The Gospel.

Of St. Matthew. fo. xii.

said to his disciples: "Why does your master eat with tax collectors and sinners?" When Jesus heard that, he said to them: "Those who are healthy do not need the physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: I have pleasure in mercy, and not in sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

Then the disciples of John came to him, saying: "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?" And Jesus said to them: "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then they shall fast. No man patches an old garment with a piece of new cloth. For then the patch pulls away from the garment again, and the tear is made worse. Neither do men put new wine into old wineskins, for the skins break, and the wine runs out, and the skins perish. But they pour new wine into new wineskins, and so both are preserved together."

While he spoke these things to them, behold, there came a certain ruler and worshiped him, saying: "My daughter is already dead, but come and lay your hand on her, and she shall live." And Jesus arose and followed him with his disciples. And behold, a woman who was diseased with an issue of blood for twelve years came behind him and touched the hem of his garment. For she said to herself: "If I may touch only his garment, I shall be healed." Jesus turned around and be-

held her, saying: "Daughter, be of good comfort; your faith has made you well." And she was made whole at that very hour.

And when Jesus came into the ruler's house and saw the musicians and the people making a noise, he said to them: "Go away, for the girl is not dead, but sleeps." And they laughed him to scorn. As soon as the people were put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. And this news spread throughout all that land.

And as Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed him, crying out and saying: "O you son of David, have mercy on us." And when he had come into the house, the blind men came to him. And Jesus said to them: "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to him: "Yes, Master." Then he touched their eyes, saying: "According to your faith, let it be to you." And their eyes were opened. And he strictly charged them, saying: "See that no man knows of it." But they, as soon as they had departed, spread his name throughout all that land.

As they went out, behold, they brought to him a mute man possessed by a devil. And as soon as the devil was cast out, the mute man spoke. And the people marveled, saying: "It never appeared so in Israel." But the Pharisees said: "He casts out devils by the power of the prince of devils."

And Jesus went about all the cities and towns, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind