Traditional Latin Mass Gospel Readings

1 And there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
Erat autem homo ex pharisaeis, Nicodemus nomine, princeps Judaeorum.
 2 This man came to Jesus by night, and said to him: Rabbi, we know that thou art come a teacher from God; for no man can do these signs which thou dost, unless God be with him.
Hic venit ad Jesum nocte, et dixit ei : Rabbi, scimus quia a Deo venisti magister, nemo enim potest haec signa facere, quae tu facis, nisi fuerit Deus cum eo.
 3 Jesus answered, and said to him: Amen, amen I say to thee, unless a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Respondit Jesus, et dixit ei : Amen, amen dico tibi, nisi quis renatus fuerit denuo, non potest videre regnum Dei.
 4 Nicodemus saith to him: How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born again?
Dicit ad eum Nicodemus : Quomodo potest homo nasci, cum sit senex? numquid potest in ventrem matris suae iterato introire et renasci?
 5 Jesus answered: Amen, amen I say to thee, unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Respondit Jesus : Amen, amen dico tibi, nisi quis renatus fuerit ex aqua, et Spiritu Sancto, non potest introire in regnum Dei.
 6 That which is born of the flesh, is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit, is spirit.
Quod natum est ex carne, caro est : et quod natum est ex spiritu, spiritus est.
 7 Wonder not, that I said to thee, you must be born again.
Non mireris quia dixi tibi : oportet vos nasci denuo.
 8 The Spirit breatheth where he will; and thou hearest his voice, but thou knowest not whence he cometh, and whither he goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
Spiritus ubi vult spirat, et vocem ejus audis, sed nescis unde veniat, aut quo vadat : sic est omnis qui natus est ex spiritu.
 9 Nicodemus answered, and said to him: How can these things be done?
Respondit Nicodemus, et dixit ei : Quomodo possunt haec fieri?
 10 Jesus answered, and said to him: Art thou a master in Israel, and knowest not these things?
Respondit Jesus, et dixit ei : Tu es magister in Israel, et haec ignoras?
 11 Amen, amen I say to thee, that we speak what we know, and we testify what we have seen, and you receive not our testimony.
amen, amen dico tibi, quia quod scimus loquimur, et quod vidimus testamur, et testimonium nostrum non accipitis.
 12 If I have spoken to you earthly things, and you believe not; how will you believe, if I shall speak to you heavenly things?
Si terrena dixi vobis, et non creditis : quomodo, si dixero vobis caelestia, credetis?
 13 And no man hath ascended into heaven, but he that descended from heaven, the Son of man who is in heaven.
Et nemo ascendit in caelum, nisi qui descendit de caelo, Filius hominis, qui est in caelo.
 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of man be lifted up:
Et sicut Moyses exaltavit serpentem in deserto, ita exaltari oportet Filium hominis :
 15 That whosoever believeth in him, may not perish; but may have life everlasting.
ut omnis qui credit in ipsum, non pereat, sed habeat vitam aeternam.
[5] "Unless a man be born again": By these words our Saviour hath declared the necessity of baptism; and by the word water it is evident that the application of it is necessary with the words. Matt. 28. 19.After the victory gained by Constantine by virtue of the cross which appeared to him in the skies, and whose sign he reproduced in the Labarum, St Helena, his mother, went to Jerusalem to try to find the true Cross. At the beginning of the second century, Hadrian had covered Calvary and the Holy Sepulchre under of terrace of 300 feet in length, on which had been erected a statue of Jupiter and and temple of Venus. The Empress razed them to the ground, and, in digging up the soil, they discovered the nails and the glorious trophy of which we owe "life salvation and resurrection". The miraculous cure of a woman authenticated the sacred tree.

