The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ: Christmas Day

The Collect
O God, you make us glad by the yearly festival of the birth of your only Son Jesus Christ: Grant that we, who joyfully receive him as our Redeemer, may with sure confidence behold him when he comes to be our Judge; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Psalm
96

The Readings
Isaiah 9:2-7      +     Titus 2:11-14      +      Luke 2:1-20

For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom.
~ Isaiah 9:6-7a

The Christmas story from Luke’s Gospel is beautiful and powerful. But also, familiar. Familiar enough for most of us, I suspect, that if we’re not careful we can let the remarkable details as well as the astounding, jaw-dropping overall theme slip right past us.

The English poet John Betjeman, in his poem simply entitled ‘Christmas’ closes with these stanzas:

And is it true,
This most tremendous tale of all,
Seen in a stained-glass window's hue,
A Baby in an ox's stall ?
The Maker of the stars and sea
Become a Child on earth for me ?

And is it true ? For if it is,
No loving fingers tying strings
Around those tissued fripperies,
The sweet and silly Christmas things,
Bath salts and inexpensive scent
And hideous tie so kindly meant,

No love that in a family dwells,
No carolling in frosty air,
Nor all the steeple-shaking bells
Can with this single Truth compare--
That God was man in Palestine
And lives today in Bread and Wine.

The proclamation of Christmas is no less than that: that in Christ, God chose to come and dwell among us, fully as one of us. And that Christ by the Spirit continues today to dwell with us. Christmas is about God choosing to be manifest among us, taking our human nature to draw us into the very life of God--as one of the early church fathers said, “God became human that humans might become God.” That Christmas proclamation can get muted or even lost in the busyness and nostalgia of our celebrations. Which is one reason I’m thankful for the Old Testament lessons we hear in this season. Less familiar perhaps, and so still strange and even shocking.

In this time of gift giving, a child has been born for us, given to us--and this child is called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. That’s a lot to take in. So I’m also thankful that we don’t have to take it in all at once; but as we grow, we can take to heart that promise that the authority of Christ, his kingdom of endless peace, is continually growing. And we might believe that on Christmas Day, though the rest of the year may try us and stretch the limits of our good faith. But the promise abides, and not just for today--it is the zeal of the LORD of hosts that will do this.

Closing Prayer

O Father of mercy, whose Son Jesus took upon himself our nature, that he might bear our sorrows, be the companion of our journeys, and the forgiveness of our sins; pour out on us your Holy Spirit, that as Christ was born in our likeness, even so may we grow into his; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

~from Saint Augustine's Prayer Book, p. 217

Saint Thomas the Apostle

The Collect
Everliving God, who strengthened your apostle Thomas with firm and certain faith in your Son's resurrection: Grant us so perfectly and without doubt to believe in Jesus Christ, our Lord and our God, that our faith may never be found wanting in your sight; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

The Psalm
126

The Readings
Habakkuk 2:1-4     +     Hebrews 10:35-11:1     +     John 20:24-29

"I will stand at my watchpost, and station myself on the rampart; I will keep watch to see what he will say to me, and what he will answer concerning my complaint."
~Habakkuk 2:1

That the apostle we commemorate today has been popularly assigned the moniker "Doubting" Thomas is understandable, but unfortunate. He is the same Thomas who, earlier in John's Gospel encouraged the other disciples to return with Jesus to Judea, despite the threat of death (John 11:7-8, 14-16). According to tradition, Thomas travelled widely to proclaimed the gospel, reaching as far east as India, and finally did meet with a martyr's death (his symbol is a spear, indicating the means of his execution). Yet, we don't remember him as "Courageous and devoted to Christ unto death" Thomas.

It does seem that today's Gospel from John 20 is meant primarily as an exhortation to have faith, and not as a tale about how doubting is all well and good. And yet, we know that doubts, questions, wonderings, are inevitably part of any rigorous life of faith. Thomas here simply desires to experience what the other disciples had: to see and know the risen Lord. And Jesus meets that desire. And Thomas' faith is strengthened from an experience that grew from his own honest complaint, an experience that issues in the most powerful proclamation of who Jesus is: "My Lord and my God!" 

