29 JANUARY – FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY

Epistle – Romans xiii. 8‒10

Brethren, owe no man anything, but to love one another, for he that loves his neighbour has fulfilled the Law. For, “You must not commit adultery: You must not kill. You must not steal. You must not bear false witness. You must not covet.” And if there be any other commandment it is comprised in this word: “You must love your neighbour as yourself.” The love of our neighbour works no evil. Love, therefore, is the fulfilling of the Law.

Thanks be to God.

Dom Prosper Guéranger:

During this holy season when the very Son of God is giving so great a proof of His love for man, whose nature He has assumed — the Church is continually exhorting the faithful, in the words of the Apostle, to practise charity towards each other. The Emmanuel comes to us as our Lawgiver: now, He has resumed His whole Law in the precept of love. He is come in order to unite what sin had divided. Let us comply with His divine intentions and accomplish, with earnestness, the Law He has imposed on us.

Gospel – Matthew viii. 23‒27

At that time, when Jesus entered into the boat His disciples followed Him. And behold a great tempest arose in the sea, so that the boat was covered with waves, but He was asleep. And His disciples came to Him, and awakened Him, saying: “Lord, save us, we perish.” And Jesus said to them: “Why are you fearful, O ye of little faith?” Then rising up He commanded the winds and the sea, and there came a great calm. But the men wondered, saying: “What manner of man is this, for the winds and the sea obey him?”

Praise be to you, O Christ.

Dom Prosper Guéranger:

Let us adore the power of our Emmanuel who is come to calm the tempest which threatened the human race with death. In the midst of their danger the successive generations of men had cried out: “Lord! Save us. We perish.” When the fullness of time had come, He awoke from his rest. He had but to command, and the power of our enemies was destroyed. The malice of the devils, the darkness of idolatry, the corruption of paganism — all yielded. Nation after nation was converted to Jesus. They had said when in their misery and blindness: “Who is this Jesus whom no power can resist?” and then, they embraced His Law. This power of Jesus to break down every obstacle —and that, too, at the very time when men were disquieted at His apparent slumbering — has often shown itself in the past ages of the Church. How many times has He not chosen that period for saving the world which seemed the least likely for rescue! The same happens in the life of each one among us. Often we are tossed to and fro by violent temptations. It would seem as though the billows must sink us, and yet our will is firmly anchored to our God! And what is all this, if not Jesus sleeping in the heaving barque —nay, protecting us by this His sleeping? And if our cry for help at length awakens Him, it is only to proclaim His own and our victory, for He has already conquered and we have conquered in Him.

7 JANUARY – FERIA

On this day according to the ROMAN MARTYROLOGY:

The bringing back of the Child Jesus from Egypt.

The same day, the birthday of blessed Lucian, a priest of the church of Antioch and martyr, who was distinguished for his learning and eloquence. He suffered at Nicomedia for the confession of Christ in the persecution of Galerius Maximian and was buried at Helenopolis in Bithynia. His praises have been proclaimed by St. John Chrysostom.

At Antioch, St. Clerus, deacon, who, for having professed faith in Christ, was seven times tortured, a long while kept in prison, and at length ended his martyrdom by decapitation.

In the city of Heraclea, the holy martyrs Felix and Januarius.

The same day, St. Julian, martyr.

In Denmark, St. Canute, king and martyr. His feast is celebrated on the nineteenth of this month.

At Pavia, St. Crispin, bishop and confessor.

In Dacia, St. Nicetas, bishop, who made fierce and barbarous nations humane and meek by preaching the Gospel to them.

In Egypt, St. Theodore, a saintly monk, who flourished in the time of Constantine the Great. He is mentioned by St. Athanasius in his Life of St. Anthony.

At Barcelona, St. Raymond of Pennafort, of the Order of Preachers, celebrated for sanctity and learning. His festival is kept on the twenty-third of this month.

And in other places, many other holy martyrs, confessors and virgins.

Thanks be to God.