The Holy Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ

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

But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
~Luke 2:19-21


I'm not sad to see 2020 go. I'm ready for a new year. And yet, of course, we don't know what this year holds. We all have hopes that it will be better than the last; and I pray it will be so. But regardless of what 2021 has in store, the church begins this calendar year the same as always, with this feast of the Holy Name.

Eight days after the Nativity of our Lord, the church marks January 1 as the day on which he is publicly named. That name, Jesus, means, "the LORD is salvation." And that is true today, as it was yesterday, and will be forever. In the good times and the bad, we find here our saving help. Be blessed in this Name, today and in the year to come.

The LORD bless you and keep you;
the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you;
the LORD lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.
Amen.


Closing Prayer 

O Lord, whose years are without end and who dwells in the light of an unending day: as we begin this year in your Name, grant us wisdom to use our time wisely, that your love may be the beginning and ending of all our hopes, our work, our joy, and our desires. Amen.

The monogram IHS has been in use since at least the third century.
It represents the holy Name of Jesus, being the first three letters of  the name in Greek: IHΣΟΥΣ 

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ: Christmas Day

The Collect 

Almighty God, you have given your only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and to be born this day of a pure virgin: Grant that we, who have been born again and made your children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit; through our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with you and the same Spirit be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

The Psalm

96

The Readings

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

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all . . .

~ Titus 2:11

To all the beloved members of the body of Christ who call Church of the Holy Apostles home, to family and friends, and to all who today celebrate our Savior’s birth—God bless you, and merry Christmas! 

When I was in seminary one of my professors once remarked on preaching at Christmas:
Don’t stress out too much about what to say at Christmas. Yes, it is one of the church’s two great feasts—it’s one of the big shows—but most people don’t come to church on Christmas hoping that the preacher will explain to them, ‘What is this Christmas thing?’ By which he meant, people know what Christmas is—or at least, we all know what Christmas is to us. And for better or worse, it’s probably largely sentimental. That’s not bad in itself—it’s just what it is.

Christmas means the big family gathering at the cabin, where we’re always reasonably sure what to expect from everyone, even if it’s absolute chaos. Christmas means the big party we throw every year, with the beautifully decorated home and the spread of specialty foods brought by all our friends, these delights that we look forward to all year. Christmas means singing Silent Night by candlelight in a packed church nave. Whatever it is, Christmas means traditions—it’s predictable, unshakable even. So, don’t try to explain to people what Christmas means—that’s not why they’ve come.

My professor said it all rather tongue in cheek, I think—but I still didn’t really agree with it then. And I certainly don’t agree with it in 2020. What is Christmas in a year when so much of what we always took for granted has been taken from us? What can we say, when “what really makes it Christmas for me” gets cancelled? If there are any silver linings to our predicament (and there usually are, for those willing to look) one is the opportunity, the necessity even, of facing a question we might in normal times deflect: What, after all, is Christmas—really?

We hear proclaimed today in Luke’s Gospel what most of us would call “the Christmas story.” Indeed, in a time when the stories and language of the Bible are less and less known in the general public, it is still true today that many people are at least familiar with this bit of Luke’s Gospel, and could probably even recall some of its details and phrases.

“What a wonderful beginning to the greatest story ever told”—that’s a line from a song that probably expresses how most of us feel about this story, at least in part because of the happy associations we have with this season. But separated from those associations, it’s hardly a warm and cozy and comfortable beginning. Still it is a wonderful beginning—literally, it is full of wonder. That this is how God should choose to enter our world as Savior and Lord!

O great mystery, and wonderful sacrament,
that animals should see the newborn Lord, lying in a manger!

This Gospel story begins with an imperial decree by a mere man who is a pretender to Godhood, a man grasping at divinity—the Emperor Augustus—it moves quickly to the birth of the true God and Lord, who grasps at nothing, but empties himself to come among us as one of us, in the humblest circumstances.

What is Christmas, after all—really? It is the good news of great joy that the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all. And that grace has appeared not as an idea or a system or a decree—it has appeared as one of us. And the Word became flesh and lived among us--that is the astonishing fact of Christmas and what it means.

And choosing to live among us as one of us, he began his sojourn in the way common to us all: 
as an utterly dependent baby, unable to walk, unable to talk—“the Word unable to speak a word.”
What Christmas means to me may be predictable year after year (in most years), but what Christmas is really, and what it calls us annually to reflect on, is the entrance of God into our world in the most unpredictable manner imaginable.

Holding together the theological poles of Christmas and Easter, Rowan Williams writes: “It ought to shock us to be told year after year that the universe lives by the kind of love that we see in the helpless child and in the dying man on the cross.” 

