15 (alternative date for Martin Luther King, Jr.; see April 4)
16 Richard Meux Benson, Religious, 1915, and Charles Gore, Bishop of Worcester, of Birmingham, and of Oxford, 1932
17 Antony, Abbot in Egypt, 356 was a Christian monk from Egypt, revered since his death as a saint.
18 The Confession of Saint Peter the Apostle
19 Wulfstan, Bishop of Worcester 1095 Bishop of Worcester, was the last surviving pre-Conquest bishop and the only English-born bishop after 1075. Wulfstan is a Christian saint.
20 Fabian, Bishop and Martyr of Rome, 250 was the Bishop of Rome from 10 January 236 to his death in 250,[2] succeeding Anterus. He is famous for the miraculous nature of his election, in which a dove is said to have descended on his head to mark him as the Holy Spirit's unexpected choice to become the next pope
21 Agnes, Martyr at Rome, 304




OLD TESTAMENT:   Isaiah 49: 1 - 7   (RCL)
                                     Isaiah 49: 3, 5 - 6   (Roman Catholic)

Isai 49:1 (NRSV) Listen to me, O coastlands,
pay attention, you peoples from far away!
The LORD called me before I was born,
while I was in my mother's womb he named me.
2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword,
in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me a polished arrow,
in his quiver he hid me away.
3 And he said to me, "You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I will be glorified."
4 But I said, "I have labored in vain,
I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;
yet surely my cause is with the LORD,
and my reward with my God."
5 And now the LORD says,
who formed me in the womb to be his servant,
to bring Jacob back to him,
and that Israel might be gathered to him,
for I am honored in the sight of the LORD,
and my God has become my strength--
6 he says,
"It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to restore the survivors of Israel;
I will give you as a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth."
7 Thus says the LORD,
the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,
to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations,
the slave of rulers,
"Kings shall see and stand up,
princes, and they shall prostrate themselves,
because of the LORD, who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you."


PSALM 40: 1 - 11   (RCL)
Psalm 40: 1, 3, 6 - 9   (Roman Catholic)

Psal 40:1 (NRSV) I waited patiently for the LORD;
he inclined to me and heard my cry.
2 He drew me up from the desolate pit,
out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and put their trust in the LORD.
4 Happy are those who make
the LORD their trust,
who do not turn to the proud,
to those who go astray after false gods.
5 You have multiplied, O LORD my God,
your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;
none can compare with you.
Were I to proclaim and tell of them,
they would be more than can be counted.
6 Sacrifice and offering you do not desire,
but you have given me an open ear.
Burnt offering and sin offering
you have not required.
7 Then I said, "Here I am;
in the scroll of the book it is written of me.
8 I delight to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart."
9 I have told the glad news of deliverance
in the great congregation;
see, I have not restrained my lips,
as you know, O LORD.
10 I have not hidden your saving help within my heart,
I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;
I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness
from the great congregation.
11 Do not, O LORD, withhold
your mercy from me;
let your steadfast love and your faithfulness
keep me safe forever.

Note: Verse numbering in your psalter may be different from the above.


40  Expectans, expectavi    (ECUSA BCP)

1   I waited patiently upon the LORD; *
  he stooped to me and heard my cry.

2   He lifted me out of the desolate pit, out of the mire and clay; *
  he set my feet upon a high cliff and made my footing sure.

3   He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God; *
  many shall see, and stand in awe,
  and put their trust in the LORD.

4   Happy are they who trust in the LORD! *
  they do not resort to evil spirits or turn to false gods.

5   Great things are they that you have done, O LORD my God!
how great your wonders and your plans for us! *
  there is none who can be compared with you.

6   Oh, that I could make them known and tell them! *
  but they are more than I can count.

7   In sacrifice and offering you take no pleasure *
  (you have given me ears to hear you);

8   Burnt-offering and sin-offering you have not required, *
  and so I said, “Behold, I come.

9   In the roll of the book it is written concerning me: *
  ‘I love to do your will, O my God;
  your law is deep in my heart.’”

10   I proclaimed righteousness in the great congregation; *
  behold, I did not restrain my lips;
  and that, O LORD, you know.

