The Catena Aurea [Catholic Answers]

Post from Catholic Answers Forums (with a typo fixed):

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThomasMore1535 The word which we translate as ‘many’ stresses the sense of a great number and does not exclude anyone...Jesus certainly makes this fullness of salvation his own and it is the whole of mankind of the end of space and time that he includes in this ‘many’ for whom he was going to give his life as a ‘ransom’” (Mt. 20:28; Mk. 10:45).

The two verses mentioned are nearly word-for-word identical:

Quote:

The Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

I see no reason to believe that in these verses "many" has to mean everybody, rather than those who will actually be saved. Saint Thomas Aquinas has a wonderful commentary on the Gospels, known as the Catena Aurea. For the verse from Matthew, he quotes Origen:
"'And to give his life a ransom for many,' they, that is, who believed on Him".

For the verse from Mark, he quotes the Venerable Bede:
"He did not say, however, that He gave His life a ransom for all, but for many, that is, for those who would believe on Him."

The teaching of the Catholic Church has always been that our Lord said that our Lord said he was shedding his blood "for many", those who will be saved. Of course, in another sense, He shed His blood for all, even for those who throw away the gift of salvation, but that does not change what He actually said at the Last Supper.

I Love the Catena Aurea. Some of the Angelic Doctor's writings are difficult for a layman to follow, but in the Catena Aurea he weaves together commentary from the Fathers on the gospels in a very readable way.