13 And Jesus came into the quarters of Caesarea Philippi: and he asked his disciples, saying: Whom do men say that the Son of man is?
Venit autem Jesus in partes Caesareae Philippi : et interrogabat discipulos suos, dicens : Quem dicunt homines esse Filium hominis?
 14 But they said: Some John the Baptist, and other some Elias, and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
At illi dixerunt : Alii Joannem Baptistam, alii autem Eliam, alii vero Jeremiam, aut unum ex prophetis.
 15 Jesus saith to them: But whom do you say that I am?
Dicit illis Jesus : Vos autem, quem me esse dicitis?
 16 Simon Peter answered and said: Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God.
Respondens Simon Petrus dixit : Tu es Christus, Filius Dei vivi.
 17 And Jesus answering, said to him: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven.
Respondens autem Jesus, dixit ei : Beatus es Simon Bar Jona : quia caro et sanguis non revelavit tibi, sed Pater meus, qui in caelis est.
 18 And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Et ego dico tibi, quia tu es Petrus, et super hanc petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam, et portae inferi non praevalebunt adversus eam.
 19 And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.
Et tibi dabo claves regni caelorum. Et quodcumque ligaveris super terram, erit ligatum et in caelis : et quodcumque solveris super terram, erit solutum et in caelis.

[18] "Thou art Peter": As St. Peter, by divine revelation, here made a solemn profession of his faith of the divinity of Christ; so in recompense of this faith and profession, our Lord here declares to him the dignity to which he is pleased to raise him: viz., that he to whom he had already given the name of Peter, signifying a rock, St. John 1. 42, should be a rock indeed, of invincible strength, for the support of the building of the church; in which building he should be, next to Christ himself, the chief foundation stone, in quality of chief pastor, ruler, and governor; and should have accordingly all fulness of ecclesiastical power, signified by the keys of the kingdom of heaven.
[18] "Upon this rock": The words of Christ to Peter, spoken in the vulgar language of the Jews which our Lord made use of, were the same as if he had said in English, Thou art a Rock, and upon this rock I will build my church. So that, by the plain course of the words, Peter is here declared to be the rock, upon which the church was to be built: Christ himself being both the principal foundation and founder of the same. Where also note, that Christ, by building his house, that is, his church, upon a rock, has thereby secured it against all storms and floods, like the wise builder, [Matt 7:24-25].
[18] "The gates of hell": That is, the powers of darkness, and whatever Satan can do, either by himself, or his agents. For as the church is here likened to a house, or fortress, built on a rock; so the adverse powers are likened to a contrary house or fortress, the gates of which, that is, the whole strength, and all the efforts it can make, will never be able to prevail over the city or church of Christ. By this promise we are fully assured, that neither idolatry, heresy, nor any pernicious error whatsoever shall at any time prevail over the church of Christ.
[19] "Loose upon earth": The loosing the bands of temporal punishments due to sins, is called an indulgence; the power of which is here granted.
Pope Pius V, of the Order of Preachers, was a Pope of great sanctity. His pontificate was one of the most glorious. He enforced obedience to the decress to the Council of Trent and revised the Missal and the Breviary. He died A.D. 1572.

11 And it came to pass afterwards, that he went into a city that is called Naim; and there went with him his disciples, and a great multitude.
Et factum est : deinceps ibat in civitatem quae vocatur Naim : et ibant cum eo discipuli ejus et turba copiosa.
 12 And when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold a dead man was carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow: and a great multitude of the city was with her.
Cum autem appropinquaret portae civitatis, ecce defunctus efferebatur filius unicus matris suae : et haec vidua erat : et turba civitatis multa cum illa.
 13 Whom when the Lord had seen, being moved with mercy towards her, he said to her: Weep not.
Quam cum vidisset Dominus, misericordia motus super eam, dixit illi : Noli flere.
 14 And he came near and touched the bier. And they that carried it, stood still. And he said: Young man, I say to thee, arise.
Et accessit, et tetigit loculum. ( Hi autem qui portabant, steterunt.) Et ait : Adolescens, tibi dico, surge.
 15 And he that was dead, sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother.
Et resedit qui erat mortuus, et coepit loqui. Et dedit illum matri suae.
 16 And there came a fear on them all: and they glorified God, saying: A great prophet is risen up among us: and, God hath visited his people.
Accepit autem omnes timor : et magnificabant Deum, dicentes : Quia propheta magnus surrexit in nobis : et quia Deus visitavit plebem suam.
Saint Monica first converted her pagan husband, and then by her tears and unceasing prayers, her son St Augustine, who is regarded as one of the greatest Doctors of the Wester Church. She died A.D. 387.

