• 30 Jeanne d’Arc (Joan of Arc), Mystic and Soldier, 1431 nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" (French: La Pucelle d'Orléans), is considered a heroine of France for her role during the Lancastrian phase of the Hundred Years' War, and was canonized as a Roman Catholic saint. Joan of Arc was born to Jacques d'Arc and Isabelle Romée, a peasant family, at Domrémy in north-east France. Joan said she received visions of the Archangel Michael, Saint Margaret, and Saint Catherine of Alexandria instructing her to support Charles VII and recover France from English domination late in the Hundred Years' War
• 31 The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

June

·  1 Justin, Martyr at Rome, c. 167 , was an early Christian apologist, and is regarded as the foremost interpreter of the theory of the Logos in the 2nd century.^[2] He was martyred, alongside some of his students,

·  2 The Martyrs of Lyons, 177 was a Christian martyr during the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius.

·  3 The Martyrs of Uganda, 1886

·  4 Pope John XXIII (Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli), Bishop of Rome, 1963^[4][5]

·  5 Boniface, Archbishop of Mainz, Missionary to Germany, and Martyr, 754

OLD TESTAMENT: 1 Kings 18:20-39   (RCL)

20 So Ahab sent to all the Israelites, and assembled the prophets at Mount Carmel. 21Elijah then came near to all the people, and said, ‘How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.’ The people did not answer him a word. 22Then Elijah said to the people, ‘I, even I only, am left a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets number four hundred and fifty. 23Let two bulls be given to us; let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it; I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it. 24Then you call on the name of your god and I will call on the name of the Lord; the god who answers by fire is indeed God.’ All the people answered, ‘Well spoken!’ 25Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, ‘Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many; then call on the name of your god, but put no fire to it.’ 26So they took the bull that was given them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, crying, ‘O Baal, answer us!’ But there was no voice, and no answer. They limped about the altar that they had made. 27At noon Elijah mocked them, saying, ‘Cry aloud! Surely he is a god; either he is meditating, or he has wandered away, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.’ 28Then they cried aloud and, as was their custom, they cut themselves with swords and lances until the blood gushed out over them. 29As midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice, no answer, and no response.

30 Then Elijah said to all the people, ‘Come closer to me’; and all the people came closer to him. First he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been thrown down; 31Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, ‘Israel shall be your name’; 32with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord. Then he made a trench around the altar, large enough to contain two measures of seed. 33Next he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood. He said, ‘Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt-offering and on the wood.’ 34Then he said, ‘Do it a second time’; and they did it a second time. Again he said, ‘Do it a third time’; and they did it a third time, 35so that the water ran all round the altar, and filled the trench also with water.

36 At the time of the offering of the oblation, the prophet Elijah came near and said, ‘O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your bidding. 37Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.’ 38Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt-offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and even licked up the water that was in the trench. 39When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, ‘The Lord indeed is God; the Lord indeed is God.’

1 Kings 8:22-23,41-43   (alt. for RCL)

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. 23He 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,

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 towards this house, 43then 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.

Note: If the alternate RCL OT reading is used, then it should be accompanied by vs. 1-9 of Psalm 96 below.

Genesis 14:18-20   (Roman Catholic)

18And King Melchizedek of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was priest of God Most High. 19He blessed him and said,

‘Blessed be Abram by God Most High,

   maker of heaven and earth;

20 and blessed be God Most High,

   who has delivered your enemies into your hand!’

And Abram gave him one-tenth of everything.

PSALM 96   (RCL)

1 O sing to the Lord a new song;

   sing to the Lord, all the earth.

2 Sing to the Lord, bless his name;

   tell of his salvation from day to day.

3 Declare his glory among the nations,

   his marvellous works among all the peoples.

4 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;

   he is to be revered above all gods.

5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols,

   but the Lord made the heavens.

6 Honour and majesty are before him;

   strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,

   ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;

   bring an offering, and come into his courts.

9 Worship the Lord in holy splendour;

   tremble before him, all the earth.

10 Say among the nations, ‘The Lord is king!

   The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved.

   He will judge the peoples with equity.’

11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;

   let the sea roar, and all that fills it;

12   let the field exult, and everything in it.

Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy

13   before the Lord; for he is coming,

   for he is coming to judge the earth.

He will judge the world with righteousness,

   and the peoples with his truth.

96   Cantate Domino    (ECUSA BCP)

1          Sing to the Lord a new song; *

     sing to the Lord, all the whole earth.

2          Sing to the Lord and bless his Name; *

     proclaim the good news of his salvation from day to day.

3          Declare his glory among the nations *

     and his wonders among all peoples.

4          For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; *

     he is more to be feared than all gods.

5          As for all the gods of the nations, they are but idols; *

     but it is the Lord who made the heavens.

