·
7 Perpetua, Felicity and
their Companions, Martyrs at Carthage, 203 The Passion of Saint Perpetua,
Saint Felicitas, and their Companions is one of the oldest and most notable early Christian
texts. It survives in both Latin and Greek forms, and purports to contain the
actual prison diary of the young mother and martyr Perpetua. Scholars generally
believe that it is authentic although in the form we have it may have been
edited by others. The text also purports to contain, in his own words, the
accounts of the visions of Saturus, another Christian martyred with Perpetua.
·
8 Edward King, Bishop of Lincoln, 1910
·
8 Felix, Bishop, Apostle to the East Angles, 647 Felix of Burgundy, also known as Felix of Dunwich (died 8 March
647 or 648), was a saint and the first bishop of the East Angles. He is widely
credited as the man who introduced Christianity to the kingdom of East Anglia
·
8 Geoffrey
Studdert Kennedy, Priest, Poet, 1929
OLD TESTAMENT: Exodus 20: 1 - 17 (all)
Exod 20:1 (NRSV)
Then God spoke all these words:
2 I am the LORD
your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of
slavery; 3 you shall have no other gods before me.
4 You shall not
make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven
above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the
earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the LORD your
God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the
third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, 6 but showing steadfast
love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my
commandments.
7 You shall not
make wrongful use of the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not
acquit anyone who misuses his name.
8 Remember the sabbath
day, and keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work. 10 But
the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God; you shall not do any
work--you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your
livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. 11 For in six days the LORD
made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh
day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it.
12 Honor your
father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD
your God is giving you.
13 You shall not
murder.
14 You shall not
commit adultery.
15 You shall not
steal.
16 You shall not
bear false witness against your neighbor.
17 You shall not
covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or male
or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
Note: Vs. 4-6 and 9-11
are optional for the Roman Catholic lectionary.
PSALM 19 (RCL)
Psalm 19: (1 - 6) 7 -
14 (C of E)
Psalm 19: 7 - 10 (Roman Catholic)
Psal 19:1 (NRSV)
The heavens are telling the glory of God;
and the firmament
proclaims his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours
forth speech,
and night to night
declares knowledge.
3 There is no
speech, nor are there words;
their voice is not
heard;
4 yet their voice
goes out through all the earth,
and their words to
the end of the world.
In the heavens he
has set a tent for the sun,
5 which comes out
like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy,
and like a strong
man runs its course with joy.
6 Its rising is
from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to
the end of them;
and nothing is hid
from its heat.
7 The law of the
LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the decrees of the
LORD are sure,
making wise the
simple;
8 the precepts of
the LORD are right,
rejoicing the
heart;
the commandment of
the LORD is clear,
enlightening the
eyes;
9 the fear of the
LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
the ordinances of
the LORD are true
and righteous
altogether.
10 More to be desired
are they than gold,
even much fine
gold;
sweeter also than
honey,
and drippings of
the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by
them is your servant warned;
in keeping them
there is great reward.
12 But who can
detect their errors?
Clear me from
hidden faults.
13 Keep back your
servant also from the insolent;
do not let them
have dominion over me.
Then I shall be
blameless,
and innocent of
great transgression.
14 Let the words
of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable to
you,
O LORD, my rock
and my redeemer.
Note: Verse numbering
in Roman Catohlic bibles is one higher than the above.
19 Caeli enarrant (ECUSA BCP)
1 The
heavens declare the glory of God, *
and
the firmament shows his handiwork.
2 One
day tells its tale to another, *
and
one night imparts knowledge to another.
3 Although
they have no words or language, *
and
their voices are not heard,
4 Their
sound has gone out into all lands, *
and
their message to the ends of the world.
5 In
the deep has he set a pavilion for the sun; *
it
comes forth like a bridegroom out of his chamber;
it
rejoices like a champion to run its course.
6 It
goes forth from the uttermost edge of the heavens
and runs about to
the end of it again; *
nothing
is hidden from its burning heat.
7 The
law of the Lord is perfect
and revives the soul; *
the
testimony of the Lord is sure
and gives wisdom to the
innocent.
8 The
statutes of the Lord are just
and rejoice the heart; *
the
commandment of the Lord is clear
and gives light to the
eyes.
9 The
fear of the Lord is clean
and endures for ever; *
the
judgments of the Lord are true
and righteous
altogether.
10 More
to be desired are they than gold,
more than much fine
gold, *
sweeter
far than honey,
than honey in the comb.