This has been a difficult year. A year in which, more often than usual, we have continually been confronted with the idea and the reality of our vulnerability, exposure, risk, weakness, mortality. Perhaps we would wish for a God who does not choose to manifest his power in what seems to be weakness—but this is how the Lord has come. My power is perfected in weakness.

Those frightened shepherds, faced with the great and terrible army of angels blazing in the night with the glory of God, announcing to them the arrival of the Savior, the Messiah, the Lord—I wonder what they must have thought when the angel then told them: And here’s how you will know him—he is an infant, just hours old, wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in an animals’ feed trough.

Vulnerable. Dependent. Humble. Among us. Choosing to be among us like this, he closes off forever the idea that we need not be concerned with the vulnerable and dependent—a population that ultimately includes all of us. Choosing to be among us like this, he opens up for us the dignity of what it means to be human, to be a creature whose life is capable of carrying the life of God. Choosing to be among us like this, to be what we are, he calls us to be what he is—and to see in the face of every child, every woman, every man, and you yourself, the dignity of God’s own beloved image.

So rejoice today, and give thanks to God. Because this is what Christmas is, really—Christmas is the celebration that God, the Lord of hosts, our Savior, reveals the fullness of his love for us by choosing to be with us. The way of our healing and salvation begins with a God who embraces us fully, not just empathetically or from a distance, but really, truly, and forever, among us. 

Merry Christmas. Amen.

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 we may grow into his; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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

For you need endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. For yet 

     "in a very little while, the one who is coming will come and will not delay; 

     but my righteous one will live by faith."

~ Hebrews 10:37-38a

Poor St. Thomas. He is so frequently, and quite unfairly, remembered for his doubt. And on top of that, his feast day is a mere four days before Christmas--come on, who can be expected to remember and make space for one more thing at this time of year?

And yet, as is often the case, there is a logic to the church's calendar. There is a distinctive Advent quality to the readings for St. Thomas. And on this winter solstice, when we hunker down for the longest night of the year, we prepare to turn toward the dawning light of Christ. As the blog 'Laudable Practice' reflects:

In the very darkest day of the year, the traditional calendar celebrates the Apostle who in the darkness of the upper room beheld the glorious Light which had filled and transfigured the darkness of the Tomb. In the words of Keble:

Thus, ever brighter and more bright,
On those He came to save
The Lord of new-created light
Dawned gradual from the grave - 'St Thomas' Day', The Christian Year.

By celebrating St Thomas in the dark days of December, the Church witnesses to the created order caught up in the Lord's Resurrection, and thus being sign of Life and Light. For from old St Thomas's Day, the days come "every brighter and more bright".

Then there is the proximity of Christmas Day. We will hear in the Christmas Gospel, "And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not". St Thomas's Day prepares us to gaze upon Light Incarnate, with the Apostle to confess "My Lord and my God" of the Infant in the Manger, no less than the Risen One.

Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, as we ready ourselves for this holy Christmastide, give us the gift of faith, that we may be among the blessed ones who have not seen and yet believe; for your love's sake. Amen.

Christ's Appearance to St. Thomas,
from the St. Alban's Psalter (12th century illuminated English manuscript)

Saint Andrew, 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 believe and live 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

Commemoration of All Faithful Departed

 The Collect 

O God, the Maker and Redeemer of all believers: Grant to the faithful departed the unsearchable benefits of the passion of your Son; that on the day of his appearing they may be manifested as your children; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Psalm
130

The Readings
Wisdom 3:1-9     +     I Corinthians 15:50-58     +     John 5:24-27

When this perishable body puts on immortality, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled:
     "Death has been swallowed up in victory."
~I Corinthians 15:54

From Lesser Feasts and Fasts:

Beginning in the tenth century, it became customary to set aside another day--as a sort of extension of All Saints--on which the Church remembered that vast body of the faithful who, though no less members of the company of the redeemed, are unknown in the wider fellowship of the Church. It was also a day for particular remembrance of family members and friends.

Though the observance of the day was abolished at the Reformation because of abuses connected with Masses offered for the dead, a renewed understanding of its meaning has led to widespread acceptance of this commemoration among Anglicans, and to its inclusion as an optional observance in the calendar of the Episcopal Church. 

An illuminated manuscript of the Office of the Dead, 
from the Book of Hours of Catherine of Cleves, 15th century

Closing Prayer
Remember thy servants, O Lord, according to the favor which thou bearest unto thy people; and grant that, increasing in knowledge and love of thee, they may go from strength to strength in the life of perfect service in thy heavenly kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
~ BCP, p. 488

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, 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     +     1 Corinthians 15:1-11      +      Matthew 13:54-58

All the apostles and elders kept silence, and listened to Barnabas and Paul as they told of all the signs and wonders that God had done through them among the Gentiles. After they finished speaking, James replied, “My brothers, listen to me..."
~Acts 15:12-13

The James we remember today, called 'the Just' and 'the brother of the Lord,' is believed to have been one of the brothers of Jesus mentioned in the Gospels. He apparently became a believer after the resurrection, and was thereafter one of the leaders in the church's first days. As the first bishop ('overseer') of the church in Jerusalem, he presided over a council, as recorded in Acts, that addressed the pressing issue of the day: how should the church approach and incorporate Gentiles into the community? It was a potentially explosive question that threatened to divide the church, and it is to James' credit that his wisdom helped chart a way forward that was both faithful and inclusive in its reconciliation. James listened to both sides--and he listened to the Holy Spirit.

