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Compiled by: Michael Lewis & Friends (Angel Investors) with the Smart Singaporeans
Important note: Please print this if you need it for future reference, as what listed here will be archived to make room for Summaries of the Latest Saints’ Commentaries. Although we have done our best to summarise the Saints’ Commentaries (including comparison with AI), please refer to the original Saints’ commentaries listed after reading these. Thanks for following us.
15 July 2026 (15th Week, Wednesday) Mass Readings https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/071526.cfm https://www.ccreadbible.org/Members/Bona/ccreadbible/maindata/2026/07/2026-07-15.html (Chinese) Saints’ Commentaries: Summaries below Isaiah 10:5-7, 13b-16 (wallpaper) by Saint Thomas Aquinas https://aquinas.cc/la/en/~Isaiah.C10 Prophet Isaiah’s End Times Prophecy. Click Commentary by Saint Thomas Aquinas Prophet Isaiah, father-in-law of Hezekiah, king of Judah (Book of Isaiah (text & audio in English, Chinese), Commentary by Saint Thomas Aquinas, Videos) Here is a concise summary of Saint Thomas Aquinas' commentary on Isaiah 10:1–6 (sections 322–330). Overview of Isaiah 10 Thomas Aquinas sees Isaiah 10 as the beginning of God's judgment against Israel's foreign oppressors, especially the Assyrians. The chapter has two main parts: Judgment on the rulers of Judah (vv. 1–4), who relied on Assyria instead of God. Judgment on Assyria (vv. 5–34), whom God used as an instrument of punishment but who became proud and cruel. This fits into a larger sequence: Ch. 10: Destruction of Israel's enemies. Ch. 11: Restoration of God's people. Ch. 12: Thanksgiving for salvation. 1. Judgment on Judah's rulers (10:1–4) Their sins. Aquinas identifies two principal sins. 1. Unjust legislation The rulers make unjust laws and record them in writing, giving legal force to injustice. Instead of submitting to God's justice, they establish their own standards. 2. Oppression of the weak the poor, the humble, widows, orphans. Their injustice is therefore both legal and social. Their punishment Isaiah asks: "What will you do in the day of visitation?" Thomas Aquinas explains that every false source of security will fail. They cannot rely on: their own strength, powerful allies, their wealth or honour. The punishment itself includes: captivity ("bowed down"), death by the sword. The repeated refrain ("For all this his anger is not turned away...") announces that even more judgment is still to come. 2. Judgment on Assyria (10:5ff.) Although God used Assyria to punish Israel, Assyria itself is guilty. Aquinas divides this section into three movements: Assyria's commission by God. Assyria's abuse of that commission. Assyria's pride and eventual punishment. Assyria as God's instrument The famous image: "The Assyrian, the rod of my anger." Thomas Aquinas explains that God gives Assyria authority to chastise Israel. Three elements are emphasized: the agent: Assyria is God's rod; the authority: its power comes from God; the purpose: God's righteous anger is executed through it. Assyria possesses no independent authority—it serves God's providence. Why Israel is punished God sends Assyria against "a deceitful nation." Thomas Aquinas interprets this as Israel's covenant unfaithfulness. Israel had promised at Sinai: "All that the Lord has spoken we will do." Yet the nation broke that covenant. Therefore God justly appoints Assyria as the instrument of discipline. Main theological themes Thomas Aquinas emphasizes several enduring lessons: Civil authority must reflect God's justice, not merely human will. The gravest political sins are injustice toward the vulnerable. Earthly power, alliances, and wealth cannot save under God's judgment. God may use even pagan nations as instruments of His providence. Those whom God uses remain morally responsible if they exceed His purpose through pride and cruelty. God's sovereignty extends over both His people and the nations, directing history toward both judgment and eventual restoration. Summary of Isaiah 10:9–18 (Commentary on Sections 331–340) These sections explain how the Assyrian king, though used by God as an instrument of judgment, exceeds God's purpose through pride and ambition. Therefore, God will in turn judge Assyria. 331. The severity of Assyria's conquest God permits Assyria to punish Israel by: taking away their possessions ("take away the spoils"), carrying people off into captivity, trampling them underfoot "like the mire of the streets," treating them with contempt. 332. Assyria abuses God's commission Although God sends Assyria as an instrument of discipline, the Assyrian king goes beyond his mandate. He does not intend merely to chastise Israel. Instead, he desires to utterly destroy and conquer many nations, not just those God had appointed for judgment. His excessive cruelty and ambition become sinful. 333–334. The motive: pride in military success The Assyrian king boasts: His officials are as powerful as kings. He has conquered one great city after another. The gods of conquered nations could not save them. From this he wrongly concludes: Jerusalem will fall just as Samaria did. Israel's God will prove no stronger than the idols of other nations. Thomas Aquinas notes that while Samaria truly worshipped idols, Jerusalem under Hezekiah had removed them, though perhaps some remained secretly. Alternatively, the Assyrian may have contemptuously referred to the Temple's sacred furnishings as "images." 