As we fast approach Christmas, a season full of miracles, stand at the watchpost--look and listen intently. Allow yourself to wonder, even if it means engaging doubts. Station yourself there and wait upon the Lord, and see what the Lord will answer.

Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, may our devotion to you be so sincere that we do not rest content with the stories of others, but desire nothing less than you, your very self revealed to us. Amen.

Saint Andrew the Apostle

The Collect of the Day

Almighty God, who gave such grace to your apostle Andrew that he readily obeyed the call of your Son Jesus Christ, and brought his brother with him: Give us, who are called by your holy Word, grace to follow him without delay, and to bring those near to us into his gracious presence; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

The Psalm

19

The Readings

Deuteronomy 30:11-14     +     Romans 10:8b-18     +      Matthew 4:18-22

"The word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe."

~Deut. 30:14

"Evangelical" is a word that has come to have various connotations (religious, political, social). Many people have negative associations with the word, often for good reason. But that is also tragic, for the word is inseparable from the gospel. In fact, the word comes from the Greek euangelion, which means "good news"--the gospel. To be essentially evangelical, then, is to be one who believes and lives the gospel. To be an evangelist is to seek to spread the word of that good news: "Here is life! I have found it in Jesus."

Andrew was evangelical in this way. Today's reading from Matthew's Gospel has him being called to the work of a disciple and evangelist along with his brother, Simon Peter, but John's Gospel tells it differently: Andrew is called first, and he goes immediately and tells his brother about it, and brings him to Jesus.

At bottom, evangelism consists of this: bringing people to Jesus. That bringing will inevitably involve some sharing of our own story and experience of the word of life that God has put within us. But there is no one right way to do this, no formula or approved program. Speak what you know. Share what you have experienced. And pray for grace to bring those near to you into the gracious presence of Jesus. 

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank you for the life we have in you. Help us to be both courageous and sincere in sharing the blessing of your life and presence with those near and dear to us, that the word you have implanted in us may be ever growing.  Amen.

Icon of St. Andrew, written by the Rev. Paige Blair

Thanksgiving Day

The Collect of the Day

Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make us, we pray, faithful stewards of your great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Psalm

65

The Readings

Deuteronomy 8:7-18     +     II Corinthians 9:6-15     +     Luke 17:11-19

You crown the year with your goodness, and your paths overflow with plenty.
~Psalm 65:12

There are a few instances in which church and civic calendar overlap, and Thanksgiving is one of them. It's not surprising that Thanksgiving is observed by the church, given the long history of harvest festivals across cultures and religions. And even though Thanksgiving in America has long been a cultural event celebrated by all and sundry, with a slew of "secular" observances and traditions, there remains an underlying religious assumption--for to whom are we giving thanks for all the blessings of our lives, if not to God?*

The appointed Scripture readings overflow with images of God's abundance: from the promised land of Deuteronomy "where you will eat bread without scarcity, where you will lack nothing," to the Psalmist's poetic song of God the joyful Gardener of the earth, to St. Paul's assurance that "God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance" and its critical qualifier: "so that by always having enough of everything, you may share in every good work."

When we get to the Gospel lesson, this theme seems to shift as we read the story of the ten healed lepers. Of the ten, only one returns to thank Jesus. Two verses of this Gospel, in particular, provide a pretty good microcosm of what we do in the liturgy of the Eucharist: "One of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him." It is important, certainly, that we respond to God's gracious abundance toward us by remembering God and seeking to keep God's commandments, by being good stewards of God's bounty, and by sowing abundantly and sharing in the work of blessing others. But it is of first importance that we simply and truly turn to God and give thanks. With a grateful heart, with humility and honesty, we thank God who is the giver of every good gift, and the source of life itself.