  

We live in a time in which keeping silence and really listening seem to be in short supply. Everywhere there is noise, arguing, interrupting. We do not listen to what another is saying, or give them the benefit of the doubt, but instead internally formulate our rebuttal while our "opponent" is speaking. The breakdown of substantive political discourse in favor of shouting down and speaking over others is a symptom of a troubling lack in our society and in our souls that is not limited to election time.

Today, be intentional in going against the grain of this trend. No one of us can change society overnight. But we can pray for grace to grow within us; we can cultivate silence in our souls that will allow us to better hear God and one another; we can honor the dignity of our sisters and brothers by really listening to them, and honor ourselves by expecting the same respect from others. It is in such listening and speaking that the wonders of God may be made manifest--the reconciliation to which God calls us.

Closing Prayer
O God, thank you for giving us examples, like James, of leaders whose strength is in their wise and compassionate understanding. Help us to make space in our lives for your holy wisdom, that we may make space for others; this we pray in the Name of the one who is our peace, Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

An icon of 'Holy Apostles James, Brother of the Lord' 
presiding as bishop in the eucharistic liturgy

Saint Luke the Evangelist

(transferred from October 18)

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


The Readings
Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 38:1-4, 6-10, 12-14    +    2 Timothy 4:5-13    +    Luke 4:14-21

Do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully.
~ 2 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 collect and readings for this day 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--the one seeks to heal the body, which is a part of the other, a proclamation of total healing. 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 may 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 one 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 is sorely needed today in our bifurcated and suffering world. And it demands all kinds of messengers. It is not only "professional" evangelists, or clergy, who are called to proclaim the gospel. It is not only doctors and nurses who are called to a ministry of healing. 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 Prayers
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.

And in this time of pandemic, here is a prayer For Doctors and Nurses, page 460 of the BCP:

Sanctify, O Lord, those whom you have called to the study and practice of the arts of healing, and to the prevention of disease and pain. Strengthen them by your life-giving Spirit, that by their ministries the health of the community may be promoted and your creation glorified; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

An icon of St. Luke, depicting him writing his Gospel,
with some implements of his trade as physician on a nearby table.

The Litany of Saints

This litany of saints, based on the traditional litany, comes from Saint Augustine's Prayer Book, a book of prayer and practice intended as a companion and supplement to the Book of Common Prayer. A revised version of the traditional book was recently published by Forward Movement, a publishing ministry of the Episcopal Church. This litany, whether prayed publicly or privately, places the mystery of faith within the "great cloud of witnesses" into whose fellowship we are welcomed, and with whom we proclaim the Resurrection. If desired, the response might be adapted to "pray with us," indicating the mutual prayer uniting Christ's whole church.

The Litany of Saints, adapted with Anglican worthies

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Christ, have mercy upon us.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

O God the Father, creator of heaven and earth,

    have mercy upon us.

O God the Son, redeemer of the world,

    have mercy upon us.

O God the Holy Spirit, sanctifier of the faithful,

    have mercy upon us.

O Holy Trinity, one God,

    have mercy upon us.

Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us.

Holy Michael the Archangel, pray for us.

All holy angels and archangels, pray for us.

All holy orders of blessed spirits, pray for us.

Holy Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, pray for us.

Holy Miriam, Moses, and Aaron, pray for us.

Holy Ruth and Naomi, pray for us.

Holy David, Samuel, and Elijah, pray for us.

Holy Zachariah and Elizabeth, pray for us.

Holy Joachim and Anne, pray for us.

Holy John the Baptist, pray for us.

Holy Joseph, pray for us.

All holy patriarchs and prophets, pray for us.

Holy Peter and Paul, pray for us.

Holy Andrew, James, and John, pray for us.

Holy Matthew, Mark, and Luke, pray for us.

Holy Mary Magdalene, pray for us.

All apostles, disciples, and evangelists, pray for us.

Holy Stephen, pray for us.

Holy Ignatius of Antioch, pray for us.

Holy Polycarp, pray for us.

Holy Alban, pray for us.

Holy Perpetua and Felicity, pray for us.

Holy Thomas Cranmer and William Laud, pray for us.

