The Conversion of Saint Paul the Apostle

The Collect
O God, by the preaching of your apostle Paul you have caused the light of the Gospel to shine throughout the world: Grant, we pray, that we, having his wonderful conversion in remembrance, may show ourselves thankful to you by following his holy teaching; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Psalm
67

The Readings
Acts 26:9-21     +     Galatians 1:11-24     +     Matthew 10:16-22

(A)nd I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea that are in Christ; they only heard it said, "The one who formerly was persecuting us is now proclaiming the faith he once tried to destroy." And they glorified God because of me.
~Gal. 2:22-24

Paul's story is one of the best known and most dramatic conversion stories in history. We may understandably be wary of dramatic conversions--too often, the "conversion" doesn't last, or proves to have been a deception. But real conversion happens. Jesus has been turning lives around for 2,000 years. And often, the turning is indeed nothing less than dramatic.

For Paul, the one-time zealous persecutor of the followers of Jesus, conversion meant a new zeal: to devote everything he was and everything he had to proclaiming the gospel. Paul was called to go to the diverse peoples of the world and preach the message, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God (Acts 26:18a). As the New Testament relates, Paul himself was often violently persecuted for the very faith he had once sought to destroy. But Paul had experienced the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ, and nothing would sway him from it.

The great 4th-century bishop and preacher, John Chrysostom, in one of his sermons, wrote:

"There was one thing, and one thing only, that (Paul) feared and shunned, and that was to give offense to God. Just as there was one thing he longed for, to please God. He was rich with the love of Christ, which was the greatest of all things to him. While he had this, he reckoned himself the most blessed of men. Without it, he had no wish to be numbered among princes and rulers and powers . . . to find this love was his joy. This to him was life, it was the whole world, his angel, things present, things to come, the kingdom and the promise. This was the sum of all blessings."

Closing Prayer
O God, give us such an experience of knowing and loving Jesus, that we may count all as loss in comparison. Open our eyes to see the light and life that is Christ, and to follow fearlessly where he leads. Amen.

The Confession of Saint Peter the Apostle

The Collect

Almighty Father, who inspired Simon Peter, first among the apostles, to confess Jesus as Messiah and Son of the living God: Keep your Church steadfast upon the rock of this faith, so that in unity and peace we may proclaim the one truth and follow the one Lord, our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Psalm

23

The Readings

Acts 4:8-13     +     I Peter 5:1-4     +     Matthew 16:13-19

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized them as companions of Jesus.

~Acts 4:13

Since early in the 20th century, the eight days between the feasts of the Confession of St. Peter (Jan. 18) and the Conversion of St. Paul (Jan. 25) have been observed as the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Despite Jesus' prayer "that they may be one" as he and the Father are one, "so that the world may believe" (John 17:20-23), we Christians have been finding ways to divide ourselves from one another right from the start. Though the last century saw many encouraging and remarkable gains in ecumenical relationships, in many ways the obstacles to unity among Christians of different denominations seem as great as ever. From disagreements over substantive issues to petty but stubborn squabbles, I find it easy to get discouraged. But I also try not to let that discouragement result in me simply throwing up my hands or convincing myself that unity just isn't important. So long as Christians fight one another in bitterness, we ourselves present an obstacle to the spread of the gospel. A divided church will always be a scandal to the world--a fact of which we Christians in America might particularly need to be reminded, with our near constant multiplication of churches by division, in a culture permeated with individualism.    

Working for unity among the churches is hard. To seek understanding and agreement without abandoning core convictions is a difficult task that demands patience and dedication. It will certainly not happen without prayer. So pray for the unity of the whole church of God, whatever that unity may look like. Probably many of us need to begin by praying simply for the desire for unity. And with such prayer, seek to stay always close to Jesus. If there is hope for unity among Christians, it lies first and foremost in our proximity to the one Lord we all confess. If our great desire is to draw near to Christ, than we will find ourselves in the company of others who share that desire, and "recognize them as companions of Jesus." And that is more than a good beginning.   

Closing Prayer

Almighty Father, whose blessed Son before his passion prayed for his disciples that they might be one, as you and he are one: Grant that your Church, being bound together in love and obedience to you, may be united in one body by the one Spirit, that the world may believe in him whom you have sent, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

~from the Book of Common Prayer, p. 255

The Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ

The Collect
O God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

The Psalm
72

The Readings
Isaiah 60:1-6, 9     +     Ephesians 3:1-12     +     Matthew 2:1-12

When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage.
~Matthew 2:10-11a

A reflection from the Rev. Christine McSpadden:

"We can look to the magi for cues as seekers in our own generation. We, too, look for the living Christ, needing in some measure to see and experience in order to bear witness. We journey with companions, trying to discern a path with the guideposts we are given in word and sacrament. We come, too, bearing the various gifts to lay at Jesus' feet--the gifts of our lives, our passions and loves, the fruits of our labors and pursuits. Then we too are sent out to share the good news to which we have witnessed: that nothing separates us from the love of God who is with us even to the end of the age."
~from Soul Proclamations: Singing the Magnificat with Mary


Closing Prayer
Almighty God, who made known the Incarnation of thy Word by a star of stunning brilliance, which the wise men followed until they came to worship and offer their treasures before the infant Lord resting in his mother's arms; grant that the star of thy righteousness may always appear in our hearts to lead us and to inspire us to offer the treasure of our praise and the worship of lives that reflect thy goodness; through him whose birth among us is our hope. Amen.
~from Saint Augustine's Prayer Book, p. 219

The Feast of the Holy Name

The Collect
Eternal Father, you gave to your incarnate Son the holy name of Jesus to be the sign of our salvation: Plant in every heart, we pray, the love of him who is the Savior of the world, our Lord Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

The Psalm

8

The Readings
Numbers 6:22-27     +     Galatians 4:4-7     +     Luke 2:15-21

And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
~Luke 2:21

Most calendars will note January 1st as New Year’s Day, but in the church’s calendar it is the Feast of the Holy Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, falling eight days after our celebration of Jesus’ birth on Christmas Day.

The name Jesus means, literally, “the LORD is salvation.” As Matthew’s Gospel records the angel’s message to Joseph, “She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). Thus, we begin each year with a reminder that, in Christ, God has become our salvation, a saving grace that we proclaim every time we confess that most holy Name—Jesus.

Closing Prayer
O God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, whose years never fail and whose mercies are new each returning day: let the radiance of your Spirit renew our lives, warming our hearts and giving light to our minds, that we may pass the coming year in joyful obedience and firm faith; through him who is the beginning and the end, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
~from Saint Augustine's Prayer Book, p. 219