21 Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1109

22 John Muir, Naturalist and Writer, 1914, and Hudson Stuck, Priest and Environmentalist, 1920

23 George, Soldier and Martyr, c. 304. Toyohiko Kagawa, Prophetic Witness in Japan, 1960 was a Japanese Christian pacifist, Christian reformer, and labour activist

24 Genocide Remembrance

25 Saint Mark the Evangelist

26 Robert Hunt, Priest and First Chaplain at Jamestown, 1607 a vicar in the Church of England, was chaplain of the expedition that founded, in 1607, the first successful English colony in the New World, at Jamestown, Virginia

27 Christina Rossetti, Poet, 1894

28

FIRST READING: Acts 10: 34 - 43 (all)

Acts 10:34 (NRSV) Then Peter began to speak to them: "I truly understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ--he is Lord of all. 37 That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; 40 but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."

Note: the Roman Catholic lectionary omits vs. 34b-36.

Jeremiah 31: 1 - 6 (alt. for RCL)

Jere 31:1 (NRSV) At that time, says the LORD, I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people.

2 Thus says the LORD:

The people who survived the sword

found grace in the wilderness;

when Israel sought for rest,

3 the LORD appeared to him from far away.

I have loved you with an everlasting love;

therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.

4 Again I will build you, and you shall be built,

O virgin Israel!

Again you shall take your tambourines,

and go forth in the dance of the merrymakers.

5 Again you shall plant vineyards

on the mountains of Samaria;

the planters shall plant,

and shall enjoy the fruit.

6 For there shall be a day when sentinels will call

in the hill country of E'phraim:

"Come, let us go up to Zion,

to the LORD our God."

PSALM 118: 1 - 2, 14 - 24  (RCL)

Psalm 118: 1 - 2, 16 - 17, 22 - 23  (Roman Catholic)

Psal 118:1 (NRSV) O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;

his steadfast love endures forever!

2 Let Israel say,

"His steadfast love endures forever."

14 The LORD is my strength and my might;

he has become my salvation.

15 There are glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous:

"The right hand of the LORD does valiantly;

16 the right hand of the LORD is exalted;

the right hand of the LORD does valiantly."

17 I shall not die, but I shall live,

and recount the deeds of the LORD.

18 The LORD has punished me severely,

but he did not give me over to death.

19 Open to me the gates of righteousness,

that I may enter through them

and give thanks to the LORD.

20 This is the gate of the LORD;

the righteous shall enter through it.

21 I thank you that you have answered me

and have become my salvation.

22 The stone that the builders rejected

has become the chief cornerstone.

23 This is the LORD's doing;

it is marvelous in our eyes.

24 This is the day that the LORD has made;

let us rejoice and be glad in it. {Or [in him]}

25 Save us, we beseech you, O LORD!

O LORD, we beseech you, give us success!

26 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD.

We bless you from the house of the LORD.

27 The LORD is God,

and he has given us light.

Bind the festal procession with branches,

up to the horns of the altar.

28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;

you are my God, I will extol you.

29 O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,

for his steadfast love endures forever.

118   Confitemini Domino   (ECUSA BCP)

1          Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; *

     his mercy endures for ever.

2          Let Israel now proclaim, *

     “His mercy endures for ever.”

14  The Lord is my strength and my song, *

     and he has become my salvation.

15  There is a sound of exultation and victory *

     in the tents of the righteous:

16  "The right hand of the Lord has triumphed! *

   the right hand of the Lord is exalted!

   the right hand of the Lord has triumphed!"

17  I shall not die, but live, *

   and declare the works of the Lord.

18  The Lord has punished me sorely, *

   but he did not hand me over to death.

 

19  Open for me the gates of righteousness; *

   I will enter them;

   I will offer thanks to the Lord.

20  "This is the gate of the Lord; *

   he who is righteous may enter."

21  I will give thanks to you, for you answered me *

   and have become my salvation.

22  The same stone which the builders rejected *

   has become the chief cornerstone.

23  This is the Lord's doing, *

   and it is marvelous in our eyes.

24  On this day the Lord has acted; *

   we will rejoice and be glad in it.

