Catena Aurea - Vol. I

Date

• Between 1262–1267 AD

Summary

Catena Aurea (“Golden Chain”) is a continuous commentary on the four Gospels compiled by St. Thomas Aquinas. Rather than writing his own commentary, Aquinas assembled passages from earlier Church Fathers and arranged them verse by verse, allowing readers to follow how the Christian tradition interpreted Scripture across the centuries.

The work preserves a remarkable breadth of patristic interpretation, often placing several Fathers side by side on the same passage. It serves both as a biblical commentary and as a window into the theological, spiritual, and pastoral concerns of the early Church.

For my own study, I am reading it alongside the Gospel of Matthew and the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible to better understand how the Fathers interpreted each passage and how their insights complement Scripture and later Catholic teaching.

Highlights & Reflections

He says, The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, because he knew it was written, ‘The book of the generation of Adam.’ He begins thus then, that he may oppose book to book, the new Adam to the old Adam, for by the one were all things restored which had been corrupted by the other.

Catena Aurea, St. Thomas Aquinas (quoting Rabanus Maurus)

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See how immediately on His birth the tyrant is furious against Him, and the mother with her Child is driven into foreign lands. So should you in the beginning of your spiritual career seem to have tribulation, you need not to be discouraged, but bear all things manfully, having this example.

Catena Aurea, St. Thomas Aquinas (quoting St. John Chrysostom)

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Mary is interpreted, ‘Star of the Sea,’ after the Hebrew; ‘Mistress’ after the Syriac; as she bare into the world the Light of salvation, an the Lord.

Catena Aurea, St. Thomas Aquinas (quoting St. Bede in Luc. c. 3)

My thoughts

How mind-blowing is this? Mary’s name is interpreted here as “Star of the Sea,” and only a chapter later Matthew tells us of a star leading the wise men to Christ. I don’t know whether there is any intended connection between the two, but the imagery struck me: the star leads them to Christ, and Mary herself is remembered in Christian tradition as Star of the Sea.

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Mary was therefor betrothed to a carpenter, because Christ the Spouse of the Church was to work on the salvation of all men through the wood of the Cross.

Catena Aurea, St. Thomas Aquinas (quoting Pseudo-Chrysostom)

My thoughts

Up until now, I was wondering whether the fact that Joseph, and later Jesus Himself, were known by the carpenter’s trade had any deeper significance, or whether it simply reflected the normal practice of a son following his father’s work. In light of this quote, though, there is something beautifully fitting about Christ growing up working with wood when He would ultimately bring about our salvation through the wood of the Cross.

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But it should be known, that just here is used to denote one who is in all things virtuous. For there is a particular justice, namely, the being free from covetousness; and another universal virtue, in which sense Scripture generally uses the word justice. Therefore being just, that is kind, merciful, he was minded to put away privily her who according to the Law was liable not only to dismissal, but to death. But Joseph remitted both, as though living above the Law. For as the sun lightens up the world, before he shews his rays, so Christ before He was born caused many wonders to be seen.

Catena Aurea, St. Thomas Aquinas (quoting Chrysostom)

Source

Author: St. Thomas Aquinas
Published by Aeterna Press.

Note: Quotations on this page are taken from this edition unless otherwise stated.