335. God prepares to judge Assyria's pride Once God has completed His purpose of correcting Zion through Assyria, He will punish the Assyrian king for: his proud heart, his presumption, and his arrogant boasting over his achievements. God's use of Assyria does not excuse Assyria's pride. 336–338. The king's boast The king attributes all his victories to himself. He claims success because of: his own strength in war, his own wisdom and strategy. He boasts of: removing national boundaries, plundering rulers, overthrowing kings from their thrones. He also describes his victories as effortless: nations were as helpless as birds' nests, the whole earth was gathered like abandoned eggs, no one resisted or even dared complain. His confidence completely ignores God's sovereignty. 339. God's rebuke Isaiah answers with a powerful image: Can an axe boast against the one who swings it? Can a saw exalt itself over the craftsman? Assyria is merely God's instrument: like an axe used to strike, a saw used to separate, a rod used to discipline, a staff used to support the corrected. An instrument has no reason to glory in itself, since all its power comes from the one who wields it. 340. Judgment upon Assyria Because of this arrogance, God will punish Assyria. a wasting away of its powerful and wealthy leaders ("leanness among his fat ones"), the destruction of its glory, and terror that will cause its strength to melt away. Central theological lesson Thomas Aquinas emphasizes a recurring biblical principle: God may use even wicked nations as instruments of His providence. Those instruments remain morally responsible for their own intentions. Assyria's sin is not that it conquered Israel, but that it acted from pride, cruelty, and a desire for limitless domination, claiming God's work as its own. Once God has accomplished His purpose through Assyria, He justly turns His judgment upon the proud instrument itself. Psalm 94:5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 14-15 (wallpaper) by Saint Augustine https://www.ecatholic2000.com/fathers/untitled-686.shtml#_Toc390303598 Book of Psalms (text & audio in English, Chinese), Commentary by Saint Augustine. Summary of Saint Augustine on Psalm 94:5–10, 14–15 Augustine explains that Psalm 94 encourages the righteous to remain patient when the wicked seem to prosper and oppress God's people. The apparent success of evil is a trial of faith, not evidence that God is indifferent. 1. The danger of envying the wicked (Introduction) Many believers become discouraged when they see: the wicked flourishing, the righteous suffering, evil people exercising power over the good. This temptation can lead people either: to imitate the wicked, or to believe falsely that God does not care about justice. Such thoughts are spiritually deadly because they accuse God of neglect or partiality. 2. The meaning of the Psalm's title ("the fourth day") Augustine sees symbolic meaning in the title referring to the fourth day of creation, when God made the heavenly lights. Just as the sun, moon, and stars shine amid darkness, Christians are called to shine as lights in the world (echoing Philippians 2). The Psalm therefore teaches believers to persevere as lights while surrounded by a dark and sinful world. 3. The oppression of God's people (vv. 5–6) The wicked: humble God's people, trouble His inheritance, murder widows, orphans, and strangers. These actions represent the cruelty with which the ungodly persecute the vulnerable and faithful. 4. The folly of believing God does not see (vv. 7–10) The wicked say: "The Lord shall not see." Augustine identifies two false assumptions: God sees evil but approves it because He delays punishment. God simply pays no attention to human affairs. He rejects both: God created humanity and continually cares for His creatures. His patience should never be mistaken for ignorance or approval. God's delay in judgment is meant to give sinners time to repent. The Psalm's questions expose the absurdity of unbelief: He who made the ear surely hears. He who formed the eye surely sees. He who teaches humanity surely knows and will judge. God teaches the nations now through Scripture, prophets, Christ, and the Church. Since He teaches, He will also require an account at the final judgment. 5. Patience before judgment (vv. 14–15) Augustine explains that: Now is the time for righteousness. Later will be the time for judgment. The righteous must first endure suffering patiently before sharing in Christ's judgment. Even Christ Himself was judged before He became Judge of all. Thus: righteousness now consists in faithful endurance, judgment belongs to the future kingdom. 