Jesus
departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God.
When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named apostles:
Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,
Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called a Zealot,
and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground. A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon
came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured.
Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him because power came forth from him and healed them all.
When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named apostles:
Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,
Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called a Zealot,
and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground. A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon
came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured.
Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him because power came forth from him and healed them all.
Commentary of the day :
Saint Augustine (354-430), Bishop of Hippo (North Africa) and Doctor of the Church
Letter 130, to Proba on prayer, 14-15 (trans. cf breviary 29th Friday)
Saint Augustine (354-430), Bishop of Hippo (North Africa) and Doctor of the Church
Letter 130, to Proba on prayer, 14-15 (trans. cf breviary 29th Friday)
Whoever asks “one thing” of the Lord, and “seeks it” (Ps 26[27],4), is
asking in security and certainty… It is the true and only happy life, the
eternal contemplation of God's delight in immortality and incorruptibility of
body and spirit. All things are desired and not unreasonably asked for on
account of this one thing. Whoever has this will have everything he can
desire, nor can he desire anything he ought not to have.
There is the fountain of life which we have now to desire in prayer, as long as we are living in hope and do not see the object of our hope. We are concealed “under the protection of his wings, who beholds all our desire” (Ps 35[36],8), that we may be “inebriated with the abundance of his house, and drink of the torrent of his delight”, because “with him is the fountain of life, and in his light we shall see light” (Ps 35[36],8f.). Then our desire will be filled with good, and we shall have no need of seeking anything with tears, we shall have only joyful possession.
Still, as it concerns the “peace which passes all understanding” (Phil 4,7), we “know not how to pray for it even it as we ought” (Rm 8,26). For we are totally ignorant of that which we are unable to think of as it is… The apostle Paul writes: “The Spirit comes to help us in our infirmity. For we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the same Spirit pleads for us with ineffable groanings” (Rm 8,25f.).
There is the fountain of life which we have now to desire in prayer, as long as we are living in hope and do not see the object of our hope. We are concealed “under the protection of his wings, who beholds all our desire” (Ps 35[36],8), that we may be “inebriated with the abundance of his house, and drink of the torrent of his delight”, because “with him is the fountain of life, and in his light we shall see light” (Ps 35[36],8f.). Then our desire will be filled with good, and we shall have no need of seeking anything with tears, we shall have only joyful possession.
Still, as it concerns the “peace which passes all understanding” (Phil 4,7), we “know not how to pray for it even it as we ought” (Rm 8,26). For we are totally ignorant of that which we are unable to think of as it is… The apostle Paul writes: “The Spirit comes to help us in our infirmity. For we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the same Spirit pleads for us with ineffable groanings” (Rm 8,25f.).
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