The word eucharist, after all, is Greek for thanksgiving. To be a disciple of Jesus is to cultivate a life of thanksgiving. And for most of us, that kind of life does indeed take some cultivating, some "soul-gardening." As Christians, we are helped in this work not only by taking and setting aside one Thursday every November to be intentionally thankful, but every Sunday when we come together again for the church's central act of worship, the Holy Eucharist, offering our very selves to God in thanksgiving.  

Closing Prayer

Almighty God, thank you for the blessings you continually give; thank you for every new breath of life. Help us today and every day to make our lives an offering of thanksgiving to you, that your abundant goodness may overflow from grateful hearts and wash over your world. Amen.

*If you don't already have a prayer for your own Thanksgiving table, or are looking to start a new tradition, consider praying A Litany of Thanksgiving, found on page 836 of the Book of Common Prayer. 

All Saints' Day

The Collect of the Day
Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord: Give us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those ineffable joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

The Psalm
34:1-10, 22

The Readings
Revelation 7:9-17      +      I John 3:1-3      +      Matthew 5:1-12

Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is.
~ I John 3:2

Though it's one of the seven principal feasts of the church (BCP, pg. 15), there are considerable differences of opinion about what, precisely, is being celebrated on All Saints' Day. A short list could include questions about the definition of a saint (and who gets included in that definition), the nature of our connection with the dead in Christ (i.e. what do we mean when we say we believe in the communion of saints?), and what we believe about life after death. I find such a list striking in that the questions are both profound on one level, while at the same time basic and central to Christian faith. To a question so universal as, "what happens when we die?" is it not telling that we find different answers, stated with varying degrees of detail and confidence, both within the Episcopal Church and across denominations? If, as seems often to be the popular view, the church exists to help us answer that question, then we don't seem to be doing a very good job (which is also telling--perhaps the church is about more than simply "the hope of heaven"). One explanation for this lack of clarity is that there is no uniform answer in the Bible; rather, there are various intimations and images, with plenty of mystery in the mix. Many of our beliefs about life after death may in fact come from hymns, varying church traditions, and popular imagery.

The First Epistle of John seems to be addressing a community experiencing a crisis of faith. Amid doubts and uncertainties, the writer begins the letter with words of confidence and assurance based in experience: "We declare to you . . . what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life" (I Jn. 1:1). This language of conviction and reassurance continues throughout the letter, but it is not absolute. Even here, among the children of God, there remains the acknowledgement of mystery and limited knowledge: "what we will be has not yet been revealed." We place our hope and confidence in God and in Jesus Christ, and we trust that this hope will not disappoint. In the time between now and the perfecting of the children of God, it is part of the work of discipleship to follow the example of the saints, to grow in virtue, and to be seeking always to gracefully move into greater trust that we who have set our hope on Christ have a sure foundation, come what may.    
 
Closing Prayer
O God, thank you for the example and fellowship of your saints. Help us to be, like them, about the work of living faithfully as your children here and now, confident of the joy that will yet be revealed in Jesus, in whom we have put our hope. Amen.

Saint Simon and Saint Jude, Apostles

The Collect of the Day

O God, we thank you for the glorious company of the apostles, and especially on this day for Simon and Jude; and we pray that, as they were faithful and zealous in their mission, so we may with ardent devotion make known the love and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Psalm

119:89-96

The Readings

Deuteronomy 32:1-4      +      Ephesians 2:13-22      +      John 15:17-27

In today's collect, we pray that, following the example of the holy apostles, "we may with ardent devotion make known the love and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." What might this look like in your life?

For Moses, it meant a desire to have his teaching "drop like the rain . . . condense like the dew; like gentle rain on grass, like showers on new growth"--a beautiful image of the life-giving power of the word of God proclaimed.

For the psalmist, that same teaching--the law, the word of the Lord--was eternal, faithful, all-encompassing. As such, it was a source of delight to be enjoyed, but also a treasure to be mined, that the servant of the Lord might better proclaim God's greatness.