Holy Constance and Companions, pray for us.

Holy Jonathan Daniels and Martin Luther King, Jr., pray for us.

All ye holy martyrs of our God, pray for us.

Holy Gregory and Chrysostom, pray for us.

Holy Augustine, pray for us.

Holy Basil, pray for us.

Holy Martin, pray for us.

Holy Columba, Aidan, and Patrick, pray for us.

All ye holy bishops, confessors, and doctors, pray for us.

Holy Anthony, pray for us.

Holy Benedict, pray for us.

Holy Aelred and Hilda, pray for us.

Holy Augustine and Theodore, pray for us.

Holy Anselm and Thomas a' Becket, pray for us.

Holy Francis, Clare, and Dominic, pray for us.

Holy Julian of Norwich, pray for us.

Holy Richard Hooker and Lancelot Andrewes, pray for us.

Holy Nicholas Ferrar and George Herbert, pray for us.

Holy John Keble and Edward Pusey, pray for us.

Holy Fredrick Maurice and Charles Gore, pray for us.

Holy James Huntington and Richard Benson, pray for us.

Other saints may be added as well

All holy priests and deacons, pray for us.

All holy monks and hermits, pray for us.

All holy men and women, saints of God, pray for us.

From all evil and from all sin,

    Good Lord, deliver us.

From the crafts and assaults of the devil,

    Good Lord, deliver us.

From everlasting damnation,

    Good Lord, deliver us.

By your holy incarnation,

    Good Lord, deliver us.

By your holy nativity,

    Good Lord, deliver us.

By your baptism, fasting, and temptation,

    Good Lord, deliver us.

By your cross and passion,

    Good Lord, deliver us.

By your death and burial,

    Good Lord, deliver us.

By your glorious resurrection and wondrous ascension,

    Good Lord, deliver us.

By the outpouring of your Holy Spirit, 

    Good Lord, deliver us.

By your coming again in glory,

    Good Lord, deliver us.

That there may be peace among all nations and an end to poverty, famine, and disaster,

    we pray to you, O Lord.

That all peoples may come to know you in the fulness of your grace,

    we pray to you, O Lord.

That the Church throughout the world may be renewed and strengthened 

    for your service,

    we pray to you, O Lord.

For all those commended to our prayers, and those in any need or trouble, 

    that they may be relieved and protected,

    we pray to you, O Lord.

The litany may conclude here, with this or some other collect

O God, the King of saints, we praise and glorify your holy Name for all your servants who have finished their course in your faith and fear: for the blessed Virgin Mary; for the holy patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and martyrs; and for all your other righteous servants, known to us and unknown; and we pray that, encouraged by their examples, aided by their prayers, and strengthened by their fellowship, we also may be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; through the merits of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

                    - The Book of Common Prayer, p. 504

Saint Michael and All Angels

The Collect

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.


The Psalm
103

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

Angels feature frequently and prominently in the Bible. We find them from Genesis to Revelation. They bookend the Gospels, also, from the Annunciation to the empty tomb. And though the word "angel" literally means "messenger," we see them in a variety of 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. Contrary to popular thought, the church has never taught (and the scriptures never imply) 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, we may find it challenging today to think of angels as they are depicted there. But as Christians we profess our trust in the 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 revealed in Scripture, in the Creed, and in the liturgy, is to trust that life has depths of reality that we do not always see. This seems to me an important truth to remember in these days when so many of us feel isolated and alone. Because the truth is, we are never alone. To trust in the God we come to know supremely in Jesus--the One who himself bridges heaven and earth in today's Gospel!--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 Christ our God, the wisdom, the power, and the glory of the Father, who dwelt among us as the Word made flesh and, having overcome the prince of darkness, returned to the eternal joys of heaven: Grant us, even now in the midst of this dark world, the full outpouring of thy splendor, and appoint thy holy angels to be our defenders, to guard our going out and our coming in, until by thy mercy we stand in the eternal light, where thou dost live and reign, world without end. Amen.

Saint Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist

The Collect

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.

The Psalm
119:33-40

The Readings
Proverbs 3:1-6     +     2 Timothy 3:14-17     +     Matthew 9:9-13

As for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
~2 Timothy 3:14-15

Of the four canonical Gospels, Matthew's is in many ways "the most Jewish." More than the others, his Gospel continually quotes the Old Testament scriptures, as being fulfilled in Jesus, who is the long-awaited Messiah. And in structure, Matthew's Gospel presents Jesus as a new Moses, which may itself be seen as fulfillment of the prophecy that God would raise up a "prophet like Moses" (Deuteronomy 18:15).