6          Oh, the majesty and magnificence of his presence! *

     Oh, the power and the splendor of his sanctuary!

7          Ascribe to the Lord, you families of the peoples; *

     ascribe to the Lord honor and power.

8          Ascribe to the Lord the honor due his Name; *

     bring offerings and come into his courts.

9          Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness; *

     let the whole earth tremble before him.

10         Tell it out among the nations: “The Lord is King! *

     he has made the world so firm that it cannot be moved;

     he will judge the peoples with equity.”

11         Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;

let the sea thunder and all that is in it; *

     let the field be joyful and all that is therein.

12         Then shall all the trees of the wood shout for joy

before the Lord when he comes, *

     when he comes to judge the earth.

13         He will judge the world with righteousness *

     and the peoples with his truth.

Psalm 110   (Roman Catholic)

1 The Lord says to my lord,

   ‘Sit at my right hand

until I make your enemies your footstool.’

2 The Lord sends out from Zion

   your mighty sceptre.

   Rule in the midst of your foes.

3 Your people will offer themselves willingly

   on the day you lead your forces

   on the holy mountains.*

From the womb of the morning,

   like dew, your youth* will come to you.

4 The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind,

   ‘You are a priest for ever according to the order of Melchizedek.’*

NEW TESTAMENT:  Galatians 1:1-12   (RCL)

1:1 Paul an apostle—sent neither by human commission nor from human authorities, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2and all the members of God’s family who are with me,

To the churches of Galatia:

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4who gave himself for our sins to set us free from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that one be accursed! 9As we have said before, so now I repeat, if anyone proclaims to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let that one be accursed!

10 Am I now seeking human approval, or God’s approval? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still pleasing people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

11 For I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not of human origin; 12for I did not receive it from a human source, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

h/t Montreal Anglican

Paul structures this letter like many letters of his time with an opening formula (the names of the sender, that of his addressees, and a short greeting), the message (the body of the letter), and a final greeting. His other letters have a thanksgiving before the message, but not this one.
There is another difference, which scholars see as significant: while in other letters Paul introduces himself simply as “a servant of Christ” (in Romans, and Philippians is similar) and/or as “an apostle” (in Romans and in 1 and 2 Corinthians), here he is keen to point out, from the start, what he is not: his authority is not from humans, but from God. We need to figure out what causes Paul to be so emphatic.
We don’t know where Paul was when he wrote this letter, nor who “all the members of God's family who are with me” (v. 2) are. (Philippians tells us that Timothy is with him; in 1 Thessalonians, Silvanus is also named.) “The churches of Galatia” were in north central Asia Minor (modern Turkey). His greeting (“Grace ... and peace”, v. 3) is both Jewish and Greek. “The present evil age” (v. 4) contrasts with the age to be inaugurated when Christ comes again.
The lack of a thanksgiving suggests that there are serious problems in the churches. He is “astonished” (v. 6) or amazed that Christians in Galatia have turned from the good news of God, as taught by Paul (“the one who called you”), and are accepting a “different gospel”, not that there is one! They are being led astray by false teachers who are twisting the good news. As vv. 8-9 show, Paul is distinctly upset: “let that one be accursed!” (The Greek implies cut off from God for ever). V. 10 suggests that some think that he makes practising the faith too easy, but in v. 11 he insists that what he teaches is the real thing. In 6:12-13, Paul rebuts the deviant teachers head-on: they “try to compel” male Gentile Christians to be circumcised, in accord with Mosaic law. This, they say, will increase oneness with God. Paul disagrees.

1:1-5: The salutation emphasizes both Paul’s divinely given authority as an “apostle” and, in his message, the atoning death of “Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins”: see Mark 10:45 and 1 Timothy 2:5-6. [ NOAB]
1:1: “apostle”: The Greek word apostolos developed a specific Christian nuance under the contemporary Jewish institution of the seliah , one sent: a commissioned agent with full powers to carry out a definite (legal, prophetic or missionary) charge. [ NJBC]
1:1: “sent neither by human commission nor from human authorities”: BlkGal offers not from human beings nor through a human being. Paul was commissioned as a missionary by the church at Antioch: see Acts 13:1-3. The critique of Paul’s apostleship was on two grounds:

• that his apostleship originated with the leaders of the church at Antioch, and/or
• it was mediated through an individual – presumably Peter (see v. 18), or possibly Barnabas.

1:2: “Galatia”: The name derives from Gallic tribes (the Gauls, or Celts) who migrated to Asia Minor and settled in the heartland in the 200s BC. Galatia can refer to:

• the territory occupied by descendants of these ethnically Gallic tribes and
• the Roman province established in 25 BC, and its inhabitants.