 

SECOND READING: Colossians 3: 1 - 4 (all)

Colo 3:1 (NRSV) So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, 3 for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.

h/t Montreal Anglican The author has described baptism as being “raised with Christ” and becoming sharers in his suffering and death. In the early Church, those to be baptised removed their clothes before the rite and donned new ones after it, symbolizing the casting aside of their old ways (“died”, v. 3) and their new “life” in Christ. Our reading summarizes this teaching. We already have close fellowship with Christ, but this is not yet fully revealed; our lives are still “hidden with Christ in God” (v. 3), unseen by worldly people. When Christ’s glory is “revealed” (v. 4) at the end of time, our complete union with him will also be seen. (Early Christians saw Psalm 110:1, “... Sit at my right hand ...”, as showing that Jewish messianic hopes are realized in Christ.)

Being baptised has ethical implications (vv. 5-17): we are to cast aside both sins of the body (v. 5) and of the mind (v. 8). “Fornication” (v. 5), porneia in Greek, means all forms of sexual immorality; the “impurity” is sexual; “passion” is lust; evil desire is self--centred covetousness; “greed” motivates a person to set up a god besides God. “The wrath of God is coming” (v. 6) at the end of time on those who indulge in immorality. In the baptised community, racial and social barriers no longer exist, for “Christ is all and in all” (v. 11).

Verse 1: “So”: In Colossians, this word often marks the start of a new section. [ NJBC]

Verse 1: “have been raised with Christ”: See also 2:12; Ephesians 5:14. [ CAB]

Verse 1: “seated at the right hand of God”: Hebrews 1:3 says “... When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high”. [ NOAB]

Verse 3: “you have died”: i.e. to the world. [ NOAB]

Verse 4: Perhaps this is a paraphrase of 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17: “For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever”. See also Mark 13:24-27 (the Little Apocalypse); 1 John 2:28; 3:2. [ NOAB]

Verse 5: Lists of sins are common in Hellenic literature of the time, so there is no implication that the Colossian Christians indulged in any of these sins. Similar lists are found in the Qumran literature: see, for example, 1QS (Rule of the Community) 4:3-5 and CD (Damascus Document) 4:17-19. [ NJBC]

Verse 5: “fornication”: See also Romans 1:24; 2 Corinthians 12:21; Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 5:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:7. [ CAB]

From time to time, Clippings points out that words in the Greek manuscripts of the New Testament are found in particular verses in the translation of the Old Testament in common use when the New Testament was written. But, the Septuagint was written some two to three centuries before the New Testament, so we sometimes need to ask whether the meaning of these words had changed over the centuries.

In the case of v. 5 here, we should ask: did the author know of older meanings for some of the words in his list of vices? Consider porneia (“fornication”). In Classical Greek (the language of five to six centuries before Christ), porneia seems to have primarily referred to prostitution.

If the author of Colossians was aware of this earlier meaning (which might have still been current when Hosea was translated into Greek), perhaps he tied this passage with Hosea 1:2: “... Go, take for yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom”. In the Septuagint, “whoredom” is porneia so “the land commits great whoredom” (ekporneuousa) .

He was probably also aware of Proverbs 5, where good and bad women, representing wisdom and foolishness, and faithfulness and faithlessness, are mentioned. (In the Septuagint translation of Proverbs 5:3, "loose woman" is gynaikos pornes). So it seems that more is at stake than sexual misbehaviour; indeed, the author of Colossians calls on his readers to be faithful (as Hosea called on his to be faithful to the covenant with God). Prostituting oneself in either (and both) senses is the “earthly” part.

In case the reader thinks that suggesting that the author might know earlier meanings of words is reading too much into the text, I point out that he was sufficiently learned to write of the cosmic nature of Christ. That he used this notion in his argument shows that his readers also had a certain background in the history of ideas. In Colossians 2:8, he writes “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe [kosmos], and not according to Christ” On the other hand, these older meanings hung on much longer than scholars sometimes give credit: into New Testament Greek . [Abbott Conway]

Verse 5: “impurity”: The word in the Greek is akatharsian . In Classical Greek, this word means want of cleansing, and hence filth , and metaphorically moral filthiness. There is also the sense of something that is akatharsos being unpurified, or unatoned. So the author may mean, within the general sense of morality, something more specific about behaviour that is consonant with the cleansing and atoning work of Christ. [Abbott Conway]