This devotion to the Law and the Prophets, to "the sacred writings," is reflected in the readings appointed for this feast of St. Matthew. And yet, somewhat ironically, the traditional author of this Gospel was hardly a pious scholar (at least not initially). As one of the twelve disciples, Matthew (or Levi) was called to leave a profession as tax-gatherer to follow Jesus. As Lesser Feasts and Fasts puts it:

"Tax collectors were viewed as collaborators with the Roman State, extortioners who took money from their own people to further the cause of Rome and to line their own pockets. They were spurned as traitors and outcasts. The Jews so abhorred them that pious Pharisees refused to marry into a family that had a publican as a member. Clearly, Matthew was hardly they type of man that a devout Jew would have had among his closest associates."

And yet this was the man chosen by the devout Jew Jesus to be one of the twelve disciples. This was the man whose name is connected with the Gospel that seeks to plumb the depths of the scriptures, and finds in them a witness to the life and work of Jesus Christ.

Consider your own life in comparison to Matthew's. 

Where do you see yourself in relation to "the religious institution"? 

Are you, or have you ever been, "an outcast"? 

What bearing, if any, does that have on your relationship to Jesus? 

What is your past and present relationship with scripture, and how does it impact the way you hear and understand the story of Jesus? 

What is the call of Jesus to you today?

Closing Prayer
Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified: receive our supplications and prayers, which we offer before you for all members of your holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
~an Ember Day collect, 'For all Christians in their vocation' (BCP, p. 256)

Holy Cross Day

The Collect
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.

The Psalm

98

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

Sing to the Lord a new song, *
for he has done marvelous things.
With his right hand and his holy arm *
has he won for himself the victory.

He remembers his mercy and faithfulness to the house of Israel,*

and all the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
~ Psalm 98:1-2,4

The universality of God's victory over death is the theme of this feast. 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 to 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: "And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." 

This universal victory is also reflected in the traditional customs and hymns of the feast, which assert that the wood of this shameful instrument of death has become for all the world the place of life, a tree bearing fruit to eternity:

Blest tree, whose chosen branches bore

the wealth that did the world restore,
the price which none but he could pay

to spoil the spoiler of his prey.

(Hymn 162 - The royal banners forward go)

There is an association here of the cross of Christ with the tree of life, which we read about not only in the opening chapters of Genesis, but also in the closing chapters of Revelation, where on the banks of the river of life that flows from the throne of God the fruit-bearing tree grows--and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations (Rev. 22:1-2).

Today we are reminded that the cross is not merely a symbol, not just a focus for meditation, or an unlikely example of hope. The cross is the very place of God’s love revealed for us--and all the depths of our sin and sorrow and brokenness are not greater than that love. At the place where we least expect it, even where we see the horror of death displayed--at that very place the evil and brokenness of the world is judged and driven out by the victory of God.

"The New Creation, Opened by the Cross" by Aidan O'Flynn and Jana Laxa; 
inspired by Paul Gauckler's "Sketch of the Floor Mosaic of the Byzantine-Era Baptistery at Oued Ramel, Tunisia"

Closing Prayer

We thank you, heavenly Father, that you have delivered us from the dominion of sin and death and brought us into the kingdom of your Son; and we pray that, as by his death he has recalled us to life, so by his love he may raise us to eternal joys; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. 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
91:1-4

The Readings
Deuteronomy 18:15-18     +     1 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. Yet 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 is the greatest--on the very night of Jesus' betrayal and arrest, no less! 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.

The disciples confess and follow in the way of the only true 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.

Coptic (Egyptian Christian) icon of St. Bartholomew

Saint Mary the Virgin, Mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ

The Collect
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
34:1-9

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

The loving regard in which Mary has been held by so many Christian faithful through the ages, and her universal appeal, is surely not unconnected to the universal experience of birth. It is simultaneously the most ordinary and extraordinary fact of human existence: we are all born into this world. And, O magnum mysterium, even God is born into this world. God the eternal Word, the Creator of everything that has come into being, is born in time and becomes the child of Mary, so that we might become the children of God.

Hymn number 258 in our hymnal expresses this wonder beautifully. At first glance, it may seem to be a paean to Mary (and to an extent it is, rightfully--all generations shall call me blessed). But it is of course actually a hymn addressed to her Son. And this is what Mary does: she invites us to join her in adoration of Jesus our Savior, and to magnify the Lord. 

Virgin-born, we bow before thee: blessed was the womb that bore thee;

Mary, mother meek and mild, blessed was she in her Child.

Blessed was the breast that fed thee; blessed was the hand that led thee;

blessed was the parent's eye that watched thy slumbering infancy.

Blessed she by all creation, who brought forth the world's salvation,

and blessed they, forever blest, who love thee most and serve thee best.

Virgin-born, we bow before thee; blessed was the womb that bore thee;

Mary, mother meek and mild, blessed was she in her child.

