offerings of my faith on earth, I may adore Thee in Thy eternal glory. Amen.
First Sunday after Epiphany
AT the Introit of the Mass the Church animates us to adore and obey God willingly and joyfully. "Upon a high throne I saw a man sitting, Whom a multitude of angels adored, singing together, Behold Him, the name of Whose empire is eternity " (Dan. vii.). " Sing joyfully to God, all the earth: serve the Lord with gladness (Ps. xcix. 2). Glory be to the Father, etc.
Prayer.
Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord, in Thy heavenly mercy, the prayers of Thy suppliant people, that they may both see what they ought to do, and may be enabled to do what they see. Through Our Lord, etc.
EPISTLE. Rom. xii. 1-5.
Brethren: I beseech you, by the mercy of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing unto God, your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world, but be reformed in the newness of your mind: that you may prove what is the good, and the acceptable, and the perfect will of God. For I say, by the grace that is given me, to all that are among you, not to be more wise than it behoveth to be wise, but to be wise unto sobriety, and according as God hath divided to every one the measure of faith. For as in one body we have many members, but all the members have not the same office: so we being many are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another in Christ Jesus our Lord.
How can we present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God?
By keeping the body and its members clean from all sin, serving God with soul and body. Thus to serve God, with our soul and body, is our reasonable service, and the vocation of every Christian.
What does St. Paul mean by the comparison of one body and many members?
He means that we Christians belong all to one body, the Church, the head of which is Christ. Now, as all the members
