim regnum caelorum.
 15 And when he had imposed hands upon them, he departed from thence.
Et cum imposuisset eis manus, abiit inde.
 16 And behold one came and said to him: Good master, what good shall I do that I may have life everlasting?
Et ecce unus accedens, ait illi : Magister bone, quid boni faciam ut habeam vitam aeternam?
 17 Who said to him: Why asketh thou me concerning good? One is good, God. But if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
Qui dixit ei : Quid me interrogas de bono? Unus est bonus, Deus. Si autem vis ad vitam ingredi, serva mandata.
 18 He said to him: Which? And Jesus said: Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness.
Dicit illi : Quae? Jesus autem dixit : Non homicidium facies; non adulterabis; non facies furtum; non falsum testimonium dices;
 19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
honora patrem tuum, et matrem tuam, et diliges proximum tuum sicut teipsum.
 20 The young man saith to him: All these I have kept from my youth, what is yet wanting to me?
Dicit illi adolescens : Omnia haec custodivi a juventute mea : quid adhuc mihi deest?
 21 Jesus saith to him: If thou wilt be perfect, go sell what thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come follow me.
Ait illi Jesus : Si vis perfectus esse, vade, vende quae habes, et da pauperibus, et habebis thesaurum in caelo : et veni, sequere me.
St Jerome, of the noble Venetian family of Emiliani, left everything and became the Father of orphans and of the poor. He founded the Order of Somascha for the education of children. He died a victim of the plague A.D. 1537.
1. Jesus is inviting the young man to think more deeply.
The young man calls Him:
“Good Master”
but he may be using “good” simply as a polite title. Jesus’ question:
“Why dost thou call me good?”
is meant to make him stop and ask:
“Do I really understand who this Teacher is?”
Jesus is not saying, “I am not good.” He is saying, in effect:
“If you call Me good in the fullest sense, then recognize what you are saying—because only God is good.”
2. Jesus is affirming the source of all goodness.
The statement:
“There is one good, God”
is completely true. All goodness comes from God because God is goodness itself.
As the Son, Jesus is not a separate god competing with the Father. He shares the same divine nature:
The Father is God, the Son is God and the Holy Ghost is God. Three persons in one God.
3. Jesus often reveals His identity gradually.
In the Gospels, Jesus does not always immediately say, “I am God.” He reveals Himself through His words and actions:
He forgives sins (Matthew 9:2–6).
He accepts worship (Matthew 14:33).
He says, “Before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58).
He says, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30).
4. There is also a beautiful connection to the commandments.
Jesus responds by saying:
“If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.”
The young man says he has done these. Then Jesus gives the final challenge:
“If thou wilt be perfect, go sell what thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come follow me.”
The ultimate command is not merely to follow rules—it is to follow Christ Himself.
So the irony of the passage is profound:
The young man asks:
“What good thing must I do?”
But the answer is not a thing. The answer is a Person.
He is standing before the One who is Goodness itself, but he does not yet recognize Him.

1 And he said also to his disciples: There was a certain rich man who had a steward: and the same was accused unto him, that he had wasted his goods.
Dicebat autem et ad discipulos suos : Homo quidam erat dives, qui habebat villicum : et hic diffamatus est apud illum quasi dissipasset bona ipsius.
 2 And he called him, and said to him: How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship: for now thou canst be steward no longer.
Et vocavit illum, et ait illi : Quid hoc audio de te? redde rationem villicationis tuae : jam enim non poteris villicare.
 3 And the steward said within himself: What shall I do, because my lord taketh away from me the stewardship? To dig I am not able; to beg I am ashamed.
Ait autem villicus intra se : Quid faciam? quia dominus meus aufert a me villicationem. Fodere non valeo, mendicare erubesco.
 4 I know what I will do, that when I shall be removed from the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.
Scio quid faciam, ut, cum amotus fuero a villicatione, recipiant me in domos suas.
 5 Therefore calling together every one of his lord's debtors, he said to the first: How much dost thou owe my lord?
Convocatis itaque singulis debitoribus domini sui, dicebat primo : Quantum debes domino meo?
 6 But he said: An hundred barrels of oil. And he said to him: Take thy bill and sit down quickly, and write fifty.
At ille dixit : Centum cados olei. Dixitque illi : Accipe cautionem tuam : et sede cito, scribe quinquaginta.
 7 Then he said to another: And how much dost thou owe? Who said: An hundred quarters of wheat. He said to him: Take thy bill, and write eighty.
Deinde alii dixit : Tu vero quantum debes? Qui ait : Centum coros tritici. Ait illi : Accipe litteras tuas, et scribe octoginta.
 8 And the lord commended the unjust steward, forasmuch as he had done wisely: for the children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light.
Et laudavit dominus villicum iniquitatis, quia prudenter fecisset : quia filii hujus saeculi prudentiores filiis lucis in generatione sua sunt.
 9 And I say to you: Make unto you friends of the mammon of iniquity; that when you shall fail, they may receive you into everlasting dwellings.
Et ego vobis dico : facite vobis amicos de mammona iniquitatis : ut, cum defeceritis, recipiant vos in aeterna tabernacula.

