• 27 Thomas Gallaudet, 1902, and Henry Winter Syle, 1890 • 28 Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, 430. was Bishop of Hippo Regius (present-day Annaba, Algeria). He was a Latin philosopher and theologian from Roman Africa and generally considered as one of the greatest Christian thinkers of all times. Moses the Black, Desert Father and Martyr, c. 400 • 29 John Bunyan, Writer, 1688 • 30 Charles Chapman Grafton, Bishop of Fond du Lac, and Ecumenist, 1912 • 31 Aidan, Bishop of Lindisfarne, 651. Cuthbert, Bishop of Lindisfarne, 687was an Anglo-Saxon monk, bishop and hermit, associated with the monasteries of Melrose and Lindisfarne in the Kingdom of Northumbria. After his death he became one of the most important medieval saints of England, with a cult centred at Durham Cathedral. Cuthbert is regarded as the patron saint of northern England. His feast day is 20 March. • 1 David Pendleton Oakerhater, Deacon and Missionary, 1931 • 2 The Martyrs of New Guinea, 1942 OLD TESTAMENT: 1 Kings 8: (1, 6, 10, 11) 22 - 30, 41 - 43 (RCL) 1Kin 8:1 (NRSV) Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the ancestral houses of the Israelites, before King Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion. 6 Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place, in the inner sanctuary of the house, in the most holy place, underneath the wings of the cherubim. 10 And when the priests came out of the holy place, a cloud filled the house of the LORD, 11 so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD. 22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands to heaven. 23 He said, "O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and steadfast love for your servants who walk before you with all their heart, 24 the covenant that you kept for your servant my father David as you declared to him; you promised with your mouth and have this day fulfilled with your hand. 25 Therefore, O LORD, God of Israel, keep for your servant my father David that which you promised him, saying, "There shall never fail you a successor before me to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your children look to their way, to walk before me as you have walked before me.' 26 Therefore, O God of Israel, let your word be confirmed, which you promised to your servant my father David. 27 "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Even heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, much less this house that I have built! 28 Regard your servant's prayer and his plea, O LORD my God, heeding the cry and the prayer that your servant prays to you today; 29 that your eyes may be open night and day toward this house, the place of which you said, "My name shall be there,' that you may heed the prayer that your servant prays toward this place. 30 Hear the plea of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place; O hear in heaven your dwelling place; heed and forgive. 41 "Likewise when a foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, comes from a distant land because of your name 42 --for they shall hear of your great name, your mighty hand, and your outstretched arm--when a foreigner comes and prays toward this house, 43 then hear in heaven your dwelling place, and do according to all that the foreigner calls to you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and so that they may know that your name has been invoked on this house that I have built. Joshua 24: 1 - 2a, 15 - 17, 18b (Roman Catholic) Joshua 24: 1 - 2a, 14 - 18 (alt. for RCL) Josh 24:1 (NRSV) Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to She'chem, and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they presented themselves before God. 2 And Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: 14 "Now therefore revere the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 Now if you are unwilling to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Am'orites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." 16 Then the people answered, "Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods; 17 for it is the LORD our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight. He protected us along all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed; 18 and the LORD drove out before us all the peoples, the Am'orites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God." PSALM 84 (RCL) Psal 84:1 (NRSV) How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! 2 My soul longs, indeed it faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God. 3 Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O LORD of hosts, my King and my God. 4 Happy are those who live in your house, ever singing your praise. [Se'lah] 5 Happy are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. 6 As they go through the valley of Ba'ca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools. 7 They go from strength to strength; the God of gods will be seen in Zion. 8 O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob! [Se'lah] 9 Behold our shield, O God; look on the face of your anointed. 10 For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than live in the tents of wickedness. 11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; he bestows favor and honor. No good thing does the LORD withhold from those who walk uprightly. 12 O LORD of hosts, happy is everyone who trusts in you. 84 Quam dilecta! (ECUSA BCP) 1 How dear to me is your dwelling, O LORD of hosts! * My soul has a desire and longing for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God. 2 The sparrow has found her a house and the swallow a nest where she may lay her young; * by the side of your altars, O LORD of hosts, my King and my God. 3 Happy are they who dwell in your house! * they will always be praising you. 4 Happy are the people whose strength is in you! * whose hearts are set on the pilgrims' way. 5 Those who go through the desolate valley will find it a place of springs, * for the early rains have covered it with pools of water. 6 They will climb from height to height, * and the God of gods will reveal himself in Zion. 7 LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; * hearken, O God of Jacob. 8 Behold our defender, O God; * and look upon the face of your Anointed. 9 For one day in your courts is better than a thousand in my own room, * and to stand at the threshold of the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of the wicked. 10 For the LORD God is both sun and shield; * he will give grace and glory; 11 No good thing will the LORD withhold * from those who walk with integrity. 12 O LORD of hosts, * happy are they who put their trust in you! Psalm 34: 15 - 22 (alt. for RCL) Psalm 34: 1 - 2, 15 - 20 (Roman Catholic) Psal 34:1 (NRSV) I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad. 15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry. 16 The face of the LORD is against evildoers, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. 17 When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears, and rescues them from all their troubles. 18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit. 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD rescues them from them all. 20 He keeps all their bones; not one of them will be broken. 21 Evil brings death to the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. 22 The LORD redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned. Note: Verse numbering in Roman Catholic bibles is one greater than the above. 34 Benedicam Domi (ECUSA BCP) 15 The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, * and his ears are open to their cry. 16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, * to root out the remembrance of them from the earth. 17 The righteous cry, and the Lord hears them * and delivers them from all their troubles. 18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted * and will save those whose spirits are crushed. 19 Many are the troubles of the righteous, * but the Lord will deliver him out of them all. 20 He will keep safe all his bones; * not one of them shall be broken. 21 Evil shall slay the wicked, * and those who hate the righteous will be punished. 22 The Lord ransoms the life of his servants, * and none will be punished who trust in him. NEW TESTAMENT: Ephesians 6: 10 - 20 (RCL) Ephe 6:10 (NRSV) Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. 15 As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. 16 With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. 