EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
from "Divine Instructions" by Fr. Goffine

In the Introit of the Mass the Church prays for the peace which God has promised through His prophets. "Give peace, O Lord, to them that patiently wait for Thee, that Thy prophets may be found faithful; hear the prayers of Thy servants, and of Thy people Israel. I rejoiced at the things that were said to me: we shall go into the house of the Lord." Glory be the the Father, etc.

Prayer
We beseech Thee, O Lord, that the work of Thy mercy may direct our hearts; for without Thy grace we cannot be pleasing to Thee. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ, etc.

EPISTLE I Cor. i. 4-8
BRETHREN: I give thanks to my God always for you, for the grace of God that is given you in Christ Jesus. That in all things you are made rich in him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; As the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, so that nothing is wanting to you in any grace, waiting for the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8 Who also will confirm you unto the end without crime, in the day of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

BRIEF LESSONS.
St. Paul shows in this epistle that he possess the true love of his neighbour, by rejoicing and thanking God that He had bestowed on the Corinthians manifold gifts and graces, and thereby confirmed the testimony of Christ in them. By this we learn that we should rejoice over the gifts and graces of our neighbours; should thank God for them, and pray Him to fill all who are in the darkness of error with knowledge, and love, and all virtues.

GOSPELMatt. ix. 1-8
At that time Jesus, entering into a boat, he passed over the water and came into his own city. And behold they brought to him one sick of the palsy lying in a bed. And Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the man sick of the palsy: Be of good heart, son, thy sins are forgiven thee. And behold some of the scribes said within themselves: He blasphemeth. And Jesus seeing their thoughts, said: Why do you think evil in your hearts? Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee: or to say, Arise, and walk? But that you may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then said he to the man sick of palsy, Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thy house. And he arose, and went into his house. And the multitude seeing it, feared, and glorified God that gave such power to men.

EXPLANATION
The charity of those who brought the sick man to Christ was so full of faith, so pleasing to Him, that, out of regard for it, he forgave the palsied man his sins, and healed him. Christ did not heal the man sick with the palsy until He had forgiven him his sins. By this He teaches us that sins are often the cause of the sickness and evils that pursue us; and that if we sincerely repent of our sins, God would be likely to remove these evils from us. This is also intimated by the words of Jesus to him who had been eight-and-thirty years: "Sin no more, lest some worse thing happen to thee"(John v.14). This should be kept in mind by those who so impetuously beseech God to free them from the sins which may be the cause of them, by the sincere repentance and by leading a Christian life. "He blasphemeth." Thus, in their perverted minds, the Jews thought of Christ; supposing that, by forgiving the sick man his sins, He had committed an encroachment on the prerogative of God, and thereby done Him great wrong; for it is blasphemy against God to attempt to wrong Him, or to think, speak, or do anything insulting to Him or to His saints.
"And Jesus seeing their thoughts, said: Why do you think evil in your hearts?" This is something to be considered by those who suppose their thoughts to be free from scrutiny, and to whom it does not even occur to make their evil thoughts matter of confession. God, the most holy and most just, will no more leave unpunished impure, proud, angry, revengeful, envious thoughts, than He will an idle word (Matt. xii. 36). Do not, therefore, give yourself us to evil thoughts; and in order to repel them, remember each time that God sees and punishes them. Would you not drive them away if men saw them? Why not, then, on account of God?