Fragmenda

Scripture

Numbers 29–31

Numbers 29

Sacrifices for the festivals of the seventh month.

1 

The first day also of the seventh month shall be venerable and holy unto you; you shall do no servile work therein, because it is the day of the sounding and of trumpets.

2 

And you shall offer a holocaust for a most sweet odour to the Lord, one calf of the herd, one ram and seven lambs of a year old, without blemish.

3 

And for their sacrifices, three tenths of flour tempered with oil to every calf, two tenths to a ram,

4 

One tenth to a lamb, which in all are seven lambs:

5 

And a buck goat for sin, which is offered for the expiation of the people,

6 

Besides the holocaust of the first day of the month with the sacrifices thereof, and the perpetual holocaust with the accustomed libations. With the same ceremonies you shall offer a burnt sacrifice for a most sweet odour to the Lord.

7 

The tenth day also of this seventh month shall be holy and venerable unto you, and you shall afflict your souls; you shall do no servile work therein.

8 

And you shall offer a holocaust to the Lord for a most sweet odour, one calf of the herd, one ram, and seven lambs of a year old, without blemish:

9 

And for their sacrifices, three tenths of flour tempered with oil to every calf, two tenths to a ram,

10 

The tenth of a tenth to every lamb, which are in all seven lambs:

11 

And a buck goat for sin, besides the things that are wont to be offered for sin, for expiation, and for the perpetual holocaust with their sacrifice and libations.

12 

And on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, which shall be unto you holy and venerable, you shall do no servile work, but shall celebrate a solemnity to the Lord seven days.

13 

And you shall offer a holocaust for a most sweet odour to the Lord, thirteen calves of the herd, two rams, and fourteen lambs of a year old, without blemish:

14 

And for their libations three tenths of flour tempered with oil to every calf, being in all thirteen calves: and two tenths to each ram, being two rams,

15 

And the tenth of a tenth to every lamb, being in all fourteen lambs:

16 

And a buck goat for sin, besides the perpetual holocaust, and the sacrifice and the libation thereof.

17 

On the second day you shall offer twelve calves of the herd, two rams and fourteen lambs of a year old, without blemish:

18 

And the sacrifices and the libations for every one, for the calves and for the rams and for the lambs you shall duly celebrate:

19 

And a buck goat for a sin offering besides the perpetual holocaust, and the sacrifice and the libation thereof.

20 

The third day you shall offer eleven calves, two rams, and fourteen lambs of a year old, without blemish:

21 

And the sacrifices and the libations of every one for the calves and for the rams and for the lambs you shall offer according to the rite:

22 

And a buck goat for sin, besides the perpetual holocaust, and the sacrifice, and the libation thereof.

23 

The fourth day you shall offer ten calves, two rams, and fourteen lambs of a year old, without blemish:

24 

And the sacrifices and the libations of every one for the calves and for the rams and for the lambs you shall celebrate in right manner:

25 

And a buck goat for sin, besides the perpetual holocaust, and the sacrifice and the libation thereof.

26 

The fifth day you shall offer nine calves, two rams, and fourteen lambs of a year old, without blemish:

27 

And the sacrifices and the libations of every one for the calves and for the rams and for the lambs you shall celebrate according to the rite:

28 

And a buck goat for sin, besides the perpetual holocaust, and the sacrifice and the libation thereof.

29 

The sixth day you shall offer eight calves, two rams, and fourteen lambs of a year old, without blemish:

30 

And the sacrifices and the libations of every one for the calves and for the rams and for the lambs you shall celebrate according to the rite:

31 

And a buck goat for sin, besides the perpetual holocaust, and the sacrifice and the libation thereof.

32 

The seventh day you shall offer seven calves and two rams, and fourteen lambs of a year old, without blemish:

33 

And the sacrifices and the libations of every one for the calves and for the rams and for the lambs you shall celebrate according to the rite:

34 

And a buck goat for sin, besides the perpetual holocaust, and the sacrifice and the libation thereof.