11   Your righteousness have I not hidden in my heart;
I have spoken of your faithfulness and your deliverance; *
  I have not concealed your love and faithfulness from the
great congregation.
12   You are the LORD;
do not withhold your compassion from me; *
  let your love and your faithfulness keep me safe for ever,


NEW TESTAMENT:   1 Corinthians 1: 1 - 9   (RCL)
                                       1 Corinthians 1: 1 - 3   (Roman Catholic)

1Cor 1:1 (NRSV) Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sos'thenes,
2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, 5 for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind-- 6 just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you-- 7 so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8 He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

h/t Montreal Anglican

Paul uses the schema of Greek letters of the time, expanding it to include specifically Christian notions. He is an “apostle”, one sent out by Christ to perform a special mission. (“Sosthenes” may be the “official of the synagogue” beaten in Acts 18:17.) The church at Corinth is made up of ordinary people “called to be saints” (v. 2), set apart for God’s work in the world, “sanctified” in baptism. Perhaps Paul reminds them that there are Christians elsewhere too. V. 3 is his greeting: he wishes them “grace” (God’s freely given gift of love) and “peace” (the total state of well-being to which we are admitted through Christ): both come from the Father (as source) and the Son (as means or agent). In later chapters, Paul cautions his readers against misuse of spiritual gifts (v. 7), so in v. 5 he may be damning them with faint praise. He praises their eloquence (“speech”) and understanding (“knowledge”) but not (as in other letters) their faith, hope and love for each other and for Christ. In v. 6, “testimony” is bearing witness: God has strengthened them through their telling of the good news. They are indeed richly blessed (v. 7), but (as mentioned later), they tend to dwell on the excitement of the present rather than looking forward to “the revealing of ... Christ”, his second coming. God will help them prepare for that day, so that they may be among those judged worthy of eternal life (“blameless”, v. 8). “God is faithful” (v. 9): he will not abandon what he has begun. He has called them into “fellowship”, union with other believers which is union with Christ.

Verse 1: The absence of Timothy’s name probably indicates that he is already on the way to Corinth. He is mentioned in 2 Corinthians 1:1 (a letter probably written, in part, before this one).
Verse 1: “an apostle”: For Paul’s call, see Galatians 1:15-16; 2 Corinthians 4:5-6; Acts 9:1-9; 22:6-11. Paul sees apostleship as being wider than the Twelve: 15:5- 7 tells us that the risen Christ “appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve ... Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles”.
Verse 2: “together with all those ...”: Probably a reminder that Paul’s readers are not the only Christians. In 11:16, Paul writes: “But if anyone is disposed to be contentious – we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God” and in 2 Corinthians 1:1 “To the church of God that is in Corinth, including all the saints throughout Achaia”. [ NJBC]
Verse 5: Gifts mentioned in other letters are missing from this introductory section:
Faith, hope and caritas (fraternal love) 1 Thessalonians 1:3

Faith Romans 1:8

Partnership in the gospel Philippians 1:5 [ NJBC]

Verse 7: “spiritual gift”: For rules for using them, see chapters 12-14.
Verse 7: “as you wait”: A reminder that the fullness of God’s revelation is in the future, probably necessary because of the Corinthian Christians’ excitement over what they already experience. [ NJBC]
Verse 8: “He will also strengthen you”: In 10:13 Paul writes: “ God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength ...”.
Verse 8: “the day of our Lord Jesus Christ”: A Christian adaptation of the Day of Yahweh: see Amos 5:18 and Joel 3:14; Acts 2:20. See also 1 Corinthians 3:13; 4:3. [ NJBC]
Verse 9: “God is faithful”: See also 10:13 and 1 Thessalonians 5:24. [ NJBC]
Verse 9: “you were called”: In the Greek, hoi kletoi , the called ones. See also 2:2, 24; Romans 1:6, 7; 8:28. Implicit in the call to salvation ( 7:15, 22; Galatians 1:6; 5:13; 1 Thessalonians 4:7) is the call to glory (Romans 8:28-30; Philippians 3:14; 1 Thessalonians 2:12), whose author is always God (Galatians 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:24). [ NJBC]
Verse 9: “called into the fellowship”: The Greek word is koinonia. To Paul, it is the vital union of believers among themselves, which is their union with Christ. Their shared existence as members of his body (see 12:12-27) is highlighted in the Eucharist (see 10:16-17). [ NJBC]


GOSPEL:   John 1: 29 - 42   (RCL)
                    John 1: 29 - 34   (Roman Catholic)

John 1:29 (NRSV) The next day he [John] saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, "After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.' 31 I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel." 32 And John testified, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, "He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' 34 And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God."
35 The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, "Look, here is the Lamb of God!" 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher), "where are you staying?" 39 He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated Anointed). 42 He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Ce'phas" (which is translated Peter).