6. Aligning our will with God's Believers often want God to punish sinners immediately, but God chooses to be patient. Augustine teaches: God's will is perfectly straight, like an unbending ruler. The problem lies not with God's justice but with our crooked wills. Rather than asking God to conform to our desires, we must conform our desires to His. Those who are "upright in heart" are those whose wills have been brought into harmony with God's will, trusting His wisdom even when evil temporarily prospers. Central message Psalm 94 teaches Christians not to lose heart when the wicked appear victorious. God sees every act of injustice, patiently delays judgment to allow repentance, and will certainly judge in His appointed time. The righteous are therefore called to persevere in holiness, trust God's timing, and conform their wills to His rather than demanding immediate vengeance. Matthew 11:25-27 (wallpaper) from Catena Aurea (Saints’ Commentaries) https://www.ecatholic2000.com/catena/untitled-18.shtml Summary of Matthew 11:25–26 (Patristic Commentary) After speaking of the unbelief of many Jews and the faith of the Gentiles, Jesus praises the Father, acknowledging His sovereign wisdom in revealing the mysteries of the Kingdom to the humble while they remain hidden from the proud. The Church Fathers highlight several key themes: Jesus' "confession" is thanksgiving, not admission of sin. Saint Augustine explains that Christ's words, "I thank (or confess) to You, Father," are an act of praise and gratitude. Confession can mean glorifying God as well as acknowledging one's sins. The "wise and prudent" are the proud, not the truly wise. Saint Augustine, Saint John Chrysostom, Saint Gregory the Great, and Saint Hilary of Poitiers agree that Jesus is referring primarily to the scribes and Pharisees, who trusted in their own learning and righteousness. Their pride prevented them from receiving God's revelation. The "babes" are the humble. The "babes" are not intellectually foolish but those who are simple, teachable, and free from pride. Saint Gregory the Great notes that Christ condemns arrogance, not understanding. Saint Hilary of Poitiers adds that believers should be "babes in malice, not in understanding." God reveals truth through humility. The apostles received divine mysteries not because of superior ability but because God graciously revealed them. Their knowledge was a gift, not an achievement. God's sovereign will is perfectly just. "Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight" expresses Christ's complete acceptance of the Father's wise and righteous purposes. Saint Gregory the Great warns believers not to question God's judgments concerning whom He calls and whom He leaves in unbelief. A warning against spiritual pride. Saint John Chrysostom says Jesus intended these words to keep the disciples humble. If the learned Pharisees were excluded because of pride, the apostles must remain like "babes," recognizing that every spiritual gift comes by God's grace rather than their own merit. Saint Jerome's theological point. Jerome observes that Jesus calling God both "Father" and "Lord of heaven and earth" affirms Christ's divine Sonship. Christ is not a creature speaking to His Creator as "Father," but the eternal Son addressing His Father. Central lesson God's saving truth is received not through human learning or self-confidence but through humble, childlike faith. Pride blinds even the knowledgeable, while humility opens the heart to God's revelation. Christ therefore thanks the Father for His wise and gracious ordering of salvation and teaches His disciples to remain humble recipients of divine grace. Summary of Saints’ Commentaries on Matthew 11:27 In this verse, Jesus reveals His unique relationship with the Father and His divine authority. Key points from the Church Fathers: The Father has entrusted all things to the Son. This does not mean the Son was once lacking authority, but expresses His eternal relationship with the Father. As the eternally begotten Son, He possesses all that belongs to the Father (Saint John Chrysostom, Saint Hilary of Poitiers, Saint Augustine). "All things" especially includes the work of salvation. While it can refer to all creation, Saint Jerome notes it particularly points to those who come to the Father through Christ. The Father and the Son know each other perfectly. Their mutual knowledge is unique and complete because they share the same divine nature. No creature can know God in this perfect way (Saint Hilary of Poitiers, Saint John Chrysostom). Human knowledge of God is limited. People can truly know the Father, but only because the Son graciously reveals Him. Our knowledge is by revelation, not by equality with God (Saint John Chrysostom, Saint Jerome). The Son reveals both the Father and Himself. Saint Augustine explains that since the Son is the eternal Word of God, He makes the Father known, and in revealing the Father, He also reveals His own divine identity. No one comes to the Father except through the Son. Jesus emphasizes that access to the Father depends entirely on the Son's revelation, demonstrating both His unity with the Father and His indispensable role in salvation (Saint John Chrysostom). Main lesson Matthew 11:27 teaches that Jesus is the eternal Son who shares fully in the Father's divine nature and authority. Only He knows the Father perfectly, and only through Him can humanity truly know God. Our knowledge of God is not attained by human wisdom but received as a gift through Christ's revelation. Sending Peace, Love & Joy to you from Singapore!
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