Sf. arh. Gavril; Sf. cuv. Ștefan Savaitul (sec. IX).Ap Rom 3,28-31;4,1-3; Ev Mt 7,24-29;8,1-4.

3:21-31 RIGHTEOUSNESS THROUGH FAITH
OVERVIEW: In Christ the righteousness of God was made manifest apart from the law. But the Fathers did not agree about the precise meaning of this. Did God reveal himself apart from the natural law or apart from the law of Moses? It seems from the context that the law of Moses is meant, but this forced Origen, for example, to enter into a long explanation as to why this verse does not contradict what he had already said about the natural law. Others gave differing interpretations of what was meant by the righteousness of God. Was it God’s mercy, as Ambrosiaster claimed, or was it the new life God gives us in Christ and not a divine attribute as such, as Augustine claimed? This debate still goes on in the church.
Sin is universal and embraces even the saints. Christ has bought us back from sin and the devil and given us justification as a free gift. Christ was sacrificed for us in order to pay the price for our sins by his blood. In this way he fulfilled the Old Testament law and made it redundant. The result of Christ’s sacrifice is that now we can receive the righteousness of God, dispensed freely to all who believe in him.
No human being can claim the credit for his or her salvation, because that is a free gift of God’s grace. We are justified only by faith, not by works, however good they may be. The principle of justification by faith alone removes any distinction between Jews and Gentiles, since everyone must come to Christ in the same way-by faith. Justification by faith in Christ abolishes the law but does not discredit it. On the contrary, it fulfills what the law was trying to demonstrate but could not achieve by itself.
Commentarry on the Gospel according to St. Matthew 7,24-29;8,1-4
7:21-29 HEARERS AND DOERS OF THE WORD
OVERVIEW: Jesus implied here that to do his Father’s will is to do his will, there being no other will of the Son than the will of the Father (CHRYSOSTOM). God knows those whom he loves and loves those who single-mindedly believe in him and do the things that please him (CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA). When the storm is most violent, the upheavals the greatest and the temptations continuing, such a person is not shaken even slightly (CHRYSOSTOM). This is the way the Lord builds his church-upon the rock, with steadfastness and strength, so the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (ORIGEN). Those who do evil cannot claim God as cause of their own wickedness and stupidity. They make themselves like fools when they withdraw from that which proceeds according to nature (CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA). When Jesus spoke he did not refer to someone else but showed that he was the One who had the authority to decide (CHRYSOSTOM).
8:1-4 HEALING THE LEPER
OVERVIEW: The leper knew that if the Lord willed, he could cleanse him. He was not reproved for making this assumption. Rather, Jesus confirmed the assumption about his own glory and authority that lay hidden underneath the leper’s question (CHRYSOSTOM). We are here taught that the whole person has been transformed in contemplation, action and behavior when touched by divine things (CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA). The leper when cleansed was not to entrust the recognition of his cleansing to private judgment but to show himself to the priests, who could bear witness that Jesus did not transgress the law (CHRYSOSTOM).