19 Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak. h/t Montreal Anglican The author now concludes his letter. Earlier, he has prayed that his readers may come to know the power of God operative in the resurrection and exaltation of Christ to heaven, and in his victory over the forces of evil. The Church participates in that victory; its members know something of this power in their conversion: a resurrection from a fatalism that viewed the world as continually declining towards evil. Now the author tells them that they must learn to rely on that power: they are to equip themselves with “armour” (vv. 11, 13) provided by God, as they oppose not people (“blood and flesh”, v. 12) but the malevolent forces (“rulers ... authorities”) which control them. The metaphor of the soldier is from Isaiah; here he is girded with “truth” (v. 14) and integrity (“righteousness”); his “shoes” (v. 15) give him firmer footing for (paradoxically) proclaiming the “gospel of peace”. His faith will protect him against attack from the devil (“the evil one”, v. 16). He accepts “salvation” (v. 17). He has one offensive weapon, given to him by the Spirit, “the word of God”. Persistent prayer, prompted by the Spirit, is his aid in interceding for fellow Christians (“saints”, v. 18). In vv. 19-20, the author asks his readers to pray for him that he may be given a gift of the right words in telling of the “mystery”, God’s age-long purpose, now disclosed, to call both Jews and Gentiles to share in Christ’s saving action. Paul is (like) a prisoner awaiting trial (“in chains”) yet is able to tell the good news “boldly” and freely. 5:21-6:9 concerns conduct in the Christian household – in an ancient culture. The basic ideas are mutual respect with honesty and a considerate attitude towards others. The head of the household is subject to the same authority (Christ) as other members of the household. Verse 10: “be strong”: In 1 Corinthians 16:13, Paul urges members of the church at Corinth: “Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong”. [CAB] Verse 11: “wiles”: or stratagems – a combination of tactical shrewdness and ingenious deception. Verse 11: “devil”: The word diabolos occurs only here and in the Pastoral Epistles in the New Testament. Paul usually uses satanas. [JBC] Verse 12: “rulers ...”: See also 1:21; 2:2; 3:10; Colossians 2:15; Romans 8:38; Revelation 12:7-9. [CAB] Verse 12: “blood and flesh”: mere mortal beings. [NOAB] The REB has “human foes”. Verse 12: “spiritual forces”: The REB has “superhuman forces”. Verse 13: “whole armour of God”: This is God’s own armour. Isaiah 59:17 also uses a military metaphor: “He [Yahweh] put on righteousness like a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head; he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped himself in fury as in a mantle”. See also Isaiah 11:5. Another literary precedent is Wisdom of Solomon 5:17-20. [JBC] Paul uses this metaphor in 1 Thessalonians 5:8. In Wisdom 5:20, Yahweh carries “stern wrath for a sword”. [CAB] Verse 17: “sword”: In Hosea 6:5, Yahweh says: “... I have hewn them by the prophets, I have killed them by the words of my mouth, and my judgment goes forth as the light:. See also Isaiah 11:4; Revelation 1:16; Hebrews 4:12. Revelation 19:15 also identifies the sword with the word of God. [CAB] Verse 18: “keep alert”: Literally awake. This is part of early catechetical teaching (also found in 1 Corinthians 16:13, Colossians 4:2, 1 Thessalonians 5:6, 1 Peter 5:8, Revelation 3:2; 16:15) which had its roots in the teaching of Jesus: in Mark 13:33, he advises: “Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come”. See also Luke 21:36. Ephesians 5: (2a, 21 - 24) 25 - 32 (Roman Catholic) Ephe 5:2a (NRSV) [L]ive in love, as Christ loved us 21Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22 Wives, be subject to your husbands as you are to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife just as Christ is the head of the church, the body of which he is the Savior. 24 Just as the church is subject to Christ, so also wives ought to be, in everything, to their husbands. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 in order to make her holy by cleansing her with the washing of water by the word, 27 so as to present the church to himself in splendor, without a spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind--yes, so that she may be holy and without blemish. 28 In the same way, husbands should love their wives as they do their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hates his own body, but he nourishes and tenderly cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." 32 This is a great mystery, and I am applying it to Christ and the church. 33 Each of you, however, should love his wife as himself, and a wife should respect her husband. GOSPEL: John 6: 56 - 69 (RCL) John 6: 60 - 69 (Roman Catholic) John 6:56 (NRSV) Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. 57 Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever." 59 He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue at Caper'naum. 60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, "This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?" 61 But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, "Does this offend you? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But among you there are some who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him. 65 And he said, "For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father." 66 Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. 67 So Jesus asked the twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?" 68 Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." Jesus has said that he is divine and the living bread. Now he says that partaking in the Eucharist, the Lord’s Supper, establishes a lasting relationship, a community of life, a mutual indwelling, between him and the believer. “Living Father” (v. 57) reminds us of “living bread” (v. 51): the Father sent the Son to give life, and the life the Son has is the Father’s, given to the Son; this type of relationship is extended to the partaker in the Eucharist. This bread is “from heaven” (v. 58) as was manna (“which your ancestors ate”), but it is much more effective: it is the eucharistic sacrament of life. Jesus now leaves the “synagogue” (v. 59). Many of his followers find “this teaching” (v. 60) “difficult”, i.e. offensive: eating flesh is repugnant; he offends Jewish belief by claiming to be “from heaven” (v. 58) and to give life (only God can do that). Jesus says (v. 62): if you can’t accept these things, seeing me ascend to heaven will really confound you. I speak spiritually, not literally (v. 63): “it is the spirit that gives life”, is the life-giving factor. Humanity, even Christ in human form, is “useless” without the spirit. Jesus’ words link life with spirit. Some, he says, do not believe, so the Eucharist is nonsense to them (v. 64). Belief in him is a gift from the Father (v. 65). This leads many to desert him (as later many left the Church, v. 66). Jesus offers the twelve the chance to leave him (v. 67). Peter replies on their behalf: we are on the way to knowing you, for we already believe in you; we know why you came (v. 69). Even as the life of the Son and the Father are one (14:10, 5:21ff), a life they in turn share with the Spirit (1:32ff; 15:26), in the Eucharist the Christian receives the shared life of God himself. [JBC] Partaking in the Eucharist establishes a communion of life between Christ and the believer (see 1 Corinthians 10:16). Verse 63: “gives life”: In 1 Corinthians 15:45, Paul writes: “it is written, ’he first man, Adam, became a living being’; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit”. Recall John 3:6: “What is born of the flesh is flesh; what is born of the Spirit is spirit”. Only a person born of the spirit will be able to accept the truth of Jesus’ words. Recall 1:4: “in him [“the Word”, the Logos] was life, and the life was the light of all people”. The word is the principle of life. Here, in the context of the Feeding of the Five Thousand, words means not just what Jesus said at the Last Supper but all he said in expounding the meaning of his life and in evoking faith. [BlkJn] Verse 64: See 5:38; 6:37; 8:25, 46-47; 10:25-26. Verse 65: Ephesians 2:8 says: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God”. [NOAB] John the Baptizer speaks of the Father eliciting faith: “No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven”. See also 6:37. [BlkJn] Verse 65: “I have told you”: i.e. in vv. 44ff. Verse 66: “turned back”: The Greek phrase, apelthon eis ta opiso, occurs again in 18:6, where it is used of the soldiers who recoiled from Jesus when he presented himself to them in Gethsemane. The parallel is no doubt intentional: in both passages, the self revelation of the Christ repels unbelievers. [BlkJn] Verse 67: “the twelve”: John assumes that the reader already knows who “the twelve” are. BlkJn sees all except “the twelve” deserting Jesus. John gives little emphasis to the Twelve. Verse 68: In the Synoptic gospels, Peter’s confession shows that the disciples have begun to perceive Jesus as Messiah; in John, Jesus is the Messiah from the start. Here Peter echos v. 63b. Verse 69: “Holy”: Elsewhere in John, this word refers to Christ’s mission ( “sanctified” in 10:36; 17:19; etc.). BlkJn notes that “the Holy One of God” is a messianic title. Verses 70-71: Though Jesus had chosen the Twelve, his choice did not guarantee their faithfulness. [BlkJn]