The ethnic area was to the north; however the Roman province extended southwards, almost to the Mediterranean. Paul, on his first missionary journey, established churches in the southern part, at (Pisidian) Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe. [ BlkGal] NOAB says that the area around Ancyra (modern Ankara), in the ethnic area, is meant.
1:3: “Grace ... peace”: See also Romans 1:7 and 2 Thessalonians 1:2 [ NOAB]
1:4: “who gave himself for our sins”: Jesus says in Mark 10:45 “... the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many”. See also 1 Timothy 2:6. [ NOAB] The letter’s dominant chord is sounded: salvation through Christ according to the Father’s plan or will. [ NJBC]
1:4: “the present evil age”: Judaism commonly made the distinction between the present age and the age to come. John says in Revelation 21:1 “I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more”. See also 2 Peter 3:11-13. [ CAB] Paul echoes this distinction and sees the present age as dominated by Satan. In 2 Corinthians 4:4, Paul writes: “... the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ ...”. Christ’s giving of himself has brought about the meeting of the two ages and freed human beings from this “age”. See 1 Corinthians 10:11. [ NJBC]
1:6-7: Instead of his customary thanksgiving, Paul voices his surprise and shock at Galatian fickleness.
1:6: “so quickly”: Either in the sense of so soon after your conversion (and my evangelisation) or so easily.
1:6: “the one who called you”: It was Paul’s preaching that called the Galatians to faith: see 4:13-14 [ CAB] To NOAB, it is God, through Christ: see v. 15. The Father’s plan is executed through the benevolence of Christ. [ NJBC]
1:6: “a different gospel”: i.e. different from the gospel that Paul proclaimed: see also 3:3 and 4:12-20. [ CAB] Since the gospel is “the power of God for salvation” (Romans 1:16), emanating from Christ, who is not divided (1 Corinthians 1:13), there can only be one gospel. This Paul has already proclaimed to them. [ NJBC]
1:8,9: “accursed”: The Greek word is anathema, with the sense of being cut off from God forever. In Romans 9:3, Paul writes: “I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own people, my kindred according to the flesh”. [ CAB] In Romans 9:3, Paul says “For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own people [Jews], my kindred according to the flesh”. See also 1 Corinthians 12:3. [ NOAB]
1:8: “an angel from heaven”: In 3:19-20, Paul refers to the Jewish belief that Mosaic law was enacted by angels. Even if one of them were to appear again with a modified gospel, he is not to be heard – in fact, Paul curses such a being. [ NJBC]
1:10: “... please people ...”: These words indicate that Paul has been accused of being a people-pleaser, most likely because he has not mandated circumcision for his Gentile converts ( 6:24-25). [ CAB] Paul denies an opponent’s charge that he conciliates people to win converts. In 1 Thessalonians 2:4, he writes: “... we speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts”. [ NOAB]
1:10: “a servant of Christ”: His conversion has freed him from the “yoke of slavery” (see 5:1), which was Mosaic law, with its emphasis on human achievement. He has become a slave of Christ, prompt to obey him: see Romans 6:16-20. There may also be a further nuance. In Philippians 1:1 and Romans 1:1, Paul calls himself a slave (NRSV: “servant(s)”), possibly like great Old Testament figures who served Yahweh faithfully (e.g. Moses in the Septuagint translation of 2 Kings 18:12). If he were courting human favour, he would not be true to such a calling. [ NJBC]
1:11: Despite his severity, Paul addresses the Galatians as “brothers and sisters”. A message merely “of human origin” would be no “gospel of Christ” (v. 7) or “revelation” (v. 12). [ NOAB]
1:11: “the gospel that was proclaimed by me”: The essence of this gospel is that salvation is possible for all human beings alike through faith in Christ. [ NJBC]
1:11-12: In 1 Corinthians 1:17, Paul says that he was sent by Christ. [ CAB]
1:12-2:14: The Judaizers apparently had accused Paul of having derived his message not from Christ, because he had never witnessed the ministry of Jesus, but from other preachers, and having watered it down for Gentiles by eliminating the obligation of Jewish practices. He replies by citing his historic commission and by explaining his relation with the mother church in Jerusalem. [ NJBC]
1:12: “through a revelation of Jesus Christ”: The “of” can mean either his vision revealed Christ (see v. 16) or that Christ (not human beings) revealed the gospel. The revelation near Damascus told Paul about Christ and his meaning for humanity. It gave him the essential character of the gospel, not necessarily its form (details). For the facts about Jesus’ life, Paul depended on an early tradition emanating from the Jerusalem church. [ NJBC]

GOSPEL: Luke 7:1-10   (RCL)

7:1 After Jesus had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. 2A centurion there had a slave whom he valued highly, and who was ill and close to death. 3When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave. 4When they came to Jesus, they appealed to him earnestly, saying, ‘He is worthy of having you do this for him, 5for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us.’ 6And Jesus went with them, but when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, ‘Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; 7therefore I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed. 8For I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, “Go”, and he goes, and to another, “Come”, and he comes, and to my slave, “Do this”, and the slave does it.’ 9When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, he said, ‘I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.’ 10When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.

