Traditional Latin Mass Gospel Readings

23 And he said to them: Doubtless you will say to me this similitude: Physician, heal thyself: as great things as we have heard done in Capharnaum, do also here in thy own country.
Et ait illis : Utique dicetis mihi hanc similitudinem : Medice cura teipsum : quanta audivimus facta in Capharnaum, fac et hic in patria tua.
 24 And he said: Amen I say to you, that no prophet is accepted in his own country.
Ait autem : Amen dico vobis, quia nemo propheta acceptus est in patria sua.
 25 In truth I say to you, there were many widows in the days of Elias in Israel, when heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there was a great famine throughout all the earth.
In veritate dico vobis, multae viduae erant in diebus Eliae in Israel, quando clausum est caelum annis tribus et mensibus sex, cum facta esset fames magna in omni terra :
 26 And to none of them was Elias sent, but to Sarepta of Sidon, to a widow woman.
et ad nullam illarum missus est Elias, nisi in Sarepta Sidoniae, ad mulierem viduam.
 27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet: and none of them was cleansed but Naaman the Syrian.
Et multi leprosi erant in Israel sub Elisaeo propheta : et nemo eorum mundatus est nisi Naaman Syrus.
 28 And all they in the synagogue, hearing these things, were filled with anger.
Et repleti sunt omnes in synagoga ira, haec audientes.
 29 And they rose up and thrust him out of the city; and they brought him to the brow of the hill, whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.
Et surrexerunt, et ejecerunt illum extra civitatem : et duxerunt illum usque ad supercilium montis, super quem civitas illorum erat aedificata, ut praecipitarent eum.
 30 But he passing through the midst of them, went his way.
Ipse autem transiens per medium illorum, ibat.

The Gospel speaks to us of Naaman, the valiant general of the King of Syria's army. He was cured by bathing in the Jordan, although he did not belong to the race of Israel. Later on Jesus was to plunge himself into the same river and to communicate a sanctifying virtue to its waters. Naaman, therefore, is a figure of the heathen whom the Church by baptism cures of the leprosy of sin. Peter, says Tertullian, has baptised in the Tiber, and those that he has cleansed from leprosy of sin, have abandoned the waters of Damascus, by which is mean their sensual life.

Let us renew ourselves in the spirit of baptism by purifying our hearts in the salutary bath of penitence. This will cure them of the leprosy of the soul called sin.

14 And he was casting out a devil, and the same was dumb: and when he had cast out the devil, the dumb spoke: and the multitudes were in admiration at it:
Et erat ejiciens daemonium, et illud erat mutum. Et cum ejecisset daemonium, locutus est mutus, et admiratae sunt turbae.
 15 But some of them said: He casteth out devils by Beelzebub, the prince of devils.
Quidam autem ex eis dixerunt : In Beelzebub principe daemoniorum ejicit daemonia.
 16 And others tempting, asked of him a sign from heaven.
Et alii tentantes, signum de caelo quaerebant ab eo.
 17 But he seeing their thoughts, said to them: Every kingdom divided against itself, shall be brought to desolation, and house upon house shall fall.
Ipse autem ut vidit cogitationes eorum, dixit eis : Omne regnum in seipsum divisum desolabitur, et domus supra domum cadet.
 18 And if Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because you say, that through Beelzebub I cast out devils.
Si autem et Satanas in seipsum divisus est, quomodo stabit regnum ejus? quia dicitis in Beelzebub me ejicere daemonia.
 19 Now if I cast out devils by Beelzebub; by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.
Si autem ego in Beelzebub ejicio daemonia : filii vestri in quo ejiciunt? ideo ipsi judices vestri erunt.
 20 But if I by the finger of God cast out devils; doubtless the kingdom of God is come upon you.
Porro si in digito Dei ejicio daemonia : profecto pervenit in vos regnum Dei.
 21 When a strong man armed keepeth his court, those things are in peace which he possesseth.
Cum fortis armatus custodit atrium suum, in pace sunt ea quae possidet.
 22 But if a stronger than he come upon him, and overcome him; he will take away all his armour wherein he trusted, and will distribute his spoils.
Si autem fortior eo superveniens vicerit eum, universa arma ejus auferet, in quibus confidebat, et spolia ejus distribuet.
 23 He that is not with me, is against me; and he that gathereth not with me, scattereth.
Qui non est mecum, contra me est : et qui non colligit mecum, dispergit.
 24 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through places without water, seeking rest; and not finding, he saith: I will return into my house whence I came out.
Cum immundus spiritus exierit de homine, ambulat per loca inaquosa, quaerens requiem : et non inveniens dicit : Revertar in domum meam unde exivi.
 25 And when he is come, he findeth it swept and garnished.
Et cum venerit, invenit eam scopis mundatam, et ornatam.
 26 Then he goeth and taketh with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and entering in they dwell there. And the last state of that man becomes worse than the first.
Tunc vadit, et assumit septem alios spiritus secum, nequiores se, et ingressi habitant ibi. Et fiunt novissima hominis illius pejora prioribus.
 27 And it came to pass, as he spoke these things, a certain woman from the crowd, lifting up her voice, said to him: Blessed is the womb that bore thee, and the paps that gave thee suck.
Factum est autem, cum haec diceret : extollens vocem quaedam mulier de turba dixit illi : Beatus venter qui te portavit, et ubera quae suxisti.
 28 But he said: Yea rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it.
At ille dixit : Quinimmo beati, qui audiunt verbum Dei et custodiunt illud.

