• 22 Saint Mary Magdalene • 23 • 24 Thomas a Kempis, Priest, 1471 • 25 Saint James the Apostle • 26 The Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary (traditionally identified as Anne and Joachim) • 27 William Reed Huntington, Priest, 1909 • 28 Johann Sebastian Bach, 1750, George Frederick Handel, 1759, and Henry Purcell, 1695, Composers • 29 Mary, Martha and Lazarus of Bethany OLD TESTAMENT: 2 Samuel 7: 1 - 14a (RCL) 2Sam 7:1 (NRSV) Now when the king was settled in his house, and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies around him, 2 the king said to the prophet Nathan, "See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent." 3 Nathan said to the king, "Go, do all that you have in mind; for the LORD is with you." 4 But that same night the word of the LORD came to Nathan: 5 Go and tell my servant David: Thus says the LORD: Are you the one to build me a house to live in? 6 I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent and a tabernacle. 7 Wherever I have moved about among all the people of Israel, did I ever speak a word with any of the tribal leaders of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar?" 8 Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David: Thus says the LORD of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be prince over my people Israel; 9 and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 10 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly, 11 from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make you a house. 12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. Jeremiah 23: 1 - 6 (Roman Catholic, alt. for RCL) Jere 23:1 (NRSV) Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the LORD. 2 Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who shepherd my people: It is you who have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. So I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the LORD. 3 Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. 4 I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing, says the LORD. 5 The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: "The LORD is our righteousness." PSALM 89: 20 - 37 (RCL) Psal 89:20 (NRSV) I have found my servant David; with my holy oil I have anointed him; 21 my hand shall always remain with him; my arm also shall strengthen him. 22 The enemy shall not outwit him, the wicked shall not humble him. 23 I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him. 24 My faithfulness and steadfast love shall be with him; and in my name his horn shall be exalted. 25 I will set his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers. 26 He shall cry to me, "You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation!' 27 I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth. 28 Forever I will keep my steadfast love for him, and my covenant with him will stand firm. 29 I will establish his line forever, and his throne as long as the heavens endure. 30 If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my ordinances, 31 if they violate my statutes and do not keep my commandments, 32 then I will punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with scourges; 33 but I will not remove from him my steadfast love, or be false to my faithfulness. 34 I will not violate my covenant, or alter the word that went forth from my lips. 35 Once and for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David. 36 His line shall continue forever, and his throne endure before me like the sun. 37 It shall be established forever like the moon, an enduring witness in the skies." [Se'lah] Psalm 89: Part II Tunc locutus es (ECUSA BCP) 20 I have found David my servant; * with my holy oil have I anointed him. 21 My hand will hold him fast * and my arm will make him strong. 22 No enemy shall deceive him, * nor any wicked man bring him down. 23 I will crush his foes before him * and strike down those who hate him. 24 My faithfulness and love shall be with him, * and he shall be victorious through my Name. 25 I shall make his dominion extend * from the Great Sea to the River. 26 He will say to me, “You are my Father, * my God, and the rock of my salvation.’ 27 I will make him my firstborn * and higher than the kings of the earth. 28 I will keep my love for him for ever, * and my covenant will stand firm for him. 29 I will establish his line for ever * and his throne as the days of heaven.” 30 “If his children forsake my law * and do not walk according to my judgments; 31 If they break my statutes * and do not keep my commandments; 32 I will punish their transgressions with a rod * and their iniquities with the lash; 33 But I will not take my love from him, * nor let my faithfulness prove false. 34 I will not break my covenant, * nor change what has gone out of my lips. 35 Once for all I have sworn by my holiness: * ‘I will not lie to David. 36 His line shall endure for ever * and his throne as the sun before me; 37 It shall stand fast for evermore like the moon, * the abiding witness in the sky.’” Psalm 23 (Roman Catholic, alt. for RCL) Psal 23:1 (NRSV) The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; 3 he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff-- they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD my whole life long. 23 Dominus regit me (ECUSA BCP) 1 The LORD is my shepherd; * I shall not be in want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures * and leads me beside still waters. 