The Memorial of Saint Scholastica

Solomon stood before the Lord's altar in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven; and he said, "Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven above, or on earth beneath; who keeps covenant and loving kindness with your servants who walk before you with all their heart;

But will God in very deed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens can't contain you; how much less this house that I have built! Yet have respect for the prayer of your servant and for his supplication, Lord my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which your servant prays before you today; that your eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which you have said, 'My name shall be there;' to listen to the prayer which your servant prays toward this place. Listen to the supplication of your servant, and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. Yes, hear in heaven, your dwelling place; and when you hear, forgive.

Yes, the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young, near your altars, Lord of Armies, my King, and my God.

Blessed are those who dwell in your house. They are always praising you. Selah.

For the Lord God is a sun and a shield. The Lord will give grace and glory. He withholds no good thing from those who walk blamelessly.

Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes gathered together to him, having come from Jerusalem. Now when they saw some of his disciples eating bread with defiled, that is unwashed, hands, they found fault. ( For the Pharisees and all the Jews don't eat unless they wash their hands and forearms, holding to the tradition of the elders. They don't eat when they come from the marketplace unless they bathe themselves, and there are many other things which they have received to hold to: washings of cups, pitchers, bronze vessels, and couches.) The Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why don't your disciples walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with unwashed hands?"

He answered them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, 'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. They worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'

"For you set aside the commandment of God, and hold tightly to the tradition of men — the washing of pitchers and cups, and you do many other such things." He said to them, "Full well do you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother;'Deuteronomy 5:16 and, 'He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.'Leviticus 20:9 But you say, 'If a man tells his father or his mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban,"'"that is to say, given to God, "then you no longer allow him to do anything for his father or his mother, making void the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down. You do many things like this."