20 Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux, 1153 21 22 23 Martin de Porres, 1639, Rosa de Lima, 1617, and Toribio de Mogrovejo, 1606, Witnesses to the Faith in South America 24 Saint Bartholomew the Apostle 25 Louis, King of France, 1270 (also in the Philippines, alternative commemoration for Charles Henry Brent) 26 27 Thomas Gallaudet, 1902, and Henry Winter Syle, 1890 OLD TESTAMENT: 1 Kings 2: 10 - 12, 3: 3 - 14 (RCL) 1Kin 2:10 (NRSV) Then David slept with his ancestors, and was buried in the city of David. 11 The time that David reigned over Israel was forty years; he reigned seven years in He'bron, and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. 12 So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David; and his kingdom was firmly established. 3:3 Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of his father David; only, he sacrificed and offered incense at the high places. 4 The king went to Gib'eon to sacrifice there, for that was the principal high place; Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5 At Gib'eon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, "Ask what I should give you." 6 And Solomon said, "You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you; and you have kept for him this great and steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his throne today. 7 And now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 And your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted. 9 Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?" 10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. 11 God said to him, "Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, 12 I now do according to your word. Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall arise after you. 13 I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor all your life; no other king shall compare with you. 14 If you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your life." Proverbs 9: 1 - 6 (Roman Catholic, alt. for RCL) Prov 9:1 (NRSV) Wisdom has built her house, she has hewn her seven pillars. 2 She has slaughtered her animals, she has mixed her wine, she has also set her table. 3 She has sent out her servant-girls, she calls from the highest places in the town, 4 "You that are simple, turn in here!" To those without sense she says, 5 "Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. 6 Lay aside immaturity, and live, and walk in the way of insight." PSALM 111 (RCL) Psal 111:1 (NRSV) Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation. 2 Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them. 3 Full of honor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever. 4 He has gained renown by his wonderful deeds; the LORD is gracious and merciful. 5 He provides food for those who fear him; he is ever mindful of his covenant. 6 He has shown his people the power of his works, in giving them the heritage of the nations. 7 The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy. 8 They are established forever and ever, to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness. 9 He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name. 10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever. 111 Confitebor tibi (ECUSA BCP) 1 Hallelujah! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, * in the assembly of the upright, in the congregation. 2 Great are the deeds of the LORD! * they are studied by all who delight in them. 3 His work is full of majesty and splendor, * and his righteousness endures for ever. 4 He makes his marvelous works to be remembered; * the LORD is gracious and full of compassion. 5 He gives food to those who fear him; * he is ever mindful of his covenant. 6 He has shown his people the power of his works * in giving them the lands of the nations. 7 The works of his hands are faithfulness and justice; * all his commandments are sure. 8 They stand fast for ever and ever, * because they are done in truth and equity. 9 He sent redemption to his people; he commanded his covenant for ever; * holy and awesome is his Name. 10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; * those who act accordingly have a good understanding; his praise endures for ever. Psalm 34: 1 - 6 (Roman Catholic) Psal 34:1 (NRSV) I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad. 3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. 4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. 5 Look to him, and be radiant; so your {Gk Syr Jerome: Heb [their] } faces shall never be ashamed. 6 This poor soul cried, and was heard by the LORD, and was saved from every trouble. Psalm 34: 9 - 14 (alt. for RCL) Psal 34:9 (NRSV) O fear the LORD, you his holy ones, for those who fear him have no want. 10 The young lions suffer want and hunger, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. 11 Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. 12 Which of you desires life, and covets many days to enjoy good? 13 Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. 14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. 34 Benedicam Domi (ECUSA BCP) 9 Fear the Lord, you that are his saints, * for those who fear him lack nothing. 10 The young lions lack and suffer hunger, * but those who seek the Lord lack nothing that is good. 11 Come, children, and listen to me; * I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 12 Who among you loves life * and desires long life to enjoy prosperity? 13 Keep your tongue from evil-speaking * and your lips from lying words. 14 Turn from evil and do good; * seek peace and pursue it. NEW TESTAMENT: Ephesians 5: 15 - 20 (all) Ephe 5:15 (NRSV) Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, 16 making the most of the time, because the days are evil. 17 So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, 20 giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. h/t Montreal Anglican The author has given his readers, apparently new converts, some points regarding conduct as members of the Church. He has told them not to harbour anger, to actively care for the poor, to emphasize people’s goodness in speaking to them, and thus to build up the community. They should cast aside vices, adopt virtuous ways, and forgive and love as Christ has showed them. Now he tell them that wisdom is a characteristic of Christian living (because we are privileged to share in God’s wisdom and insight through Christ.) Jewish belief was that society would become extremely decadent (“evil”, v. 16) before the Messiah comes: we are to use this time wisely, effectively – to be alert to God’s will (v. 17). (Wisdom and foolishness, v. 17, are opposites.) Joyful fellowship arises from being filled with the Spirit, not drunkenness; show this joy liturgically (“among yourselves”, v. 19), prompted and assisted by the Spirit, “giving thanks” (v. 20) to the Father “at all times” for the whole of creation, in the name of Christ. Verses 6-20: The vocabulary is reminiscent of the language in the Qumran literature. The author contrasts the children of darkness (disobedience) with the children of light. See also 1QS (Rule of the Community) 5:1-2; 3:10-11; 1:5; 2:24-25. As at Qumran, the light-darkness dualism is wholly ethical and not ontological, as in later Gnosticism. [NJBC] Verse 11: “expose them”: NJBC offers reprove them. Jesus made this point: see Matthew 18:15-17. The responsibility to correct sinners was also important at Qumran: see 1QS (Rule of the Community) 5:24-6:1. Verse 14: “Therefore it says”: These words introduce what appears to be a portion of an early baptismal hymn based on Isaiah 60:1: “Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.”. [NJBC] [NOAB] Verses 15-17: “wise ... foolish”: 1QS (Rule of the Community) 4:23-24 says: “... Until now the spirits of truth and of injustice feud in the hearts of man and they walk in wisdom and in folly ...”. [NJBC] Verses 15-16: An idea also found in Colossians 4:5. [CAB] Christians are “wise” because we share in the wisdom of God, per 1:8, 17 and 3:10. Colossians 4:5 says: “Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time.” [NOAB] Verse 17: “will of the Lord”: In epistles generally accepted as Pauline, the phrase is God’s will. Did the author slip in phraseology unwittingly because God and Christ are so closely related in his mind? Or did he use “will of the Lord” because his readers are newly baptised, and the baptismal promises are to Christ the Kyrios (Lord)? Verse 18: This advice is also found in Proverbs 23:31-35: “Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. At the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like an adder. Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind utter perverse things ...”. [CAB] At Pentecost (see Acts 2), those who received the Holy Spirit were accused of being “filled with new wine” (Acts 2:13). Wine was consumed abundantly in Greek mystery cults, and at times was abused in Christian gatherings (see 1 Corinthians 11:21). Verse 19: “sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs ...”: Colossians 3:16 also speaks of singing “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs”. [NOAB] In Acts 16:25, when Paul and Silas are in prison “About midnight ... [they] Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them”. In 1 Corinthians 14:26, Paul instructs his readers: “When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up”. See also James 5:13. Verse 20: Colossians 3:16-17 contains a similar idea: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him”. [CAB] GOSPEL: John 6: 51 - 58 (all) John 6:51 (NRSV) I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh." 52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" 53 So Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; 55 for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. 56 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. 57 Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever." In 20:30-31, John tells us the purpose of the book: that we may believe in Jesus as Christ or Messiah. Thus far, Jesus has emphasized belief in him as divine and as living bread. But now he speaks of a reality. For John, the context is the Church. In v. 51, Jesus says: “the living bread ... that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh”; “whoever eats of this flesh will live forever”. This is how God will save the world: see 3:16-17. Jesus became flesh (1:14), i.e. assumed complete human nature. He offered himself to God in death, thus giving life, available to all. “The Jews” (v. 52, possibly some Jewish Christians) take him literally; that to eat someone’s flesh was a Semitic figure of speech for to slander did not make Jesus’ statement easier to understand! Then v. 53: the only way to salvation (“life”) is through “eat[ing] the flesh ... and drink[ing] his blood”, i.e. just believing in Christ is insufficient. Sharing in the Eucharist provides “eternal life” (v. 54) and resurrection – to union with God. Why? Because it requires faith, trust, that the flesh and the blood are “true” (v. 55), real – the ultimate reality. It is through sharing in the Eucharist that we are joined to Christ. Note the word “abide” (v. 56): it involves remaining in a relationship. Believers dwell in Christ, and he in them, through participating in the Eucharist. Then v. 58: both the Eucharist (Christ) and manna “came down from heaven”, but while manna nourished for a finite time, sharing in the Eucharist is the key to surviving the judgement at the end of time. John does not include the story of the institution of the Last Supper; he assumes that his readers know it. He teaches what it means. John uses the word “flesh” (Greek: sarx) while the synoptic gospels and Paul use the word “body” (Greek: soma). Paul contrasts the spirit and the flesh. One scholar suggests that John used a more primitive account as a basis for these verses. Perhaps soma was adopted for its wide range of meaning and to avoid confusion with spirit vs. flesh. Ignatius of Antioch (107 AD) uses sarx, as does Justin Martyr (ca. 150 AD) except where he is quoting the synoptic gospels or Paul. [NJBC] Jesus giving them his flesh to eat carries two symbolisms: • Sharing in his life of power and obedience – as well as his death, and • Sharing in the Lord’s Supper in which his death and his continuing presence with his own are represented. [CAB] John never tells us that the “flesh” and the “blood” are received under the forms of bread and wine in the Lord’s Supper. [BlkJn] Verse 51: There is an obvious parallel here to the words spoken by Jesus over the bread at the Last Supper, as recorded in 1 Corinthians 11:24 and in Luke 22:19, although allowance must be made for the characteristically Johannine substitution of “flesh” for body and the expansion of for you to “for the life of the world”. [BlkJn] Verse 53: The separation of blood from flesh emphasize the reality of Jesus’ death. [NOAB] Verse 56: “abide”: Note the sense of remaining in the Christian community. Some scholars consider that inclusion of this verse addresses a later crisis in the community, when some were leaving the Church. “Abide” also occurs in the Farewell Discourses (15:4-5), where the disciples are to remain attached to the vine. Verse 57: “living Father”: The readers know that the Father sent the Son to give life (see 3:16-17). The life the Son has is his Father’s own life, which he has given to the Son (see 5:26). V. 57 extends the type of relationship which exists between the Father and the Son to believers who take part in the Eucharist. The pattern of relationships is like that in the Farewell Discourses: see 14:20-21 and 17:21a. [NJBC] This verse takes up the theme of v. 26, where Jesus answers the crowd with: “Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves”. [BlkJn] This passage speaks of salvation many times, sometimes in the present (a present reality) (in vv. 53a, 54a) and sometimes in the future (in vv. 54b, 57b, 58b). Salvation through participating in the Eucharist is happening now, and will happen in the future. While this is obvious in John, it can also be found in Matthew. This chapter begins with the Feeding of the Five Thousand. To BlkJn, by recording this discourse here, John clearly intends us to understand the Feeding as taking the place of the Last Supper, as the occasion in the ministry of Jesus with which the Church’s celebration of the Eucharist was to be connected. Consistently, while John does tell us of the Last Supper (in Chapter 18), he gives it no eucharistic significance.

• 12 Florence Nightingale, Nurse, Social Reformer, 1910 was a celebrated English nurse, writer and statistician. She came to prominence for her pioneering work in nursing during the Crimean War, where she tended to wounded soldiers. • 13 Jeremy Taylor, Bishop of Down, Connor, and Dromore, 1667 was a cleric in the Church of England who achieved fame as an author during the Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell. • 14 Jonathan Myrick Daniels, Seminarian and Witness for Civil Rights, 1965 • 15 Saint Mary the Virgin, Mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ • 16 • 17 Samuel Johnson, 1772, was a clergyman, educator, and philosopher in colonial British North America. He was a major proponent of both Anglicanism and the philosophy of George Berkeley in the colonies Timothy Cutler, 1765, and Thomas Bradbury Chandler, 1790, Priests • 18 William Porcher DuBose, Priest, 1918 was an American priest and theologian in the Episcopal Church in the United States. • 19 • 20 Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux, 1153 was a French abbot and the primary builder of the reforming Cistercian order OLD TESTAMENT: 2 Samuel 18: 5 - 9, 15, 31 - 33 (RCL) 2Sam 18:5 (NRSV) The king ordered Jo'ab and Abi'shai and It'tai, saying, "Deal gently for my sake with the young man Ab'salom." And all the people heard when the king gave orders to all the commanders concerning Ab'salom. 6 So the army went out into the field against Israel; and the battle was fought in the forest of E'phraim. 7 The men of Israel were defeated there by the servants of David, and the slaughter there was great on that day, twenty thousand men. 8 The battle spread over the face of all the country; and the forest claimed more victims that day than the sword. 9 Ab'salom happened to meet the servants of David. Ab'salom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak. His head caught fast in the oak, and he was left hanging between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him went on. 15 And ten young men, Jo'ab's armor-bearers, surrounded Ab'salom and struck him, and killed him. 31 Then the Cu'shite came; and the Cu'shite said, "Good tidings for my lord the king! For the LORD has vindicated you this day, delivering you from the power of all who rose up against you." 32 The king said to the Cu'shite, "Is it well with the young man Ab'salom?" The Cu'shite answered, "May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up to do you harm, be like that young man." 33 The king was deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept; and as he went, he said, "O my son Ab'salom, my son, my son Ab'salom! Would I had died instead of you, O Ab'salom, my son, my son!" 1 Kings 19: 4 - 8 (Roman Catholic, alt. for RCL) 1Kin 19:4 (NRSV) But he [Elijah] himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die: "It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors." 5 Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, "Get up and eat." 6 He looked, and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again. 