Léctio sancti Evangélii secúndum Matthǽum (19,3-12)
In illo témpore: Accessérunt ad Iesum Pharisǽi tentántes eum et dicéntes: «Licet hómini dimíttere uxórem suam quacúmque ex causa?» Qui respóndens ait: «Non legístis quia qui creávit hóminem ab inítio, másculum et féminam fecit eos, et dixit: “Propter hoc dimíttet homo patrem et matrem, et adhærébit uxóri suæ, et erunt duo in carne una”? Itaque iam non sunt duo sed una caro. Quod ergo Deus coniúnxit, homo non séparet». Dicunt illi: «Quid ergo Móyses mandávit dari libéllum repúdii et dimíttere?» Ait illis: «Móyses ad durítiam cordis vestri permísit vobis dimíttere uxóres vestras, ab inítio autem non sic fuit. Dico autem vobis, quia quicúmque dimíserit uxórem suam, nisi ob fornicatiónem, et áliam dúxerit, mœchátur». Dicunt ei discípuli eius: «Si ita est causa hóminis cum uxóre, non expédit nubeæ». Qui dixit eis: «Non omnes cápiunt verbum istud, sed quibus datum est. Sunt enim eunúchi qui de natris útero sic nati sunt, et sunt eunúchi qui facti sunt ab hóminibus, et sunt eunúchi qui se ipsos castráverunt propter Regnum cælórum. Qui potest cápere, cápiat».
At that time: there came to him the Pharisees tempting Jesus, and saying: Is it lawful for a man to dismiss his wife for every cause? Who answering, said to them: Have ye not read, that he which did make from the beginning, made them male & female? And he said: For this cause, man shall leave father & mother, & shall cleave to his wife, and they two shall be in one flesh. Therefore now they are not two, but one flesh. That therefore which God hath joined together, let not man separate. They say to him: Why then did Moyses command to give a bill of divorce, and to dismiss her? He saith to them: Because Moyses for the hardness of your heart permitted you to dismiss your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you, that whosoever shall dismiss his wife, but for fornication, and shall marry another, doth commit adultery: and he that shall marry her that is dismissed, committeth adultery. His Disciples say unto him: If the case of a man with his wife be so, it is not expedient to marry. Who said to them: Not all take this word, but they to whom it is given. For there are Eunuchs which were born so from their mother's womb: and there are Eunuchs, which were made by men: and there are Eunuchs, which have gelded themselves for the Kingdom of Heaven. He that can take, let him take.