35 

On the eighth day, which is most solemn, you shall do no servile work:

36 

But you shall offer a holocaust for a most sweet odour to the Lord, one calf, one ram, and seven lambs of a year old, without blemish:

37 

And the sacrifices and the libations of every one for the calves and for the rams and for the lambs you shall celebrate according to the rite:

38 

And a buck goat for sin, besides the perpetual holocaust, and the sacrifice and the libation thereof.

39 

These things shall you offer to the Lord in your solemnities: besides your vows and voluntary oblations for holocaust, for sacrifice, for libation, and for victims of peace offerings.


Numbers 30

Of vows and oaths: and their obligation.

1 

And Moses told the children of Israel all that the Lord had commanded him:

2 

And he said to the princes of the tribes of the children of Israel: This is the word that the Lord hath commanded:

3 

If any man make a vow to the Lord, or bind himself by an oath: he shall not make his word void but shall fulfil all that he promised.

4 

If a woman vow any thing, and bind herself by an oath, being in her father’s house, and but yet a girl in age: if her father knew the vow that she hath promised, and the oath wherewith she hath bound her soul, and held his peace, she shall be bound by the vow:

5 

Whatsoever she promised and swore, she shall fulfil in deed.

6 

But if her father, immediately as soon as he heard it, gainsaid it, both her vows and her oaths shall be void, neither shall she be bound to what she promised, because her father hath gainsaid it.

7 

If she have a husband, and shall vow any thing, and the word once going out of her mouth shall bind her soul by an oath,

8 

The day that her husband shall hear it, and not gainsay it, she shall be bound to the vow, and shall give whatsoever she promised.

9 

But if as soon as he heareth he gainsay it, and make her promises and the words wherewith she had bound her soul of no effect: the Lord will forgive her.

10 

The widow, and she that is divorced, shall fulfil whatsoever they vow.

11 

If the wife in the house of her husband, hath bound herself by vow and by oath,

12 

If her husband hear, and hold his peace, and doth not disallow the promise, she shall accomplish whatsoever she had promised.

13 

But if forthwith he gainsay it, she shall not be bound by the promise: because her husband gainsaid it, and the Lord will be merciful to her.

14 

If she vow and bind herself by oath, to afflict her soul by fasting, or abstinence from other things, it shall depend on the will of her husband, whether she shall do it, or not do it.

15 

But if the husband hearing it hold his peace, and defer the declaring his mind till another day: whatsoever she had vowed and promised, she shall fulfil: because immediately as he heard it, he held his peace.

16 

But if he gainsay it after that he knew it, he shall bear her iniquity.

17 

These are the laws which the Lord appointed to Moses between the husband and the wife, between the father and the daughter that is as yet but a girl in age, or that abideth in her father’s house.


Numbers 31

The Madianites are slain for having drawn the people of Israel into sin. The dividing of the booty.

1 

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

2 

Revenge first the children of Israel on the Madianites, and so thou shalt be gathered to thy people.

3 

And Moses forthwith said: Arm of you men to fight, who may take the revenge of the Lord on the Madianites.

4 

Let a thousand men be chosen out of every tribe of Israel to be sent to the war.

5 

And they gave a thousand of every tribe, that is to say, twelve thousand men well appointed for battle.

6 

And Moses sent them with Phinees the son of Eleazar the priest, and he delivered to him the holy vessels, and the trumpets to sound.

7 

And when they had fought against the Madianites and had overcome them, they slew all the men.

8 

And their kings Evi, and Recem, and Sur, and Hur, and Rebe, five princes of the nation: Balaam also the son of Beor they killed with the sword.

9 

And they took their women, and their children captives, and all their cattle, and all their goods: and all their possessions they plundered:

10 

And all their cities, and their villages, and castles, they burned.

11 

And they carried away the booty, and all that they had taken both of men and of beasts.

12 

And they brought them to Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and to all the multitude of the children of Israel. But the rest of the things for use they carried to the camp on the plains of Moab, beside the Jordan over against Jericho.