John the Baptist has denied that he is any of the figures expected by Jews to inaugurate a new era: he is neither the Messiah, Elijah, nor the prophet like Moses; rather he prepares people for the coming of the Lord. He has also told some religious authorities that one is already among them who is far more worthy than he.
“The next day” John acclaims Jesus as “Lamb of God”. He is probably thinking of the fourth Servant Song: there the servant is “like a lamb that is led to the slaughter”. John recognizes that Jesus outranks him (“ranks ahead”, v. 30) and “was” (existed) before him. In vv. 31-33 he recalls his experience of Jesus’ baptism, and justifies what he has proclaimed. He says: I didn’t recognize him as Messiah (“know him”), but I now realize that I baptised with water in order that Jesus might be shown to Jews. The coming of the Spirit showed me that Jesus is the one chosen by God. I am convinced that he is, and I have told others (v. 34). (Later on, on the lips of Martha, “Son of God” and “Messiah” are synonymous.)
In vv. 35-42, two of John’s disciples begin to follow Jesus. First, they are curious about Jesus when John tells them who he is. They follow him, recognizing that he is an authority (“Teacher”, v. 38). Jesus invites them to “Come and see” (v. 39), to investigate what he teaches. “Staying” and “remained” are technical terms in this gospel: the two begin to understand the way of life Jesus offers and expects. V. 40 tells us that one of the two is “Andrew”; the other is unnamed. Andrew tells “Simon” (v. 41) the good news and introduces him to Jesus. (The Greek word translated “Anointed” is Christos.) Jesus prophesies that Simon will be nicknamed “Cephas” (v. 42), the Aramaic word for rock. Petros, the Greek word for “Peter”, also means rock.

Comments: John the Baptist has denied that he is any of the figures expected by Jews to inaugurate a new era: he is neither the Messiah, Elijah, nor the prophet like Moses: See vv. 20-25. Jews expected the Messiah to come based on Psalm 2:5-6: “Then he [ Yahweh] will speak to them [the kings of the earth] in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, ‘I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill’”. Their expectation of Elijah’s return was based on Malachi 4:5-6: “I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes ...”. In Deuteronomy 18:18, God says “ I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their own people; I will put my words in the mouth of the prophet, who shall speak to them everything that I command.”.

Verse 29: “‘the Lamb of God’”: Meaning the Lamb provided by God. See also Exodus 12:3-5 (the sacrificial lamb in Egypt); Jeremiah 11:19 (“I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter”); Isaiah 42:1-9; 52:13-53:12 (both are Servant Songs). John the Baptist probably thinks of Isaiah 53:4, 7. By the time John wrote his gospel, the death of Jesus was seen as being like that of the Passover lamb: see John 19:36. 1 Corinthians 5:7 shows that the interpretation of Jesus’ death as that of the Passover lamb is early. [ NJBC] In Revelation, “the Lamb” is both a sacrifice (“a Lamb standing as if it had been slaughtered”, Revelation 5:6) and the leader of God’s people, the Messiah (“the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd”, Revelation 7:17). Note that the Septuagint translation of Isaiah 53:7 uses the word amnos for lamb, as does John in this verse and in v. 36. [ BlkJn]

Verse 29: “‘who takes away’”: The Greek can also mean who bears. John probably means it in both senses. [ BlkJn]

Verses 30-34: In the account of Jesus’ baptism in Mark 1:1-9, John the Baptizer does not appear to recognize Jesus as anyone out of the ordinary; there Jesus alone sees the descent of the Holy Spirit, and alone hears the divine declaration “‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased’”. Also in Mark, the descent of the dove is shown as a sign to the Baptizer that the Christ has come, and the Baptizer is merely a witness to this fact. Matthew 3:17 objectifies the divine voice; there it declares “‘This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased’”. Some argue that the Baptizer recognizing Jesus at this stage is incompatible with the Baptizer’s question from prison: “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?’” (in Matthew 11:3 and Luke 7:19). If the synoptic gospels are correct, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (v. 29) is to be interpreted in terms of John the evangelist’s teaching. [ BlkJn]

Verse 30: “‘he was before me’”: BlkJn offers he was first in comparison with me.

Verse 31: “‘I myself did not know him’”: This, BlkJn says, means I did not recognize him as the Messiah (when I baptised him) rather than He was a stranger to me. John had been looking for the return of Elijah; it was then revealed to him that the descent of the Spirit and its remaining on the man he had baptised was the sign that what he had expected had indeed happened.

Verse 31: “‘but I came baptising with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel’”: BlkJn offers but [I now realize that] it was in order that he should be made manifest to Israel that I came baptising in water.