Luke 9:11b-17   (Roman Catholic)

11 [Jesus] spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed to be cured.

12 The day was drawing to a close, and the twelve came to him and said, ‘Send the crowd away, so that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside, to lodge and get provisions; for we are here in a deserted place.’ 13But he said to them, ‘You give them something to eat.’ They said, ‘We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.’ 14For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, ‘Make them sit down in groups of about fifty each.’ 15They did so and made them all sit down. 16And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17And all ate and were filled. What was left over was gathered up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.

After choosing his apostles, Jesus has descended to the north-western shore of the Sea of Galilee, where he has taught many. Now he enters the town of Capernaum.
An unusual “centurion” (v. 2), an officer in the Roman army of occupation, has a slave who is gravely ill. So loved by the Jewish community is he, that he can send emissaries to Jesus; they ask Jesus to bend the rules, to treat him as he would a Jew (vv. 3-6). (They think that Jesus came to bless Jews, not Gentiles.)
As Jesus walks towards his house, the officer sends others to him: don’t enter my house because, being Gentile, entering it would make you ritually unclean (v. 6). All the centurion asks is that Jesus command the disease to leave his slave (v. 7). He believes that Jesus can order diseases around much as he does soldiers (v. 8). In v. 9, Jesus tells the crowd that he has more faith than Jews (“in Israel”), who were expected to believe. The slave is found to have been healed (v. 10).

This story appears to be another version of the story found in Matthew 8:5-13. There is a story in John 4:4-54 (John’s second sign) which tells of the restoration to health of a slave of a “royal official”, whom NOAB sees as a Gentile military officer. There, Jesus is in Cana, some 18 miles (20 kilometres) from Capernaum. There too, Jesus heals the slave without visiting him.
That Jesus heals remotely, by word alone, would be especially appealing the the early Church. This is particularly apparent in Luke. JBC surmises that the story in Matthew and that in Luke were originally two stories, that in oral transmission they merged to a degree. The stories as we have them agree in dialog, but not in the details of the action.
This passage is unusual in that it shows that it shows the friendly relations between Jewish elders and Jesus. Here is a Roman who respects both Jews in general and Jesus in particular. [ BlkLk]
Verse 2: “whom he valued highly”: The Greek word is entimos . He is very dear to the centurion. Luke is always conscious of human relations. [ JBC]
Verse 3: “Jewish elders”, i.e. leaders in the Jewish community. [ NOAB]
Verse 5: Acts 10 tells the story of Cornelius, also a centurion, who “was a devout man who feared God with all his household; he gave alms generously to the people and prayed constantly to God” [ NOAB] In Cornelius, God showed to Peter that he is impartial to race. In 3:14, soldiers respond positively to the message delivered by John the Baptizer. [ NJBC]
Verse 5: “synagogue”: This is one of two references in the New Testament to a synagogue as a building rather than as a meeting. The other is in Acts 18:7 (Paul in Corinth). [ CAB]
Verse 6:Comments: don’t enter my house because, being Gentile, entering it would make you ritually unclean: In John 18:28, those who take Jesus to Pilate’s headquarters avoid ritual defilement by remaining outside. In Acts 10:14, Peter insists that he has never broken ritual food laws. [ JBC]
Verse 7: “servant”: BlkLk says that the Greek word, pais, can mean either servant or child. He says that boy is used in the Middle East in modern times. (In verses 2 and 10, the Greek word is doulos, slave or servant .) Perhaps pais in v. 7 shows endearment.
Verse 9: Though Luke lacks the climactic utterance of Matthew 8:13 (“‘Go; let it be done for you according to your faith’”), his intent is the same: the faith of the Gentile is acceptable to Jesus. [ NOAB]
Verse 9: “such faith”: The centurion is worthy not because he has done good deeds for Israel but because he believes that God in Jesus conquers death. His unexpected faith is contrasted with that of those who were expected to believe but did not. [ NJBC]

·  23 Nicolaus Copernicus, 1543, and Johannes Kepler, 1630, Astronomers

·  24 Jackson Kemper, First Missionary Bishop in the United States, 1870

·  25 Bede, the Venerable, Priest, and Monk of Jarrow, 735 also referred to as Saint Bede or the Venerable Bede (Latin: Bēda Venerābilis), was an English monk at the monastery of Saint Peter at Monkwearmouth and its companion monastery,

·  26 Augustine, First Archbishop of Canterbury, 605 was a Benedictine monk who became the first Archbishop of Canterbury in the year 597. He is considered the "Apostle to the English" and a founder of the English Church.^[3]
Augustine was the prior of a monastery in Rome when Pope Gregory the Great chose him in 595 to lead a mission, usually known as the Gregorian mission, to Britain to Christianize King Æthelberht and his Kingdom of Kent from Anglo-Saxon paganism.

