And setting out from there, he went into the region of Judah beyond the Jordan and crowds gathered to him again, and as he was accustomed he taught them, and Pharisees came to him and asked him if it was lawful for a man to divorce his wife, testing him. 

But he answered: ‘What did Moses command you?’

And they said: ‘Moses permitted a man “to write a certificate of divorce and to divorce”’.

But Jesus said to them; ‘Because of the hardness of your hearts  he wrote this command for you. From the beginning of creation “Male and Female he made them… Because of this a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife. And the two will be one flesh.” So that they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore that which God has joined together let no man separate.’

And in the house again  the disciples asked him about this.

And he said to them:
‘Whoever divorces his wife, and marries another, commits adultery against her.
And if she divorces her husband and marries another she commits adultery.’

Lord, you have given me so much,
I ask for one more thing –
a grateful heart.

George Herbert

And whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble,
it is better for them if a large millstone is placed around their neck,
and they are thrown into the sea. 

And if your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter life maimed,
than having two hands,  to come to Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire.

And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter life lame,
than having two feet be thrown into Gehenna. 

And if your eye causes you to stumble, throw it away.
It is better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God one-eyed,
than having two eyes be throw into Gehenna, 
where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.

For everyone will be salted with fire.

Salt is good but if salt becomes ‘unsalty’, how can it be seasoned? 

Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other. 

Be thou a bright flame before me,
Be thou a guiding star above me
Be thou a smooth path below me
Be thou a kindly shepherd behind me
Today – tonight -forever
Amen.

St Columba

John said to him: ‘Teacher, we have seen someone casting out demons in your name and we told them to stop because they were not following us.’

But Jesus said ‘Do not stop them:

• For there is no one who performs acts of power in my name, and soon afterwards bad mouths me. 
• For whoever is not against us is for us. 
• For whoever gives you  a cup of water to drink because of the name – you are Christ’s – truly I say to you that they will not lose their reward.

O Love, O God who created me, in your love recreate me.
O Love, who redeemed me,
fill up in me whatever part of your love
has fallen into neglect within me.
O Love, O God, who first loved me,
grant that with my whole heart,
and with my whole soul,
and with my whole strength,
I may love you.

Gertrude the Great

And having moved on from there, they were passing through the Galilee area, and he did not want anyone to know, for he was teaching his disciples and was saying to them ‘The Son of Man will be handed over into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and having been killed he will rise after three days.’

But they were not understanding the saying, and were frightened to ask him. 

And they came to Capernaum, and being in the house, he asked them ‘What were you discussing on the road?’ But they were silent, for on the road they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 

And when he sat down he called the twelve and said to them: ‘If someone wants to be first, he must be the last of all and a servant of all. 

And taking a little child he set it in the middle of them and wrapping his arms around the child he said to them: ‘Whoever welcomes in my name one of these little children, welcomes me. And whoever welcomes me, does not welcome me, but the one who sent me.’

Teach us, good Lord,
to serve thee as thou deservest;
to give and not to count the cost;
to fight and not to heed the wounds;
to toil and not to seek for rest;
to labour and not to ask for any reward,
save that of knowing that we do thy will,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

St Ignatius

And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them and scholars arguing with them. 

And immediately all the crowd, having seen him, were greatly surprised –
and hurrying over greeted him. 

And he asked them ‘What are you arguing about with them?’

And someone from the crowd answered him :
‘ Teacher, I have brought my son to you;

he has a spirit that makes him mute.
And wherever it seizes  him
it dashes him to the ground,
and he foams at the mouth
and grinds his teeth
and he becomes stiff.
And I asked your disciples to cast it out,
and they were not powerful. ‘

So he replied: 
‘O faithless generation!
How much longer will I be with you?
How much longer will I put up with you?
Bring him to me. ‘

And they brought him to him. 
And when the spirit saw him
it immediately threw him into convulsions,
and falling on the ground,
he rolled around,
foaming at the mouth. 

And he asked the father ‘How long since has this been happening to him?

And he said
‘From childhood.
It has often thrown him into the fire
and into the waters
to destroy him.
But if you can, help us,
have pity on us.’

Then Jesus said to him
‘“If you can?!”
– all things are possible, to those who believe.’ 

Immediately the father of the child cried out :
‘I believe, help my unbelief.’

Jesus seeing that the crowd was gathering, rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it
‘Mute and deaf spirit, I order you,
leave him
and never enter him.’

And crying out,
it left,
throwing him into many convulsions.
And he was like dead,
so that many said that he had died.

But Jesus taking him by his hand, raised him up and he stood up. 

And when he had entered his house, his disciples asked him privately
‘Why could we not cast it out?’
And he said to them
‘This kind can never be cast out except by prayer.’

Grant, Lord,
that we may hold to you without parting,
worship you without wearying,
serve you without failing;
faithfully seek you,
happily find you,
and forever possess you,
the only God,blessed now and for ever.
Amen

St Anselm

And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them and scholars arguing with them. 