11 And he said: A certain man had two sons:  12 And the younger of them said to his father: Father, give me the portion of substance that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his substance.  13 And not many days after, the younger son, gathering all together, went abroad into a far country: and there wasted his substance, living riotously.  14 And after he had spent all, there came a mighty famine in that country; and he began to be in want.  15 And he went and cleaved to one of the citizens of that country. And he sent him into his farm to feed swine.
 16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks the swine did eat; and no man gave unto him.  17 And returning to himself, he said: How many hired servants in my father's house abound with bread, and I here perish with hunger?  18 I will arise, and will go to my father, and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee:  19 I am not worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.  20 And rising up he came to his father. And when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and running to him fell upon his neck, and kissed him.
 21 And the son said to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, I am not now worthy to be called thy son.  22 And the father said to his servants: Bring forth quickly the first robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:  23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it, and let us eat and make merry:  24 Because this my son was dead, and is come to life again: was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.  25 Now his elder son was in the field, and when he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing:
 26 And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.  27 And he said to him: Thy brother is come, and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe.  28 And he was angry, and would not go in. His father therefore coming out began to entreat him.  29 And he answering, said to his father: Behold, for so many years do I serve thee, and I have never transgressed thy commandment, and yet thou hast never given me a kid to make merry with my friends:  30 But as soon as this thy son is come, who hath devoured his substance with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.
 31 But he said to him: Son, thou art always with me, and all I have is thine.  32 But it was fit that we should make merry and be glad, for this thy brother was dead and is come to life again; he was lost, and is found.
Parable of the prodigal son. The elder son is the Jewish element of the primitive church which is scandalised at the vocation of the Gentiles; the prodigal son is the pagan element.

