The title of this
reflection seems to be the common theme of both Forms of the Mass this week,
and that, I think, is what I would like to share.
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READINGS AND PROPERS
Extraordinary Form (Third Sunday after the Epiphany)
INTROIT ¤ Ps. 96. 7,
8
Adorate
Deum, omnes Angeli ejus: audivit et laetata est Sion: et exsultaverunt filiae
Judae. -- Dominus regnavit, exsultet terra: laetentur insulae multae. V.:
Gloria Patri . . . -- Adorate Deum, omnes Angeli ejus . . .
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Adore
God, all you His Angels: Sion heard, and was glad: and the daughters of Juda
rejoiced. -- (Ps.96. 1). The Lord hath
reigned, let the earth rejoice: let many islands be glad. V.: Glory be to the
Father . . . -- Adore God, all you His Angels . . .
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COLLECT.--O almighty
and everlasting God, look mercifully upon our weakness: and stretch forth the
right hand of Thy Majesty to protect us. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy
Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost: One God,
world without end.
EPISTLE ¤ Rom. 12.
16-21
Lesson from the
Epistle of blessed Paul the Apostle to the Romans
[Let
us make acts of faith in the divinity of Jesus, that we may enter His Kingdom;
let us by our charity help all men.]
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, have peace with all men. Revenge not
yourselves, my dearly beloved, but give place unto wrath. For it is written:
Revenge is mine: I will repay, saith the Lord. But if thine enemy be hungry, give him to eat; if he
thirst, give him to drink: for doing his, thou shalt heap coals of fire upon
his head. Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil by good.
GRADUAL ¤ Ps. 101.
16-17
Timebunt
gentes nomen tuum, Domine, et omnes reges terrae gloriam tuum V.: Quoniam
aedificavit Dominus Sion: et videbitur in majestate sua.
Alleluia,
alleluia. V.: Dominus regnavit, exsultet terra: laetentur insulae multae.
Alleluia.
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The Gentiles shall fear Thy Name,
O Lord, and all the kings of the earth Thy glory. V.: For the Lord
hath built up Sion: and He shall be seen in His glory.
Alleluia,
alleluia. V.: The Lord hath reigned, let the earth rejoice, let many islands
be glad. Alleluia.
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GOSPEL ¤ Matth. 8.
1-13.
† Continuation of
the holy Gospel according to St. Matthew.
[Two
miracles of Jesus: A word of Our Lord will cleanse the leper, whose cure will
be officially verified by the priests "to serve for a testimony of the
divinity of the Christ"; -- a heathen, the Roman centurion, obtains by his
confidence a great miracle; he testifies with humility that Christ is God. The
Church puts daily into our mouths at Mass the humble words he used.]
At
that time, when Jesus was come down from the mountain, great multitudes
followed Him: and behold a leper came and adored Him, saing: Lord, if Thou
wilt, Thou canst make me clean. And Jesus, stretching forth His hand, touched
him, saying: I will. Be thou made clean. And forthwith his leprosy was
cleansed. And Jesus saith to him: See, thou tell no man: but go, show thyself
to the priest, and offer the gift which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto
them. And when he had entered into Capharnaum, there came to him a centurion,
beseeching Him, and saying: Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy,
and is grievously tormented. And Jesus saith to him: I will come and heal him.
And the centurion making answer said: Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst enter under my roof; but only
say the word and my servant shall be healed. For I also am a man subject
to authority, having under me soldiers; and I say to this: Go, and he goeth;
and to another; Come, and he cometh; and to my servant: Do this, and he doeth
it. And 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 shall come from the east
and the west, and shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the
kingdom in heaven: but the children of the kingdom shall be cast out
into the exterior darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And
Jesus said to the centurion: Go, and as thou hast believed, so be it done to
thee. And the servant was healed at the same hour.
OFFERTORY ¤ Ps. 117.
16, 17
Dextera
Domini fecit virtutem: dextera Domini exaltavit me: non moriar, sed vivam, et
narrabo opera Domini.
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The
right hand of the Lord hath wrought strength: the right hand of the Lord hath
exalted me: I shall not die, but live, and shall declare the works of the
Lord.