For Paul, the "ardent devotion" of those who proclaim the gospel is but a mirror of the great work of God in Christ, who "came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and to those who were near." Disciples of Jesus follow their Lord's example, and the life of Jesus is one of proclamation, in word and action, of the reconciling love of God that breaks down hostile divisions and makes all things new.

To the apostles gathered with Jesus on the night he was betrayed, Jesus told them of the coming of the Holy Spirit, "the Advocate" who would testify to the truth, and he charged them also to testify because they had been with him "from the beginning." The apostles knew Jesus, and were to proclaim the gospel based on that intimate knowledge that comes from personal relationship.

Consider your own desires, gifts, knowledge, and experience. How might God be calling you to proclaim the love and mercy of Jesus Christ with ardent devotion?

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank you for the love and mercy you bring into our lives. Help us to know how to manifest that love and mercy in our own lives, that your gospel may be proclaimed to all we meet.
Amen.

Saint James of Jerusalem, Brother of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and Martyr

The Collect of the Day

Grant, O God, that, following the example of your servant James the Just, brother of our Lord, your Church may give itself continually to prayer and to the reconciliation of all who are at variance and enmity; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Psalm

1

The Readings

Acts 15:12-22a      +      I Corinthians 15:1-11      +      Matthew 13:54-58

For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures. 
~ I Cor. 15:3-4

Though two of the twelve apostles bore the name James, the saint commemorated today is yet a third James, and arguably the most prominent of the three. Referred to by Paul in his letter to the Galatians as "the Lord's brother" and a "pillar" of the church, he is seen also in the book of Acts as a respected and reconciling leader of the church at Jerusalem, and is perhaps the author of the New Testament letter that bears his name. Despite these credentials, and his own familial relationship to Jesus, he seems not to have been a disciple until after the resurrection. Though Paul attests in today's reading from I Corinthians that the risen Lord appeared to James, he makes no appearance in the gospels except to be mentioned as one of Jesus' siblings.

It is important to note that after this powerful experience of the risen Lord, James became a member of the community of disciples, the church. His experience did not lead him to disregard association with other "lesser" disciples (i.e. any who had not experienced such an appearance) as beneath him. One occasionally hears of someone who has had (or claims) a life-altering experience of divine revelation, to whom the everyday foibles and petty disagreements of church life then seem to them as a delusion with which they need no longer concern themselves. For James, the effect of his experience was just the opposite--he entered fully into the life and leadership of the infant church, with all its challenges (and one needs only to read Paul's letters to get a sense of how messy church life was then--some things don't change much over the centuries).

James knew, as Paul knew, as all disciples of Christ come to know, that everything we have is a gift from God. We do not have anything that we have not received. And though the gifts are ultimately from God, they almost always come from the hand of another. Christian faith is never a solitary endeavor. For us today, we need only to reflect a moment (or a lifetime) on our own journey of faith to recognize that we have come this far in the company of others. No one enters the church alone--we are borne along the way by parents, godparents, friends, pastors, siblings, daughters and sons, and saints of ages past. Others have listened, written, preached, prayed, wrestled, received and handed on to us the message of salvation, which we receive by the gift of faith that comes from God. And it is God's pleasure to continue always to give, and to call us, who have received, to in turn pass on to others this life in Christ.
  

Closing Prayer

Lord God, you are the giver of every good gift, and we thank you. Thank you also for the faithfulness of all your servants who have blessed us along the way; give us wisdom, courage, and grace, to hold faithfully the gifts entrusted to us, that we may pass on to others the life we have received. Amen.

Saint Luke the Evangelist

The Collect of the Day

Almighty God, who inspired your servant Luke the physician to set forth in the Gospel the love and healing power of your Son: Graciously continue in your Church this love and power to heal, to the praise and glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

The Psalm

147:1-7

The Readings

Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 38:1-4, 6-10, 12-14    +     II Timothy 4:5-13    +     Luke 4:14-21

Do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully.

