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From the Catena Aurea on Mark 1:14-20, Patristic Commentary by St Thomas Aquinas
14. Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching
the Gospel of the kingdom of God,
15. And saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand:
repent ye, and believe the Gospel.”
Pseudo-Chrys., Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.: The Evangelist Mark follows Matthew
in his order, and therefore after having said that Angels minister, he subjoins,
“But after that John was put into prison, Jesus came, &c.”
After the temptation and the ministry of Angels, He goes back into Galilee,
teaching us not to resist the violence of evil men.
Theophylact: And to shew us that in persecutions we ought to retire, and not to
await them; but when we fall into them, we must sustain them.
Pseudo-Chrys., Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.: He retired also that He might keep
Himself for teaching and for healing, before He suffered, and after fulfilling
all these things, might become obedient unto death.
Bede: John being put in prison, fitly does the Lord begin to preach: wherefore
there follows, “Preaching the Gospel, &c.” For when the Law ceases, the Gospel
arises in its steps.
20
Bede: Let no one, however, suppose that the putting of John in prison took place
immediately after the forty days’ temptation and the fast of the Lord; for
whosoever reads the Gospel of John will find, that the Lord taught many things
before the putting of John in prison, and also did many miracles; for you have
in his Gospel, “This beginning of miracles did Jesus;” [John 2:11] and
afterwards, “for John was not yet cast into prison.” [John 3:24]
Now it is said that when John read the books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, he
approved indeed the text of the history, and affirmed that they had spoken
truth, but said that they had composed the history of only one year after John
was cast into prison, in which year also he suffered. Passing over then the year
of which the transactions had been published by the three others, he related the
events of the former period, before John was cast into prison.
When therefore Mark had said that “Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Gospel
of the kingdom,” he subjoins, “saying, Since the time is fulfilled, &c.”
Pseudo-Chrys., vict. Ant. Cat. in Marc.: Since then the time was fulfilled,
“when the fulness of times was come, and God sent His son,” it was fitting that
the race of man should obtain the last dispensation of God. And therefore he
says, “for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Origen, in Matt., tom. x, 14: But the kingdom of God is essentially the same as
the kingdom of heaven, though they differ in idea. [ed. note: see Origen, de
Orat. 25, 26 in Matt. t 12.14 (?)]
For by the kingdom of God is to be understood that in which God reigns; and this
in truth is in the region of the living, where, seeing God face to face, they
will abide in the good things now promised to them; whether by this region one
chooses to understand Love, or some other confirmation [ed. note: By
‘confirmation,’ seems to be meant the perfecting of spiritual natures; see
Thomas Aq., Summa Theologica, part 1, Q62, Art 1. It answers to (greek word) as
used by St. Basil; de Sp. S 16] of those who put on the likeness of things 21
above, which are signified by the heavens. [ed. note: “Coeli” is commonly
interpreted of the Angels, by the Fathers.]
For it is clear [ed. note: see Chrys., in Matt., Hom. 19 in c. 6,9] enough that
the kingdom of God is confined neither by place nor by time.
Theophylact: Or else, the Lord means that the time of the Law is complete; as if
He said, Up to this time the Law was at work; from this time the kingdom of God
will work, that is, a conversation according to the Gospel, which is with reason
likened to the kingdom of heaven. For when you see a man clothed in flesh living
according to the Gospel, do you not say that he has the kingdom of heaven, which
“is not meat and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost?”
[Rom 14:17]
The next word is, “Repent.”
Pseudo-Jerome: For he must repent, who would keep close to eternal good, that
is, to the kingdom of God. For he who would have the kernel, breaks the shell;
the sweetness of the apple makes up for the bitterness of its root; the hope of
gain makes the dangers of the sea pleasant; the hope of health takes away from
the painfulness of medicine.
They are able worthily to proclaim the preaching of Christ who have deserved to
attain to the reward of forgiveness; and therefore after He has said, “Repent,”
He subjoins, “and believe the Gospel.” For unless ye have believed, ye shall not
understand.
Bede: “Repent,” therefore, “and believe;” that is, renounce dead works; for of
what use is believing without good works? The merit of good works does not,
however, bring to faith, but faith begins, that good works may follow.
16. Now as He walked by the sea of Galilee, He saw Simon, and Andrew his
brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishers.
17. And Jesus said unto them, “Come ye after Me, and I will make you to become
fishers of men.”
18. And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed Him.
19. And when He had gone a little farther thence, He saw James, the son of
Zebedee, and John, his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets.
20. And straightway He called them: and they 22 left their father Zebedee in the
ship with the hired servants, and went after Him.
