Reading 1 Lam 2:2, 10-14, 18-19

The Lord has consumed without pity
all the dwellings of Jacob;
He has torn down in his anger
the fortresses of daughter Judah;
He has brought to the ground in dishonor
her king and her princes.

On the ground in silence sit
the old men of daughter Zion;
They strew dust on their heads
and gird themselves with sackcloth;
The maidens of Jerusalem
bow their heads to the ground.

Worn out from weeping are my eyes,
within me all is in ferment;
My gall is poured out on the ground
because of the downfall of the daughter of my people,
As child and infant faint away
in the open spaces of the town.

In vain they ask their mothers,
“Where is the grain?”
As they faint away like the wounded
in the streets of the city,
And breathe their last
in their mothers’ arms.

To what can I liken or compare you,
O daughter Jerusalem?
What example can I show you for your comfort,
virgin daughter Zion?
For great as the sea is your downfall;
who can heal you?

Your prophets had for you
false and specious visions;
They did not lay bare your guilt,
to avert your fate;
They beheld for you in vision
false and misleading portents.

Cry out to the Lord;
moan, O daughter Zion!
Let your tears flow like a torrent
day and night;
Let there be no respite for you,
no repose for your eyes.

Rise up, shrill in the night,
at the beginning of every watch;
Pour out your heart like water
in the presence of the Lord;
Lift up your hands to him
for the lives of your little ones
Who faint from hunger
at the corner of every street.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 74:1b-2, 3-5, 6-7, 20-21

R. (19b) Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.
Why, O God, have you cast us off forever?
Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?
Remember your flock which you built up of old,
the tribe you redeemed as your inheritance,
Mount Zion, where you took up your abode.
R. Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.
Turn your steps toward the utter ruins;
toward all the damage the enemy has done in the sanctuary.
Your foes roar triumphantly in your shrine;
they have set up their tokens of victory.
They are like men coming up with axes to a clump of trees.
R. Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.
With chisel and hammer they hack at all the paneling of the sanctuary.
They set your sanctuary on fire;
the place where your name abides they have razed and profaned.
R. Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.
Look to your covenant,
for the hiding places in the land and the plains are full of violence.
May the humble not retire in confusion;
may the afflicted and the poor praise your name.
R. Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.

ALLELUIA Mt 8:17

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Christ took away our infirmities
and bore our diseases.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mt 8:5-17

When Jesus entered Capernaum,
a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying,
“Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.”
He said to him, “I will come and cure him.”
The centurion said in reply,
“Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof;
only say the word and my servant will be healed.
For I too am a man subject to authority,
with soldiers subject to me.
And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes;
and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes;
and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him,
“Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.
I say to you, many will come from the east and the west,
and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven,
but the children of the Kingdom
will be driven out into the outer darkness,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”
And Jesus said to the centurion,
“You may go; as you have believed, let it be done for you.”
And at that very hour his servant was healed.

Jesus entered the house of Peter,
and saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever.
He touched her hand, the fever left her,
and she rose and waited on him.

When it was evening, they brought him many
who were possessed by demons,
and he drove out the spirits by a word and cured all the sick,
to fulfill what had been said by Isaiah the prophet:

He took away our infirmities and bore our diseases.

From: Lamentations 2:2, 10-14, 18-19

Second lament: Zion’s misfortunes and their causes

[2] The Lord has destroyed without mercy
all the habitations of Jacob;
in his wrath he has broken down
the strongholds of the daughter of Judah:
he has brought down to the ground in dishonour
the kingdom and its rulers.

[10] The elders of the daughter of Zion
sit on the ground in silence;
they have cast dust on their heads
and put on sackcloth;
the maidens of Jerusalem
have bowed their heads to the ground.

[11] My eyes are spent with weeping;
my soul is in tumult:
my heart is poured out in grief
because of the destruction of the daughter of my people,
because infants and babes faint
in the streets of the city.