11 By
them also is your servant enlightened, *
and
in keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who
can tell how often he offends? *
cleanse
me from my secret faults.
13 Above
all, keep your servant from presumptuous sins;
let them not get
dominion over me; *
then
shall I be whole and sound,
and
innocent of a great offense.
14 Let
the words of my mouth and the meditation of my
heart be acceptable in
your sight, *
O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.
NEW TESTAMENT: 1 Corinthians 1: 18 - 25 (RCL)
1
Corinthians 1: 22 - 25 (Roman Catholic)
1Cor 1:18 (NRSV)
For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but
to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written,
"I will
destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the
discernment of the discerning I will thwart."
20 Where is the
one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not
God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God,
the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness
of our proclamation, to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and
Greeks desire wisdom, 23 but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to
Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are the called, both Jews
and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For God's
foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than
human strength.
h/t Montreal Anglican
Divisions within the Church should be avoided, but between
believers and others they are legitimate. Now v. 18:
the message of the cross makes sense to the faithful: to us, it is the
revelation of God's power, but to others, it is nonsense (“foolishness”,
vv. 18, 21).
In v. 19,
Paul recalls a verse from Isaiah referring to events that occurred when Assyria
was threatening Judah. The king's counsellor (a “wise” man, one versed in
popular philosophy) advised alliance with Egypt, but Isaiah told the king to do
nothing but trust in the Lord: God would save Israel and bring to nothing the
“wisdom of the wise” and the “discernment” (intelligence) “of the discerning”.
From other sources, we know that there were many “wise” citizens of Corinth,
each of whom had their own solutions to the world's problems. The Greek
philosopher and the Jewish scribe count as nothing before God, Paul says: God's
wisdom is different: you can't “know” (v. 21)
it in a philosophical way. Knowing God is an experiential matter in which one
renders him homage and obeys his will. Jews and Greeks seek knowledge in their
cultural ways (v. 22),
but we proclaim something different: to those Jews and “Greeks” (v. 24,
non-Jews) who are called, the cross makes much sense: he is God’s power working
in the world; he shows us God’s intentions for humankind. God’s ways are not
human ways (v. 25).
Verse 18: The fact of acceptance or rejection of humanity is the basis of
division of humanity into two groups. God has not predestined some to salvation
and others to condemnation. In the future, the status of a member of either
group may change. In 5:5,
writing of a sexually immoral man, Paul says “you are to hand this man over to
Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the
day of the Lord”. Note also 10:12:
“So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall”. [ NJBC]
Verse 18: “the cross”: Paul writes in 2:1-2:
“When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the
mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing
among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.”
Verse 19: The quotation is Isaiah 29:14 in
the Septuagint translation.
There King Ahaz accepts the advice of “wise” counsellors to form an alliance
with Egypt rather than trusting in God to deliver Judah from the Assyrians. [ NOAB]
Verses 20-25: Proud, self-centred humans want God to be at their disposal, but
God’s way of dealing with human sin through the cross of Christ stands in
contrast to human power and wisdom. Those who have been “called” (v. 24)
by the message of the cross find in it God’s “power” and “wisdom”. [ CAB]
Verse 21: “the wisdom of God”: Not a divine plan, but the organization and
beauty of creation: see also Romans 1:19-20 (“...
Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature,
invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he
has made...). [NJBC]
Verse 21: “the world did not know God through wisdom”: Rational
speculation, which in the world passes for wisdom, had failed to perceive that
God has acted through a suffering saviour. [NJBC]
Verse 22: “demand signs”: i.e. demand miracles. In so doing, Jews refuse
to trust in God, thus camouflaging their contentment with the status quo. [NJBC]
Verse 22: “Greeks”: The Greek word is ethnoi, the same word
translated as “Gentiles” in v. 23, so Paul means non-Jews in general. In
Galatians 3:28 he writes: “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer
slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in
Christ Jesus”. [NJBC]
Verse 23: “stumbling block to Jews”: Because of their particular
*messianic expectations, e.g. that the Messiah would not suffer. [NJBC]
Verse 23: “foolishness to Gentiles”: Because of their rationalism. [NJBC]
Verse 24: “those who are the called”: Even though Paul uses kletoi,
the called ones, he speaks of those who hear and accept the good news. Paul
often calls members of the Church the called ones. In Romans 8:28,
he writes: “We know that all things work together for good for those who love
God, who are called according to his purpose”. See also 2:2 and Romans 1:6-7.