13 

And Moses and Eleazar the priest and all the princes of the synagogue went forth to meet them without the camp.

14 

And Moses being angry with the chief officers of the army, the tribunes, and the centurions that were come from the battle,

15 

Said: Why have you saved the women?

16 

Are not these they, that deceived the children of Israel by the counsel of Balaam, and made you transgress against the Lord by the sin of Phogor, for which also the people was punished?

17 

Therefore kill all that are of the male sex, even of the children: and put to death the women, that have carnally known men.

18 

But the girls, and all the women that are virgins save for yourselves:

19 

And stay without the camp seven days. He that hath killed a man, or touched one that is killed, shall be purified the third day and the seventh day.

20 

And of all the spoil, every garment, or vessel, or any thing made for use, of the skins, or hair of goats, or of wood, shall be purified.

21 

Eleazar also the priest spoke to the men of the army, that had fought, in this manner: This is the ordinance of the law, which the Lord hath commanded Moses:

22 

Gold, and silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin,

23 

And all that may pass through the fire, shall be purified by fire, but whatsoever cannot abide the fire, shall be sanctified with the water of expiation:

24 

And you shall wash your garments the seventh day, and being purified, you shall afterwards enter into the camp.

25 

And the Lord said to Moses:

26 

Take the sum of the things that were taken both of man and beast, thou and Eleazar the priest and the princes of the multitude:

27 

And thou shalt divide the spoil equally, between them that fought and went out to the war, and between the rest of the multitude.

28 

And thou shalt separate a portion to the Lord from them that fought and were in the battle, one soul of five hundred as well of persons as of oxen and asses and sheep.

29 

And thou shalt give it to Eleazar the priest, because they are the firstfruits of the Lord.

30 

Out of the moiety also of the children of Israel thou shalt take the fiftieth head of persons, and of oxen, and asses, and sheep, and of all beasts, and thou shalt give them to the Levites that watch in the charge of the tabernacle of the Lord.

31 

And Moses and Eleazar did as the Lord had commanded.

32 

And the spoil which the army had taken, was six hundred seventy-five thousand sheep,

33 

Seventy-two thousand oxen,

34 

Sixty-one thousand asses:

35 

And thirty-two thousand persons of the female sex, that had not known men.

36 

And one half was given to them that had been in the battle, to wit, three hundred thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep:

37 

Out of which, for the portion of the Lord, were reckoned six hundred seventy five sheep.

38 

And out of the thirty-six thousand oxen, seventy-two oxen:

39 

Out of the thirty thousand five hundred asses, sixty-one asses:

40 

Out of the sixteen thousand persons, there fell to the portion of the Lord, thirty-two souls.

41 

And Moses delivered the number of the firstfruits of the Lord to Eleazar the priest, as had been commanded him,

42 

Out of the half of the children of Israel, which he had separated for them that had been in the battle.

43 

But out of the half that fell to the rest of the multitude, that is to say, out of the three hundred thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep,

44 

And out of the thirty-six thousand oxen,

45 

And out of the thirty thousand five hundred asses,

46 

And out of the sixteen thousand persons,

47 

Moses took the fiftieth head, and gave it to the Levites that watched in the tabernacle of the Lord, as the Lord had commanded.

48 

And when the commanders of the army, and the tribunes and centurions were come to Moses, they said:

49 

We thy servants have reckoned up the number of the fighting men, whom we had under our hand, and not so much as one was wanting.

50 

Therefore we offer as gifts to the Lord what gold every one of us could find in the booty, in garters and tablets, rings and bracelets, and chains, that thou mayst pray to the Lord for us.

51 

And Moses and Eleazar the priest received all the gold in divers kinds,

52 

In weight sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty sicles, from the tribunes and from the centurions.

53 

For that which every one had taken in the booty was his own.

54 

And that which was received they brought into the tabernacle of the testimony, for a memorial of the children of Israel before the Lord.

