Hebrews 12

Hebrews 12

Exhortation to constancy under their crosses. The danger of abusing the graces of the New Testament.
Douay-Rheims version
[My comments in red]

1 And therefore we also having so great a cloud of witnesses over our head, laying aside every weight and sin which surrounds us, let us run by patience to the fight proposed to us: [An analogy is being made of living our faith life as that of a race. There are many looking on who have run the race before us, the Saints for instance. We are given advice to get rid of everything that would weigh us down and slow us up. Forget our past sins and material things.] 2 Looking on Jesus, the author and finisher of faith, who having joy set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and now sitteth on the right hand of the throne of God. [We are to focus on Jesus who is the runner par excellence. We learn from Him that there is suffering and pain to be endured during the race, but there is glory to the finisher.] 3 For think diligently upon him that endured such opposition from sinners against himself; that you be not wearied, fainting in your minds. [Be strong in your faith, your race. Do not let others deminish your endurance.] 4 For you have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin: 5 And you have forgotten the consolation, which speaketh to you, as unto children, saying: My son, neglect not the discipline of the Lord; neither be thou wearied whilst thou art rebuked by him. [The Lord disciplines us during this life of faith. Discipline is important to achive any effort.] 6 For whom the Lord loveth, he chastiseth; and he scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. [I see an anology here of getting a spanking; for God loves us and as any parent should corrects us as it is needed but it is done with love.] 7 Persevere under discipline. God dealeth with you as with his sons; for what son is there, whom the father doth not correct? 8 But if you be without chastisement, whereof all are made partakers, then are you bastards, and not sons. [We are God's children and so He cares enough to correct us. If He is indifferent to us then we would not be His children.] 9 Moreover we have had fathers of our flesh, for instructors, and we reverenced them: shall we not much more obey the Father of spirits, and live? 10 And they indeed for a few days, according to their own pleasure, instructed us: but he, for our profit, that we might receive his sanctification. [We have our biological fathers and for their correction we respected them. God instructs us so that we may be holy.]
11 Now all chastisement for the present indeed seemeth not to bring with it joy, but sorrow: but afterwards it will yield, to them that are exercised by it, the most peaceable fruit of justice. [When we are corrected we are not happy about it, but in retrospect we know it was for our benefit.]

12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, [Strengthen yourself.] 13 And make straight steps with your feet: that no one, halting, may go out of the way; but rather be healed. [Stay on a straight path, don't stop.]

14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness: without which no man shall see God. [Be at peace with all and be holy.] 15 Looking diligently, lest any man be wanting to the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up do hinder, and by it many be defiled. [Look ahead digilently and don't look back on your past so as to receive God's grace in your journey of faith.] 16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau; who for one mess, sold his first birthright. [Don't be sexually immoral or think of material thing rather than spiritual thinds as Esau traded his blessing for a meal.] 17 For know ye that afterwards, when he desired to inherit the benediction, he was rejected; for he found no place of repentance, although with tears he had sought it. [Though Esau later realized what he had given up, he could not regain it even over his tears.]

18 For you are not come to a mountain that might be touched, and a burning fire, and a whirlwind, and darkness, and storm, [I believe a comparison is being made here between Mt. Siani of the Old Testament and Mt. Zion, the heavenly mountain.] 19 And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words, which they that heard excused themselves, that the word might not be spoken to them: 20 For they did not endure that which was said: And if so much as a beast shall touch the mount, it shall be stoned. 21 And so terrible was that which was seen, Moses said: I am frighted, and tremble. 22 But you are come to mount Sion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the company of many thousands of angels, 23 And to the church of the firstborn, who are written in the heavens, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the just made perfect, 24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new testament, and to the sprinkling of blood which speaketh better than that of Abel.

25 See that you refuse him not that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spoke upon the earth, much more shall not we, that turn away from him that speaketh to us from heaven. 26 Whose voice then moved the earth; but now he promiseth, saying: Yet once more, and I will move not only the earth, but heaven also. 27 And in that he saith, Yet once more, he signifieth the translation of the moveable things as made, that those things may remain which are immoveable. 28 Therefore receiving an immoveable kingdom, we have grace; whereby let us serve, pleasing God, with fear and reverence. 29 For our God is a consuming fire.

[So I see in this chapter an exhortation to run a good race of our faith life. We need to limber up, lighten our load, focusing on Jesus, not looking back. We also need to train by reading Scripture, learning our faith more deeply - read the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This is our responsibility. We need more catechesis than what we received as children, and more that what we hear during Sunday homilies. And we need to pray. We need to make time to do this for there are countless distractions in our daily lives.]