Father Noel Alexandre's Literal Commentary on 1 Peter 1:3-9

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 Translated by Qwen. 1 Pet 1:3–4: The Blessing of Regeneration "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has regenerated us unto a living hope, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, unto an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and unfading, reserved in heaven for you." We ought to give immortal thanks to God, to offer Him continually the sacrifice of praise, on account of His infinite goodness toward His elect. It belongs to the Eternal Father to choose the members of His Son, the adopted children who are co-heirs with the Only-Begotten. Let us seek no other reason for this election than mercy, whose greatness cannot be worthily expressed in human words. He who spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all. Us, unworthy sinners, His enemies, deserving of eternal punishments, He has regenerated through Baptism; and, the oldness which we had contracted from Adam in our first birth being abolished, He ...
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Father Cornelius a Lapide's Commentary on Numbers 6:22-27

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Num 6:22-24 "And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: SPEAK TO AARON AND HIS SONS: THUS SHALL YOU BLESS THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL: THE LORD BLESS YOU" — That is, may the Lord grant you an abundance of all goods, both physical and spiritual; for this is what "blessing" means to the Hebrews.

Num 6:25 "THE LORD SHOW HIS FACE TO YOU" — The Hebrew reads: "The Lord make His face shine upon you." That is, may God show Himself to you as kind, joyful, favorable, and generous. For this is what "light" and "illumination" signify in Scripture, as in Psalm 96:11: Light is risen to the just, and joy to the right of heart; and Psalm 43:4: For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them, but Thy right hand and Thine arm, and the light of Thy countenance, because Thou wast pleased with them.

Secondly, a better and more genuine sense is: May the Lord be to you like a light and a lamp to guide all your actions. This is evident from Psalm 66:1, where these blessings are repeated. After the Psalmist says, May God make His face shine upon us, he adds by way of explanation: That we may know Thy way upon earth. Hence, Psalm 4:7 says: The light of Thy countenance, O Lord, is signed upon us; as if to say, "The lamp of reason within us is ignited by Thy divine light, O Lord."

In a similar sense, it is said in Psalm 17:29: For Thou lightest my lamp, O Lord; and Psalm 118:135: Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant, and teach me Thy justifications; and Luke 1:79: To enlighten them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to direct our feet into the way of peace; and the last verse of Psalm 89: May the brightness of the Lord our God be upon us, and direct Thou the works of our hands.

Num 6:26 "THE LORD TURN HIS FACE TOWARD YOU" — May the Lord help and protect you. Metaphorically, the "turning" of God’s face is attributed to Him (as is its "turning away"), signifying His present help, just as the turning away of His face signifies abandonment.

In this priestly blessing, Rabanus [Maurus] says the name of the Lord is set down and repeated three times so that the Holy Trinity—from whom, through whom, and in whom all good things exist—may be signified. Even now among Christians, the ecclesiastical blessing is conferred through the names of the persons of the Holy Trinity, saying: "May Almighty God bless you: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit," or, "May God be in your heart and on your lips, that you may rightly announce His Gospel, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

Num 6:27 "AND THEY SHALL INVOKE MY NAME UPON THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL" — The Hebrew is: "And they shall put My name upon the children of Israel," namely by invoking it over them. Whence Vatablus and the Hebrews explain it thus: "When the priests bless the children of Israel, they shall join My Tetragrammaton [the name YHWH] to their blessing."

"AND I WILL BLESS THEM" — Note here the efficacy and effect of the priestly blessing even in the Old Law. For here God promises that He will hear this blessing and actually fulfill it—that is, He will do good to the people so blessed by the priest.

In the same way, the blessing of parents (especially those near death) given to their children was formerly effective, and therefore eagerly sought by children, as is clear in the blessing of Isaac (Gen 27), Jacob (Gen 49), and Moses (Deut 31). It is as the Wise Man says in Ecclesiasticus 3:11: The father's blessing establishes the houses of the children, but the mother's curse roots up the foundations.

What wonder is it, then, if the blessing of the priests of the New Testament is effective, especially if it is sought and received with the faith and devotion it deserves? Thus, true Catholics are accustomed to seek it religiously. For instance, many English people, even nobles, when a priest enters their home, prostrate themselves with their whole family and suppliantly entreat a blessing from him. So too, in ancient times, even princes sought blessings from the Holy Fathers and Anchorites and experienced great fruit from it. Likewise, Christ the High Priest, ascending into heaven, blessed them (Luke 24:51).

CONTINUE

 

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