33 Hear ye another parable. There was a man an householder, who planted a vineyard, and made a hedge round about it, and dug in it a press, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen; and went into a strange country.
Aliam parabolam audite : Homo erat paterfamilias, qui plantavit vineam, et sepem circumdedit ei, et fodit in ea torcular, et aedificavit turrim, et locavit eam agricolis, et peregre profectus est.
 34 And when the time of the fruits drew nigh, he sent his servants to the husbandmen that they might receive the fruits thereof.
Cum autem tempus fructuum appropinquasset, misit servos suos ad agricolas, ut acciperent fructus ejus.
 35 And the husbandmen laying hands on his servants, beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.
Et agricolae, apprehensis servis ejus, alium ceciderunt, alium occiderunt, alium vero lapidaverunt.
 36 Again he sent other servants more than the former; and they did to them in like manner.
Iterum misit alios servos plures prioribus, et fecerunt illis similiter.
 37 And last of all he sent to them his son, saying: They will reverence my son.
Novissime autem misit ad eos filium suum, dicens : Verebuntur filium meum.
 38 But the husbandmen seeing the son, said among themselves: This is the heir: come, let us kill him, and we shall have his inheritance.
Agricolae autem videntes filium dixerunt intra se : Hic est haeres, venite, occidamus eum, et habebimus haereditatem ejus.
 39 And taking him, they cast him forth out of the vineyard, and killed him.
Et apprehensum eum ejecerunt extra vineam, et occiderunt.
 40 When therefore the lord of the vineyard shall come, what will he do to those husbandmen?
Cum ergo venerit dominus vineae, quid faciet agricolis illis?
 41 They say to him: He will bring those evil men to an evil end; and will let out his vineyard to other husbandmen, that shall render him the fruit in due season.
Aiunt illi : Malos male perdet : et vineam suam locabit aliis agricolis, qui reddant ei fructum temporibus suis.
 42 Jesus saith to them: Have you never read in the Scriptures: The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner? By the Lord this has been done; and it is wonderful in our eyes.
Dicit illis Jesus : Numquam legistis in Scripturis : Lapidem quem reprobaverunt aedificantes, hic factus est in caput anguli : a Domino factum est istud, et est mirabile in oculis nostris?
 43 Therefore I say to you, that the kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and shall be given to a nation yielding the fruits thereof.
Ideo dico vobis, quia auferetur a vobis regnum Dei, et dabitur genti facienti fructus ejus.
 44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone, shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it shall grind him to powder.
Et qui ceciderit super lapidem istum, confringetur : super quem vero ceciderit, conteret eum.
 45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they knew that he spoke of them.
Et cum audissent principes sacerdotum et pharisaei parabolas ejus, cognoverunt quod de ipsis diceret.
 46 And seeking to lay hands on him, they feared the multitudes: because they held him as a prophet.
Et quaerentes eum tenere, timuerunt turbas : quoniam sicut prophetam eum habebant.

19 There was a certain rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen; and feasted sumptuously every day.
Homo quidam erat dives, qui induebatur purpura et bysso, et epulabatur quotidie splendide.
 20 And there was a certain beggar, named Lazarus, who lay at his gate, full of sores,
Et erat quidam mendicus, nomine Lazarus, qui jacebat ad januam ejus, ulceribus plenus,
 21 Desiring to be filled with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table, and no one did give him; moreover the dogs came, and licked his sores.
cupiens saturari de micis quae cadebant de mensa divitis, et nemo illi dabat : sed et canes veniebant, et lingebant ulcera ejus.
 22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. And the rich man also died: and he was buried in hell.
Factum est autem ut moreretur mendicus, et portaretur ab angelis in sinum Abrahae. Mortuus est autem et dives, et sepultus est in inferno.
 23 And lifting up his eyes when he was in torments, he saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom:
Elevans autem oculos suos, cum esset in tormentis, vidit Abraham a longe, et Lazarum in sinu ejus :
 24 And he cried, and said: Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, to cool my tongue: for I am tormented in this flame.
et ipse clamans dixit : Pater Abraham, miserere mei, et mitte Lazarum ut intingat extremum digiti sui in aquam, ut refrigeret linguam meam, quia crucior in hac flamma.
 25 And Abraham said to him: Son, remember that thou didst receive good things in thy lifetime, and likewise Lazarus evil things, but now he is comforted; and thou art tormented.
Et dixit illi Abraham : Fili, recordare quia recepisti bona in vita tua, et Lazarus similiter mala : nunc autem hic consolatur, tu vero cruciaris :
 26 And besides all this, between us and you, there is fixed a great chaos: so that they who would pass from hence to you, cannot, nor from thence come hither.
et in his omnibus inter nos et vos chaos magnum firmatum est : ut hi qui volunt hinc transire ad vos, non possint, neque inde huc transmeare.
 27 And he said: Then, father, I beseech thee, that thou wouldst send him to my father's house, for I have five brethren,
Et ait : Rogo ergo te, pater, ut mittas eum in domum patris mei :
 28 That he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torments.
habeo enim quinque fratres : ut testetur illis, ne et ipsi veniant in hunc locum tormentorum.
 29 And Abraham said to him: They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
Et ait illi Abraham : Habent Moysen et prophetas : audiant illos.
 30 But he said: No, father Abraham: but if one went to them from the dead, they will do penance.
At ille dixit : Non, pater Abraham : sed si quis ex mortuis ierit ad eos, poenitentiam agent.
 31 And he said to him: If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they believe, if one rise again from the dead.
Ait autem illi : Si Moysen et prophetas non audiunt, neque si quis ex mortuis resurrexerit, credent.
[22] "Abraham's bosom": The place of rest, where the souls of the saints resided, till Christ had opened heaven by his death.