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From the Roman office.
℣. Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction. May the Gospel’s holy lection Be our safety and protection.
℟. Amen.
Reading 1
Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to Luke
Luke 5:17-26
At that time, it came to pass on a certain day, as Jesus sat and taught, that there were Pharisees, and Doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town in Galilee, and Judaea and Jerusalem and the power of the Lord was present to heal them. And so on.
Homily by St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan
Book 5 on Luke v
“And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy.” The healing of this paralytic was not idle, nor its fruits limited to himself. The Lord healed him, or ever he could ask, not because of the entreaties of others, but for example’s sake. He gave a pattern to be followed, and sought not the intercession of prayer. In the presence of the Pharisees and doctors of the law, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem, many sick folk were healed, but among them is specially described the healing of this paralytic. First of all, as we have before said, every sick man ought to engage his friends to offer up prayers for his recovery, that so the tottering framework of this our life, and the distorted feet of our works, may be righted by the healing power of the word from heaven.
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.
℟. Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you.
* That ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain. Alleluia, Alleluia.
℣. As My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you.
℟. That ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain. Alleluia, Alleluia.
℣. Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction. God’s most mighty strength alway be His people’s staff and stay.
℟. Amen.
Reading 2
Here ought therefore to be advisers, who should rouse up the minds of the sick to higher things, since when the body becometh languid with sickness, the mind is apt to follow its example. With the help of such friends he can be brought and laid on the ground before the Feet of Jesus, and seem worthy of a glance from the Lord for the Lord looketh upon such as lie lowly before Him, “for He hath regarded the lowliness of His handmaiden” (Luke ii. 48). “And when He saw their faith, He said unto him Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.” Great is the Lord, Who, for the sake of some, forgiveth the sins of others. Who trieth some, and pardoneth the wanderings of others. Why should thine equal, O man, avail not with thee, if a slave has won power to intercede, and right to obtain, with God?
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.
℟. The Spirit of the Lord filleth the world.
* And That Which containeth all things hath knowledge of the voice. Alleluia, Alleluia.
℣. For Wisdom is the worker of all things, having all power, overseeing all things.
℟. And That Which containeth all things hath knowledge of the voice. Alleluia, Alleluia.
℣. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
℟. And That Which containeth all things hath knowledge of the voice. Alleluia, Alleluia.
℣. Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction. May He that is the Angels’ King to that high realm His people bring.
℟. Amen.
Reading 3
O Thou that judgest, learn to forgive thou that art sick, to pray. If thou doubt of the pardon of thy sins, because of their grievousness, get thee to the Church, that she may pray for thee, and that the Lord, accepting her countenance, may grant to her petitions what He refuses to thine. And although we are bound to accept this history as one of fact, and to believe that the body of the paralytic was healed yet remember thou also his inward cure, unto whom his sins were forgiven. The Jews said: “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” And in these words they confessed the Godhead of Him Who forgave the sins of the paralytic, and themselves condemned their own unbelief in Him Whose work they acknowledged, but Whose Person they denied.
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.
Te Deum