Day: February 19, 2025

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Sunday, 23 February 2025 : Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday all of us are reminded of the need for all of us to embody in ourselves the most important virtue of love, one that denotes our Christian identity, because God Himself is Love, and as His people and children, it is imperative therefore that we have love in us, love that is truly genuine, generous and overflowing, just as God’s Love has always been shown towards us, without cease and without prejudice. God Himself has also shown us His love manifested perfectly in the flesh, in the person of Jesus Christ, His only Begotten Son, Our Lord and Saviour. Through Him and everything that we have heard in our Scripture passages this Sunday, we are all reminded to be generous in our love, first of all for the Lord, and then for our fellow brothers and sisters around us.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the First Book of the prophet Samuel in which the moment when David, the chosen King of Israel, who was on the run from the efforts of Saul, his predecessor as King of Israel, had a great and perfect chance to destroy the latter and seize the kingship for himself. As we heard in that passage, David and Abishai, his commander encountered Saul and his entourage in his camp in deep sleep, and David could indeed have struck Saul down there and then, and then easily seize the kingship over all of Israel which God had promised to him as the chosen new King to replace Saul. But David refused to do such a thing, and he resisted the temptations and the pressure from his commander Abishai, who encouraged him to strike Saul down. David showed mercy and love towards Saul, and let him to go unharmed, and told Saul that he would not strike at him, even when Saul had repeatedly sought his death.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this example of love which King David showed to all of us is one of selfless love and love that endures even through difficulties, challenges and temptations. David chose to love even his enemies, those who have made his life difficult, persecuting him and chasing him away from the comfort of his life in Israel, where he had to wander off in the wilderness as an outlaw with his supporters. And yet, David remained full of love, compassion and mercy to those who have wronged him and attacked him. And this is the exact same kind of love that Christ Himself has also shown us, which He alluded in our Gospel passage this Sunday, as He spoke of how all of us as Christians ought to show love to everyone and not just to those who have loved us back. Our love should be truly unconditional and generous, and be shown to everyone we encounter in our lives.

This is of course much easier said than done, and it is indeed difficult for us to love those who have made our lives difficult, those who despised us and hated us. But if we do not show the first step to love them, and grew to hate and despise them instead, then there will be no end to this cycle of hatred and evil, as our hatred will only lead to even more hatred and negativities, which then lead to even more hatred and so on. As Christians, we are all challenged to be loving, compassionate and caring even to those who ignored us, those who refused our love and hated us, those who considered us to be their enemies and those who did not see eye to eye with us. As the Lord Himself had said, that if we only love those who love us back, then what difference that would make us as compared to those unbelievers, and even those who are evil and wicked in their ways, as they also do the same as well in their own lives.

Instead, as Christians, we are all challenged to show selfless and universal love, to everyone around us without any exception, much as the Lord Himself had done in His own life and ministry. Christ Himself has shown love and mercy to all, forgiving those who have rejected and hurt Him, those who have persecuted and oppressed Him. Despite having been betrayed and rejected by the very people to whom He had been sent to save, He still carried the Cross willingly for their sake, and when He suffered and died on that same Cross at Calvary, He died to save everyone, including those who have wronged Him and punished Him. He did not mean for His salvation to be kept only for those who are on His side or those who have favoured Him back, but to everyone, especially the last, the lost and the least, and this included those who have made Him to suffer as well.

And through this most loving and selfless sacrifice, our Lord has become the perfect offering for the atonement of our sins, and just as St. Paul in our second reading this Sunday, from the Epistle that he wrote to the Church and the faithful in Corinth, Christ has become the New Adam that negated the old sins of the old Adam, the disobedience and sins that have corrupted our human nature and existence. By His own perfect obedience and perfect love, the most generous, selfless and exemplary love that He has shown especially through His sacrifice and offering on the Cross, by bearing all of our sins and their consequences upon Himself, shouldering the burden and punishments that should have been ours to suffer, so that by His suffering and death all of us may be assured of the eternal life and salvation that God has promised to us from the very beginning.