Verse 32: “I saw the Spirit ... like a dove”: See also Mark 1:10; Matthew 3:16; Luke 3:22. See also the prophecy of David’s royal heir in Isaiah 11:1-2: “A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him ...” John does not tell the story of Jesus’ baptism because his purpose in writing is primarily theological. [ BlkJn]

Verse 32: “remained”: This shows the permanence of the relationships between the Father and the Son and between the Son and believers. Jesus dispenses the Spirit in 3:5, 34; 7:38-39; 20:22.

Verse 33: “I myself did not know him”: BlkJn appends then as an aid to understanding.

Verse 34: “this is the Son of God”: In v. 49, Nathanael links being Son of God with being Messiah. Martha’s assertion (referred to in Comments) is in 11:27. See also Psalm 2:7. Some manuscripts have God’s chosen one or elect of God. The phrase Son of God is used often in this gospel. A rule of biblical study is: the more difficult is more likely to be correct. Elect of God is more likely because, of the two, Son of God is more likely to have been introduced – to fit with its other uses in the gospel. Isaiah 42:1 also speaks of “chosen” or elect. [ BlkJn]

So which account is correct: this one, where John the Baptizer is witness and offers personal testimony, or the synoptic gospels, in which the accounts are detached from Jesus’ baptism to a degree? BlkJn says that the statements the Baptizer makes here correspond to some extent with the expectations of the Qumran community. That they applied Isaiah 11:1-4 to their Messiah of Israel is shown by a fragment of their commentary on Isaiah. They considered themselves the elect, and believed their task to be making atonement for the world by punishing the wicked. What applied to each one of them could apply a fortiori to their war-leader (see their War Scroll ), their Messiah of Israel. John the Baptizer may have learnt some of what he taught from them. John’s question from prison may have been due to his surprise that Jesus was not behaving as he expected. Jesus knew himself to be the Messiah, but he repudiated the Baptizer’s conception of his role. BlkJn says that all four of the tellings of Jesus’ baptism are influenced by theological considerations: the synoptic gospels by embarrassment that the lesser (the Baptizer) baptised the greater (Jesus); John by the purpose of his gospel, particularly the role of the Holy Spirit.

Verse 38: “Rabbi”: In Jesus’ time; rabbi simply meant teacher. The rabbinic movement was in its infancy. The title often appears in the first twelve chapters of this gospel, where it is a sign of respect, combined with a statement or question which requires correction of an individual’s understanding of Jesus. See 1:49; 3:2; 3:26; 4:31; 6:25; 9:2; 11:8. [ NJBC]

Verse 39: “Come and see”: An invitation Jesus also used later: see 1:46; 4:29; 11:34. Jesus elucidates this in 8:12: “”I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life””. [ NOAB]

Verse 39: “They came and saw ... and they remained with him”: BlkJn offers stayed for “remained”. This simple episode may have a deeper meaning, as conforming to, and illustrating, the pattern of human quest for Christ and its outcome. 15:4ff makes clear that the place where Christ stays (“abide”) is in the Christian community, and that where the Christian stays is in Christ. [ BlkMt]

Verse 40: “One of the two”: Who is the other one? There are various scholarly suggestions, including:

John the son of Zebedee: by translating v. 41 as He was the first to find his own brother, but BlkJn says that the emphatic use of his (as in his own) is less frequent in New Testament Greek than the unemphatic (his);
Philip, in that Jesus finds him in v. 43 below; and
the Beloved Disciple, usually thought to be John. 13:23; 20:2; 21:7, 20 speak of the disciple “whom Jesus loved”.
Verse 40: “Andrew”: He is also mentioned in 6:8; 12:22; Mark 13:3 and in his calling and in the lists of the Twelve. [ BlkJn]

Verse 41: “first”: BlkJn suggests that the Greek word, proton, may be a copyist’s error; he argues that proi (in the morning) is more likely, the next word being ton. “Four o’clock in the afternoon” (v. 39) is near the end of the day: Andrew would have had little time for hearing Jesus. If in the morning is correct, Andrew stayed with Jesus overnight.

Verse 41: “We have found the Messiah”: This is not incompatible with Peter’s later confession at Caesarea Philippi (in Mark 8:29), though it may be with Mark’s presentation of it. Andrew means no more than John the Baptizer did earlier by “Lamb of God”, i.e. the one who would triumph over evil by pacific means. Peter’s confession is not a new discovery, but the triumph of faith over appearances. [ BlkJn]

Verse 42: “You are to be called Cephas”: This is a prophecy that “Simon” will be called “Cephas”, not the giving of the name. None of the gospels states explicitly the occasion when Simon actually receives it, but note Mark 3:16 (“Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter)”). Matthew 16:18 (“you are Peter”) may be intended as the formal bestowal of the name.