Gloss.: The Evangelist, having mentioned the preaching of Christ to the
multitude, goes on to the calling of the disciples, whom He made ministers of
His preaching, whence it follows, “And passing along the sea of Galilee, &c.”
Theophylact: As the Evangelist John relates, Peter and Andrew were disciples of
the Forerunner, but seeing that John had borne witness to Jesus, they joined
themselves to him; afterwards, grieving that John had been cast into prison,
they returned to their trade.
Wherefore there follows, “casting nets into the sea, for they were fishers.”
Look then upon them, living on their own labours, not on the fruits of iniquity;
for such men were worthy to become the first disciples of Christ; whence it is
subjoined, “And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after Me.”
Now He calls them for the second time; for this is the second calling in respect
of that, of which we read in John. But it is shewn to what they were called,
when it is added, “I will make you become fishers of men.”
Remig.: For by the net of holy preaching they drew fish, that is, men, from the
depths of the sea, that is, of infidelity, to the light of faith. Wonderful
indeed is this fishing! for fishes when they are caught, soon after die; when
men are caught by the word of preaching, they rather are made alive.
Bede, in Marc., 1, 6: Now fishers and unlettered men are sent to preach, that
the faith of believers might be thought to lie in the power of God, not in
eloquence or in learning. It goes on to say, “and immediately they left their
nets, and followed Him.”
Theophylact: For we must not allow any time to lapse, but at once follow the
Lord. After these again, He catches James and John, because they also, though
poor, supported the old age of their father.
Wherefore there follows, “And when He had gone a little farther thence, He saw
James, the son of Zebedee, &c.”
But they left their father, because he would have hindered them in following
Christ. Do thou, also, when thou art hindered by thy parents, leave them, and
come to God. It is shewn by this that Zebedee was not a believer; but the mother
of the Apostles believed, for she followed Christ, when Zebedee was dead.
23
We must therefore understand that the transaction which Luke intimates happened
first, and afterwards that they, as their custom was, had returned to their
fishing. So that what Mark here relates happened afterwards; for in this case
they followed the Lord, without drawing their boats ashore, (which they would
have done had they meant to return,) and followed Him, as one calling them, and
ordering them to follow.
Pseudo-Jerome: Further, we are mystically carried away to heaven, like Elias, by
this chariot, drawn by these fishers, as by four horses. On these four
corner-stones the first Church is built; in these, as in the four Hebrew
letters, we acknowledge the tetragrammation, the name of the Lord, we who are
commanded, after their example, to “hear” the voice of the Lord, and “to forget”
the “people” of wickedness, and “the house of our fathers’ ” [Ps 45:10]
conversation, which is folly before God, and the spider’s net, in the meshes of
which we, like gnats, were all but fallen, and were confined by things vain as
the air, which hangs on nothing; loathing also the ship of our former walk.
For Adam, our forefather according to the flesh, is clothed with the skins of
dead beasts; but now, having put off the old man, with his deeds, following the
new man we are clothed with those skins of Solomon, with which the bride
rejoices that she has been made beautiful [Song of Songs, 1:4].
Again, Simon, means obedient; Andrew, manly; James, supplanter [ed. note: Cf.
vol i, 139, 140, 364]; John, grace; by which four names, we are knit together
into God’s host [ed. note: Al. ‘in imaginem’] ; by obedience, that we may
listen; by manliness, that we do battle; by overthrowing, that we may persevere;
by grace, that we may be preserved. Which four virtues are called cardinal; for
by prudence, we obey; by justice, we bear ourselves manfully; by temperance, we
tread the serpent underfoot; by fortitude, we earn the grace of 24 God.
Theophylact: We must know also, that action is first called, then contemplation;
for Peter is the type of the active life, for he was more ardent than the
others, just as the active life is the more bustling; but John is the type of
the contemplative life, for he speaks more fully of divine things.
Pseudo-Jerome: When the shadow ceases, the truth comes on; first, John in
prison, the Law in Judaea; then, Jesus in Galilee, Paul among the Gentiles
preaching the Gospel of the kingdom. For to an earthly kingdom succeeds poverty,
to the poverty of Christians is given an everlasting kingdom; but earthly honour
is like the foam of water, or smoke, or sleep.
Bede: It may be asked, how he could call two fishers from each of the boats,
(first, Peter and Andrew, then having gone a little further, the two others,
sons of Zebedee,) when Luke says that James and John were called to help Peter
and Andrew, and that it was to Peter only that Christ said, “Fear not, from this
time thou shalt catch men;” [Luke 5:!0] he also says, that “at the same time,
when they had brought their ships to land, they followed Him.”
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