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Saint Matthew 10:34-42.11:1.

by Daily Gospel | Source: Daily Gospel

Book of Exodus 1:8-14.22.

Then a new king, who knew nothing of Joseph, came to power in Egypt.
He said to his subjects, "Look how numerous and powerful the Israelite people are growing, more so than we ourselves!
Come, let us deal shrewdly with them to stop their increase; otherwise, in time of war they too may join our enemies to fight against us, and so leave our country."
Accordingly, taskmasters were set over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. Thus they had to build for Pharaoh the supply cities of Pithom and Raamses.
Yet the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread. The Egyptians, then, dreaded the Israelites
and reduced them to cruel slavery,
making life bitter for them with hard work in mortar and brick and all kinds of field work--the whole cruel fate of slaves.
Pharaoh then commanded all his subjects, "Throw into the river every boy that is born to the Hebrews, but you may let all the girls live."

Psalms 124(123):1-3.4-6.7-8. 

A song of ascents. Of David. I Had not the LORD been with us, let Israel say,
Had not the LORD been with us, when people rose against us,
They would have swallowed us alive, for their fury blazed against us.
The waters would have engulfed us, the torrent overwhelmed us;

seething waters would have drowned us.
Blessed be the LORD, who did not leave us to be torn by their fangs.
We escaped with our lives like a bird from the fowler's snare; the snare was broken and we escaped.
Our help is the name of the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth.


Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 10:34-42.11:1. 

Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword.
For I have come to set a man 'against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
and one's enemies will be those of his household.'
Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is righteous will receive a righteous man's reward.
And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple--amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward."
When Jesus finished giving these commands to his twelve disciples, he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.

Commentary of the day :
Saint Augustine (354-430), Bishop of Hippo (North Africa) and Doctor of the Church
Sermon 344, §2-3

"Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me"

It is to those who are on fire with love or, rather, those he wants to set on fire with this love, that our Saviour addresses these words. For our Saviour has not done away with, but regulated, the love we owe to parents, spouse, children. He did not say: «Those who love them» but «Those who love them more than me»... Love your father, but love the Lord even more; love him who brought you into the world, but love yet more he who gave you being. It was your father who brought you into the world but it was not he who created you since he did not know, when he bred you, who you would be or what you would become. It was your father who fed you but he is not the origin of the food that staunched your hunger. Finally, your father must die if you are to inherit his goods, but you will share the inheritance God intends for you while living with him eternally.

So love your father, but not more than you love your God; love your mother, but love still more the Church who has begotten you into eternal life... Indeed, if you owe such gratitude to those who begot you for mortality, what kind of love do you owe to those who begot you for eternity? Love your spouse, love your children as God does, to lead them to serve God together with you, and then, when you are reunited, you will not be afraid of being separated. Your love for your family would indeed fall short if you did not lead them to God...

Take up your cross and follow the Lord. Your Saviour himself, wholly God as he was in the flesh, clothed with your flesh, he, too, showed human feelings when he said: «My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me,» (Mt 26,39)... The servant's nature with which he clothed himself for your sake caused his human voice, the voice of his flesh, to be heard. He took your voice so as to express your weakness and give you his strength..., and to show you whose will to prefer.