15 John Horden, Bishop and Missionary in Canada, 1893. Robert McDonald, Priest, 1913 was the first Anglican Bishop of Moosonee.
16 Ralph Adams Cram, 1942, and Richard Upjohn, 1878, Architects, and John LaFarge, Artist, 1910
17 William Lloyd Garrison, 1879, and Maria Stewart, 1879, Prophetic Witnesses was an African-American journalist, lecturer, abolitionist, and women's rights activist.
19 Lillian Trasher, Missionary in Egypt, 1961
21 Saint Thomas the Apostle

OLD TESTAMENT:  Isaiah 61: 1 - 4, 8 - 11  (RCL)
                                    Isaiah 61: 1 - 2a, 10 - 11   (Roman Catholic)

Isai 61:1 (NRSV) The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and release to the prisoners;
2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
3 to provide for those who mourn in Zion--
to give them a garland instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the LORD, to display his glory.
4 They shall build up the ancient ruins,
they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
the devastations of many generations.

8 For I the LORD love justice,
I hate robbery and wrongdoing;
I will faithfully give them their recompense,
and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
9 Their descendants shall be known among the nations,
and their offspring among the peoples;
all who see them shall acknowledge
that they are a people whom the LORD has blessed.
10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD,
my whole being shall exult in my God;
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the earth brings forth its shoots,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,
so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise
to spring up before all the nations.


PSALM 126  (RCL)

Psal 126:1 (NRSV) When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dream.
2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then it was said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."
3 The LORD has done great things for us,
and we rejoiced.
4 Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the watercourses in the Neg'eb.
5 May those who sow in tears
reap with shouts of joy.
6 Those who go out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
carrying their sheaves.


126   In convertendo   (ECUSA BCP)

1      When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, *
 then were we like those who dream.

2      Then was our mouth filled with laughter, *
 and our tongue with shouts of joy.

3      Then they said among the nations, *
 "The Lord has done great things for them."

4      The Lord has done great things for us, *
 and we are glad indeed.

5      Restore our fortunes, O Lord, *
 like the watercourses of the Negev.

6      Those who sowed with tears *
 will reap with songs of joy.

7      Those who go out weeping, carrying the seed, *
 will come again with joy, shouldering their sheaves.



Luke 1: 47 - 55   (alt. for RCL)
Luke 1: 46 - 50, 53 - 54   (Roman Catholic)

Luke 1:46 (NRSV) And Mary said,
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50 His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
52 He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever."

Note: The ECUSA lectionary actually calls for Canticles 3 or 15, which are the above passage, from the King James or a contemporary translation, respectively. Common Worship and the Canadian BAS also call for the Canticle Magnificat, as printed therein.


15    The Song of Mary    Magnificat   (ECUSA BCP)

Luke 1:46-55

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; *
   for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed: *
   the Almighty has done great things for me,
   and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him *
   in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm, *
   he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, *
   and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things, *
   and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel, *
   for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
The promise he made to our fathers, *
   to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
   as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.


NEW TESTAMENT:  1 Thessalonians 5: 16 - 24  (RCL, Roman Catholic)

1The 5:16 (NRSV) Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise the words of prophets, 21 but test everything; hold fast to what is good; 22 abstain from every form of evil.
23 May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.

h/t Montreal Anglican

Paul is drawing toward the conclusion of his letter. He has just exhorted the Thessalonian Christians regarding their personal conduct and their relations within the community. Now he turns to spiritual matters. God’s plan for them, realized in Christ, is to “rejoice always”, to make their lives a continual prayer, a working in unison with God, and to be thankful to God for his freely-given gifts, whatever may happen to them (vv. 16-18).

Do not, he says in v. 19, suppress manifestations of the Holy Spirit as he works through members of the community; do not despise “the words of prophets” (v. 20), i.e. preaching inspired by God, words of consolation and warning spoken by members who receive messages from God, and predictions of future events, but be aware that there are true and false prophets; there are those who authentically speak God’s word, but others who do not, who are false, “evil” (v. 22). Take care to discern, in the context of the community, all supposed manifestations of the Spirit (“test everything”, v. 21).

Finally, in vv. 23-24, Paul prays that God, who brings peace (shalom) in the community now and promises eternal peace in his kingdom, may bring them into union with him (“sanctify”). Also, may every aspect of each one of them – their relationship to God (“spirit”), their personal vitality (“soul”), and their physical bodies – be found godly, worthy of the kingdom, when Christ comes again. God, who calls them to the Christian way, in his fidelity will sanctify them and make them worthy of the kingdom.

