In the 13th century, Pope Urban IV, desiring that scholars of his day be better acquainted with the ideas of early Christians, assigned Saint Thomas Aquinas to compile a commentary on the Gospels based on the teachings of the Church fathers. The result is the Catena Aurea, or "Golden Chain." This eight-volume set, composed of analyses of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, gives readers a deeper insight into how the original teachers of Christianity read and understood Scripture.

In the Catena, each Gospel is presented chapter-by-chapter and verse by verse alongside relevant Biblical passages and critical analysis by such Church luminaries as Augustine and the Venerable Bede. Of particular interest to students of religion, seminarians, and clergy, the Catena is a classic of Catholic scholarship that will serve as a useful and easy reference.

Volume I, Part I: St. Matthew contains "The Gospel According to Saint Matthew," Chapters 1-10, plus a preface to the series by translator JOHN HENRY NEWMAN (1801-890).