The choir of Wakefield Cathedral sings the text by Reginald Heber, 

to the tune Psalm 86 by Claude Goudimel

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.

The Transfiguration

The Collect
O God, who on the holy mount revealed to chosen witnesses your well-beloved Son, wonderfully transfigured, in raiment white and glistening: Mercifully grant that we, being delivered from the disquietude of this world, may by faith behold the King in his beauty; who with you, O Father, and you, O Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Psalm
99

The Readings
Exodus 34:29-35     +     II Peter 1:13-21     +     Luke 9:28-36

Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

~Luke 9:28-30

In his wonderful little book, The Dwelling of the Light: Praying with Icons of Christ, former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams writes:

So as we look at this icon (of the Transfiguration) and let it shape our prayers and reflections, we can think first of that infinite 'hinterland' that is the background, the inner dimension, of Jesus' human life. It doesn't stop being human in any sense; but it is a humanity which in every moment 'performs' God's own life. When we see that, we see that every act and suffering of Jesus is part of the act of God, embraced feely in God's journey towards us out of his depths. We can also think of how the shape of our own lives is finally going to be in God's hands, not ours: like Moses and Elijah, we don't know yet (in St John's words) what we shall be. Our time, our stories about ourselves, our histories are the best we can do from where we stand and look; but God's perspective can do strange things with history, and we are not the best judges of the meanings of our lives, what really matters to God, what shows God to the world. But we are given a glimpse of what God can do in this rare moment of direct vision, when the 'door of perception' is opened by and in Jesus, and the end of the world is fleetingly there before us. And finally, we can let ourselves contemplate the fact that the divine freedom shown us in this vision tells us both that there is no escape from the world in which we have been put as creatures and that there is nowhere from which God can be finally exiled. This is the great challenge to faith: knowing that Christ is in the heart of darkness, we are called to go there with him. In John 11, Thomas says to the other disciples, 'Let us go and die with him'; and ahead indeed lies death--the dead Lazarus decaying in the tomb, the death of Jesus in abandonment, your death and mine and the deaths of countless human beings in varying kinds of dark night. But if we have seen his glory on the mountain, we know at least, whatever our terrors, that death cannot decide the boundaries of God's life. With him the door is always open, and no one can shut it.

 

Closing Prayer

Help us, Lord Jesus, in the midst of uncertainty and disquietude, to see you, and to walk confidently in the light of that vision. Amen

 

 

Saint James the Apostle

The Collect
O Gracious God, we remember before you today your servant and apostle James, first among the Twelve to suffer martyrdom for the Name of Jesus Christ; and we pray that you will pour out upon the leaders of your Church that spirit of self-denying service by which alone they may have true authority among your people; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
~the BCP, p. 242


The Psalm
7:1-10


The Readings
Jeremiah 45:1-5     +     Acts 11:27-12:3     +     Matthew 20:20-28

About that time King Herod laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the church. He had James, the brother of John, killed with the sword.

~Acts 12:1-2

In the New Testament, there are several prominent disciples named James. The disciple commemorated today was one of the Twelve, the brother of John (the sons of Zebedee), and part of the 'inner circle' (Peter, James, and John) that we see with Jesus at certain key moments--the raising of Jairus' daughter from the dead, the Transfiguration, and the agony in the garden. James was also the first among the Twelve to die as a martyr for his faith in Jesus.

As is the case with many saints, there are legends and traditions that grew up around James in the centuries following his death. In James' case, some of these traditions, in my view, border on the incredible. For example, it seems unlikely that James ever traveled to Spain or had his body interred there, despite this being an ancient tradition that eventually resulted in one of the most popular and beloved pilgrimages in the Christian world--the Camino de Santiago. But there is another legend of St. James that I find not simply dubious, but disturbing and ironically instructive. This is the legend of Santiago Matamoros (St. James the Moor-slayer): the story that James appeared miraculously during a medieval battle and led the Christian army to victory over their Muslim foes. The legend, though clearly apocryphal, continued to provide a controversial but influential cultural symbol for many Spanish Christians for centuries, even being brought across the Atlantic--there are paintings of James as a conquistador  assisting in the conquest of the Americas. That the first martyr among the Twelve disciples--the first of that group to follow his Lord in such suffering, being willing even to offer his life in sacrificial witness--should be conscripted centuries later into a violent cause of subjugation and conquest over others, should give us pause.

Such violent appropriation of the saints, and of Jesus himself, as cultural warriors employed to advance a cause--often one in clear contradiction to the gospel--is not limited to medieval Spain. The twisting of the faith to serve harmful ends is ever with us, even today, an abuse justifying abuse. But it is not the authentic faith of those who follow Jesus. If we turn consistently to the New Testament, and prayerfully seek to allow it to shape our understanding of what authentic Christian faith looks like, we will see again and again that it is marked by "that spirit of self-denying service" which is true authority for those who follow the Son of Man who came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.