Verses 12-13: See also Romans 12:8; 16:2; Galatians 6:6; 1 Timothy 3:4; Titus 3:8, 14; 1 Timothy 5:17. [ CAB]

Verse 13: “love”: The Greek word is philadelphia, love of fellow Christians. Paul has spoken of it in 4:9-11. [ NJBC]

Verse 14: “idlers”: i.e. undisciplined and disorderly people who neglect their daily duties. See also 2 Thessalonians 3:6-12. [ CAB]

Verse 14: “patient”: Patience is a fruit of the Spirit: Paul writes in Galatians 5:22-23: “By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control ...”. [ NJBC]

Verse 15: Jesus gives a similar exhortation in Matthew 5:44-48 (also in the parallel, Luke 6:27-36). See also Romans 12:17. [ CAB] Put philadelphia into practice! [ NJBC]

Verses 16-18: General exhortations on the Christian way of life. [ NJBC]

Verse 16: See also Philippians 4:4 and Romans 14:17. Joy, too, is a fruit of the Spirit. [ CAB] [ NJBC]

Verse 17: Luke 18:1 says “Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always ...” [ CAB] Prayer proceeds from the Spirit: see Romans 8:15-16. See also Ephesians 6:18. [ NJBC]

Verse 18: See also Philippians 4:6 and Colossians 2:7; 3:15-17. [ CAB] [ NJBC]

Verse 19: See also Jeremiah 20:9; Matthew 3:11; Acts 2:3; Romans 12:11; 2 Timothy 1:6. [ NOAB] [ CAB]

Verse 20: “words of prophets”: See also 1 Corinthians 14:1. Prophets were numerous in the early church: see Acts 11:27; 13:1; 1 Corinthians 12:28-29. Their utterances, while including the foretelling of events, were mainly exhortations to godliness. They were next in authority to the apostles: see Ephesians 2:20; 4:11. [ NOAB]

Verses 21-22: “good ... evil”: While some scholars see these words as referring to true and false prophecy, others see them as referring to moral discernment, as in Isaiah 1:16-17. [ NJBC]

Verse 21: “test everything”: See also 1 John 4:1-3: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world ...”. [ NOAB]

Verse 23: “the God of peace”: See also Romans 15:33; 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:11; Philippians 4:9; Hebrews 13:20. [ CAB] To NJBC, this is a traditional epithet taken over by Paul: see Judges 6:24; Romans 15:33; 1 Corinthians 14:33.

Verse 23: “spirit and soul and body”: Paul does not think of a person as having three parts, but as a unity – consistent with typical Jewish anthropology. [ NOAB] However, some scholars suggest that Paul expresses a tripartite form of anthropology. [ NJBC]

Verse 24: “this”: i.e. v. 23. [ NOAB]

Verse 25: “pray for us”: Earlier ( 1:2; 3:11-13; 5:23), Paul as prayed for the Christians at Thessalonica. Now he seeks their prayers. See also Romans 15:30-32; Philippians 1:19; Philemon 22. [ NJBC]

Verse 26: “holy kiss”: Such a kiss became a symbol of communal love among Christians. It became a regular part of worship in the Church. See also Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:26; 1 Peter 5:14. [ NOAB] [ CAB]

Verse 27: It seems that reading of a Christian text was a new practice in the Christian assembly. [ NJBC] See also Colossians 4:16 and Revelation 1:3. [ CAB]

Verse 28: A solemn greeting concludes all of the authentic Pauline letters. [ NJBC]

GOSPEL:  John 1: 6 - 8, 19 - 28   (all)

John 1:6 (NRSV) There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.

19 This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Le'vites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" 20 He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, "I am not the Messiah." 21 And they asked him, "What then? Are you Eli'jah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the prophet?" He answered, "No." 22 Then they said to him, "Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?" 23 He said,
"I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,
"Make straight the way of the Lord,'"
as the prophet Isai'ah said.
24 Now they had been sent from the Phar'isees. 25 They asked him, "Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Eli'jah, nor the prophet?" 26 John answered them, "I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, 27 the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal." 28 This took place in Beth'any across the Jordan where John was baptizing.

In the opening verses of the book, the evangelist has told us, that the Word, the logos, (i.e. what God says, God in action, creating, revealing and redeeming) existed before all time. He is the force behind all that exists; he causes physical and spiritual life to be; life, goodness, light, overcomes all evil. Jesus, the “light” (v. 7), took on being human through God, and is a force for goodness, light, godliness, for all people.

