Third Sunday after Epiphany

This Sunday is the Third after Epiphany, and the Gospel this week is St Matthew 8:1-13 (the healing of a leper and the Centurion's servant).  You can find the Matins readings on it over at my Lectio Divina Notes blog.

St Polycarp

This Sunday is also the feast of St Polycarp, so here is the reading on him from the Roman Office:

"Polycarp was a disciple of the Apostle John, and was consecrated by him Bishop of Smyrna. He was reckoned the chief of all the Christians of Asia, because he had been taught by several of the Apostles, and other persons who had seen the Lord. During the reign of the Emperor Antoninus Pius, and while Anicetus presided over the Church of Rome, Polycarp came thither to discuss some questions regarding the time for observing Easter. He found some heretics at Rome, who had been led astray by the doctrine of Marcion and Valentine, and brought back many of them to the faith. One day Marcion met him by accident, and said to him: Do you recognise me? whereto he replied: I recognise the devil's eldest son. Some time after, in the reign of Mark Antonine and Lucius Aurelius Commodus, during the fourth persecution since Nero, when the Pro-consul was ruling in Smyrna, the whole population being assembled in the theatre, clamoured against Polycarp, and to please them he was burnt. He wrote an extremely useful Epistle to the Philippians, which is publicly read in the Churches of Asia even to this day."

In the Benedictine Office this week....

Sunday 26 January –  Third Sunday after Epiphany; St Polycarp, memorial
Monday 27 January – St John Chrysostom, Class III
Tuesday 28 January - Class IV; St Cyril of Alexandria, memorial [EF: St Peter Nolasco]
Wednesday 29 January – Class IV; St Frances de Sales, memorial [EF: Class III]
Thursday 30 January – Class IV [EF: St Martina]
Friday 31 January – Class IV; St John Bosco, memorial
Saturday February 1 - St Ignatius, Class III