Book Reviews and More: The Gospel According to Matthew - Henry Wansbrough OSB

The Gospel According to Matthew

CTS Scriptures

Henry Wansbrough OSB (Introduction)

Catholic Truth Society

ISBN 9781860821561

CTS Booklet SC71

Larger Print Edition

ISBN 9781860826023

CTS Booklet SC90

This was the fourth and final gospel I have read in these formats. I have now read several of the volumes in the CTS Scriptures series, all with introductions by Dom Henry Wansbrough OSB. I love the books and booklets from the Catholic Truth Society. Over the last 5 years I have read 275 books and booklets from the CTS. And have many more on my ‘to be read’ list. Late last year I read three books from the CTS that were The Gospel According to Luke, a regular one, a larger print edition and a special edition from The Year of Mercy. I enjoyed them so much I ordered copies for the other three gospels. I picked up a mix of the Larger Print Editions and the regular. I then looked for which other books and booklets came in this format, and found Acts, The Letters of Paul, Psalms. This time I am looking at:

The Gospel According to Matthew

The Gospel According to Matthew Larger Print Edition

The only difference between the two versions is that they are printed-on paper that is twice the size. As with the other two Gospels I have read in this format, I particularly enjoyed the introduction by Dom Henry Wansbrough OSB. The chapters and sections in all three are:

Introduction

The Gospel According to Matthew

I. The Birth and Infancy of Jesus

II. The Kingdom of Heaven Proclaimed

III. The Kingdom of Heaven Preached

IV. The Mystery of the Kingdom of Heaven

V. The Church, First-Fruits of the Kingdom of Heaven

VI. The Approaching Advent of the Kingdom of Heaven

VII. Passion and Resurrection

The description of this volume is:

“Mathew’s Gospel was written for the Judaeo Christian community and contains some of the most important passages for Christianity. It is presented here in handy pocket-size format.

Matthew's Gospel was written for the early Judaeo-Christian community. Only Mark's Gospel is considered to be more ancient. It contains some of the most important passages for Christianity including the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord's Prayer and the great commission to go out and evangelise all nations.”

The description of the Larger Print Edition is:

““Holiness and prayer is inconceivable without a renewed listening to the word of God – a life-giving encounter, which directs and shapes our lives.” – John Paul II

Matthew’s Gospel was written for the early Judaeo Christian community. Only Mark’s Gospel is considered to be more ancient. It contains some of the most important passages for Christianity including the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord’s Prayer and the great commission to go out and evangelise all nations.

The Gospel is introduced by Henry Wansbrough OSB who also gives practical guidance for personal reading and reflection. The Jerusalem Bible translation is that read in Church.

Larger print edition in font size 14pt.”

Having read all four gospel’s, and the Psalms in this format I really appreciate these little booklets and the Larger print companions. I have also been reading Companion to the Sunday Gospels Year C with commentary by Dom Henry. I love them as booklets for reading. I wish they were available as eBooks.

I highlighted a few passages in the introduction. The introduction actually ends with these words:

“In reading Matthew it might be useful to be alert especially to the way Matthew, through describing Jesus’ life on earth, is clearly aware that he is now the Rison Lord. Matthew is strongly conscious that Christ is present in his community – without his presence the ship of the Church is lost – and of Christ’s work carried out by the members of the community.”

I have found that Dom Henry’s advice has been very valuable for each of the volumes in the CTS Scriptures Series that I have read. I have even picked up a eBook edition of The Revises New Jerusalem Bible where he wrote the introductions and notes for each book of the bible. Some of the other passages I highlighted were:

“Augustine of Hippo seems to have been responsible for putting the gospel of Matthew first in the order of the four gospels, and it is always printed at the head of the gospels. In the early Church it seems to have been the most popular and widespread of the gospels, and until recent reforms of the Lectionary it was the gospel read most frequently in the liturgy. However, it was almost certainly the second gospel to be written, for it uses and expands on Mark, expressing Matthew’s own particular angle on the Good News of Jesus.”

“Matthew is the most Jewish of the gospels, insisting on every page that Jesus fufils the promise of the Old Law. Jesus is a second David, adopted by Joseph into the House of David (1:20-25), addressed frequently as ‘son of David’ (1:1; 9:27; 15:22), and hailed as the messianic king of David’s line (21:9).”

I also highlighted the section at the very beginning about The Jerusalem Bible Translation again:

“The Jerusalem Bible was first published in 1966. It was produced by a team of distinguished English scholars (including J.R.R. Tolkien), working under Alexander Jones. It made available for English readers the finding of French Bible de Jerusalem Published a decade earlier by the famous French biblical school in Jerusalem, the first Catholic Bible edition to incorporate all the advances of modern biblical study. The Jerusalem Bible was the first translation of the whole Bible into modern English, and as such has maintained its status as authorised for use in the liturgy.”

I have said it before and I say it again of all the different bible translations that I have read, the Jerusalem Bible is my favourite for just sitting and reading. This booklet and the Larger Print counterparts are excellent resources. I recommend them to you.

My son who is 14 has become fascinated with these little booklets, he has asked for each of the gospel ones after I finish them. He takes them and reads them. I am not sure he would pick up his full bible yet and read a whole book, but with these booklets he has been doing just that. He kept pestering me to read this one so he could have it and add it to his collection. It is an excellent resource from the Catholic Truth Society! It is great to pick up and read in a sitting or to pass on to a friend.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2022 Catholic Reading Plan! For other reviews of books from the Catholic Truth Society click here.

For a list of all books that are part of Father Mark Goring's Saint Mark’s School of Reading click here.

Books by Henry Wansbrough OSB:

CTS Books:

36 Days & 36 Ways Daily Meditations from Advent to the Epiphany Year B

40 Days and 40 Ways Daily Meditations for Lent Year A

40 Days and 40 Ways Daily Meditations for Lent Year B

40 Days and 40 Ways Daily Meditations for Lent Year C

A Year with the Bible: 365 Daily Reflections

Companion to the Sunday Gospels: The Year of Mercy

Companion to the Sunday Gospels: Year A

Companion to the Sunday Gospels: Year B

Companion to the Sunday Gospels: Year C