7 The angel of the LORD came a second time, touched him, and said, "Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you." 8 He got up, and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Ho'reb the mount of God. PSALM 130 (RCL) Psal 130:1 (NRSV) Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD. 2 Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications! 3 If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? 4 But there is forgiveness with you, so that you may be revered. 5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; 6 my soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning, more than those who watch for the morning. 7 O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with him is great power to redeem. 8 It is he who will redeem Israel from all its iniquities. 130 De profundis (ECUSA BCP) 1 Out of the depths have I called to you, O LORD; LORD, hear my voice; * let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication. 2 If you, LORD, were to note what is done amiss, * O LORD, who could stand? 3 For there is forgiveness with you; * therefore you shall be feared. 4 I wait for the LORD; my soul waits for him; * in his word is my hope. 5 My soul waits for the LORD, more than watchmen for the morning, * more than watchmen for the morning. 6 O Israel, wait for the LORD, * for with the LORD there is mercy; 7 With him there is plenteous redemption, * and he shall redeem Israel from all their sins. Psalm 34: 1 - 8 (Roman Catholic, alt. for RCL) Psal 34:1 (NRSV) I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad. 3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. 4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. 5 Look to him, and be radiant; so your faces shall never be ashamed. 6 This poor soul cried, and was heard by the LORD, and was saved from every trouble. 7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. 8 O taste and see that the LORD is good; happy are those who take refuge in him. Note: Verse numbering in Roman Catholic bibles is one greter than the above. 34 Benedicam Domi (ECUSA BCP) 1 I will bless the Lord at all times; * his praise shall ever be in my mouth. 2 I will glory in the Lord; * let the humble hear and rejoice. 3 Proclaim with me the greatness of the Lord; * let us exalt his Name together. 4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me * and delivered me out of all my terror. 5 Look upon him and be radiant, * and let not your faces be ashamed. 6 I called in my affliction and the Lord heard me * and saved me from all my troubles. 7 The angel of the Lord encompasses those who fear him, * and he will deliver them. 8 Taste and see that the Lord is good; * happy are they who trust in him! NEW TESTAMENT: Ephesians 4: 25 - 5: 2 (RCL) Ephesians 4: 30 - 5:2 (Roman Catholic) Ephe 4:25 (NRSV) So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another. 26 Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not make room for the devil. 28 Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labor and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy. 29 Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. 31 Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, 32 and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, 2 and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. h/t Montreal Anglican The author seems to be addressing new converts: “You were taught to put away your former way of life, your old self ... to be renewed ... and to clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God ...” (4:22-24). He now says what conduct is expected of them, as “members of one another” (4:25), of one body, the Church. Do not harbour anger, for prolonged anger gives the devil a point-of-entry (4:26-27). If you lived by stealing (4:28), go beyond restitution: actively care for the poor. Speak to others in a way that emphasizes their goodness, and builds the community (4:29). An offence against a fellow member of the Church is an offense against the Spirit, who is working with him or her: do not cause the Spirit to be grieved, distressed (4:30). Cast aside all vices which are disruptive to the life of the Christian community; rather love “one another” (4:32), expressing generously the same forgiving that Christ first showed you. In the way you forgive and are loving, do it as God does (“be imitators”, 5:1): Christ loves us even to giving up himself to death for us. Old Testament priests made “offering and sacrifice to God” (5:2); now Christ is priest/mediator. We share in that priesthood, his sacrifice of love. 4:25: In Zechariah 8:16-17, Yahweh counsels: “Speak the truth to one another, render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace, do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath”. In Romans 12:4-5, Paul says: “For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another”. See also Colossians 3:9. [NOAB] [CAB] 4:27: In Psalm 4:4, a psalmist advises: “When you are disturbed, do not sin; ponder it on your beds, and be silent”. James 1:19-20 says: “You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God's righteousness”. [CAB] 4:29: Colossians 3:8 expresses a similar idea: “But now you must get rid of all such things – anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices”. [CAB] 4:30: “do not grieve the Holy Spirit”: Isaiah 63:10 tells us: “... they [the people of Israel] rebelled and grieved his holy spirit; therefore he became their enemy; he himself fought against them”; 1 Thessalonians 5:19 advises: “Do not quench [as in quenching a fire] the Spirit”. [CAB] All Christians together form a living temple in which the Holy Spirit dwells (see 2:21-22). [NJBC] 4:30: “seal”: A seal was a mark of ownership, e.g. of a slave. In Greek mystery religions, members marked themselves with the name of the deity to whom they belonged and who protected them. Here, baptism is a visible sign of incorporation into Christ. 4:31: The vices listed are all ones disruptive to communal life. Such a list of vices is common in contemporary moral tracts and elsewhere in the New Testament (e.g. Romans 1:29-31 and Galatians 5:19-21). See also 1QS (Rule of the Qumran Community) 4:9-11 and CD (Damascus Document) 4:17-19. [NJBC] 1QS 4:2-11 says: “These are their [the spirits of truth] paths in the world: to enlighten the heart of man, straighten out in front of him all the paths of justice and truth, establish in his heart respect for the precepts of God; it is a spirit of meekness, of patience, generous compassion, eternal goodness, intelligence, understanding, potent wisdom which trusts in all the deeds of God and depends on his abundant mercy; a spirit of knowledge in all the plans of action, of enthusiasm for the decrees of justice, of holy plans with firm purpose, of generous compassion with all the sons of truth, of magnificent purity which detests all unclean idols, of unpretentious behaviour with moderation in everything, of prudence in respect of the truth concerning the mysteries of knowledge. ... However, to the spirit of deceit belong greed, frailty of hands in the service of justice, irreverence, deceit, pride and haughtiness of heart, dishonesty, trickery, cruelty, much insincerity, impatience, much insanity, zealousness about wrong things, appalling acts performed in a lustful passion, filthy paths for indecent purposes, blasphemous tongue, blindness of eyes, hardness of hearing, stiffness of neck, hardness of heart in order to walk in all the paths of darkness and evil cunning. ...” [Martinez] CD 4:15-19 says: “These are Belial’s [Satan’s] three nets ... in which he catches Israel and makes them appear before them like three types of justice. The first is fornication; the second, wealth; the third, defilement of the temple. He who eludes one is caught in another and he who is freed from that, is caught in another ...” [Martinez] 4:32: Christian conduct is a corollary of Christian doctrine. See also Philippians 2:5-8 and Colossians 3:1-3. [NOAB] 5:1: “imitators of God”: As in Matthew 5:43-48. Paul speaks (elsewhere) of imitating Christ and him rather than of imitating God: see 1 Corinthians 4:16, 11:1; Galatians 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:6; Philippians 3:17. [CAB] 5:1: “children”: In Semitic usage, being children often indicates living by an example set by someone else. [JBC] There is perhaps a connection here to the Jewish bar Mitzvah, meaning son of the Law or Commandments. When a person celebrates his bar Mitzvah, he has concluded a period of study of the Law and takes on adult responsibility and devotion to God. Perhaps Paul (and the author) had this much more adult concept in mind. 5:2: “fragrant offering and sacrifice”: In Old Testament sacrifices, a fragrant odour ascending to God is often mentioned (e.g. in Exodus 29:18 and Leviticus 3:5). “Fragrant offering” and “sacrifice” are found together in the Septuagint translation of Psalm 39:7. [JBC] GOSPEL: John 6: 35, 41 - 51 (RCL) John 6: 41 - 51 (Roman Catholic) John 6:35 (NRSV) Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 41 Then the Jews began to complain about him because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven." 42 They were saying, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, "I have come down from heaven'?" 