Beloved : First of all, I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone,
for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity.
This is good and pleasing to God our savior,
who wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth.
For there is one God. There is also one mediator between God and the human race, Christ Jesus, himself human,
who gave himself as ransom for all. This was the testimony at the proper time.
For this I was appointed preacher and apostle (I am speaking the truth, I am not lying), teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
It is my wish, then, that in every place the men should pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger or argument.

Psalms 28(27):2.7.8-9.

Hear the sound of my pleading when I cry to you, lifting my hands toward your holy place.
The LORD is my strength and my shield, in whom my heart trusted and found help. So my heart rejoices; with my song I praise my God.
LORD, you are the strength of your people, the saving refuge of your anointed king.
Save your people, bless your inheritance; feed and sustain them forever!


Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 7:1-10.

When Jesus had finished all his words to the people, he entered Capernaum.
A centurion there had a slave who was ill and about to die, and he was valuable to him.
When he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and save the life of his slave.
They approached Jesus and strongly urged him to come, saying, "He deserves to have you do this for him,
for he loves our nation and he built the synagogue for us."
And Jesus went with them, but when he was only a short distance from the house, the centurion sent friends to tell him, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof.
Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you; but say the word and let my servant be healed.
For I too am a person 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 at him and, turning, said to the crowd following him, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith."
When the messengers returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.


Commentary of the day
Saint Augustine (354-430), Bishop of Hippo (North Africa) and Doctor of the Church
Sermon 62

"Say the word and let my servant be healed"

How did the centurion win the grace of his servant's cure? «I am a person subject to authority...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. I have power over those under me but I myself am subject to higher authority. So if I, subordinate though I am, nevertheless have authority to give orders, what could you not do to whom all authorities are subject?» This man was a pagan, for the Jewish people were occupied by the Imperial Roman army at that time. So it was as a centurion in Judaea that he was commanding his soldiers...

But our Lord, although he was in the midst of the people of Judaea, was already talking about the Church being spread all over the earth wherever his apostles were to be sent (Mt 8,11). Indeed, the gentiles believed in him without having seen him... Our Lord did not physically enter the centurion's house and, even though absent in body, he was present in majesty and healed both that house and its faith. Similarly, our Lord stood physically only amongst the people of Judaea: other peoples did not see his being born of a virgin, or  suffering, or walking, or subject to the condition of human nature, or carrying out divine miracles. None of these things were done amongst the gentiles and yet it was amongst them that what was said about him was fulfilled: «A people I had not known served me.» In what way did they serve him? The Psalm continues: «As soon as they heard me, they obeyed me» (Ps 18[17],44-45).