[Officium]
Feria V post Cineres

[Lectio1]
Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to Matthew
!Matt 8:5-13
At that time, when Jesus 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 grieviously tormented. And so on.
_
Homily by St. Augustine, Bishop (of Hippo.)
!Book ii on the Agreement of the Evangelists, ch. xx, tom. 4
Let us consider whether Matthew and Luke are at one as touching this centurion's servant. Matthew saith: “There came unto Him a centurion, beseeching Him, and saying: ‘Lord, my servant lieth at home sick, of the palsy.’” This seemeth to differ from what Luke saith, namely: “And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto Him the elders of the Jews, beseeching Him that He would come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying: “That he was worthy for whom He should do this; for he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue.” Then Jesus went with them; and when He was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying unto Him: “Lord, trouble not thyself; for I am not worthy that Thou shouldest enter under my roof.” (vii. 6, seq.)

[Responsory1]
R. Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, and grievously tormented.
* Amen, I say unto thee, I will come and heal him:
V. Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldest enter under my roof, but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed:
R. Amen, I say unto thee, I will come and heal him.

[Lectio2]
If it were done thus, how is Matthew truthful, when he saith that the centurion came unto Him, seeing that, in fact, he sent his friends? We must then look well into this, and we shall see that Matthew only made use of a common form of speech. Now, we use to say of a man that he cometh to a place even though he be not already come: whence also we say, He arrived close; or He arrived long way off, that is, to that place to which he would come; yea, we speak of that coming, toward which he tendeth, as though it had already taken place, when he that should be come at, seeth not yet him that cometh, but is come at for him by friends, to obtain his favour, which is needful for him that would come to him. And so much doth this manner of speaking hold, that they are commonly said to come at a great man, (who is beyond their personal reach,) who, by means of suitable persons, succeed in laying before him such things as they desire.

[Lectio3]
Therefore it is not strange that Matthew should make use of the common short phrase, and say of the centurion, who reached the Lord's sympathies, by mean of friends, that he came unto Him. Also we must needs not pass by lightly the mystic depth which underlieth the words of this holy Evangelist. It is written in the Psalms (xxxiii. 6): Draw near unto Him and be enlightened. Thus did the centurion in faith draw near unto Jesus, and the Lord so praised him that He said: I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. Of him of whom these words were spoken, the Evangelist deemeth it wiser to say that he had found his way to Jesus; that he had got to Christ, than that they came, through whom he sent his message unto Him.

[Ant 2]
Lord, * my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, and is grieviously tormented. Amen, I say unto thee, I will come and heal him.

[Oratio 2]
O God, whom sin doth justly move to anger, and at repentance doth turn again to forgive the same; mercifully regard the prayers of your people, and turn aside the scourges of thy wrath, which we deserve for our sins.
$Per Dominum

[Ant 3]
O Lord, * I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter under my roof: but only say the word, and my servant shall be healed.

[Oratio 3]
Spare, O Lord, spare thy people, that they, being deservedly chastened, they may find solace through thy tender mercy.
$Per Dominum