Immediately after his Sermon (to confirm his doctrine with a miracle) he cureth a Leper. (5) But above him and all other Jews, he commendeth the faith of the Centurion, who was a Gentile, and foretelleth by that occasion, the vocation of the Gentiles, and reprobation of the Jews. (14) In Peter’s house he showeth great grace. (18) In the way to the sea he speaketh with two, of following him: (23) and upon the sea commandeth the tempest: (28) and beyond the sea he manifesteth the Devil’s malice against man, in a herd of swine.
AND when he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him: 2And * behold a Leper came and adored him saying: Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 3And Jesus stretching forth his hand, touched him, saying. I will. Be thou made clean. And forthwith, his leprosy was made clean. 4And Jesus saith to him: See thou tell nobody: but go, * show thyself to the • Priest, and offer the • gift which Moyses commanded for a testimony to them.
5And * when he was entered into Capharnaum, there came to him a Centurion, beseeching him, 6and saying: Lord my boy lieth at home sick of the palsy, and is sore tormented. 7And Jesus saith to him: I will come, and cure him. 8And the Centurion making answer, said: Lord, • I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof: but only say the word, and my boy shall be healed. 9For 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 doth it. 10And 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. 11And I say to you, that many shall come from the East and West, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven: 12but the children of the Kingdom shall be cast out into the exterior darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 13And Jesus said to the Centurion: Go, and as thou hast believed, be it done to thee. And the boy was healed in the same hour.
14And * when Jesus was come into Peter’s house, he saw • his wife’s mother laid, and in a fit of a fever: 15and he touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she arose, and ministered to him. 16And when evening was come, they brought to him many that had Devils: and he cast out the Spirits with a word: and all that were ill at ease he cured: 17that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by Esay the Prophet, saying, He took our infirmities, and bare our diseases.
18And Jesus seeing great multitudes about him, commanded to go beyond the water. 19And a * certain Scribe came, and said to him: Master, I will follow thee withersoever thou shall go. 20And Jesus saith to him: the foxes have holes, and the fowls of the air nests: but the son of man hath not where to lay his head. 21And * another of his Disciples said to him: Lord, permit me first to go and bury my Father. 22But Jesus said to him: Follow me, and • let the dead bury the dead.
23And * when he entered into the boat, his Disciples followed him: 24and lo a great tempest arose in the sea, so that the boat was covered with waves, but he slept. 25And they came to him, and raised him, saying: Lord, save us, we perish. 26And he saith to them: Why are you fearful O ye of little faith? Then rising up • he commanded the winds, and the sea, and there ensued a great calm. 27Moreover the men marvelled, saying: What a one is this, for the winds and the sea obey him.
28And * when he was come beyond the water, into the country of the Gerasens, there met him two that had Devils, coming forth out of the sepulchres, exceeding fierce, so that none could pass by that way. 29And behold they cried saying: What is between us and thee Jesus the son of God? Art thou come hither to torment us before the time. 30And there was not far from them a herd of many swine feeding. 31And the Devils besought him saying: If thou cast us out, send us into the herd of swine. 32And he said to them: Go. But they going forth went into the swine, and behold the whole herd went with a violence, headlong into the sea: and they died in the waters. 33And the swineherds fled: and coming into the city, told all, and of them that had been possessed of Devils. 34And behold the whole city went out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they besought him that he would pass from their quarters.
ANNOTATIONS. CHAP. VIII.
↑ 4. Priest.) The Priests of the old law (saith S. Chrisostom) had authority and privilege only to discern who were healed of leprosy, and to denounce the same to the people: but the Priests of the new law, have power to purge in very deed, the filth of the soul. Therefore whosoever despiseth them, is more worthy to be punished, than the rebel Dathan, and his complices. St. Chryso. lib. 3. de Sacerd.
↑ 4. Gift.) Our Saviour willeth him to go, and offer his gift or sacrifice, according as Moyses prescribed in that case, because the other sacrifice, being the holiest of all holies, which is his body, was not yet begun. So saith St. Aug. lib. 2 q. Evang. q. 3 and Con. Adver. leg. and Proph. lib. 1 ch. 19–20.
↑ 8. Not worthy.) Orig. hom. 5. in diverse. When thou eatest (saith he) and drinkest the body and blood of our Lord, he entereth under thy roof. Thou also therefore humbling thyself, say: Lord I am not worthy, &c. So said * St. Chrysostom in his Mass, and so doth the Catholic Church use at this day in every Mass, See St. Augustine ep. 118 ad Janu.
↑ 14. His wife’s mother.) Of Peter specially among the rest, it is evident, that he had a wife, but (as St. Jerom saith) after they were called to be Apostles, they had no more carnal company with their wives, as he proveth there by the very words of our Saviour: * He that hath left wife, &c. And so in the Latin Church hath been always used, that married men may be, and are daily made Priests, either after the death of the wife, or with her consent, to live in perpetual continence. And if the Greeks have Priests that do otherwise, St. Epiphanius a Greek Doctor telleth them, that they do it against the ancient Canons; and * Paphnutius plainly signifieth the same in the first Council of Nice. But this is most plain, that there was never either in the Greek Church or the Latin, authentical example of any that married after holy Orders.
↑ 22. Let the dead.) By this we see that not only no worldly or carnal respect, but no other laudable duty toward our parents, ought to stay us from following Christ, and choosing a life of greater perfection.
↑ 26. He commanded.) The Church (here signified by the boat or ship) and Catholics, are often tossed with storms of persecution, but Christ who seemed to sleep in the meantime, by the Church’s prayers awaketh, and maketh a calm.
Margin Notes
- 1–13. The Ghospel on the 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany.
- 5–13. The Ghospel upon Thursday after Ash Wednesday. And also in Mass for the sick.
- 23–27. The Ghospel on the 4th Sunday after the Epiphany.
- annot. 4. Priests forgive sins.
- annot. 8. DOMINE non sum dignus.
- annot. 14. Priest’s marriage.
Margin References
- 2. Mar 1, 40. Luc. 5, 12.
- 4. Lev. 14, 2.
- 5. Luc. 7, 1.
- 14. Mar 1, 29. Luc. 4, 38.
- 17. Esa. 53, 4. 1. Pet. 2, 24.
- 19. Luc. 9, 57.
- 21. Luc. 9, 59.
- 23. Mar. 4, 36. Luc. 8, 22.
- 28. Mar. 5, 1. Luc. 8, 26.
- annot. 8. Liturg. Graec sub. finem.
- annot. 14. Lib. 1 adv. Jov. ch. 14.
- annot. 14. Mat. 19, 29.
- annot. 14. Epiph ha. 59.
- annot. 14. Sozom. lib. 1 ch. 22.
- annot. 14. Socrat. lib. 1 ch. 8.