3 He revives my soul * and guides me along right pathways for his Name's sake. 4 Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil; * for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me; * you have anointed my head with oil, and my cup is running over. 6 Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, * and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. NEW TESTAMENT: Ephesians 2: 11 - 22 (RCL) Ephesians 2: 13 - 18 (Roman Catholic) Ephe 2:11 (NRSV) So then, remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth, called "the uncircumcision" by those who are called "the circumcision"--a physical circumcision made in the flesh by human hands-- 12 remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. 15 He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, 16 and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. 17 So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; 18 for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, 20 built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 21 In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; 22 in whom you also are built together spiritually {Gk [in the Spirit]} into a dwelling place for God. m/t Montreal Anglican The author has reminded his readers that we have our saving faith through God’s gift – of our faith and of his love for us. Through our faith, we realize that God’s gift exists. Being Christ’s, we are to do good works. He now addresses himself to those who are “Gentiles by birth” (v. 11). He reminds his non-Jewish readers that they were, at one time, “without Christ” (v. 12), without hope of union with God, not being parties to God’s pacts with Israel. They had no “hope” of union with God, and were “without God”, with no true knowledge of him. “But now” (v. 13) they, once “far off”, distant from God’s ways, have been brought hope through the cross (“the blood of Christ”). Christ is what unifies Gentiles and Jews; he has made us all one group; he has eliminated the enmity between us. (Jews were not permitted to have contact with Gentiles, for fear of being defiled ritually.) Cultural differences are no longer relevant – what matters is that we are “one new humanity” (v. 15): the division is gone. Christ has brought the two groups together “in one body” (v. 16, the Church). His message was (and is) one of “peace” (v. 17) – to Gentiles (“far off”) and to Jews (“near”). We both come into his presence (“access”, v. 18) through Christ, participating in the action of the Holy Spirit, “to the Father”. So we are all fellow members of God’s heavenly and earthly community (“saints”, v. 19). (A “household” included all: parents, children and slaves.) Christ started this “household”; he is the “cornerstone” (v. 20) of it. Those who preceded us, “apostles and [Christian] prophets”, laid the foundation; it is a sacred “structure” (v. 21), edifice, “temple”, the Church, continually growing spiritually. GOSPEL: Mark 6: 30 - 34, 53 - 56 (RCL) Mark 6: 30 - 34 (Roman Catholic) Mark 6:30 (NRSV) The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 He said to them, "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. 33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. 34 As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. 53 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennes'aret and moored the boat. 54 When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him, 55 and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed. In vv. 7-13, Jesus has sent out the disciples, giving them authority over evil forces in people. The twelve have “proclaimed that all should repent” of their deviations from God’s ways; they have “anointed with oil many who were sick” and have cured them. After diverting to the story of John the Baptist’s death (an example of what discipleship may cost), Mark returns to the main story. Jesus debriefs the disciples (v. 30). In 3:20, Jesus has no time to eat; here (v. 32) neither do the disciples: such is Jesus’ popularity as healer and wonder-worker. Note Mark’s emphasis on the crowd: many recognize them (vv. 33, 55), hurry to meet them as they disembark, are “like sheep without a shepherd” (v. 34, aimless, leaderless); they rush here and there bringing the sick; they beg Jesus (v. 56). He has compassion on them, begins to teach them, and heals the sick. In vv. 35-44, Jesus feeds five thousand people in this “deserted place” (v. 36, literally desert). Jesus says to the disciples, “You give them something to eat”. He continues to train them to carry out his mission, but they take what he says literally. This event recalls God’s feeding his people in the wilderness; it points forward to their expectation of life in God’s kingdom: a banquet at which the Messiah will preside. In vv. 45-52, Jesus walks on water, further demonstrating his divine power – here over unruly seas. The fringes on Jesus’ cloak (v. 56) show that he obeys God’s commandments. In touching his cloak, the sick make him ritually unclean, but those who touch him are “healed”, made well – and have their sins forgiven. In the following verses, Mark tells us that the religious authorities are more concerned with legalistic ritual purity than with the needs of the common people.