The devil wants us to hate one another and to be angry at our fellow brethren, because if we are divided amongst ourselves due to this, it will be easy for him to strike at us and to drag us down into the path towards damnation. He does not want us to be filled with love, because love will lead us away from this path of darkness, and instead, the evil one is always ever busy in trying to tempt us with all sorts of temptations of the world, with the greed, ego and pride, all of which are the very reasons why we tend to be angry and be at conflict with each other, due to our conflicting wants and desires, and if we do not manage this carefully, we may end up losing our struggle against evil and sin, and fall into the path towards damnation and destruction, away from God, His love and salvation.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be good and loving Christians at all times, to be filled with great love and kindness, compassion and mercy towards our fellow brothers and sisters, much as the Lord Himself, King David and many others among our holy predecessors, the holy saints and martyrs had done in their own lives and examples. We too should be truly filled with love in all things, and be generous in sharing our blessings with each other. We should strive to love everyone around us, all whom we encounter in life in each and every moments so that truly by our love and examples, more will come to know the Lord, and also know that we are indeed Christians, by our deeds and actions filled with this same love that God has shown us all. Let us all as His beloved people, continue to love most generously, showing one another how we can be better disciples and followers of God, Who is Love.

May the Lord, our most loving God and Creator, our most loving and generous Father and Lord, continue to bless us all and remain with us, guiding us in our every journey and in our every steps. May He continue to empower and support us all so that we may be ever stronger in our faith in Him and that we will grow ever more worthy in our lives and actions, to be His holy and beloved people, to be those whom He has called and chosen to be His own. May God be with us always, and may He bless our every good efforts, works and endeavours, and fill them with His most wonderful love, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Sunday, 23 February 2025 : Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday all of us are reminded of the need for all of us to embody in ourselves the most important virtue of love, one that denotes our Christian identity, because God Himself is Love, and as His people and children, it is imperative therefore that we have love in us, love that is truly genuine, generous and overflowing, just as God’s Love has always been shown towards us, without cease and without prejudice. God Himself has also shown us His love manifested perfectly in the flesh, in the person of Jesus Christ, His only Begotten Son, Our Lord and Saviour. Through Him and everything that we have heard in our Scripture passages this Sunday, we are all reminded to be generous in our love, first of all for the Lord, and then for our fellow brothers and sisters around us.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the First Book of the prophet Samuel in which the moment when David, the chosen King of Israel, who was on the run from the efforts of Saul, his predecessor as King of Israel, had a great and perfect chance to destroy the latter and seize the kingship for himself. As we heard in that passage, David and Abishai, his commander encountered Saul and his entourage in his camp in deep sleep, and David could indeed have struck Saul down there and then, and then easily seize the kingship over all of Israel which God had promised to him as the chosen new King to replace Saul. But David refused to do such a thing, and he resisted the temptations and the pressure from his commander Abishai, who encouraged him to strike Saul down. David showed mercy and love towards Saul, and let him to go unharmed, and told Saul that he would not strike at him, even when Saul had repeatedly sought his death.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this example of love which King David showed to all of us is one of selfless love and love that endures even through difficulties, challenges and temptations. David chose to love even his enemies, those who have made his life difficult, persecuting him and chasing him away from the comfort of his life in Israel, where he had to wander off in the wilderness as an outlaw with his supporters. And yet, David remained full of love, compassion and mercy to those who have wronged him and attacked him. And this is the exact same kind of love that Christ Himself has also shown us, which He alluded in our Gospel passage this Sunday, as He spoke of how all of us as Christians ought to show love to everyone and not just to those who have loved us back. Our love should be truly unconditional and generous, and be shown to everyone we encounter in our lives.

This is of course much easier said than done, and it is indeed difficult for us to love those who have made our lives difficult, those who despised us and hated us. But if we do not show the first step to love them, and grew to hate and despise them instead, then there will be no end to this cycle of hatred and evil, as our hatred will only lead to even more hatred and negativities, which then lead to even more hatred and so on. As Christians, we are all challenged to be loving, compassionate and caring even to those who ignored us, those who refused our love and hated us, those who considered us to be their enemies and those who did not see eye to eye with us. As the Lord Himself had said, that if we only love those who love us back, then what difference that would make us as compared to those unbelievers, and even those who are evil and wicked in their ways, as they also do the same as well in their own lives.