43 Jesus answered them, "Do not complain among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, "And they shall all be taught by God.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. 46 Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47 Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh." Jesus has miraculously fed a large crowd, “about five thousand in all” (v. 10). But the crowd has misunderstood the food he offers; they have seen it as “bread from heaven” (v. 31) like the manna God gave their ancestors in the wilderness. Now Jesus says that he is both the “bread of life” (v. 35) and the water of life (as “hungry” and “thirsty” show). His is sustenance for all time, and beyond, for those who come to him and believe in him. He says, “I am the bread that came down from heaven” (v. 41): that a human claims to be divine offends strict Jewish monotheism and is the cause of complaint, murmuring among the people. (Manna was God’s response to the murmuring of their ancestors in the wilderness.) They ask (v. 42): how can one who has human parents have come from heaven? Rather than answer the question, Jesus tells them (v. 44): only those whom God draws, calls, can believe in (“come to”) him; those who are called (and respond) will be raised, brought into full union with God, at the end of time. If you had heard and learnt the prophetic books of the scriptures, you would believe in me (v. 45). The way people are “taught by God” is through me, for I have “seen the Father” (v. 46). One who believes has “eternal life” (v. 47) beyond the end of the era. “Manna” (v. 49) was from heaven, but the bread I offer is more: it is “living” (v. 51): this is what “never be hungry ... [nor] thirsty” (v. 35) means. It (or I) offer life “forever” (v. 51). The bread of the Eucharist is “my flesh”. Verse 35: “hungry ... thirsty”: In 4:14, Jesus says to the Samaritan woman at the well: “‘... those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life’”. In 7:37-38, Jesus says: “‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink’”. Verse 36: “seen me”: In spite of “me” being present in most manuscripts, BlkJn omits this word. Though the crowd have seen his signs (see v. 26), they “do not believe” him, and so cannot believe in him, and see him as the answer to their needs. Verses 37-40: BlkJn offers: Everything which the Father gives me shall come to me, and him who comes to me I shall not reject; because I am come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that of everything that the Father has given me I shall not lose anything, but will raise it at the last day. He notes the curious alternation of neuter and masculine: Everything ... him ... anything ... it ... everyone him ..., and notes that the neuter seems to have a collective sense, designed to emphasize the corporate unity of believers. Verse 37: The Father gives to Jesus, and draws to him (see v. 44), those who come to him. Verse 39: “lose nothing”: In 17:12 and 18:9, at the end of his ministry, Jesus claims that this has been accomplished. [BlkJn] Verse 41: “the Jews”: Earlier, in 4:45, John has spoken of “the Galileans”, a more precise term. BlkJn suggests that Jesus may be suggesting that the Galileans are no better than the people of Jerusalem, whose lack of faith forms the theme of the last chapter. Verse 41: “complain”: The Israelites murmur against Moses in Exodus 15:24 and 16:2. God gives them manna: see Exodus 16:4-12. They continued to grumble at God’s gifts. Psalm 106:25 outlines the event. [BlkJn] Verse 42: John uses the first question to introduce the second one. The second is not found in the synoptic gospels. See Luke 4:22 and Mark 6:2ff. Verse 42: Matthew 13:55-56 also tells us of people’s familiarity with Jesus and his parents: after he has taught in the synagogue in his “hometown”, some wonder: “‘Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us?’”. Verse 43: “Do not complain”: BlkJn offers Stop grumbling. Verse 44: “I will raise ...”: Some scholars consider this to be an editorial addition, perhaps part of the effort to bring together those who see eternal life as future and those (Johannine authors) who see eternal life as beginning now. Verse 45: The quotation is from Isaiah 54:13. [BlkJn] Note also Jeremiah 31:34: “No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more”. Verse 46: In the prologue to this gospel, we read in 1:18: “No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known”. See also 3:33 and 5:37. [NJBC] Verse 51: “came down”: The Greek verb, katabaino, is used in three tenses to emphasize three aspects of Christ’s descent from heaven: Verses Tense Emphasis vv. 33, 50 present his repeated coming to the faithful (as in the Lord’s Supper) vv. 38, 42 perfect his eternal status as the Incarnate vv. 41, 51, 58; 3:13 aorist his coming as an event in history (1:14) Verse 51: The last clause leads into the next section.

[Samuel Ferguson, Missionary Bishop for West Africa, 1916] 3 [George Freeman Bragg, Jr., Priest, 1940]; also [William Edward Burghardt DuBois, Sociologist, 1963] 4 5 [Albrecht Dürer, 1528, Matthias Grünewald, 1529, and Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1553, Artists] 6 The Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ 7 John Mason Neale, Priest, 1866; also [Catherine Winkworth, Poet, 1878] 8 Dominic, Priest and Friar, 1221 9 [Herman of Alaska, Missionary to the Aleut, 1837] OLD TESTAMENT: 2 Samuel 11: 26 - 12: 13a (RCL) 2Sam 11:26 (NRSV) When the wife of Uri'ah heard that her husband was dead, she made lamentation for him. 27 When the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD, 12:1 and the LORD sent Nathan to David. He came to him, and said to him, "There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had very many flocks and herds; 3 but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. He brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children; it used to eat of his meager fare, and drink from his cup, and lie in his bosom, and it was like a daughter to him. 4 Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was loath to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him, but he took the poor man's lamb, and prepared that for the guest who had come to him." 5 Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man. He said to Nathan, "As the LORD lives, the man who has done this deserves to die; 6 he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity." 7 Nathan said to David, "You are the man! Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from the hand of Saul; 8 I gave you your master's house, and your master's wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added as much more. 9 Why have you despised the word of the LORD, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uri'ah the Hit'tite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the Am'monites. 10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, for you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uri'ah the Hit'tite to be your wife. 11 Thus says the LORD: I will raise up trouble against you from within your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes, and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this very sun. 12 For you did it secretly; but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun." 13 David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." Exodus 16: 2 - 4, 9 - 15 (alt. for RCL) Exodus 16: 2 - 4, 12 - 15 (Roman Catholic) Exod 16:2 (NRSV) The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 3 The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger." 4 Then the LORD said to Moses, "I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not. 9 Then Moses said to Aaron, "Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites, "Draw near to the LORD, for he has heard your complaining.'" 10 And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked toward the wilderness, and the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. 11 The LORD spoke to Moses and said, 12 "I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, "At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the LORD your God.'" 13 In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14 When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. 