[12] They cry to their mothers.
“Where is bread and wine?”
as they faint like wounded men
in the streets of the city.
as their life is poured out
on their mothers’ bosom.

[13] What can I say for you, to what compare you,
O daughter of Jerusalem?
What can I liken to you, that I may comfort you,
O virgin daughter of Zion?
For vast as the sea is your ruin;
Who can restore you?

[14] Your prophets have seen for you
false and deceptive visions;
they have not exposed your iniquity
to restore your fortunes,
but have seen for you oracles
false and misleading.

[18] Cry aloud to the Lord!
O daughter of Zion!
Let tears stream down like a torrent
day and night!
Give yourself no rest,
your eyes no respite!

[19] Arise, cry out in the night,
at the beginning of the watches!
Pour out your heart like water
before the presence of the Lord!
Lift your hands to him
for the lives of your children,
who faint for hunger
at the head of every street.

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Commentary:

2:1-22. The second lamentation begins and ends with explicit references to the
main reason for all Zion’s misfortunes — the anger of God (vv. 1 and 22), that is,
his just indignation at the sins of the people. However, the main body of the po-
em is a meditation containing reflections on the prospects of conversion. St
Thomas points out that there are two parts to the poem: “In the first part of the
poem, the disgrace of the destruction is lamented (vv. 1-7); in the second part,
the grace of God’s mercy is implored” (”Postilla super Threnos”, 2).

The poem begins by describing the fall of Jerusalem (vv. 1-9). Using bold image-
ry, the author describes the defeat of the Jews and the destruction of the temple
as something done not so much by the Chaldeans as by the Lord himself, who
became “like an enemy” to Israel (v. 5), rejected the temple and its rites (vv. 6-7),
and deprived the city of its defences (vv. 8-9). It then goes on to show the reader
just how things were in the city at the time — no law, no princes, no prophets (v.
9), no food (vv. 11-12), nothing but silence and weeping (vv. 10-11). Such being
the scene, the inspired writer reproaches Jerusalem on a number of counts (vv.
13-19) — the apathy of its prophets (v. 14), the city’s failure to turn back to God;
it has become the object of jeers and mockery. But it must not stay like that; it
must be converted to the Lord, by making anguished prayer (vv. 18-19) — prayer
like that of the sacred writer (vv. 20-22) which stresses that Israel is still the
Lord’s chosen people.

Jerusalem’s plight, then, is a punishment from God. Still, the severest reproach
of all is that addressed to the prophets. The false prophets lulled the people into
a false sense of security instead of calling them to conversion (v. 14); as Olym-
piodorus glosses the text, “they do not tell you the truth by which you would re-
cognize your sins and repent [...]. On the contrary, they read you false prophe-
cies and use vain arguments to drive you further from God” (”Fragmenta in La-
mentationes”, 2, 14). On the other hand, the true word of God has been borne
out: it is not surprising that v. 17 should be quoted when reminding Church pas-
tors of their responsibilities: “The good pastor should know when to keep silent
through discretion and when it is important to speak, so that he will never speak
of what should not be said nor fail to speak when it must be said. As indiscreet
speech can lead to sin; imprudent silence can leave those who were in need of
teaching to wallow in their sin. It often happens that imprudent pastors are afraid
to tell the truth openly because they fear that they will lose the respect of their
people. The pastor who is afraid to tell his people the truth turns his back on
them by his silence. He builds a wall for the house of Israel, to keep out those
who would destroy the flock; but when the people have sinned, as is said else-
where in Scripture: ‘Your prophets have seen for you false and deceptive visions;
they have not exposed your iniquity to restore your fortunes (Lam 2:14)’” (St.
Gregory the Great, “Regula pastoralis”, 2, 4).