Instead, as Christians, we are all challenged to show selfless and universal love, to everyone around us without any exception, much as the Lord Himself had done in His own life and ministry. Christ Himself has shown love and mercy to all, forgiving those who have rejected and hurt Him, those who have persecuted and oppressed Him. Despite having been betrayed and rejected by the very people to whom He had been sent to save, He still carried the Cross willingly for their sake, and when He suffered and died on that same Cross at Calvary, He died to save everyone, including those who have wronged Him and punished Him. He did not mean for His salvation to be kept only for those who are on His side or those who have favoured Him back, but to everyone, especially the last, the lost and the least, and this included those who have made Him to suffer as well.

And through this most loving and selfless sacrifice, our Lord has become the perfect offering for the atonement of our sins, and just as St. Paul in our second reading this Sunday, from the Epistle that he wrote to the Church and the faithful in Corinth, Christ has become the New Adam that negated the old sins of the old Adam, the disobedience and sins that have corrupted our human nature and existence. By His own perfect obedience and perfect love, the most generous, selfless and exemplary love that He has shown especially through His sacrifice and offering on the Cross, by bearing all of our sins and their consequences upon Himself, shouldering the burden and punishments that should have been ours to suffer, so that by His suffering and death all of us may be assured of the eternal life and salvation that God has promised to us from the very beginning.

The devil wants us to hate one another and to be angry at our fellow brethren, because if we are divided amongst ourselves due to this, it will be easy for him to strike at us and to drag us down into the path towards damnation. He does not want us to be filled with love, because love will lead us away from this path of darkness, and instead, the evil one is always ever busy in trying to tempt us with all sorts of temptations of the world, with the greed, ego and pride, all of which are the very reasons why we tend to be angry and be at conflict with each other, due to our conflicting wants and desires, and if we do not manage this carefully, we may end up losing our struggle against evil and sin, and fall into the path towards damnation and destruction, away from God, His love and salvation.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be good and loving Christians at all times, to be filled with great love and kindness, compassion and mercy towards our fellow brothers and sisters, much as the Lord Himself, King David and many others among our holy predecessors, the holy saints and martyrs had done in their own lives and examples. We too should be truly filled with love in all things, and be generous in sharing our blessings with each other. We should strive to love everyone around us, all whom we encounter in life in each and every moments so that truly by our love and examples, more will come to know the Lord, and also know that we are indeed Christians, by our deeds and actions filled with this same love that God has shown us all. Let us all as His beloved people, continue to love most generously, showing one another how we can be better disciples and followers of God, Who is Love.

May the Lord, our most loving God and Creator, our most loving and generous Father and Lord, continue to bless us all and remain with us, guiding us in our every journey and in our every steps. May He continue to empower and support us all so that we may be ever stronger in our faith in Him and that we will grow ever more worthy in our lives and actions, to be His holy and beloved people, to be those whom He has called and chosen to be His own. May God be with us always, and may He bless our every good efforts, works and endeavours, and fill them with His most wonderful love, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Sunday, 23 February 2025 : Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 6 : 27-38

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “But I say to you who hear Me : Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you, and pray for those who treat you badly. To the one who strikes you on the cheek, turn the other cheek; from the one who takes your coat, do not keep back your shirt. Give to the one who asks, and if anyone has taken something from you, do not demand it back.”

“Do to others as you would have others do to you. If you love only those who love you, what kind of grace is yours? Even sinners love those who love them. If you do favours to those who are good to you, what kind of grace is yours? Even sinners do the same. If you lend only when you expect to receive, what kind of grace is yours? For sinners also lend to sinners, expecting to receive something in return.

But love your enemies and do good to them, and lend when there is nothing to expect in return. Then will your reward be great, and you will be sons and daughters of the Most High. For He is kind toward the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

“Do not be a judge of others and you will not be judged; do not condemn and you will not be condemned; forgive and you will be forgiven; give and it will be given to you, and you will receive in your sack good measure, pressed down, full and running over. For the measure you give will be the measure you receive back.”