[NJBC]
Verse 24: “Christ ...”: The authentic humanity of Jesus makes visible God’s
intention for humans and radiates an attractive force that enables response.
[NJBC]
GOSPEL: John 2: 13 - 22 (RCL)
John 2: 13 - 25 (Roman Catholic)
John 2:13 (NRSV)
The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the
temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers
seated at their tables. 15 Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of
the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the
money changers and overturned their tables. 16 He told those who were selling
the doves, "Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father's house a
marketplace!" 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal
for your house will consume me." 18 The Jews then said to him, "What
sign can you show us for doing this?" 19 Jesus answered them,
"Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." 20 The
Jews then said, "This temple has been under construction for forty-six
years, and will you raise it up in three days?" 21 But he was speaking of
the temple of his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples
remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word
that Jesus had spoken.
23 When he was in
Jerusalem during the Passover festival, many believed in his name because they
saw the signs that he was doing. 24 But Jesus on his part would not entrust
himself to them, because he knew all people 25 and needed no one to testify
about anyone; for he himself knew what was in everyone.
Perhaps John contrasts “the Passover of
the Jews” with the sacrifice of our “pascal lamb, Christ” (1 Corinthians 5:7). Jesus, as did many Jews, goes “up to Jerusalem” for the feast. In
the forecourt of the Temple, he finds merchants selling animals and birds for
sacrifices, and money changers exchanging coins bearing idolatrous images for
coins used to pay the temple tax. Jesus throws both traders and animals out of
the temple precincts, insisting that commercial activities (especially shady
ones) have no place here (v. 16). (V. 19 may show that
Jesus also speaks against the regulation of the Jewish sacrificial system by
the religious authorities: it oppressed most people and enriched the traders
and money changers.) Note that Jesus claims that God is his Father and sees the
Temple as worthy of respect. The disciples recall Psalm 69:9 – here a prophecy that Jesus’ “zeal” (v. 17) will lead to his
death. The religious leaders (“Jews”, v. 18) ask Jesus what
authority he has for his (violent) action; his reply (v. 19) is puzzling and
perhaps evasive, challenging them to replace temple worship with belief in him.
Lacking faith, they take it literally (and misunderstand), but John tells us
that Jesus is saying that, by his resurrection (“three days”) he will become a
new spiritual temple, replacing the Temple. The disciples only understand this
after the first Easter. It helps them to believe in Jesus and his message of
good news.
The *synoptic gospels
include a story of Jesus cleansing the Temple; they place it shortly before
Passion week, whereas John presents the story as the opening of Jesus’ public
ministry. See Mark 11:15-17; Matthew 21:12-17; Luke 19:45-48. [BlkJn]
†NJBC says that there are sufficient differences
between John’s version of this story and that in the *synoptic gospels to
assert that John’s version came from an independent tradition.
Verse 13: “The Passover of the Jews”: John
characteristically dissociates himself from Judaism: see also 5:1; 6:4; 7:2;
11:55. [BlkJn]
The annual pilgrimage of
Jews to Jerusalem from all over the world recalled God’s great act of
deliverance of his people from slavery in Egypt in the time of Moses: see
Exodus 14-15. [CAB]
Verse 14: The traders provided a service which was a
great convenience for worshippers: the animals they sold were guaranteed as
suitable for sacrifice by the Temple authorities; Temple coinage, unlike
secular coinage, was free of the image of a man (or god). [ BlkJn]
Verses 15-16: Not an outburst of temper, but the energy of
righteousness against religious leaders to whom religion had become a business.
[ NOAB]
Verse 15: It is likely that the fracas involved more
than Jesus and the traders. His use of a “whip” and his upsetting of the tables
was probably resisted, and this resistance was overcome by force, presumably
with the help of Jesus’ disciples and sympathizers. Staves and other weapons
were forbidden in the Temple; Jesus improvised a whip out of a handful of
cords. It is not mentioned in the other gospels. [ BlkJn]
Verse 16: In the other gospels, it is solely the dishonesty
of the traders that Jesus attacks, but here Jesus also objects to the trade as
such. In Mark 11:17,
Jesus recalls the prophecy in Isaiah 56:7:
“‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’”. [ BlkJn]
Comments: V. 19 may show that Jesus also speaks
against the Jewish sacrificial system: The Qumran community also objected to
Temple worship. [ BlkJn]
Verse 17: Psalm 69 is
an urgent appeal to God to vindicate the righteous man who has been oppressed
for his zeal and faithfulness to God, but v. 9 of the psalm is to be
understood as a prophecy that the zeal which Jesus showed would later lead to
his destruction. In the synoptic gospels
(but not here) the cleansing of the Temple is days before the arrest of Jesus.