Now he tells of John the baptizer, who is sent, commissioned by God, to point to Jesus, to “testify to the light” (v. 7). He is the lamp that illuminates the way, but Christ is the light (v. 8). When the religious authorities (“Jews”, v. 19) send emissaries (“priests and Levites”) to assess the authenticity of this religious figure, John tells them that he is neither of those whom they are expecting to come to earth: neither “the Messiah” (v. 20) nor the returned “Elijah” (v. 21). (Jews believed that one or both would establish a kingdom on earth free from Roman domination.) Neither is he “the prophet” who was expected (by some) to be instrumental in establishing the Messiah’s kingdom. John says simply that he is the one who prepares “the way of the Lord” (v. 23), who announces the Messiah’s coming, fulfilling Isaiah 40:3. Representatives of the Pharisees (who enforced traditional Jewish law and practice) ask in v. 25: why are you performing an official rite without official status? (Jews baptized proselytes at the time.) John tells them that the one to whom he points is already on earth (v. 27); he is so great that I am not even worthy to be his slave. Surprisingly, per v. 28, this occurred outside Israel.

Verses 1-2: The “Word” (Greek: logos) of God is speech, but also God in action, creating (Genesis 1:3; Psalm 33:6), revealing (Amos 3:7-8), redeeming (Psalm 107:19-20). Jesus is this “Word” (v. 14). He was eternal (“in the beginning” – see Genesis 1:1); personal (“with God”); divine (“was God”). Note “the Word was God”: then v. 14: “the Word became flesh”. [ NOAB]

Verse 1: “In the beginning”: An echo of Genesis 1:1 in the Septuagint version. [ CAB]

Verse 1: “In the beginning ... was with God”: Also recalls the traditions of Wisdom being with God at creation (Proverbs 8:30; Wisdom of Solomon 7:25), but John goes beyond the stance of wisdom literature, which carefully avoids showing Wisdom as equal with God. [ NJBC]

Verse 3: He was the sole agent of creation (Genesis 1:1; Proverbs 8:27-30; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 1:2). [ NOAB]

Verse 4: Apart from him, both physical and spiritual life would recede into nothingness ( 5:39-40; 8:12). [ NOAB]

Verse 5: “The light shines in the darkness”: Wisdom of Solomon 7:29-30 speaks of a beauty that surpasses the sun and stars; sin cannot prevail over Wisdom. [ NJBC]

Verse 5: “darkness”: Total evil in conflict with God – it cannot overcome God. [ NOAB]

Verses 6-8: John the Baptist was commissioned by God (Malachi 3:1) to point to Jesus (vv. 9-34). [ NOAB] John the Baptist is a witness. [ NJBC]

Verse 9: “The true light”: The real (authentic, divinely given reality), underived light contrasted not with false light but with those such as John the Baptist: he was a lamp ( 5:35). [ NOAB]

Verse 19: “the Jews”: i.e. the religious authorities. [ NOAB] Later, John (the evangelist) uses this expression for those who instigate opposition to Jesus, especially Pharisees and high priests: see 5:10, 15-16, 18; 7:1; 8:48, 52, 57; 9:18, 22; 10:24, 31, 33; 11:8; 18:12, 14, 31, 33; 19:7, 12, 14, 31, 38; 20:19. [ NJBC]

Verse 20: “Messiah”: This term first appears for a future anointed agent of God in Daniel 9:25 (NRSV: “anointed”). The Qumran Literature further developed this idea. See 1QS (Rule of the Community) 9:11; 1QSa (Rule of the Community, Appendix A) 2:14, 20; CD (Damascus Document) 20:1; 4QFlor (Florilegium) 1:11-13. [ NJBC]

Verse 21: “Elijah”: 2 Kings 2:11 says that “Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven”. In Malachi 3:1, Yahweh says: “See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight – indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.”. In Malachi 4:5, Yahweh identifies the messenger as Elijah: “I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes”, i.e. before the end of the era. John is unaware of this role, but later Jesus ascribes it to him: see Matthew 11:14 and Mark 9:13. [ NOAB] [ NJBC]

Verse 21: “the prophet”: In Deuteronomy 18:15, Moses says: “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people” so the prophet like Moses was expected as a forerunner of the Messiah. See also 6:14 and 7:40. [ NOAB]

Verse 23: “the voice”: As a “voice” John fulfills a prophetic role announcing the Messiah’s coming. [ NOAB] The form of the quotation here is different from the one in the Synoptic gospels and from the Septuagint translation. [ NJBC]