Closing Prayer
Almighty God, who gave to your servant James boldness to confess the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ before the rulers of this world, and courage to die for this faith: Grant that we may always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in us, and to suffer gladly for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
~a collect, Of a Martyr, from the BCP, p. 246

Banner with the symbol of James the Greater, from the narthex of Holy Apostles; 

the shells represent the tradition of James traveling 'to distant shores' to preach the gospel

Saint Mary Magdalene

The Collect
Almighty God, whose blessed Son restored Mary Magdalene to health of body and of mind, and called her to be a witness of his resurrection: Mercifully grant that by your grace we may be healed from all our infirmities and know you in the power of his unending life; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Psalm
42:1-7

The Readings
Judith 9:1,11-14     +     2 Corinthians 5:14-18     +     John 20:11-18

From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.

~2 Cor. 5:16-18

There is a lot of 'information' about Mary Magdalene out there (enough even for there to be a Complete Idiot's Guide book devoted solely to her!), but most of it--both in church history and in popular and esoteric culture--is based on speculation, traditions, imagination, or fabrication. What the Gospels tell us is this: Mary was a woman from whom Jesus cast out seven demons; she then became a devoted follower and supporter of Jesus' ministry; and she was among the women who followed him all the way to the foot of the cross, and afterward went to anoint his body. It was in lovingly carrying out this last act that she became the first witness to the resurrection, and was sent to proclaim the news to the other disciples.

Mary Magdalene, then, is an exemplar of the new creation of which Paul writes. Her life was transformed by a healing encounter with Jesus Christ, and would never be the same. She surely felt that transformation--the old passing away and everything becoming new--at her healing. But no doubt she also felt that everything she knew was crumbling away at Jesus' death. Yet that second and painful time of transition yielded an even greater and more joyful transformation--the breaking in of the true new creation, the resurrection life of Jesus Christ, in which we participate.

Our world now is certainly a place of painful uncertainty and confusion; and it may be that many things to which we were accustomed are indeed passing away. But as Paul also says, we have not received a spirit of fear, and the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed. Christians are those who, even as we look back at the resurrection of Jesus, are continually looking forward in trust and hope at the new creation being prepared by God.

Closing Prayer
O God of unchangeable power and eternal light: Look favorably on your whole Church, that wonderful and sacred mystery; by the effectual working of your providence, carry out in tranquillity the plan of salvation; let the whole world see and know that things which were being cast down are being raised up, and things which had grown old are being made new, and that all things are being brought to their perfection by him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Mary Magdalene, 'Apostle to the Apostles,' 

proclaiming the resurrection to the Twelve

Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Apostles

The Collect
Almighty God, whose blessed apostles Peter and Paul glorified you by their martyrdom: Grant that your Church, instructed by their teaching and example, and knit together in unity by your Spirit, may ever stand firm upon the one foundation, which is 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
87

The Readings
Ezekiel 34:11-16     +     2 Timothy 4:1-8     +     John 21:15-19

I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord GOD. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice.

~Ezekiel 34:15-16

He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.”

~John 21:17


Here are two reflections for today's feast, one ancient and one new.

From St. Augustine of Hippo, Sermon 295:

This day has been made holy by the martyrdom of the blessed apostles Peter and Paul. I am not here speaking of some unknown martyrs. 'For their sound has gone out into all lands, and their message to the ends of the earth.' These martyrs say what they proclaimed . . . 

The Lord Jesus before his passion chose, as you know, certain disciples whom he called apostles. In a virtually unique way Peter represented the entire Church. In his capacity as representative of the whole Church these words were fittingly addressed to him: 'I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.' It was not one man, but the whole Church, which received these keys . . .

It was logical too for the Lord to entrust the care of his sheep to Peter after his resurrection. He was not, of course, the only disciple worthy of this responsibility. When Christ spoke to one, all were included: Peter was addressed first because he was the foremost apostle. Do not be dismayed, Peter. Answer once, twice, three times . . . Untie from love what you tied from fear. In spite of all the Lord three times entrusted his sheep to Peter.

One day is assigned for the celebration of the martyrdom of two apostles. But those two were one . . . Peter went first, Paul followed. We celebrate the feast day which is made sacred for us by the blood of these apostles. Let us love their faith, their life, their trials, their passion, their profession, and their teaching.

And here a reflection from the Grow Christians blog, on how Peter and Paul ultimately agreeing on the critical question of Gentile inclusion in the early church might inform our own thinking on racism in the church and society: Peter and Paul: Black Lives and Gentile Lives.