15 When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, "It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat. PSALM 51: 1 - 12 (RCL) Psal 51:1 (NRSV) Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment. 5 Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me. 6 You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice. 9 Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit. Note: Verse numbering in your Psalter may be different from the above. 51 Miserere mei, Deus (ECUSA BCP) 1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your loving-kindness; * in your great compassion blot out my offenses. 2 Wash me through and through from my wickedness * and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions, * and my sin is ever before me. . 4 Against you only have I sinned * and done what is evil in your sight. 5 And so you are justified when you speak * and upright in your judgment. 6 Indeed, I have been wicked from my birth, * a sinner from my mother's womb. 7 For behold, you look for truth deep within me, * and will make me understand wisdom secretly. 8 Purge me from my sin, and I shall be pure; * wash me, and I shall be clean indeed. 9 Make me hear of joy and gladness, * that the body you have broken may rejoice. 10 Hide your face from my sins * and blot out all my iniquities. 11 Create in me a clean heart, O God, * and renew a right spirit within me. 12 Cast me not away from your presence * and take not your holy Spirit from me. 13 Give me the joy of your saving help again * and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit. Psalm 78: 3 - 4, 23 - 25, 54 (Roman Catholic) Psalm 78: 23 - 29 (alt. for RCL) Psal 78:3 (NRSV) [T]hings that we have heard and known, that our ancestors have told us. 4 We will not hide them from their children; we will tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. 23 Yet he commanded the skies above, and opened the doors of heaven; 24 he rained down on them manna to eat, and gave them the grain of heaven. 25 Mortals ate of the bread of angels; he sent them food in abundance. 26 He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens, and by his power he led out the south wind; 27 he rained flesh upon them like dust, winged birds like the sand of the seas; 28 he let them fall within their camp, all around their dwellings. 29 And they ate and were well filled, for he gave them what they craved. 54 And he brought them to his holy hill, to the mountain that his right hand had won. 78 (ECUSA BCP) Part I Attendite, popule 23 So he commanded the clouds above * and opened the doors of heaven. 24 He rained down manna upon them to eat * and gave them grain from heaven. 25 So mortals ate the bread of angels; * he provided for them food enough. 26 He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens * and led out the south wind by his might. 27 He rained down flesh upon them like dust * and winge!d birds like the sand of the sea. 28 He let it fall in the midst of their camp * and round about their dwellings. 29 So they ate and were well filled, * for he gave them what they craved. NEW TESTAMENT: Ephesians 4: 1 - 16 (RCL) Ephe 4:1 (NRSV) I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. 7 But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift. 8 Therefore it is said, "When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people." 9 (When it says, "He ascended," what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.) 11 The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. 14 We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people's trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. 15 But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love. h/t Motreal Anglican The author has told his readers of the present exalted state of Christ and the Church, the new unity of God’s people, and the Church as an established growing structure where God dwells. Now he tells us the obligations of being members of this new humanity. Paul did spend time in prison in connection with preaching Christ. The author now urges his readers to live a life “worthy of ... [their] calling” as Christians. Unity is paramount, and is to be fostered by the virtues of “humility” (v. 2), “gentleness”, “patience” and loving forbearance, the source of which is the Spirit. In vv. 4-7, he lists seven ways in which Christians live in unity. God, transcendent (“above all”) and all-pervasive (“through ... and in all”) brings these characteristics. As “Father”, he bonds us together as children, brothers, and sisters. But, in our oneness, we have diverse gifts. The author interprets Psalm 68:18 as telling of Christ’s victory over alien spiritual powers (“captive”, v. 8): when he ascended, became exalted, he conquered them. Christ also “descended” (v. 9) in being born a human being. (In Ephesians, all that is non-human is above.) When he ascended, he gave various gifts: apostleship, prophecy, etc. (v. 8). Together those so endowed were equipped to minister and to build up the Church (v. 12), so “all of us” (v. 13) may work towards common beliefs (“faith”) and perfection in being Christ-like. The maturing process requires adherence to true doctrine (v. 14), and “speaking” (v. 15) and doing God’s “truth” lovingly, emulating Christ, with each member using his or her gifts “properly” (v. 16). NJBC considers that the inspiration for this passage is Colossians 3:12-15. Verse 2: “humility”: This virtue is not found in Greek lists of virtues; Christ raised humility to a virtue by his example. Verse 2: Colossians 3:12-13: “As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive”. [NOAB] Verse 2: “patience”: Towards others – by being slow to retaliate. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:4: “Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant” and in Galatians 5:22: “By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control”. Verse 3: The source of unity is the Holy Spirit. Verse 3: “bond of peace”: In Colossians 3:14, unity is bound together by love. [CAB] Verse 4: “one body”: i.e. one externally visible community. [JBC] Verse 4: “one Spirit”: i.e. one inner source. [JBC] Verse 4: “one hope”: The Holy Spirit is the pledge of the unified community at the end of time. [JBC] 1:14 says that the Holy Spirit “is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God's own people”. [NJBC] Verse 5: “one Lord”: This is especially important because of the Gentile background of the readers, and the author’s stress on the subjugation of all powers, both good and evil, to Christ (see 1:20-22). [NJBC] Paul says that Christians pledge obedience to one master in our baptismal confession of faith. [JBC] Verse 5: “one faith”: Teachings to which all members subscribe; the acceptance of authentic apostolic traditions (“you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone”, 2:20), which can be distinguished from false doctrines (v. 14). Verse 5: “one baptism”: The common initiation of members. See also Colossians 2:9-12: “... In him also you were circumcised with a spiritual circumcision ...”. Verse 6: The author uses the word “all” four times for emphasis. Verse 6: “one God”: See also Romans 3:30 (there is one God for Gentiles as well as for Jews), 1 Corinthians 8:4-6; Galatians 3:20; 1 Timothy 2:5; James 2:19. [CAB] The emphasis on monotheism is also found in Deuteronomy 6:4: Jews prayed twice each day: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord ...” They believed that the eschatological era would bring a great revelation of God’s oneness to the world. Zechariah 14:9, in the Septuagint translation, says: “On that day there shall be one Lord, and his name shall be one.” [JBC] Verses 7-16: Christian unity amid diversity of spiritual gifts. [NOAB] Verse 8: The verse quoted here may have originally referred to God’s victorious ascent of Mount Zion, followed by a procession of defeated enemies, from where he was to receive tribute; but through its liturgical use at Pentecost, particularly in conjunction with the reading from Exodus 19, it came to be interpreted as a reference to Moses’ ascent of Mount Sinai. While in the Septuagint and the Masoretic Text the ascending victor was to receive gifts from people, in Ephesians and in the Aramaic paraphrase of the Targum he gives gifts to people. (It is Moses who gives the Law to the people of Israel.) The author of Ephesians therefore adapts a rabbinic midrash to Christ. [JBC] Verse 9: “lower parts”: Some scholars think that this is a reference to Hades, the abode of the dead. In defence of this being a reference to the Incarnation, in 1:20-22, 3:9-10 and 6:10-20 all beings that are not human are seen as being above. The “lower parts” are contrasted with the place(s) “on high” (v. 8). [NJBC] Verse 10: “heavens”: The concentric hemispheres ancients thought were over the flat earth. Christ is exalted above all of them. Being thus exalted, he was able to “fill all things” with himself. Verse 11: “gifts”: In 1 Corinthians 12:28, Paul says: “God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues”. Those who have certain gifts are recognized by fellow Christians. In Ephesians, Christ is the dispenser of gifts but in Corinthians, it is the Holy Spirit. In Pauline theology, the Risen Christ and the Holy Spirit are closely related in their actions. [JBC] Verse 11: Apostles and prophets are mentioned in 2:20 as foundations of the church, and as recipients of the revelation of Christ in 3:5. [NJBC] Verse 11: “evangelists”: They include Philip the deacon (see Acts 21:8) and Timothy (see 2 Timothy 4:5). Evangelists are preachers of the gospel. [JBC] Verse 11: “pastors”: The word in Greek is literally shepherds. Only Jesus called himself a shepherd in the New Testament; he passed on pastoral tasks to others. See 1 Peter 2:25; Hebrews 13:20; John 10:2; Mark 6:34; 14:27; Matthew 25:32; John 21:15-17. Teachers are mentioned as a group in 1 Corinthians 12:28; Acts 13:1 and James 3:1. [CAB] Verse 14: “no longer be children”: In 1 Corinthians 3:1, Paul tells his first readers: “... brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.”