And immediately all the crowd, having seen him, were greatly surprised –
and hurrying over greeted him. 

And he asked them ‘What are you arguing about with them?’

And someone from the crowd answered him :
‘ Teacher, I have brought my son to you; he has a spirit that makes him mute.
And wherever it seizes  him
it dashes him to the ground,
and he foams at the mouth
and grinds his teeth
and he becomes stiff.
And I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not powerful. ‘

So he replied: 
‘O faithless generation!
How much longer will I be with you?
How much longer will I put up with you?
Bring him to me. 

And they brought him to him. 
And when the spirit saw him
it immediately threw him into convulsions,
and falling on the ground,
he rolled around,
foaming at the mouth. 

And he asked the father ‘How long since has this been happening to him?

And he said
‘From childhood.
It has often thrown him into the fire
and into the waters
to destroy him.
But if you can, help us,
have pity on us.’

Then Jesus said to him
‘“If you can?!”
– all things are possible, to those who believe.’ 

Immediately the father of the child cried out :
‘I believe, help my unbelief.’

Jesus seeing that the crowd was gathering, rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it
‘Mute and deaf spirit, I order you,
leave him
and never enter him.’

And crying out,
it left,
throwing him into many convulsions.
And he was like dead,
so that many said that he had died.

But Jesus taking him by his hand, raised him up and he stood up. 

And when he had entered his house, his disciples asked him privately
‘Why could we not cast it out?’
And he said to them
‘This kind can never be cast out except by prayer.’

Thank you, dear Jesus,
for all you have given me,
for all you have taken away from me,
for all you have left me.

Thomas More (c.1478-1535)

And as they were coming down from the mountain, he ordered them to tell nobody what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from those who have died. And they seized the statement, discussing among themselves  what rising from those who have died is. 

And they asked him: ‘Why do the scholars say that Elijah must come first?

He said to them 

’Yes, but… Elijah, having come first, will restore all things. 

And why is it written about the Son of Man
that he should suffer many things and be rejected? But I say to you that Elijah has not only come
but also they did to him whatever they wanted – as it is written about him.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is discord, union;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy,
For your mercy and for your truth’s sake. Amen

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And after six days, Jesus took along Peter, and Jacob and John and he took them into the high mountain, alone, and he was changed before them.

And his clothes became shining, very white, more than any launderer on earth could whiten.

And when Elijah and Moses appeared to them, they talked with Jesus,

And Peter spoke up, saying to Jesus: ‘Rabbi, it is good that we are here, and let’s make three shelters, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.

For he did not know what to say, for they had become afraid.

Then a cloud came, overshadowing them, and then a voice came from the cloud. ‘This is my Son, whom I love, listen to him.’

And suddenly looking around, they saw no-one with them but only Jesus.

O Lord Jesus Christ,
stay beside me to defend me,
within me to guide me,
before me to lead me,
and above me to bless me,
that with you and in you,
I may live, and move and have my being,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

(unknown)

And he began to teach them it is was necessary for the Son of Man to suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the Chief Priests and the scholars and to be killed and to rise after three days. 

And he spoke the word plainly. 

And after taking him aside, Peter began to rebuke him. 

But when Jesus turned around and saw his disciples, he rebuked Peter: ‘Go behind me, Satan . Because you do not think the things of God but human things.’

And having called to him the crowd, with the disciples he said to them:

If someone wishes to follow after me
they must deny themselves
and take up their cross,
and keep on  following  me. 

Whoever wishes to save their life will lose it. 
But whoever loses their life – for my sake, and the gospel – will save it.

For what does it profit someone if they gain the whole world, but they lose their life?
For what can a person give in exchange for their life?

For whoever has been ashamed of me and my words
in this adulterous and sinful generation,
the Son of Man  will will be ashamed of them,
when he comes in the glory of his father,
with the holy angels. 

And he said to them:
‘Truly I tell you all, 
there are some standing here
who will not experience death
before they see the kingdom of God has come in power. ‘

Steer the ship of my life, good Lord, to your quiet harbour,
where I can be safe from the storms of sin and conflict.
Show me the course I should take.
Renew in me the gift of discernment,
so that I can always see the right direction in which I should go.
And give me the strength and the courage to choose the right course,
even when the sea is rough and the waves are high,
knowing that through enduring hardship and danger in your name
we shall find comfort and peace.
Amen

Basil of Caesarea (c.329-379)

And Jesus and his disciples went out into the region of Caesarea Philippi
and on the road he asked them ‘Who do people say I am?

And they said
‘They say John the Baptist,
and others Elijah,
others you are one of the prophets. ‘

And he asked them ‘You all – who do you say I am?’ 

Peter answered him ‘You  – you are the Anointed One.’

And he firmly ordered them to speak about him to no-one. 

Take from us,
O God, all pride and vanity,
all boasting and self-assertion,
and give us the true courage that shows itself in gentleness,
the true wisdom that shows itself in simplicity,
and the true power that shows itself in modesty.

Charles Kingsley