steward had tasted the water made wine, and knew not whence it was, but the waiters knew who had drawn the water; the chief steward calleth the bridegroom, and saith to him: Every man at first setteth forth good wine, and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse. But thou hast kept the good wine until now. This beginning of iniracles did JESUS in Cana of Galilee and he manifested his glory, and his disciples believed in him. The third Sunday after the Epiphany. The Collect. : O ALMIGHTY and eternal God, mercifully regard our weakness, and stretch forth the right hand of thy Majesty to protect us. Thro'. The Epistle. Rom. xii. 16. Brethren: Be not wise in your own conceits: render to no man evil for evil; provide things good, not only in the sight of God, but also in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as in you, have peace with all men. Revenge not yourselves, my dearly beloved: but give place to wrath for it is written: " Revenge is mine, I will repay," saith the Lord. But" if thy enemy hungry, give him to eat; if he thirst, give him to drink; for, doing this, thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head." Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. The Gospel. Matt. viii. 1. 15. be At that time: When Jesus was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him and behold a leper came and worshipped him, saying: Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying: I will. Be thou made clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus saith to him: See thou tell no man: but go shew 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 lyeth at home sick of a 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 under authority, having soldiers under me; and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth, and to another, Come, and he cometh, and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. And when Jesus heard this, he 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 unto you, that many shall come from the east and the west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of 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. The fourth Sunday after the Epiphany. The Collect. O GOD, who knowest that through human frailty we are not able to subsist amidst so many dangers, grant us health of soul and body; that whatsoever we suffer for our sins, we may overcone by thy assistance. Thro'. The Epistle. Rom. xiii. 8, 10. Brethren: Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth his neighbour, hath fulfilled the law. For "Thou shalt not commit adultery: Thou shalt not kill: Thou shalt not steal: Thou shalt not bear false witness: Thou shalt not covet :" and if there be any other com→ mandment, it is comprised in this word: "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." The love of our neighbour worketh no evil. Love therefore is the fulfilling of the law. The Gospel. Matt. viii. 23. 27. At that time: When Jesus entered into the ship, his disciples followed him. And behold a great tempest arose in the sea, so that the ship 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 saith to them: Why are ye 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. The fifth Sunday after the Epiphany. PRESERVE, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy family by thy constant mercy, that we, who confide solely in the support of thy heavenly grace, may be always defended by thy protection. Thro'. The Epistle. Colos. iii. 12. 17. Brethren: Put ye on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, the bowels of mercy, benignity, humility, modesty, patience: bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if any have a complaint against another: even as the Lord hath forgiven you, so do you also. But above all these things have charity, which is the bond of perfection: and let the peace of Christ rejoice in your hearts, wherein you are also called in one body and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you abundantly, in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual canticles, singing in grace in your hearts to God. All whatsoever you do in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God and the Father, thro' Jesus Christ our Lord. The Gospel. Matt. xiii. 24. 30. At that time: Jesus spoke this parable to the multitude, saying: The kingdom of heaven is likened to a man that sowed good seed in his field. But while men were asleep, his enemy came and oversowed cockle among the wheat, and went his way. And when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared also the cockle. Then the servants of the good man of the house said to him: Sir, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it cockle? And he said to them: An enemy hath done this. And the servants said to him: Wilt thou that we go and gather it up? And he said: No, lest while you gather up the cockle, you root up the wheat also together with it. Let both grow until the harvest, and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers: Gather up first the cockle, and bind it in bundles to burn, but gather the wheat into my barn. The sixth Sunday after the Epiphany. The Collect. GRANT, we besech thee, O Almighty God, that being always intent upon what is reasonable and just, we may, both in word and deed, perform what is acceptable to thee. Thro'. The Epistle. 1 Thes. i. 2. 10. : Brethren We give thanks to God always for you all making a remembrance of you in our prayers without ceasing; being mindful of you in the work of your faith, and hope and charity, and of the enduring of the hope of our Lord Jesus Christ, before God and our Father: knowing, brethren, beloved of God, your election: For our gospel hath not been to you in word only, but in power also, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much fulness, as you know what manner of men we have been among you for your sakes. And you became followers of us, and of the Lord: receiving the word in much tribulation, with joy of the Holy Ghost; so that you were made a pattern to all that believe in Macedonia and in Achaia. For from you was spread abroad the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and in Achaia, but also in every place your faith, which is toward God, is gone forth, so that we need not speak any thing. For they themselves relate of us what manner of entering in we had unto you and how you turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his son from heaven (whom he raised up from the dead) JESUS, who hath delivered us from the wrath to come. The Gospel. Matt. xii. 31. 35. At that time: Jesus spoke to the multitude this parable: The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard-seed, which a man took and sowed in his field. Which indeed is the least of all seeds but when it is grown up, it is greater than any herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and dwell in the branches thereof. Another parable he spoke to them: the |