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SECRET.--May these
offerings, we beseech Thee, O Lord, cleanse us from our sins, and sanctify the
bodies and minds of Thy servants for the celebration of this Sacrifice. Through
our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity
of the Holy Ghost: One God, world without end.
PREFACE
Preface
of the Most Holy Trinity
Vere
dignum et justum est, aequum et salutare, nos tibi semper, et ubique gratias
agere: Domine sancte, Pater omnipotens, aeterne Deus. Qui cum unigenito Filio tuo, et Spiritu Sancto,
unus es Deus, unus es Dominus: non in unius singularitate personae, sed in
unius Trinitate substantiae. Quod enim de tua gloria, revelante te, credimus,
hoc de Filio tuo, hoc de Spiritu Sancto, sine differentia discretionis
sentimus. Ut in confessione verae, sempiternaeque Deitatis, et in personis
proprietas, et in essentia unitas, et in majestate adoretur aequalitas. Quam
laudant Angeli atque Archangeli, Cherubim quoque ac Seraphim: qui non cessant
clamare quotidie, una voce dicentes:
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It
is truly meet and just, right and for our salvation, that we should at all
times, and in all places, give thanks unto Thee, O holy Lord, Father
almighty, everlasting God; Who, together with Thine only-begotten Son, and
the Holy Ghost, art one God, one Lord: not in the oneness of a single Person,
but in the Trinity of one substance. For what we believe by Thy revelation of
Thy glory, the same do we believe of Thy Son, the same of the Holy Ghost,
without difference or separation. So that in confessing the true and
everlasting Godhead, distinction in persons, unity in essence, and equality
in majesty may be adored. Which the Angels and Archangels, the Cherubim also
and Seraphim do praise: who cease not daily to cry out, with one voice
saying:
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COMMUNION ¤ Luke 5.
22
Mirabantur
omnes de his quae procedebant de ore Dei.
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All
wondered at these things which proceeded from the mouth of God.
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POSTCOMMUNION.--Vouchsafe, O Lord, we beseech Thee, to make
us, who of Thy bounty frequent such great mysteries, truly disposed to obtain
the benefits of the same. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who
liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost: One God, world
without end.
Ordinary
Form (Third Sunday in Ordinary Time)
Prophecy:
Is. 8:23-9:3
At the first time the land of Zabulon, and the land
of Nephtali was lightly touched: and at the last the way of the sea beyond the
Jordan of the Galilee of the Gentiles was heavily loaded. The people that walked in darkness,
have seen a great light: to them that dwelt in the region of the shadow of
death, light is risen. Thou hast multiplied the nation, and hast not
increased the joy. They shall rejoice before thee, as they that rejoice in the
harvest, as conquerors rejoice after taking a prey, when they divide the
spoils. For the yoke of their burden, and the rod of their shoulder, and the
sceptre of their oppressor thou hast overcome, as in the day of Madian.
Responsorial:
Ps. 27: 1, 4, 13-14
R:
The Lord is my light and my salvation.
The Lord is my light
and my salvation,
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the
protector of my life:
of whom shall I be
afraid?
One thing I have asked of the Lord,
this will I seek after;
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life.
That I may see the delight of the Lord,
and may visit his temple.
I believe to see the
good things of the Lord
in the land of the
living.
Expect the Lord, do
manfully,
and let thy heart
take courage, and wait thou for the Lord.
Epistle:
I Cor. 1:10-13, 17 (10-17)
I beseech you,
brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same
thing and that there be no schisms among you: but that you be perfect in the
same mind and in the same judgment. For it hath been signified unto me, my
brethren, of you, by them that are of the house of Chloe, that there are
contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you saith: I indeed am
of Paul; and I am of Apollo; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ
divided? Was Paul then crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of
Paul?
(I give God thanks, that I baptized none of you but
Crispus and Caius: Lest any should say that you were baptized in my name. And I
baptized also the household of Stephanus. Besides, I know not whether I
baptized any other.)