·  27 Bertha and Ethelbert, Queen and King of Kent, 616 was King of Kent from about 589 until his death. The eighth-century monk Bede, in his Ecclesiastical History of the English People, lists him as the third king to hold imperium over other Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.

·  28 John Calvin, Theologian, 1564

·  30 Jeanne d’Arc (Joan of Arc), Mystic and Soldier, 1431

OLD TESTAMENT:   Proverbs 8: 1 - 4, 22 - 31   (RCL)

                                     Proverbs 8: 22 - 31   (Roman Catholic)

Prov 8:1 (NRSV) Does not wisdom call,

and does not understanding raise her voice?

2 On the heights, beside the way,

at the crossroads she takes her stand;

3 beside the gates in front of the town,

at the entrance of the portals she cries out:

4 "To you, O people, I call,

and my cry is to all that live.

22 The LORD created me at the beginning of his work,

the first of his acts of long ago.

23 Ages ago I was set up,

at the first, before the beginning of the earth.

24 When there were no depths I was brought forth,

when there were no springs abounding with water.

25 Before the mountains had been shaped,

before the hills, I was brought forth--

26 when he had not yet made earth and fields,

or the world's first bits of soil.

27 When he established the heavens, I was there,

when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,

28 when he made firm the skies above,

when he established the fountains of the deep,

29 when he assigned to the sea its limit,

so that the waters might not transgress his command,

when he marked out the foundations of the earth,

30 then I was beside him, like a master worker;

and I was daily his delight,

rejoicing before him always,

31 rejoicing in his inhabited world

and delighting in the human race.

PSALM 8   (RCL)

Psalm 8: 4 - 9   (Roman Catholic)

Psal 8:1 (NRSV) O LORD, our Sovereign,

how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory above the heavens.

2 Out of the mouths of babes and infants

you have founded a bulwark because of your foes,

to silence the enemy and the avenger.

3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars that you have established;

4 what are human beings that you are mindful of them,

mortals that you care for them?

5 Yet you have made them a little lower than God,

and crowned them with glory and honor.

6 You have given them dominion over the works of your hands;

you have put all things under their feet,

7 all sheep and oxen,

and also the beasts of the field,

8 the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,

whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

9 O LORD, our Sovereign,

how majestic is your name in all the earth!

8   Domine, Dominus noster     (ECUSA BCP)

1          O Lord our Governor, *

     how exalted is your Name in all the world!

2          Out of the mouths of infants and children *

     your majesty is praised above the heavens.

3          You have set up a stronghold against your adversaries, *

     to quell the enemy and the avenger.

4          When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, *

     the moon and the stars you have set in their courses,

5          What is man that you should be mindful of him? *

     the son of man that you should seek him out?

6          You have made him but little lower than the angels; *

     you adorn him with glory and honor;

7          You give him mastery over the works of your hands; *

     you put all things under his feet:

8          All sheep and oxen, *

     even the wild beasts of the field,

9          The birds of the air, the fish of the sea, *

     and whatsoever walks in the paths of the sea.

10         O Lord our Governor, *

     how exalted is your Name in all the world!

2   A Song of Praise  Benedictus es, Domine   (alt. for ECUSA; BCP)

Song of the Three Young Men, 29-34

Blessed art thou, O Lord God of our fathers; *

    praised and exalted above all for ever.

Blessed are thou for the name of thy Majesty; *

    praised and exalted above all for ever.

Blessed are thou in the temple of thy holiness; *

    praised and exalted above all for ever.

Blessed are thou that beholdest the depths,

and dwellest between the Cherubim; *

    praised and exalted above all for ever.

Blessed art thou on the glorious throne of thy kingdom; *

    praised and exalted above all for ever.

Blessed are thou in the firmament of heaven; *

    praised and exalted above all for ever.

Blessed are thou, O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; *

 praised and exalted above all for ever.

13   A Song of Praise    Benedictus es, Domine   (alt. for ECUSA; BCP)

Song of the Three Young Men, 29-34

Glory to you, Lord God of our fathers; *

   you are worthy of praise; glory to you.

Glory to you for the radiance of your holy Name; *

   we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.

Glory to you in the splendor of your temple; *

   on the throne of your majesty, glory to you.

Glory to you, seated between the Cherubim; *

   we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.

Glory to you, beholding the depths; *

   in the high vault of heaven, glory to you.

Glory to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; *

   we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.