. See also 1 Corinthians 14:20. [JBC] Verse 14: “tossed to and fro”: At the time this was written, false bodies of doctrine posed a threat to the unity of the Church. [NJBC] Verse 15: “speaking”: The verb in Greek means both speaking and doing. [NOAB] The following verses are an appeal to renounce pagan ways, and an exhortation to ethical conduct. Learning about Christ has implications for daily living. GOSPEL: John 6: 24 - 35 (all) John 6:24 (NRSV) So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Caper'naum looking for Jesus. 25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?" 26 Jesus answered them, "Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal." 28 Then they said to him, "What must we do to perform the works of God?" 29 Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." 30 So they said to him, "What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, "He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" 32 Then Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." 34 They said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always." 35 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. Jesus’ miraculous provision of food to the crowd has recalled, for John, the gift of manna to the people of Israel in the desert. The crowd has taken Jesus for a political messiah who will free them from Roman occupation. John continues to pursue the question: Who is Jesus? Is he divine? Jesus and the disciples have escaped the crowds, but only for a while. Rather than tell them of his walking on water (which they would misunderstand), he does not answer them. He tells them that they are seeking him not because they understand the spiritual meaning of the food, but for another free meal (v. 26). He says: raise your sights above material things, to eternal ones, to what I, “the Son of Man will give you” (v. 27). The Father has shown me to be authentic (“seal”). I will give you nourishment for ever. But they have only grasped that the food is miraculous, a work of God, so they ask: how can we do such miracles? (v. 28) Jesus answers: only one “work of God” (v. 29) is essential: to trust in me. Again, they misunderstand; they ask: what proof will you give us? (v. 30). Moses gave us manna from heaven in the wilderness (v. 31); you have only given us earthly food. We expect the Messiah to give us manna again. In v. 32, Jesus tries to clear up the misunderstandings: • it was God, not Moses who gave you manna; • the Father gives bread now; and • manna met physical needs but “true bread” is more than that. Then v. 33: Jesus himself is the true bread, the “bread of God”: he “comes ... from heaven and gives life ...”. They still do not grasp that he is the bread, Finally, he says: I am the sustenance of life itself, of very existence, for those who trust in me; I will fill their every need. Verses 22-24: BlkJn notes that these verses are logistically confused, possibly because of what John found in his source not being well aligned with his purposes. John has introduced an explanation of how the crowd reached Capernaum, but his explanation is not very likely, for a whole fleet of boats would be needed. Verse 26: The crowd’s eagerness for free food resembles the Samaritan woman’s eagerness for water. She asks, in part, “give me this water, so that I may [not] ... have to keep coming here to draw water” (4:15). [BlkJn] Verse 27: BlkJn points out that Jesus does not deny the importance of working to put bread on the table: that “... not ... but” is a Hebraism. Another example: Hosea 6:6: when God says, through the prophet, “I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice” he is not denying the value of sacrifice. Verse 27: “food”: The Torah was familiarly known as bread. In 4:34, Jesus tells his disciples: “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work”. [BlkJn] Verse 27: “endures for eternal life”: BlkJn offers lasts until eternal life. The preposition is eis; its literal meaning is into. “Endures” translates menei, which literally means remains. Note other occurrences of menei: 8:35 (“the son has a place there forever”); 12:34 (“the Messiah remains forever”), and (particularly helpful): 1 John 2:17 (“the world and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God live forever”). Verse 27: “eternal life”: In 4:13-14, Jesus tells the Samaritan woman at the well: “‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life’”. See also Isaiah 55:2. [NJBC] Verse 27: “Son of Man”: Elsewhere in John, “Son of Man” means a messenger from heaven to make God known (see 3:13) and the judge at the end of time (see 5:27). Here Jesus is speaking in Jewish terms: a son of man, whose coming was prophesied in Daniel 7:13-14 (“one like a son of man”, *Septuagint translation). People saw this figure as the coming Messiah: when he comes, he will glorify the people of Israel by transforming them into the everlasting kingdom of God. To us (as to John), Jesus is the embodiment of salvation, the mediator where heaven and earth meet. Verse 27: “seal”: The Father has shown Jesus’ authenticity at his baptism. See also 3:17-21; 3:33; 5:19. [NJBC] Verse 28: “works”: The Greek word is the same as is translated “work” in v. 27, but the sense is slightly different: here do, there work for. [BlkJn] Jesus speaks of himself as doing the “works” of the one who sent him in 9:4. See also 3:21; Revelation 2:26; CD (Damascus Document) 2:14-15. [NOAB] CD 2:14-15 says: “And now, my sons, listen to me and I shall open your eyes so that you can see and understand the deeds of God, so that you can choose what he is pleased with and repudiate what he hates ...” Verse 29: “believe in him ...”: You are to have obedient trust in the one God “has sent”. [NOAB] Verse 30: Faith cannot be proved! Recall 1 Corinthians 1:22: “Jews demand signs”. [BlkJn] Verse 30: “are you performing”: This verb has a future sense. [BlkJn] Verse 31: The quotation is a conflation of Exodus 16:4-5 and Psalm 78:24. For the gift of manna in the desert, see also Exodus 16:14,15; Numbers 11:7-9; Psalm 105:40. [NOAB] That manna would be given again is predicted in a number of places, of which one is 2 Baruch 29:8: “The treasury of manna shall again descend from on high and they will eat it in those years.” A second gift of manna is also mentioned in Midrash Rabba Ecclesiastes 1:9. [NJBC] Verse 32: BlkJn says that Jesus’ saying is very compressed, almost to obscurity. Jesus implies that manna was not really “bread from heaven” and adds that there is a real bread from heaven (of which manna was the type). Verse 33: The genders in the Greek are such that “that which” can be equally translated as he who. The ambiguity may be intended. There is a three-fold contrast: • manna fed, for a time, only the Israelites – and they later died (see 4:49) • the real bread feeds, for ever, all peoples – and gives them eternal life (see 4:27) Jesus both came down from heaven (see 3:13) and is the means whereby the world attains to life (see 3:16). Vv. 35 and 51 explain how this is done. [BlkJn] Verse 34: “give us this bread”: Like the Samaritan woman, who asks, “... give me this water, so I may never be thirsty ...”. There is a touch of irony in this request; the Jews do not really believe, and yet unconsciously they echo not only the Samaritan woman’s words at the well but also the Lord’s Prayer. [BlkJn] Verse 35: The Eucharist is not yet clearly in view; the thought here is rather of the moment of conversion than of the continuing life nourished by the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. [BlkJn] Note the progression from “bread from heaven” (v. 31) to “bread of God” (v. 33), to “bread of life” (v. 35). “Bread of life” is mentioned in one contemporary work, Joseph and Aseneth: an angelic being gives a heavenly substance to the pious on earth. In 16:8-9 of that book, it is likened to manna in the desert. See also Sibylline Oracles 3:746. [NJBC]