[BlkJn] John has changed this verse
from the present tense to the future, probably looking forward to the bitter
hostility that will erupt between Jesus and the religious authorities:
see 5:16, 18.
[ NJBC]
Verse 17: “remembered”: Remembering in
John is a technical term for the process by which the community came to see
Jesus as the fulfilment of Scripture after the resurrection. [ NJBC]
Verse 18: In the synoptic gospels, the disciples
join in seeking a “sign”. There, Jesus refuses to give signs: see Mark 8:12;
Matthew 12:39;
Luke 11:29.
Usually in John, Jesus performs signs to confirm faith, not to convince
sceptics. [ BlkJn]
Verse 19: In John 4:21,
Jesus tells the Samaritan woman at the well that the Temple will be superceded;
Revelation 21:22states
that there will be no temple in the eternal Jerusalem. Mark 14:58 gives
the testimony of false witnesses who claim that Jesus said: “‘I will destroy
this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another,
not made with hands’”. Mark 15:29-32 presents
a taunt based on this testimony. BlkJn suggests
that Jesus probably said something about destroying the Temple, but we do not
know precisely what he said and what he meant. The most probable explanation is
that Jesus challenged “the Jews” to show faith in him: you destroy the Temple
and I will in return give you a sign, i.e. raising it again in three days. So
we may have here the saying that the false witnesses distorted. [ BlkJn]
Comments: The religious leaders ...
misunderstand: The religious authorities presume that Jesus threatens to
destroy the Temple. Taken literally, Jesus’ saying is absurd. [ NJBC] Misunderstanding him is a
common theme in this gospel. See also, for example, 3:4 (Nicodemus)
and 4:11 (the
woman at the well). [ BlkJn]
Verse 20: Josephus tells
us in his Antiquities that Herod began rebuilding the Temple
in the eighteenth year of his reign, i.e. about 20 BC. The events in our
reading take place 46 years later, i.e. about 26 AD. However, the word
translated as “temple” is naos and Josephus tells us that:
- The naos was completed in a year and
five months and
- The whole complex of temple buildings was only
completed in about 63 AD.
The only way of
reconciling this data seems to be to assume that:
- Josephus means the sanctuary proper by naos while
in John it refers to a larger group of buildings, and
- Reconstruction was suspended in 26 AD – when this
larger group of buildings was almost complete.
But there is another
possibility. Perhaps the “forty-six years” is Jesus’ age at the time. Three
years later, at the time of the Crucifixion, he would be 49. 49 is the 7 times
7, the perfect number. The Resurrection can then be seen as
inaugurating the great Jubilee.
This fits well with 8:57,
“You are not yet fifty years old ...” – unlike Jesus being in his thirties when
he was crucified. It also fits with the tradition preserved by Irenaeus; he says that, on the
authority of the elders of Asia who had known John, Jesus lived until he was
nearly fifty. But there is nothing in v. 20 to
support this interpretation. [ BlkJn]
The Temple was finished
in 64 AD. [ NOAB]
Verse 21: “his body”: While the primary reference is to
the body of Jesus which was raised from the tomb, there may be an allusion here
to the Church, the new Israel, which may be said to have come into being with
the resurrection of Jesus. However, this thought is Pauline, not Johannine. [ BlkJn] Jesus’ reply (v. 19)
is a prediction of his own death and resurrection. [ NOAB] The Dead Sea Scrolls speak
of the community as the true “temple” of God’s Spirit; however in John Jesus is
the new Temple. [ NJBC]
Verse 22: “they believed ...”: For other examples of
belief as the response to Jesus’ words and actions, see 2:11 (the
disciples at the wedding at Cana); 4:39 (Samaritans
at the well),4: 41, 50 (the official with the son who is ill), 4:53; 6:69 (the
disciples); 7:31 (many
in the crowd); 8:30; 9:38 (the
man born blind); 10:42; 11:27 (Martha), 11:45 (“many
of the Jews”); 12:11, 42 (“many,
even of the authorities”); 16:30; 20:8 (“the
other disciple”).
Verse 22: “the scripture”: The word in Greek is in the
singular, so John probably means that the disciples understood Psalm 69:9 as
applied to Jesus. [ BlkJn]
Verses 23-25: Faith which rests merely on “signs” and not on
him to whom they point is shallow and unstable. [ NOAB]
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