Verse 5: “passion”: The Greek word, pathos, may specifically relate to sexual passion, but generally it refers to any kind of suffering. In Classical Greek, the primary meaning is pain or distress, and spiritually it refers to any kind of violent feeling, whether of love or of hate. In Plato’s writings, the family of words refers to that which is accidental or changing (as distinct from that which is substantial and immutable). So, again, there may well be two meanings here: one sexual, and one to do with faith. [Abbott Conway]

Verse 5: “evil desire”: The Greek literally means bad (or evil) longings. [Abbott Conway]

Verse 5: “greed ...”: See also Ephesians 5:5. [ NOAB]

Verse 5: “greed (which is idolatry)”: Ephesians 5:5 speaks of “one who is greedy (that is, an idolater)”. The equating of this greed with idolatry helps fit the whole set of readings together, for the harlotry to which Hosea refers is none other than the abandonment of the covenant for local idols, as Ezekiel 3:6-11 exemplifies.

In a sense, then, this little passage offers a hinge between the general argument of Hosea that the holy people should avoid the faithlessness of idolatry, and the specific injunction of Jesus to avoid greed of any kind (which is a kind of idolatry, and thus is faithlessness to God). [Abbott Conway]

Verse 8: “anger, wrath”: The Greek word translated “anger”, orge, came to mean, by New Testament times, any violent passion, but especially wrath. Thymon (“wrath”) came to mean the seat of feelings, and then specifically the seat of anger. This may explain why the author uses two terms here, rather than just one: orge refers to the action of puffing oneself up with rage, and thymos refers to the residence of anger. [Abbott Conway]

Verse 8: “anger”: See also Ephesians 4:26. [ CAB]

Verse 8: “malice”: The Greek word has a range of meanings from vice, malice, and depravity to ill--repute and dishonour. [Abbott Conway]

Verse 8: “slander”: The Greek word, blasphemian, means slander when it is directed to humans, and blasphemy when it is directed to God. [Abbott Conway]

Verse 8: “abusive language”: See also Ephesians 5:4 and James 3:5-12. [ CAB] The Greek means literally foul language. The stem of the word means both shame / disgrace, and ugliness / deformity. [Abbott Conway]

Verses 9-10: See also 2 Corinthians 5:17. [ CAB]

Verse 10: “according to the image of its creator”: See Genesis 1:26-27. See also 1 Corinthians 15:45-49 (“... the first Adam ... the last Adam”); Ephesians 2:10; 4:24. [NOAB]

Verse 11: See also Galatians 3:28. [ CAB]

Verse 11: “Scythian”: The Scythians were a nomadic people from the Caucasus who threatened the Assyrian and Persian empires from the north. In the Old Testament they are called “Ashkenaz” (Genesis 10:3; 1 Chronicles 1:6; Jeremiah 51:27). The Scythians’ cruelty was proverbial in later antiquity (see 2 Maccabees 4:47; 3 Maccabees 7:5; 4 Maccabees 10:7).

Verse 11: “Christ is all and in all”: The Greek is alla [ta] panta kai en pasin Christos. This clause expresses both the universality of Christ (following from the descriptions of the cosmic Christ in earlier passages), and his presence in everything. The two Greek words (panta and pasin ) make absolutely clear a distinction that is not always evident in modem translations. [Abbott Conway]

Verses 12-17: V. 12 tells us the qualities which the baptised are expected to possess, i.e. be “clothed” with. “Compassion” is sympathy for the needs of others. We should be meek in the sense of gentle and considerate towards others. We should be forgiving as God has forgiven us. The primary Christian virtue is “love” (v. 14); it is born out of God’s love. May our thinking and actions be motivated by “the peace of Christ” (v. 15). May we teach each other in the light of the ultimate truth, i.e. God, and be joyful in the Lord. All we do should be done as though Jesus himself is doing it.

Verse 12: See also Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Timothy 6:11; 2 Peter 1:5-7. [ CAB]

Verse 12: “compassion”: See also 2 Corinthians 6:6 and Ephesians 2:7.

Verse 12: “humility”: See also 2:18, 23. [ CAB]

Verse 12: “meekness”: See also Galatians 6:1 (”gentleness”) and 2 Timothy 2:25. [ CAB]

Verse 12: “patience”: See also 2 Corinthians 6:6; Ephesians 4:2; 2 Timothy 3:10; 4:2. [ CAB]

Verse 13: See also 2 Corinthians 11:19; Galatians 6:6; Romans 9:19; 15:7; Hebrews 8:8; Matthew 6:14-15; Ephesians 4:32. [ CAB]

Verse 15: “the peace of Christ”: See also John 14:27; Ephesians 2:14; 2 Thessalonians 3:16. [ CAB]

Verse 15: “rule”: Literally, be umpire.