~ II Tim. 4:5

Luke, the traditional author of the Gospel that bears his name and its sequel, the Acts of the Apostles, is supposed also to have been a physician by trade (according to an attribution by Paul in his closing remarks to the Colossians). The readings for this day seek to emphasize this two-fold nature of Luke's identity: "beloved physician" and evangelist (lit., "preacher of the good news"). 

It's not difficult to hold together these two vocations--one seeks to heal the body, the other to proclaim total healing, body and soul. The gospel is good news because it announces the healing and wholeness God intends for us. This is how Jesus, quoting Isaiah, announces the inauguration of his ministry in Luke's Gospel:

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind,

to let the oppressed go free,

to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.

This holistic vision is at the center of the good news of Jesus Christ. We often have a tendency to set the physical and the spiritual in opposition to each other, but the gospel allows for no neglect--to prioritize either "soul-winning" or "outreach ministry" to the detriment of the other misses the totality of the healing that God offers. Our definition of evangelism is often too narrow. Evangelism is nothing less than the proclamation of God's healing of the world in and through Christ.

Such all-encompassing good news needs all kinds of messengers. It is not only "professional" evangelists, or those in the healing or helping professions, who have the responsibility of proclaiming this gospel. Paul was a tent-maker. Peter was a fisherman. All the saints, by virtue of our baptism, are called to do the work of an evangelist and to carry out our ministries fully.

     

Closing Prayer

Jesus, thank you for the healing you bring to our world. Help us to see you at work around us and within us. Help us to engage in our work in such a way that it may be a vehicle for proclaiming in varied and wonderful ways the good news of your salvation. Amen.

Saint Michael and All Angels

The Collect of the Day
Everlasting God, you have ordained and constituted in a wonderful order the ministries of angels and mortals: Mercifully grant that, as your holy angels always serve and worship you in heaven, so by your appointment they may help and defend us here on earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
~BCP pg. 244

The Psalm
103:19-22

The Readings
Genesis 28:10-17      +      Revelation 12:7-12      +      John 1:47-51

And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it . . . Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the LORD is in this place--and I did not know it!"
~Gen. 28:12,16

Perhaps it is because the ubiquitous angels of Hallmark cards and popular imagination bear so little resemblance to the (also ubiquitous) angels of Scripture, but I suspect many of us in the church think rarely, at least with any seriousness, about angels. Yet angels abound in the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. They feature both frequently and prominently. They bookend the Gospels, as well, from the Annunciation to the empty tomb. And though the word "angel" literally means "messenger," we see them also in a variety of additional roles--manifesting God's presence to humans, interpreting visions to God's prophets, defending God's people, commanding God's armies, perpetually offering worship in God's presence. These are the roles for which they have been created, as the day's collect reminds us. Incidentally, the church has never taught that humans become angels--rather, both humans and angels are creatures, deriving their life and purpose from and in God.

Though the presence and ministries of angels are a given throughout the Bible, it may be that we simply find it challenging today to think of angels as they are depicted there--to think beyond the rather vague and sentimental ideas in popular culture. But as Christians we profess Sunday by Sunday our trust in God who is the creator "of all that is, seen and unseen." In the Eucharist we join our voices "with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven" in their unending hymn of praise to God (see Isaiah 6:1-3 and Revelation 4:6-11). To trust in the God we come to know in Scripture, in the Creed, and in the liturgy, is to trust that life has depths unseen; depths no less real for our inability to behold them with the naked eye. To trust in the God we come to know supremely in Jesus, the One who himself bridges heaven and earth, is to trust that we will come to see and know greater things than we have yet imagined. Surely, we could not number the times already past, when the Lord was in this place--and we did not know it!       

Closing Prayer
O Lord God of hosts, thank you for surrounding us in our journey with companions both seen and unseen. As you have appointed your angels to guard our bodies, grant us faith that our minds and spirits may also dwell secure. Amen.