[9] "They may receive": By this we see, that the poor servants of God, whom we have relieved by our alms, may hereafter, by their intercession, bring our souls to heaven.
Luke 16:1–9, the Parable of the Unjust Steward, is one of the most challenging passages in the Gospels. At first glance, it almost sounds as if Jesus is praising dishonesty—but that's not what He is doing.
The story is this:
A steward is accused of wasting his master's goods.
He is told he is about to lose his position.
Knowing he will soon be unemployed, he reduces the debts of his master's debtors.
His master commends him for acting shrewdly, not for cheating.
The key is that the master praises the steward's prudence and foresight, not his dishonesty.
What is Jesus teaching?
Jesus immediately gives the interpretation:
"The children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light."
In other words, worldly people often put enormous energy into preparing for a temporary future—careers, investments, possessions. Christians should be at least as diligent in preparing for eternal life.
"Make friends by means of the mammon of iniquity"
This is probably the most puzzling verse.
"Mammon" means wealth or possessions. Jesus is not saying that money is evil in itself. Rather, earthly wealth belongs to this passing world and can easily become an occasion of sin.
His point is:
Use your earthly possessions in such a way that they help you attain heaven.
How?
Give alms.
Care for the poor.
Support the Church.
Practice generosity.
Then, when earthly wealth is gone, its fruits remain.

12 This is my commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you.
Hoc est praeceptum meum, ut diligatis invicem, sicut dilexi vos.
 13 Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Majorem hac dilectionem nemo habet, ut animam suam ponat qui pro amicis suis.
 14 You are my friends, if you do the things that I command you.
Vos amici mei estis, si feceritis quae ego praecipio vobis.
 15 I will not now call you servants: for the servant knoweth not what his lord doth. But I have called you friends: because all things whatsoever I have heard of my Father, I have made known to you.
Jam non dicam vos servos : quia servus nescit quid faciat dominus ejus. Vos autem dixi amicos : quia omnia quaecumque audivi a Patre meo, nota feci vobis.
 16 You have not chosen me: but I have chosen you; and have appointed you, that you should go, and should bring forth fruit; and your fruit should remain: that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
Non vos me elegistis, sed ego elegi vos, et posui vos ut eatis, et fructum afferatis, et fructus vester maneat : ut quodcumque petieritis Patrem in nomine meo, det vobis.
Of the noble family of Lellis, St Camillus, when still a young priest, consecrated his life to the service of the sick, even those striken with the plague. He founded an Order of Hospitollers, which bears his name, and died a victim of his charity A.D. 1614.

Music: Christ is made he sure foundation. #561. Adoremus Hymnal.

35 Let your loins be girt, and lamps burning in your hands.
Sint lumbi vestri praecincti, et lucernae ardentes in manibus vestris,
 36 And you yourselves like to men who wait for their lord, when he shall return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open to him immediately.
et vos similes hominibus exspectantibus dominum suum quando revertatur a nuptiis : ut, cum venerit et pulsaverit, confestim aperiant ei.
 37 Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when he cometh, shall find watching. Amen I say to you, that he will gird himself, and make them sit down to meat, and passing will minister unto them.
Beati servi illi quos, cum venerit dominus, invenerit vigilantes : amen dico vobis, quod praecinget se, et faciet illos discumbere, et transiens ministrabit illis.
 38 And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.
Et si venerit in secunda vigilia, et si in tertia vigilia venerit, et ita invenerit, beati sunt servi illi.
 39 But this know ye, that if the householder did know at what hour the thief would come, he would surely watch, and would not suffer his house to be broken open.
Hoc autem scitote, quoniam si sciret paterfamilias, qua hora fur veniret, vigilaret utique, et non sineret perfodi domum suam.
 40 Be you then also ready: for at what hour you think not, the Son of man will come.
Et vos estote parati : quia qua hora non putatis, Filius hominis veniet.
St Alexius, the son of the senator Euphemian, renounced all earthly things and departed as a pilgrim to Palestine. He returned after seven years and his father's house was taken for an indigent beggar. There he died unknown, A.D. 404.

Music: Adoremus Hymnal #562: O Love, who drew from Jesus' side.