NEW TESTAMENT:   Romans 5: 1 - 5   (all)

Roma 5:1 (NRSV) Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

h/t Montreal Anglican

Paul has written that union with God (justification) comes through faith. “Peace”, a Jewish concept, expresses all the benefits of a right relationship with God – namely a partnership of reconciliation, eternal well-being and wholeness of life. “Grace” (v. 2) is God’s free and unmerited offer of mercy and love towards all people. Earlier (in 3:23), Paul has noted that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”, i.e. of what God intended for humans when he created us. Even so, through God’s grace, we “boast in our hope of sharing” (v. 2) in this glory, this gift of complete oneness with him in eternal life. Christ is our entry point to God’s grace. This justification has a second effect: even in times of trial (“sufferings”, v. 3, perhaps when beset with doubt that Christ loves us) it lead us to openness to God’s plans for us (“hope”, v. 4), for “suffering produces endurance” (v. 3, including patience under fire), which in turn “produces character” (v. 4, proven-ness under testing). This process makes us better able to be open to God. Our hope, unlike that we have in fellow humans, is assured (“does not disappoint”, v. 5), for God has given us his Holy Spirit, who is present in us, and who continually brings God’s love to us

Paul develops these ideas further in 8:1-39: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death ...”. [ NJBC]
Verse 1: “justified by faith”: This is the theme of 3:21-31. [ CAB]
Verse 1: “peace”: In Hebrew, this is shalom, the state of being in which one enjoys all the benefits of a right relationship with God, namely partnership in reconciliation, eternal well-being and wholeness of life. Being justified is very similar, although it implies action.
Verse 1: “through our Lord Jesus Christ”: Christ is active as the mediator, the interface between the Father and humans, in carrying out God’s plan of/for salvation. In some form or other, Paul makes frequent use of this phrase in this chapter: see also vv. 2, 9, 11, 17, 21. [ JBC] He writes in 1:5: “through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name”; see also 2:16. “Through” means mediated by, in the Father’s plan of salvation. [ NJBC]
Verse 2: “obtained access”: JBC offers secured an introduction. We have been introduced into the sphere of divine favour through Christ. He has, as it were, led Christians into the royal audience chamber and into the divine presence.
Verse 2: “we boast in our hope ...”: In contrast to the boasting by Jews of their relationship to God mentioned in 2:17: “But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast of your relation to God”. [ CAB]
Verses 2,3,11: “boast”: In Paul’s writings, this word is sometimes meant in the obvious sense, but not here. Basking in glory is what he means here. [ NJBC]
Verse 3: “boast in our sufferings”: Paul also uses the word “boast” in 2 Corinthians 11:30; 12:9 and also 1 Corinthians 1:31; 3:21; 2 Corinthians 10:17; Galatians 6:13; Philippians 3:3. [ CAB]
Verse 3: “endurance”: The Greek word is hupomone. See also 8:25 (where the Greek word is translated as “patience”) and 15:4-5. [ CAB]
Verse 4: “character”: The Greek word is dokime, from a verb meaning to test, so the sense is proven-ness under testing. [ CAB]
Verse 5: “and hope”: The sense is easier to see if we insert such between and and hope. A human may disappoint one by not doing what he or she commits to do, but God is not like this. [ NJBC]
Verses 5,8: “God’s love has been poured ... through the Holy Spirit”, “Christ”: In v. 5, God is the Father. These verses lead later to the doctrine of the Trinity.
Verse 5: “poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit”: In the Old Testament and in the Apocrypha, pouring out of a divine attribute is commonplace: for example, mercy in Sirach 18:11, wisdom in Sirach 1:9, grace in Psalm 45:2, and wrath in Hosea 5:10 and Psalm 79:6. See especially Joel 2:28 for the outpouring of the Spirit. [ NJBC]
Verses 6-11: Christ, in his death, has borne the consequences of our sin, and thus has reconciled us to God. This reconciliation is the result of God’s action; it is something we were too “weak” (v. 6) to bring about.
Verse 6: “For while we were still weak”: i.e. before we knew Christ. [ NOAB]
Verse 6: “weak”: NJBC offers helpless.
Verse 6: “Christ died for the ungodly”: Paul writes in 4:5: “But to one who without works trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness”. [ CAB]
Verses 7-8: It would be rare enough for anyone to die for a pious (“righteous”, v. 7) person, and perhaps a bit more likely for a particularly “good person” to do so, but Christ sacrificed his life for us when we were neither: we were sinners without hope then!
Verse 8: God’s love is unconditional, spontaneous, not dependent on human love for him.
Verse 9: “justified by his blood”: This is a restatement of 3:24-25: “they [those who have fallen short of true godliness] are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith ...”. [ CAB] In 4:25, justification is the result of Christ’s resurrection, but here it is the result of his death. [ NOAB]
Verse 10: In Galatians 2:20, Paul writes: “... the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”. [ CAB]
Verse 10: “while we were enemies”: Perhaps Paul thinks partly of himself here, as a former persecutor of Christians.
Verse 11: In 1 Corinthians 1:30-31, Paul writes: “He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, in order that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord’”. [ CAB]
Verse 11: “we have now received reconciliation”: In 3:21-22, Paul writes: “But now, apart from law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the prophets, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe”. [ NOAB]