An icon of St. Michael the Archangel, defender of the faithful. 

(In celebration of the day, I couldn't resist also sharing one of my favorite hymns: Christ, the Fair Glory of the Holy Angels.  It's hymn no. 282 in The Hymnal 1982. Sung here by the St. Thomas Choir of Men and Boys.)

Saint Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist

The Collect of the Day
We thank you, heavenly Father, for the witness of your apostle and evangelist Matthew to the Gospel of your Son our Savior; and we pray that, after his example, we may with ready wills and hearts obey the calling of our Lord to follow him; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
~BCP pg. 244

The Psalm
119:33-40

The Readings
Proverbs 3:1-6      +      II Timothy 3:14-17      +      Matthew 9:9-13

Go and learn what this means, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice." For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.
~Matt. 9:13

Jesus' response here to the Pharisees who question the disciples about their teacher's willingness to eat "with tax collectors and sinners" may seem pretty straightforward, but the more I read it the more layered it becomes. One way to read his response is with an ironic twist--that Jesus is not in fact affirming a divide of "the righteous" and "the sinners," but is undermining that kind of binary thinking. Of course, we can't read the tone of Jesus' voice here, but it's difficult not to hear some irony when he tells his critics that they, by implication, being already well "have no need of a physician"--in other words, they don't need him. Taken literally, that would make Jesus superfluous to all those who are "already righteous" in God's sight. It would make Jesus not a universal Savior, but an option for all the screw-ups who can't make it on their own steam. (In other words, you know, everyone.)

But before the irony becomes too think, I want to pull up and remind myself that, while no one is perfectly righteous, still we're not all on a level playing field, or at the same place on our journeys. There are gradations of righteousness and sinfulness, of spiritual health and spiritual sickness, across our varied lives. We all need help, but some need more help than others; some need it more clearly or more urgently than others. Maybe these are the ones Jesus calls because these are the ones who are not too proud to hear him. These are the ones who don't harbor illusions about having it all figured out, with well-planned lives proceeding right on course. They can't hide their soul's need behind an outward façade of put-togetherness; they know they need a physician, and so with ready heart and will they answer when Jesus calls them to follow. In truth, the pictures the Gospels paint of those who gather around Jesus show a pretty shabby bunch. But these are the ones who listen to him; these are the ones who flock to him. And for his disciples, to be with Jesus is to be with these "tax collectors and sinners." We may sometimes think we would prefer more polite company, but if we're eating with Jesus, these are the ones with whom he is pleased to break bread.

Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you for calling us to be your disciples. Thank you for welcoming us in love and fellowship. Help us to follow wherever you go, and to embrace all whom you embrace. Help us to live like you, and make our lives a sacrifice of mercy to God, whose mercies never cease. Amen.

            

Holy Cross Day

The Collect of the Day
Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ was lifted high upon the cross that he might draw the whole world to himself: Mercifully grant that we, who glory in the mystery of our redemption, may have grace to take up our cross and follow him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
~BCP pg. 244

The Psalm
98

The Readings
Isaiah 45:21-25      +      Philippians 2:5-11      +      John 12:31-36a

And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.
~John 12:32

Many are accustomed to thinking of the Christian faith in terms of exclusion, either implicitly or explicitly--who is in, who is out; who is right, who is wrong; who is going to heaven, who is going to hell. This is hardly surprising, given the often  popular depiction of Christians, and the actual behavior of many Christians who tend to speak certain parts of Scripture through a megaphone, implying that the whole of Scripture must be organized around a fundamental of exclusion. If that is how we are accustomed to thinking of Christian faith, then the readings for Holy Cross Day, taken one right on top of the other, can come as quite shocking.

The Psalmist proclaims that, not only has it been witnessed by all the world, but God's victory is a cause of rejoicing for all nations and even the earth itself. In Isaiah, the LORD calls all the ends of the earth: "Turn to me and be saved . . . To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear." The language is echoed in the letter to the Philippians. And in the Gospel, Jesus declares in no uncertain terms that he will draw all people to himself.