5 But I told you not these things from the beginning, because I was with you. And now I go to him that sent me, and none of you asketh me: Whither goest thou?
Haec autem vobis ab initio non dixi, quia vobiscum eram. Et nunc vado ad eum qui misit me; et nemo ex vobis interrogat me : Quo vadis?
 6 But because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow hath filled your heart.
sed quia haec locutus sum vobis, tristitia implevit cor vestrum.
 7 But I tell you the truth: it is expedient to you that I go: for if I go not, the Paraclete will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
Sed ego veritatem dico vobis : expedit vobis ut ego vadam : si enim non abiero, Paraclitus non veniet ad vos; si autem abiero, mittam eum ad vos.
 8 And when he is come, he will convict the world of sin, and of justice, and of judgment.
Et cum venerit ille, arguet mundum de peccato, et de justitia, et de judicio.
 9 Of sin: because they believed not in me.
De peccato quidem, quia non crediderunt in me.
 10 And of justice: because I go to the Father; and you shall see me no longer.
De justitia vero, quia ad Patrem vado, et jam non videbitis me.
 11 And of judgment: because the prince of this world is already judged.
De judicio autem, quia princeps hujus mundi jam judicatus est.
 12 I have yet many things to say to you: but you cannot bear them now.
Adhuc multa habeo vobis dicere, sed non potestis portare modo.
 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will teach you all truth. For he shall not speak of himself; but what things soever he shall hear, he shall speak; and the things that are to come, he shall shew you.
Cum autem venerit ille Spiritus veritatis, docebit vos omnem veritatem : non enim loquetur a semetipso, sed quaecumque audiet loquetur, et quae ventura sunt annuntiabit vobis.
 14 He shall glorify me; because he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it to you.
Ille me clarificabit, quia de meo accipiet, et annuntiabit vobis.
[8] "He will convict the world of sin": The Holy Ghost, by his coming brought over many thousands, first, to a sense of their sin in not believing in Christ. Secondly, to a conviction of the justice of Christ, now sitting at the right hand of his Father. And thirdly, to a right apprehension of the judgment prepared for them that choose to follow Satan, who is already judged and condemned.[13] "Teach you all things": Here the Holy Ghost is promised to the apostles and their successors, particularly, in order to teach them all truth, and to preserve them from error.

Our Lord will send from heaven to His Church the Spirit of truth. The Holy Ghost will unite all hearts, will teach them all truth.

23 And when they shall persecute you in this city, flee into another. Amen I say to you, you shall not finish all the cities of Israel, till the Son of man come.
Cum autem persequentur vos in civitate ista, fugite in aliam. Amen dico vobis, non consummabitis civitates Israel, donec veniat Filius hominis.
 24 The disciple is not above the master, nor the servant above his lord.
Non est discipulus super magistrum, nec servus super dominum suum :
 25 It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the goodman of the house Beelzebub, how much more them of his household?
sufficit discipulo ut sit sicut magister ejus, et servo, sicut dominus ejus. Si patremfamilias Beelzebub vocaverunt, quanto magis domesticos ejus?
 26 Therefore fear them not. For nothing is covered that shall not be revealed: nor hid, that shall not be known.
Ne ergo timueritis eos. Nihil enim est opertum, quod non revelabitur : et occultum, quod non scietur.
 27 That which I tell you in the dark, speak ye in the light: and that which you hear in the ear, preach ye upon the housetops.
Quod dico vobis in tenebris, dicite in lumine : et quod in aure auditis, praedicate super tecta.
 28 And fear ye not them that kill the body, and are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him that can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Et nolite timere eos qui occidunt corpus, animam autem non possunt occidere : sed potius timete eum, qui potest et animam et corpus perdere in gehennam.
Jesus foretells that the enemies of the Church shall persecute His disciples.