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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: Matthew 8:5-17

The Centurion’s Faith

[5] As He (Jesus) entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to Him, besee-
ching Him [6] and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, in terri-
ble distress.” [7] And He said to him, “I will come and heal him.” [8] But the cen-
turion answered Him, “Lord, I am not worthy to have You come under my roof;
but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. [9] For I am a man under
authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to
another, ‘Come,’ and he comes and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” [10]
When Jesus heard him, He marvelled, and said to those who followed Him, “Tru-
ly, I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such faith. [11] I tell you, many
will come from east and west and sit at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
in the Kingdom of Heaven, [12] while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into
the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.” [13] And to the
centurion Jesus said, “Go; be it done for you as you have believed.” And the ser-
vant was healed at that very moment.

A Number of Cures

[14] And when Jesus entered Peter’s house, He saw his mother-in-law lying sick
with fever; [15] He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and ser-
ved Him. [16] That evening they brought to Him many who were possessed with
demons; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick.
[17] This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah, “He took our infir-
mities and bore our diseases.”

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Commentary:

5-11. “Centurion”: an officer of the Roman army in control of one hundred men.
This man’s faith is still an example to us. At the solemn moment when a Chris-
tian is about to receive Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, the Church’s liturgy
places on his lips and in his heart these words of the centurion, to enliven his
faith: Lord, I am not worthy...”.

The Jews of this time regarded any Jew who entered a Gentile’s house as con-
tracting legal impurity (cf. John 19:28; Acts 11:2-3). This centurion has the defe-
rence not to place Jesus in an embarrassing position in the eyes of His fellow
Israelites. He shows that he is convinced that Jesus has the power over disease
and illness; he suggests that if Jesus just says the word, He will do what is nee-
ded without having actually to visit the house; he is reasoning, in a simple, logi-
cal way, on the basis of his own professional experience. Jesus avails of this
meeting with a Gentile believer to make a solemn prophecy to the effect that
His Gospel is addressed to the world at large; all men, of every nation and race,
of every age and condition, are called to follow Christ.

14-15. After his body—or soul—is healed, everyone is called to “rise up” from his
previous position, to serve Jesus Christ. No laments, no delays; instead one
should make oneself immediately available to the Lord.

16-17. The expulsion of evil spirits is one of the main signs of the establishment
of the Kingdom of God (cf. Matthew 12:8). Similarly, the healing of diseases,
which ultimately are the result of sin, is one of the signs of the “works of the
Messiah” proclaimed by the prophets (cf. Isaiah 29:18; 35:5-6).

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible by Darton, Longman & Todd

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Green.

First reading
Lamentations 2:2,10-14,18-19 ©

Beth

The Lord has pitilessly destroyed

all the homes of Jacob;

in his displeasure he has shattered

the strongholds of the daughter of Judah;

he has thrown to the ground,

he has left accursed the kingdom and its rulers.

Yod

Mutely they sit on the ground,

the elders of the daughter of Zion;

they have put dust on their heads,

and wrapped themselves in sackcloth.

The virgins of Jerusalem hang their heads

down to the ground.

Kaph

My eyes wasted away with weeping,

my entrails shuddered,

my liver spilled on the ground

at the ruin of the daughters of my people,

as children, mere infants, fainted

in the squares of the Citadel.

Lamed

They kept saying to their mothers,

‘Where is the bread?’

as they fainted like wounded men

in the squares of the City,

as they poured out their souls

on their mothers’ breasts.

Mem

How can I describe you, to what compare you,

daughter of Jerusalem?

Who can rescue and comfort you,

virgin daughter of Zion?

For huge as the sea is your affliction;

who can possibly cure you?

Nun

The visions your prophets had on your behalf

were delusive, tinsel things,

they never pointed out your sin,

to ward off your exile.

The visions they proffered you were false,

fallacious, misleading.

Sade

Cry aloud, then, to the Lord,

groan, daughter of Zion;

let your tears flow like a torrent,

day and night;

give yourself no relief,

grant your eyes no rest.

Qoph

Up, cry out in the night-time,

in the early hours of darkness;

pour your heart out like water

before the Lord.

Stretch out your hands to him

for the lives of your children

who faint with hunger at the entrance to every street.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 73:1-7,20-21 ©