Did Jesus really mean all people?

What might it mean for us to take these readings to heart as truth? Imagine for a moment that these readings are a core, on which the whole of Scripture is organized around a fundamental of salvation. Resist the urge to say, "Well, of course that sounds great, but . . ." and instead simply sit and embrace for a while these scriptures. And let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.

Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you for embracing the cross for our redemption. Help us to follow in your way. And give us ears to hear the word of salvation that you speak, and a heart to believe it. Amen.

Saint Bartholomew the Apostle

The Collect of the Day
Almighty and everlasting God, who gave to your apostle Bartholomew grace truly to believe and to preach your Word: Grant that your Church may love what he believed and preach what he taught; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
~BCP pg. 243

The Psalm
91

The Readings
Deuteronomy 18:15-18     +     I Corinthians 4:9-15     +     Luke 22:24-30

The greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves . . . I am among you as one who serves.
~Luke 22:26,27b

The Bible doesn't tell us anything about Bartholomew, other than that he was one of the twelve apostles. It is fitting that the church remembers and honors Bartholomew and all the holy apostles--those chosen by Jesus to be his closest friends and followers, and to carry on the work of the kingdom he came to proclaim. The gospels are continually reminding us of their all-too-human failings, as in today's Gospel reading, which begins with the apostles arguing among themselves as to who among them was the greatest (and that on the very night of Jesus' betrayal and arrest). Yet these are the ones to whom Jesus gave the authority to preach and teach, to heal and judge--to confer on them a kingdom, so to speak. But it is a strange sort of kingdom, with a strange sort of authority.

They follow in the way of King Jesus, who set aside his glory and came among his own as one who serves. And he laid down his life in service until he gave the last full measure. The kingdom to which the apostles were called, and to which we are called, is a kingdom that upends what we think we know about leadership and greatness and authority. How could it be otherwise, when we serve a King who washes our feet?

Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you for showing us by your own example that to be great in the kingdom of God is to be one who serves; thank you for calling us into your kingdom, and welcoming us to eat and drink with you at your table. Amen.

Saint Mary the Virgin, Mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ

The Collect of the Day
O God, you have taken to yourself the blessed Virgin Mary, mother of your incarnate Son: Grant that we, who have been redeemed by his blood, may share with her the glory of your eternal kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
~BCP pg. 243

The Psalm 
34

The Readings
Isaiah 61:10-11     +     Galatians 4:4-7     +     Luke 1:46-55  

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman . . . so that we might receive adoption as children.
~Gal. 4:4-5

Mary the mother of Jesus has been revered with many titles, examples of devout Christians through the centuries fulfilling the word Mary speaks in her song: "All generations will call me blessed." One of the most important of these that the church affirmed quite early was the title Theotokos--"the God-bearer," or the similar designation "Mother of God." It's a profound title, not simply for what it tells us about Mary, but even more significantly, for what it tells us about her Son. To affirm that Mary is the Mother of God is to confess that Jesus is both truly human and truly God; truly "born of the Virgin Mary" and also "eternally begotten of the Father."

The mystery of the Incarnation is never exhausted, and can lead to some heady theology, indeed. But surely the loving regard in which Mary has been held by so many faithful through the ages, her universal appeal, is not unconnected to the universal experience of birth. It is at once the most ordinary and extraordinary fact of human existence: we are all born into this world. And, wonder of the ages, even God is born into this world. God the eternal Word is born in time, draws life from his mother's breast, sleeps on her shoulder, plays under her watchful eye. God the eternal Word becomes the child of Mary, so that we might become the children of God.

Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you for your love in coming and being born among us, that we might be reborn in you. Thank you for the great faithfulness of Mary in bearing you into our world, and give us grace that, like her, our whole being may exult in you, our Savior. Amen.