GOSPEL:   John 16: 12 - 15   (all)

John 16:12 (NRSV)  [Jesus said,] "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

 

After the Last Supper, Jesus continues to tell the disciples about the mission they are to undertake. The “Spirit of truth” ( 15:26) is the Holy Spirit; he will be sent to the disciples, the Church, by Christ “from the Father”. Jesus’ statement “yet none of you asks me, ‘where are you going?’” (v. 5) seems strange because the disciples have asked the question earlier ( 13:36, 14:5). Perhaps he is saying: overwhelmed with “sorrow” (v. 6), you are missing the main point: the coming of the Spirit. By leaving them, Jesus is able to send the Spirit, “the Advocate” (v. 7). One thing the Spirit will do is to show “the world” (v. 8, unbelievers, possibly Jews) that they are wrong on three counts:

·  their idea of sin is incorrect (v. 9);

·  the righteous (the Jewish authorities) who condemned Jesus were wrong: he is God's agent (v. 10); and

·  he has defeated sin (v. 11).

An example: healing on the Sabbath is not sinful.
Now v. 12-13: the disciples have much more to learn from Jesus, but they are not yet ready to comprehend it. The Spirit will expand on what Jesus has told them. In guiding them, the Spirit will speak what comes to him from God (as Jesus has spoken what the Father has told him). The Spirit will “declare” (v. 13) about events “to come”, not only prophecy about the end-times but also guidance in the way of Christ, after Jesus’ death and resurrection. The Spirit will elucidate for them that Jesus fulfils God’s plans; he will reveal the essential nature of God, and show Christ’s power (“glorify”, v. 14). Whether the word comes from the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit, it is the same.

15:26-27: “the Advocate ... the Spirit of truth”: In Mark 13:11 Jesus describes the function of the Holy Spirit in these terms: “When they bring you to trial and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say; but say whatever is given you at that time, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit”. Matthew 10:20 is similar. [ NJBC]
15:26: “the Advocate”: BlkJn offers the Champion. The Greek word translated Advocate is parakletos, sometimes transliterated as Paraclete. While in 1 John 2:1 it refers to Christ, in John it refers to the Holy Spirit: see also 14:26 and 16:7. The Greek word is derived from a verb meaning call to one’s side . The Latin word advocatus has the same meaning, but there is a distinction to be made between the Greek and Roman judicial systems. In a Roman court, an advocatus pleaded a person’s case for him, but a Greek parakletos did not: in the Greek system, a person had to plead his own case, but he brought along his friends as parakletoi to influence the court by their moral support and testimony to his value as a citizen. BlkJn argues that the sense in John is of giving help – as is usually the sense in the New Testament, e.g. “console” in 2 Corinthians 1:4 and “exhort” in Romans 12:8. A Champion is one who supports by his presence and his words.
15:27: In Acts 1:8, Jesus says “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you ...”. The Church too is to witness, to work with the Holy Spirit, by living the life that Christ made possible, continuing Christ’s work in the world.
16:1-4a: A forewarning of conflict. It is to be expected that the world, even the religious world, will persecute the followers of Christ. See also Acts 22:3-5 (Paul’s defence in Jerusalem) and 26:9-11 (Paul before Agrippa II). [ NOAB]
16:1: “from stumbling”: BlkJn offers be made to fall away (from the Faith).
16:2: “put you out of the synagogues ... those who kill you”: Charges of blasphemy and impiety have been laid against Jesus earlier by those thinking that “they are offering worship to God”: see 5:37b-38; 7:28; 8:27, 55. While some scholars see this as evidence that John was written in the last quarter of the first century, when the synagogue liturgy was changed to include a prayer that made participation by Jewish Christians impossible, an earlier date for John is reasonable on the following grounds:

• Mark, Matthew and Luke all contain predictions of persecutions and of death for the faith (see, for example, Matthew 5:10; Mark 13:9; Luke 12:4, 11)
• Jesus can be expected to forewarn his followers of persecution after his death
• While the final breach between the Church and the synagogue should probably be dated after the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD, relations between the two were by no means cordial before that: see, for example, Paul’s exit from the synagogue in Corinth in Acts 18:5-17 and the martyrdom of James the Lord’s brother in Acts 12:2-3. [ BlkJn]