Catechism

An Explanation of the Baltimore Catechism of Christian Doctrine, Lesson 7, Questions 76-77

76 Q. How long did Christ live on earth?

A. Christ lived on earth about thirty-three years, and led a most holy life in poverty and suffering.

The life of Our Lord was spent in the following manner. At the time Our Lord was born in Bethlehem wise men or kings, called Magi, came from the East—perhaps from Persia or Arabia—to adore Him. They saw a strange star, and leaving their own country came to Palestine. When they came as far as Jerusalem, they went to King Herod and asked him where the young King was born. Herod was troubled, for he was afraid the new King would deprive him of his throne. He called together all the priests and asked them about this royal child. They told him and the Magi that, according to the prophecies, the Saviour should be born in Bethlehem. The Wise Men saw the star once more, and followed it to Bethlehem, where it stood over the stable in which Our Lord lay. They entered, and adored the Infant Jesus, and offered Him presents. Now, Herod told them to come back after they had found the newborn King, and tell him where He was, that he too might go and adore Him. But such was not Herod's real intention. He wished not to adore but to kill Him. See, then, how the wicked pretend at times to do good, that they may deceive us and lead us astray. Be always on your guard against a person if you suspect his goodness. But Herod could not deceive God, who, knowing his heart, warned the Wise Men not to return to Herod, but to go back to their own country by another way, which they did. We celebrate the day on which the Wise Men adored the Infant Jesus on the feast of the Epiphany (six days after New Year's Day). When the Magi did not return, Herod knew that they had avoided him. He was very angry indeed, and in order to be sure of killing the poor little Infant Jesus, he had all the infants or children in or near Bethlehem who were not over two years old put to death. We honor these first little martyrs who suffered for Christ on the feast of Holy Innocents—three days after Christmas.

After the departure of the Wise Men, God sent an angel to St. Joseph warning him of Herod's evil designs, and telling him to fly with Jesus and Mary into Egypt. Then St. Joseph, with the Blessed Virgin and the Infant, set out for Egypt. St. Joseph did not ask the angel how long he would have to stay there; nor did he ask to be allowed to wait till morning. He obeyed promptly; he arose in the night, and started at once. What an example of obedience for us! They must have had many hardships on the way. They must have suffered much from hunger, cold, and fear. They dare not go on the best roads, for we may well suppose that Herod had his spies out watching for any that might escape. So they went by the roughest roads and longest way. In Egypt they were among strangers, and how could a poor old carpenter like St. Joseph find enough work there! The Holy Family must at times have suffered greatly from want. They remained in Egypt for some time. Afterwards, when Herod died, they returned to Nazareth. (Matt. 2).

At twelve years of age Our Lord went to the Temple of Jerusalem to offer sacrifice with His parents. (Luke 2:42). He afterwards returned to Nazareth, and then for eighteen years—called His hidden life—we do not hear anything of Him. Most likely He worked in the carpenter shop with His foster-father, St. Joseph.

At the age of thirty (Luke 3:23), Our Lord began His public life; that is, His preaching, miracles, etc. His public life lasted a little over three years, and then He was put to death on the Cross.

77 Q. Why did Christ live so long on earth?

A. Christ lived so long on earth to show us the way to Heaven by His teaching and example.

Christ went through all the stages of life that each might have an example. He was an infant: then a child; then a young man, and finally a man. He did not become an old man to set an example to the old, because if men follow His example in their youth and manhood they will be good in old age. Youth is the all-important time to learn. If you want a tree to grow straight, you must keep it straight while it is only a little twig. You cannot straighten an old oak tree that has grown up crooked. So you must be taught to do right in your youth, that you may do the same when old. Of the hidden or private life of Our Lord we, as I have said, know nothing, except that He was obedient to His parents; for He wished to give an example also to those holy persons who lead a life hidden from the world. Some books have given stories about what Our Lord did in school, etc., but these stories are not true. The only true things we know of Our Lord are those told in the Holy Scripture, or handed down to us by the Church in her teachings, or those certainly revealed to God's saints. Remember, then, that others are taught best by example, and be careful of the example you give.