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Sunday, 23 February 2025 : Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

1 Corinthians 15 : 45-49

Scripture says that Adam, the first man, became a living being; but the last Adam has become a life-giving Spirit. The Spirit does not appear first, but the natural life, and afterward comes the Spirit. The first man comes from the earth and is earthly, while the Second One comes from heaven.

As it was with the earthly one, so it is with the earthly people. As it is with Christ, so with the heavenly. This is why, after bearing the image of the earthly one, we shall also bear the image of the Heavenly One.

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Sunday, 23 February 2025 : Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 102 : 1-2, 3-4, 8 and 10, 12-13

Praise YHVH, my soul; all my being, praise His holy Name! Praise YHVH, my soul, and do not forget all His kindness.

He forgives all your sins and heals all your sickness; He redeems your life from destruction and crowns you with love and compassion.

YHVH is gracious and merciful, abounding in love and slow to anger. He does not treat us according to our sins, nor does He punish us as we deserve.

As far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove from us our sins. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him.

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Sunday, 23 February 2025 : Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

1 Samuel 26 : 2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23

On hearing that David was hiding on the hill of Hachilah, east of Jeshimon, Saul went down with three thousand picked men of Israel to the desert of Ziph in search of David.

So, that night, David and Abishai went into the camp and found Saul sleeping in the centre, his spear thrust into the ground at his head, while Abner and the rest of the soldiers were sleeping around him. Abishai said to David, “God has delivered your enemy into your hands this day. Let me nail him to the ground with one thrust of the spear; I will not repeat it.”

But David answered Abishai, “Do not harm him. For who could harm YHVH’s anointed and not be punished?” So David took the spear and the water jug from near Saul’s head and they left. Nobody saw, nobody knew, nobody woke up. All remained asleep, for a deep sleep from YHVH had fallen on them.

On the opposite slope David stood at a distance, on top of the hill. David answered, “I have your spear with me, o king! Let one of your servants come over to fetch it. YHVH rewards a righteous and loyal man. Today He delivered you into my hands but I refused to harm YHVH’s anointed.”

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(Usus Antiquior) Sexagesima Sunday (II Classis) – Sunday, 23 February 2025 : Offertory, Secret Prayer of the Priest, Communion and Post-Communion Prayer

Liturgical Colour : Violet

Offertory

Psalm 16 : 5, 6-7

Perfice gressus meos in semitis Tuis, ut non moveantur vestigia mea : inclina aurem Tuam, et exaudi verba mea : mirifica misericordias Tuas, qui salvos facis sperantes in Te, Domine.

English translation

May You perfect my goings in Your paths, that my footsteps be not moved. Incline Your ear, and hear my words, show forth Your wonderful mercies. You Who saved those who trust in You, o Lord.

Secret Prayer of the Priest

Oblatum Tibi, Domine, sacrificium, vivificet nos semper et muniat. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

May the sacrifice we offer You, o Lord, ever vivify and defend us. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who with You lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

Communion

Psalm 42 : 4

Introibo ad altare Dei, ad Deum, qui laetificat juventutem meam.

English translation

I will go to the altar of God, to God Who gave joy to my youth.

Post-Communion Prayer

Supplices Te rogamus, omnipotens Deus : ut, quos Tuis reficis sacramentis, Tibi etiam placitis moribus dignanter deservire concedas. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

Grant, we humbly beseech You, Almighty God, that those whom You refreshed with Your sacraments may serve You worthily by a life well pleasing to You. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who with You lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

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(Usus Antiquior) Sexagesima Sunday (II Classis) – Sunday, 23 February 2025 : Holy Gospel

Liturgical Colour : Violet

Sequentia Sancti Evangelii secundum Lucam – Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke

Luke 8 : 4-15

In illo tempore : Cum turba plurima convenirent, et de civitatibus properarent ad Jesum, dixit per similitudinem : Exiit, qui seminat, seminare semen suum : et dum seminat, aliud cecidit secus viam, et conculcatum est, et volucres caeli comederunt illud.