Other scholars point to the persecution by Jews in Asia Minor found in Revelation 2:3 (Ephesus), 2:9 (Smyrna) and 3:9 (Philadelphia) as a context for a second episode of persecution that affected the Johannine community. Whatever the particulars, 15:18-16:4a presumes the hostility from the unbelieving world will be a permanent facet of Christian life. [ NJBC]
16:2 “worship”: BlkJn offers service. He says that the Greek word conveys also the idea of worship. Many Christians today call their worship services.
16:3: “they have not known the Father or me”: For failure to know Christ or the Father, see also 1:10; 8:55; 17:25. Such people have an inadequate apprehension of the true nature and activity of the Father and of Jesus, with an inability to obey God’s will. [ BlkJn]
Comments : Jesus’ statement “yet none of you asks me, ‘where are you going?’” (v. 5) seems strange because the disciples have asked the question earlier: It is possible that two alternative accounts of Jesus’ teaching at the Last Supper have been included, v. 5 being part of one account, and 13:36 and 14:5 being part of the other, and that the two accounts were reversed during editing.
16:6: This verse is the reverse of 15:11: “I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete”. [ NJBC]
16:6-7: “sorrow” at Jesus’ departure is transformed by “the truth” that his death and resurrection make possible the Spirit’s work. [ NOAB]
16:7: “it is to your advantage that I go away”: This repeats the notion in 14:27b-28. [ NJBC]
16:7: “if I do not go away ...”: 7:39 says “Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified” and in 14:16 he says “... I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever”. [ JBC]
16:8: “prove the world wrong about sin ...”: BlkJn offers convict the world of sin. The Greek word he translates as convict is also found in 3:20, where the deeds of an evil person will be exposed for what they are. This is the activity of a judge and prosecuting attorney in one. Others argue that the word carries the connotation of educative discipline here, as in convince someone about something. The word is also found in 8:46; there the NRSV translates it as “convicts”. [ NJBC]
16:8: “prove the world wrong about ... righteousness”: How will Christ convict unbelievers of righteousness? BlkJn says that the word translated “righteousness” (dikaiosune ) is used only here in John, and may mean justification or acquittal . This is how Paul uses the word, as meaning moral uprightness. If this is what John intended, v. 10 speaks of those who come to belief in Christ: they will be acquitted because of Jesus’ resurrection. By this argument, the “judgement” is the condemnation which is the alterative to acquittal; unbelievers are condemned based on the devil already being condemned.
16:9: In 3:19-21, Jesus says “‘... this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed’”. In 1 Corinthians 2:8, Paul says “None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory”. Colossians 2:15 says that God “disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it [the cross].” [ NOAB]
16:11: “ruler of this world”: In 12:31, Jesus says “‘Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out’” and in 14:30 he says “‘I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me’”. [ NOAB] 8:42-47 tells us that those who seek to kill Jesus are doing the works of their father, the Devil. [ NJBC]
16:12-15: As in 14:25-26, the Advocate plays an important role within the community; there Jesus says “‘I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you’”. [ NJBC]
16:12: 13:7 tells us that the disciples are not ready to receive further teaching from Jesus: Peter has asked with surprise: “‘Lord, are you going to wash my feet?’”; Jesus answers: “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand’”. [ BlkJn]
16:13: “Spirit of truth”: In 14:17, Jesus says “‘This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.’” and in 15:26 he says “‘When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf’”. [ JBC]
16:13: “the Spirit of truth ... will guide you into all the truth”: Philo, in Life of Moses 2.265, speaks of a divine spirit guiding the mind to truth. Psalm 25:5 asks that God “lead me in your truth, and teach me ...”. The term “Spirit of truth” is also found in 14:17 and 15:26. 1 John 4:6 contrasts “the spirt of truth” with “the spirit of error”. 1 John 5:6 says that “the Spirit is the truth”. This terminology was current when John wrote; it is also found in 1QS (Qumran Rule of the Community) 3-4 and Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs (even to using the same verbs for “testify” ( 15:26) and “guide”). There are differences in the theology, but there are sufficient parallels for it to be likely that John’s term “Spirit of truth” is a development from the usage in contemporary Judaism. [ BlkJn]
16:13: “all the truth”: To NJBC, “truth” must have the same meaning here as in the rest of this gospel, i.e. belief in Jesus as the sole revelation of God and the one who speaks the words of God. In 8:40, Jesus describes himself as “a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God”. In 8:47, he tells some Pharisees: “Whoever is from God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear them is that you are not from God”. See also 3:20 and 3:33.
16:13: “declare to you”: The Greek verb is anangellein . In 4:25, the Samaritan woman speaks of the coming prophet in similar terms: “‘I know that Messiah is coming’ (who is called Christ). ‘When he comes, he will proclaim [anangellein] all things to us’”. [ NJBC]
16:13: “things that are to come”: The reference is not simply to prophecy but also to the interpretation of the life and death of Christ and the declaration of the new order which follows his departure to the Father. [ BlkJn]