Wednesday following tbe Seventeentb Sunday after Pentecost Ember Day
EPISTLE, II. Esdras viii. 1-10.
IN those days all the people were gathered together as one man to the street which is before the water-gate, and they spoke to Esdras the scribe, to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel. Then Esdras the priest brought the law before the multitude of men and women, and all those that could understand, in the first day of the seventh month. And he read it plainly in the street that was before the water-gate, from the morning until mid-day, before the men, and the women, and all those that could understand : and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book. And Esdras the scribe stood upon a step of wood, which he had made to speak upon, and there stood by him Mathathias, and Semeia, and Ania, and Uria, and Helcia, and Maasia, on his right hand : and on the left, Phadaia, Misaei, and Melchia, ard Hasum, and Hasbadana, Zacharia and Mosollam. And Esdras opened the book before all the people : for he was above all the people : and when he had opened it, all the people stood. And Esdras blessed the Lord, the great God: and all the people answered, Amen, amen: lifting up their hands: and they bowed down, and adored God with their faces to the ground. Now Josue, and Bani, and Serebia, Jamin, Accub, Septhai, Odia, Maasia, Celita, Azarias, Jozabed, Hanan, Phalaia, the Levites, made silence among the people to hear the law : and the people stood in their place. And they read in the book of the law of God distinctly and plainly to be understood : and they understood when it was read. And Nehemias (he is Athersatha) and Esdras the priest and scribe, and the Levites who interpreted to all the people, said : This is a holy-day to the Lord our God : do not mourn, nor weep : for all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. And he said to them : Go, eat fat meats, and drink sweet wine, and send portions to them that have not prepared for themselves : because it is the holy-day of the Lord, and be not sad, for the joy of the Lord is our strength.
Aspiration.
O Lord, send zealous priests like Esdras into Thy vineyard, the Church, and grant that we, with fervor like that of Thy people who listened to him, may hearken to Thy word preached to us by Thy minister the priest, and may repent sincerely of our sins ; thus seeking and finding in Thee, our Lord, our only joy and strength.
GOSPEL. Mark ix. 16-28.
At that time, one of the multitude answering, said to Jesus :Master, I have brought my son to Thee having a dumb spirit. Who, wheresoever he taketh him, dasheth him, and he foameth, rind gnasheth with the teeth, and pineth away : and I spoke to Thy disciples to cast him out, and they could not. Who answering them, said : O incredulous generation, how long shall I be with you ? how long shall I suffer you ? bring him unto Me. And they brought him. And when He had seen him, immediately the spirit troubled him ; and being thrown down upon the ground, he rolled about foaming. And He asked his father : How long time is it since this hath happened unto him? But he said : From his infancy : and oftentimes hath he cast him into the fire and into waters to destroy him. But if Thou canst do anything, help us, having compassion on us. And Jesus saith to him : If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And immediately the father of the boy crying out, with tears said : I do believe, Lord ; help my un-belief. And when Jesus saw the multitude running together, He threatened the unclean spirit, saying to him : Deaf and dumb spirit, I command thee, go out of him : and enter not any more into him. And crying out, and greatly tearing him, he went out of him, and he became as dead, so that many said : He is dead. But Jesus taking him by the hand, lifted him up ; and he arose. And when He was come into the house, His disciples secretly asked Him : Why could not we cast him out ? And He said to them : This kind can go out by nothing but by prayer and fasting.
Prayer.
Uphold, O Lord, our infirmity by the help of Thy mercy, that what by itself must fall, may stand upright by Thy clemency. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, etc.
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Next: Friday following the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost, Ember Day