For Christ sent me not to baptize,
but to preach the gospel: not in wisdom of speech, lest the cross of Christ
should be made void.
Gospel:
Mt. 4:12-23
At that time: When
Jesus had heard that John was delivered up, he retired into Galilee: And
leaving the city Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capharnaum on the sea coast, in
the borders of Zabulon and of Nephthalim; That it might be fulfilled which was
said by Isaias the prophet:
"Land of Zabulon and land of
Nephthalim, the way of the sea beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: The
people that sat in darkness, hath seen great light: and to them that sat in the
region of the shadow of death, light is sprung up."
From that time Jesus
began to preach, and to say: Do
penance, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. And Jesus walking by the
sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his
brother, casting a net into the sea (for they were fishers). And he saith to them: Come ye after
me, and I will make you to be fishers of men. And they immediately leaving
their nets, followed him. And going on from thence, he saw other two
brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with
Zebedee their father, mending their nets: and he called them. And they forthwith left their nets
and father, and followed him. And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching
in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom: and healing all
manner of sickness and every infirmity, among the people.
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REFLECTIONS
AND INSIGHTS
The readings of the
Ordinary Form teaches us the proclamation of the Kingdom of God as a fulfilment
of the Prophecy of Isaias that "The people
who walked in darkness have seen a great light"--that the
"light" in the prophecy is fulfilled in Jesus, the Light of the
world. He has manifested Himself by preaching to the multitudes: "Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand…. Come,
follow Me." In response, men are called to "leave their
nets," follow Jesus, and "seek to dwell in the house of the
Lord"--the abode of Christ from the beginning of time.
On the other hand,
the Old Rite tackled on the miracles that our Lord made, specifically to the
leper and to the centurion's servant. We have to note that these two
individuals are considered Gentiles and scums of the Jewish society (and we
have to look at Jesus as a radical Jew), and yet, the
Gospel is preached to them--in the form of healing: Thus, the admonition
of St. Paul to "overcome evil by doing
good." This admonition should be our response to the Lord's call to
charity.
The bottom line of
these two reflections is that we must overcome evil by doing good as Jesus
healed the sick and preached the Gospel to many. We are called to "see the
great light" Who said "the kingdom of God is at hand."
And what should be
our response?
It should be what the sons of Jonah and the sons of Zebedee did--leaving their nets and their households to follow the Lord in holiness. We should leave behind our old selves and find new life in the Lord: a life of humility, zeal, and holiness. We can achieve this by regularly going to confession and to receive our Lord in Holy Communion with great regard to the words: "Domine, non sum dignus ut intres sub tectum meum; sed tantum dic verbo, et sanabitur anima mea." "Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst enter under my roof; but only say the word, and my soul shall be healed." It might also be a good suggestion to recite the words of the Psalm before receiving Him: "One thing I have asked of the Lord, this will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life." (27:4)
It should be what the sons of Jonah and the sons of Zebedee did--leaving their nets and their households to follow the Lord in holiness. We should leave behind our old selves and find new life in the Lord: a life of humility, zeal, and holiness. We can achieve this by regularly going to confession and to receive our Lord in Holy Communion with great regard to the words: "Domine, non sum dignus ut intres sub tectum meum; sed tantum dic verbo, et sanabitur anima mea." "Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst enter under my roof; but only say the word, and my soul shall be healed." It might also be a good suggestion to recite the words of the Psalm before receiving Him: "One thing I have asked of the Lord, this will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life." (27:4)
And so we ask
ourselves: Do we choose to be brave by
proclaiming the kingdom of God through following our Lord's life of humility of
service? Are we brave enough to declare "Domine, non sum dignus…"
just as we are brave to say "Fiat mihi…" and "Fiat voluntas
Tua"?
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PRAYING
THE COLLECT
O almighty and
everlasting God, look mercifully upon our weakness: and stretch forth the right
hand of Thy Majesty to protect us. Direct our actions according to Thy good
pleasure, that in the name of Thine beloved Son we may abound in good works.
Through our Lord
Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the
Holy Ghost: One God, world without end. Amen.
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POSTSCRIPT
Watch out for a
special entry before Monday begins!
