21 JANUARY – THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY

Epistle – Romans xii. 16‒21

Brethren, be not wise in your own conceits. To no man rendering evil for evil: providing good things not only in the sight of God, but also in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as is in you, having peace with all men; not revenging yourselves, my dearly beloved: but give place to wrath for it is written, “Revenge is mine; I will repay, says the Lord.” But if your enemy be hungry, give him to eat; if he thirst, give him to drink; for doing this, you will heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil by good.

Thanks be to God.

Dom Prosper Guéranger:

This love of our neighbour recommended to us by the Apostle is a consequence of that universal brotherhood which our Saviour by his birth brought us from Heaven. He came to establish peace between Heaven and Earth. Men, therefore, ought to be at peace one with another. Our Lord bids us not to be overcome by evil, but to overcome evil by good — and did not He first practise this by coming among us, who were children of wrath, that He might make us children of adoption by His humiliations and His sufferings?

Gospel – Matthew viii. 1‒13

When Jesus had come down from the mountains, great multitudes followed Him. And behold, a leper came and adored Him, saying, “Lord, if you will it, you can make me clean.” Jesus stretching forth his hand, touched him, saying, “I will; be made clean,” and forthwith his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus said to him, “Tell no man: but go, show thyself to the priest, and offer the gift which Moses commanded for a testimony to them.” And when he had entered into Capharnaum, there came to him a centurion, beseeching him, and saying, “Lord, my servant lies at home sick of the palsy, and is grievously tormented.” Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” The centurion replying, said, “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man subject to authority, having under me soldiers: and I say to this man, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my servant, Do this, and he does it.” Jesus hearing this, marvelled; and said to them that followed him, “Amen I say to you, I have not found so great faith in Israel. And I say to you that many will come from the East and the West, and will sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; but the children of the kingdom will be cast into the exterior darkness: there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Jesus said to the centurion, “Go, and as you have believed, so be it done to you,” and the servant was healed at the same hour.

Praise be to you, O Christ.

Dom Prosper Guéranger:

The human race was infected with the leprosy of sin: the Son of God touches it by the mystery of the Incarnation and restores it to health. But He requires that the sick man, now that He is healed, will go and show himself to the priest and comply with the ceremonies prescribed by the law. And this, to show that He allows a human priesthood to co-operate in the work of our salvation. The vocation of the Gentiles of which the Magi were the first-fruits is again brought before us in the faith of the Centurion. A Roman soldier, and millions like him, will be reputed as true children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, while they who are the sons of this Patriarch according to the flesh will be cast out from the feast chamber into the gloom of blindness. And their punishment will be given as a spectacle to the whole Earth.

Let man, then, saved as He has been by the coming of the Emmanuel, sing a hymn of praise to the power of the God who has wrought our salvation by the strength of His almighty arm. Man had been sentenced to death but now that he has God for a brother he will not die: he will live: and could he spend his life better than in praising the works of this God that has saved him?