Closing Prayer
Everliving God, whose will it is that all should come to you through your Son Jesus Christ: Inspire our witness to him, that all may know the power of his forgiveness and the hope of his resurrection; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
~A prayer For the Mission of the Church, BCP p. 816

The Embrace of Peter and Paul 

Icon by Konstantinos Paleokapas in the Karakallou Monastery on Mount Athos

The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

The Collect
Almighty God, by whose providence your servant John the Baptist was wonderfully born, and sent to prepare the way of your Son our Savior by preaching repentance: Make us so to follow his teaching and holy life, that we may truly repent according to his preaching; and, following his example, constantly speak the truth, boldly rebuke vice, and patiently suffer for the truth's sake; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Psalm
85

The Readings

Isaiah 40:1-11     +     Acts 13:14b-26     +     Luke 1:57-80

A voice cries out:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD,
     make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up,
     and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
     and the rough places a plain.
Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
     and all people shall see it together,

     for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

~ Isaiah 40:3-5

The fortieth chapter of Isaiah contains some of the most familiar prophetic words in scripture (thanks in part to Handel's Messiah and the season of Advent). It's a mixture of both comfort and strong medicine, tenderness and hard words--which is  pretty true of most prophets' messages. Even verses 3-5 above, which we probably associate fondly with Christmas (and indeed they are good news), literally describe massive displacement and upheaval.

John the Baptist, in my mind, is something like the quintessential prophet--the last of the great biblical prophets, directly preceding the long-promised Messiah, wild in appearance, bold in word, meeting a bloody end like so many before him. Of his nativity, St. Augustine sermonizes: "Zechariah's tongue was loosened because a voice was born. John was a 'voice', but in the beginning the Lord was the Word. John was a voice for a time: but Christ, who in the beginning was the Word, is the Word in eternity."

A voice says, “Cry out!”
    And I said, “What shall I cry?”
All people are grass,
    their constancy is like the flower of the field.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
    when the breath of the LORD blows upon it;
    surely the people are grass.
The grass withers, the flower fades;
    but the word of our God will stand for ever.

It is sometimes trendy, both within and without the church, to identify 'prophetic voices.' Certainly, there are such voices among us, and the Lord is never without messengers. But it is likely that such voices, when they cry out, will not entirely please us; will not fit easily into our narratives, but will explode our Procrustean beds; will not leave us unscathed--but also will not leave us hopeless.

See, the Lord GOD comes with might,
    and his arm rules for him;
his reward is with him,
    and his recompense before him.
He will feed his flock like a shepherd;
    he will gather the lambs in his arms,
and carry them in his bosom,
    and gently lead the mother sheep. 

Re-read Isaiah 40:1-11. Think and pray; how does this word of the Lord speak to you today? 

Closing Prayer

Lord God of the prophets, we praise you for sending John as the Forerunner of your promised Christ. Help us to heed his voice, and the voice of everyone who cries out to point us back to you; help us to be open to your Spirit, that our voices also may proclaim the coming of the One who is our hope, even Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

Saint John the Baptist

(icon written by the Rev. Deacon Brandon James Hudson)

Saint Barnabas the Apostle

The Collect
Grant, O God, that we may follow the example of your faithful servant Barnabas, who, seeking not his own renown but the well-being of your Church, gave generously of his life and substance for the relief of the poor and the spread of the Gospel; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

~BCP, p. 241

The Psalm
112

The Readings
Isaiah 42:5-12     +     Acts 11:19-30; 13:1-3     +     Matthew 10:7-16

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

Acts 13:2-3

When we think of 'the holy apostles' we often think of the twelve disciples that Jesus gathered around him during his ministry, and whom he then sent out (as we heard this past Sunday) to proclaim the gospel. But the New Testament also identifies some others as apostles, a word that literally means 'one who is sent off'--in this case, sent as a messenger of the good news of Jesus Christ. Paul is the most well known apostle (indeed, Paul is traditionally referred to as 'The Apostle') who was not one of the Twelve, but Barnabas is another one of these. He appears several times in the New Testament, usually as a companion to Paul. 

At the Grow Christians blog, Benjamin Gildas reflects on Barnabas, and what his ministry speaks to us about being people of encouragement and support today.

When we think about the incredible ministry of the Apostle Paul and the legacy he left behind of planting churches around the Mediterranean and leaving us his letters in the New Testament, we must also remember “the other guy,” or better yet, the Son of Encouragement that had Paul’s back throughout his ministry.

Sometimes being “the other guy” is the most important role we can play. Sometimes, being a child of encouragement, providing support, love, and care for someone else’s ministry is the gift God is calling us to give. Sometimes, standing up for someone else is dangerous, and the bravest thing that we can do.

Read the rest here.

Closing Prayer
O God, you manifest in your servants the signs of your presence: Send forth upon us the Spirit of love, that in companionship with one another your abounding grace may increase among us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
~ BCP, p. 125