Verse 17: 1 Corinthians 10:31 says “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God”. [ CAB]

The Acts reading from above is an alternate for RCL (if not already used)

1 Corinthians 5: 6b - 8 (alt. for Roman Catholic)

1Cor 5:6 (NRSV) Do you not know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? 7 Clean out the old yeast so that you may be a new batch, as you really are unleavened. For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore, let us celebrate the festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

GOSPEL: John 20: 1 - 18 (RCL)

                  John 20: 1 - 9 (Roman Catholic)

John 20:1 (NRSV) Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Mag'dalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." 3 Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. 4 The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, 7 and the cloth that had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples returned to their homes.

11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; 12 and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. 13 They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." 14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." 16 Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew,"Rabbou'ni!" (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, "Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, "I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" 18 Mary Mag'dalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

Matthew 28: 1 - 10 (alt. for RCL)

Matt 28:1 (NRSV) After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Mag'dalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples, "He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.' This is my message for you." 8 So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

On Friday, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James (“the other Mary”) have seen Jesus’ body laid in the tomb, the stone door sealed, and a guard mounted. Now, soon after dawn on Sunday morning (“the first day of the week”) they return to “see” and probably to mourn. Matthew highlights important milestones with displays of cosmic power, God’s power: here, and when Jesus died, an “earthquake” (v. 2), which heralds the arrival of “an angel”, a messenger from God. The sealing of the tomb has marked death’s victory, but now God’s agent rolls back the door (“stone”) and sits on it – symbolizing Jesus’ triumph over death. The angel’s “appearance” (v. 3) shows God’s presence and power (“like lightning”); his clothing is like Jesus transfigured. The guards are paralysed with “fear” (v. 4), but the angel is no threat to the women (“Do not be afraid”, v. 5). As Jesus has told his disciples (“as he said”, v. 6), Jesus has risen from the dead. The disciples will see him again in Galilee. The women leave the tomb filled with awe (“fear”, v. 8) and “great joy”. Jesus meets the Marys again later (v. 9). That they “took hold of his feet” attests to his bodily resurrection. Jesus refers to the disciples as “brothers” (v. 10): he has forgiven them for deserting him.

The parallels are Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-11; John 20:1-10.

Mark 16:1-2 tells of Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bringing spices to anoint Jesus, but Matthew has told us that a woman has already anointed Jesus for burial: see 26:6-13.

Verse 1: “was dawning”: One scholar translates this as towards dawn.

Verse 1: “Mary Magdalene and the other Mary”: See also 27:56, 61.

Verse 2: “a great earthquake”: See also 27:51-54.

Verse 2: “angel”: In 1:20, an angel warns Joseph and Mary to flee with Jesus to Egypt. In Mark, a “young man” sits within the tomb.

Verse 3: “lightning”: See also Daniel 10:6 for lightning as a sign of God’s presence.

Verse 3: “his clothing white as snow”: See 17:2 for Jesus’ clothes becoming “dazzling white” at his transfiguration.

Verse 4: “the guards”: See also 27:62-66.

Verse 6: “he has been raised, as he said”: See 16:21; 17:23; 20:19; 27:63. See also 12:40; 26:61; 27:40.

Verse 7: “He has been raised from the dead”: A creedal formula, not found in Mark. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, 12, 20

Verse 7: “he is going ahead of you to Galilee”: See 26:32; 28:16; John 21:21-23.

Verse 7: “This is my message for you”: In other words, I have accomplished my mission.

Verse 8: See also Luke 24:9, 22-23. The sequence of events cannot be worked out. Each account is a separate summary of early Christian testimony to the fact of Jesus’ resurrection.

Verse 8: “with fear and great joy”: One scholar comments that their state is like that of those about to be married!

Verse 9: See also John 20:14-18 (Mary Magdalene meets Jesus near the tomb). It is implied that the women recognized Jesus immediately.

Verse 10: “said to them”: i.e. to the two women.

Verse 10: “my brothers”: Jesus calls his followers brothers in John 20:17 and Matthew 12:46-50. In the latter passage, doing so implies forgiveness.