Et aliud cecidit supra petram : et natum aruit, quia non habebat humorem. Et aliud cecidit inter spinas, et simul exortae spinae suffocaverunt illud. Et aliud cecidit in terram bonam : et ortum fecit fructum centuplum : Haec dicens, clamabat : Qui habet aures audiendi, audiat.

Interrogabant autem eum discipuli Ejus, quae esset haec parabola. Quibus ipse dixit : Vobis datum est nosse mysterium regni Dei, ceteris autem in parabolis : ut videntes non videant, et audientes non intellegant.

Est autem haec parabola : Semen est verbum Dei. Qui autem secum viam, hi sunt qui audiunt : deinde venit diabolus, et tollit verbum de corde eorum, ne credentes salvi fiant. Nam qui supra petram : qui cum audierint, cum gaudio suscipiunt verbum : et hi radices non habent : qui ad tempus credunt, et in tempore tentationis recedunt.

Quod autem in spinas cecidit : hi sunt, qui audierunt, et a sollicitudinibus et divitiis et voluptatibus vitae euntes, suffocantur, et non referunt fructum. Quod autem in bonam terram : hi sunt, qui in corde bono et optimo audientes verbum retinent, et fructum afferunt in patientia.

English translation

At that time, when a very great multitude was gathered together and hastened out of the cities unto Him, He spoke by a parable, “The sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside, and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.”

“And some others fell upon a rock, and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And some others fell among thorns, and the thorns growing up with it, choked it. And some others fell upon good ground, and being sprung up, yielded fruits a hundredfold.” Saying these things, He cried out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

And His disciples asked Him what this parable might be. To whom He said, “To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God, but to the rest in parables, that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.”

“Now the parable is this : The seed is the word of God. And those by the wayside are those who hear, then the devil came, and took the word out of their heart, lest believing they should be saved. Now those upon the rock are those who when they hear, receive the word with joy, and these have no roots, for they believe for a while, and in time of temptation they fall away.”

“And those who fell among thorns are those who have heard, and going their way, are choked with the cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and yield no fruit. But those on the good ground are those who in a good and very good heart, hearing the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit in patience.”

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(Usus Antiquior) Sexagesima Sunday (II Classis) – Sunday, 23 February 2025 : Gradual and Tract

Liturgical Colour : Violet

Gradual

Psalm 82 : 19, 14

Sciant gentes, quoniam Nomen Tibi Deus : Tu solus Altissimus super omnem terram.

Response : Deus meus, pone illos ut rotam, et sicut stipulam ante faciem venti.

English translation

Let the Gentiles know that God is Your Name. You alone are the Most High over all the earth.

Response : O my God, make them like a wheel, and as stubble before the face of the wind.

Tract

Psalm 59 : 4, 6

Commovisti, Domine, terram, et conturbasti eam.

Response : Sana contritiones ejus, qui mota est.

Response : Ut fugiant a facie arcus : ut liberentur electi Tui.

English translation

You have moved the earth, o Lord, and had troubled it.

Response : May You heal the breaches thereof, for it had been moved.

Response : That Your elect may flee from before the bow, that they may be delivered.

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(Usus Antiquior) Sexagesima Sunday (II Classis) – Sunday, 23 February 2025 : Epistle

Liturgical Colour : Violet

Lectio Epistolae Beati Pauli Apostoli ad Corinthios – Lesson from the Epistle of Blessed Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 11 : 19-33 and 2 Corinthians 12 : 1-9

Fratres : Libenter suffertis insipientens : cum sitis ipsi sapientes. Sustinetis enim, si quis vos in servitutem redigit, si quis devorat, si quis accipit, si quis extollitur, si quis in faciem vos caedit. Secundum ignobilitatem dico, quasi nos infirmi fuerimus in hac parte.

In quo quis audet, (in insipientia dico) audeo et ego : Hebraei sunt, et ego : Israelitae sunt, et ego : Semen Abrahae sunt, et ego : Ministri Christi sunt, (ut minus sapiens dico) plus ego : in laboribus plurimis, in carceribus abundantius, in plagis supra modum, in mortibus frequenter.

A Judaeis quinquies quadragenas, una minus, accepi. Ter virgis caesus sum, semel lapidatus sum, ter naufragium feci, nocte et die in profundo maris fui : in itineribus saepe, periculis fluminum, periculis latronum, periculis ex genere, periculis ex gentibus, periculis in civitate, periculis in solitudine, periculis in mari, periculis in falsis fratribus : in labore et aerumna, in vigiliis multis, in fame et siti, in jejuniis multis, in frigore et nuditate : praeter illa, quae extrinsecus sunt, instantia mea cotidiana, sollicitudo omnium Ecclesiarum.

Quis infirmatur, et ego non infirmor? Quis scandalizatur, et ego non uror? Si gloriari oportet : quae infirmitatis meae sunt, gloriabor. Deus et Pater Domini nostri Jesu Christi, qui est benedictus in saecula, scit quod non mentior. Damasci praepositus gentis Aretae regis, custodiebat civitatem Damascenorum, ut me comprehenderet : et per fenestram in sporta dimissus sum per murum, et sic effugi manus ejus.

Si gloriari oportet (non expedit quidem), veniam autem ad visiones et revelationes Domini. Scio hominem in Christo ante annos quatuordecim, (sive in corpore nescio, sive extra corpus nescio, Deus scit 🙂 raptum hujusmodi usque ad tertium caelum.

Et scio hujusmodi hominem, (sive in corpore, sive extra corpus nescio, Deus scit 🙂 quoniam raptus est in paradisum : et audivit arcana verba, quae non licet homini loqui. Pro hujusmodi gloriabor : pro me autem nihil gloriabor nisi in infirmitatibus meis.

Nam, et si voluero gloriari, non ero insipiens : veritatem enim dicam : parco autem, ne quis me existimet supra id, quod videt in me, aut aliquid audit ex me. Et ne magnitudo revelationem extollat me, datus est mihi stimulus carnis meae angelus satanae, qui me colaphizet.

Propter quod ter Dominum rogavi, ut discederet a me : et dixit mihi : Sufficit tibi gratia mea : nam virtus in infirmitate perficitur. Libenter igitur gloriabor in infirmitatibus meis, ut inhabitet in me virtus Christi.

English translation

Brethren, you gladly suffer the foolish, whereas yourselves are wise. For you suffer if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devours you, if a man takes from you, if a man be lifted up, if a man strikes you in the face. I speak according to dishonour, as if we had been weak in this part.

Wherein if any man dare (I speak foolishly), I also dare. They are Hebrews, so am I. They are Israelites, so am I. They are the seed of Abraham, so am I. They are the ministers of Christ (I speak as one less wise), I am more, in many more labours, in prisons more frequently, in stripes above measure, in deaths often.

Of the Jews I had received forty stripes save one. Thrice I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I was in the depth of the sea. In journeying often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils from my own nation, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils from false brethren. In labour and painfulness, in much watchings, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness, besides those things which are without, my daily instance, the solicitude for all the churches.

Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is scandalised, and I am not on fire? If I must need glory, I will glory of the things that concern my infirmity. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is blessed forever, knows that I do not lie. At Damascus the governor of the nation under Aretas the king, guarded the city of the Damascenes to apprehend me, and through a window in a basket I was let down by the wall, and so escaped his hands.

If I must glory (it is not expedient indeed), but I will come to the visions and the revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ above fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I do not know, or out of the body, I do not know, but God knows) such one rapts even to the third heaven.

And I know such a man (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell, but God knows), that he was caught up into paradise, and heard secret words, which it is not granted to man to utter. For such one I will glory, but for myself I will glory nothing, but in my infirmities.

For though I should have a mind to glory, I shall not be foolish, for I will say the truth. But I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he sees in me, or anything he heard from me. And lest the greatness of the revelations should exalt me, there was given a sting of my flesh, an angel of Satan, to buffet me.

For which thing thrice I besought the Lord, that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in infirmity.” Gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.