• 8 Julian of Norwich, Spiritual Writer, c.1417  was an English anchoressand an important Christian mystic and theologian. Her Revelations of Divine Love, written around 1395, is the first book in the English language known to have been written by a woman.
• 12 Gregory Dix, Priest, Monk, Scholar, 1952


FIRST READING:  Acts 10: 44 - 48   (RCL)
                                 Acts 10: 25 - 26, 34 - 35, 44 - 48   (Roman Catholic)

Acts 10:25 (NRSV) On Peter's arrival Cornelius met him, and falling at his feet, worshiped him. 26 But Peter made him get up, saying, "Stand up; I am only a mortal."

34 Then Peter began to speak to them: "I truly understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.

44 While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, 46 for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said, 47 "Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" 48 So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for several days.


Isaiah 55: 1 - 11   (alt. for C of E)

Isai 55:1 (NRSV) Ho, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and you that have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
3 Incline your ear, and come to me;
listen, so that you may live.
I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.
4 See, I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander for the peoples.
5 See, you shall call nations that you do not know,
and nations that do not know you shall run to you,
because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel,
for he has glorified you.
6 Seek the LORD while he may be found,
call upon him while he is near;
7 let the wicked forsake their way,
and the unrighteous their thoughts;
let them return to the LORD, that he may have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
and do not return there until they have watered the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.


PSALM 98   (RCL)
Psalm 98: 1 - 4   (Roman Catholic)

Psal 98:1 (NRSV) O sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done marvelous things.
His right hand and his holy arm
have gotten him victory.
2 The LORD has made known his victory;
he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the victory of our God.
4 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth;
break forth into joyous song and sing praises.
5 Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre,
with the lyre and the sound of melody.
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn
make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD.
7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
the world and those who live in it.
8 Let the floods clap their hands;
let the hills sing together for joy
9 at the presence of the LORD, for he is coming
to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
and the peoples with equity.


98   Cantate Domino     (ECUSA BCP)

1  Sing to the LORD a new song, *
  for he has done marvelous things.

2  With his right hand and his holy arm *
  has he won for himself the victory.

3  The LORD has made known his victory; *
  his righteousness has he openly shown in the sight of the nations.

4  He remembers his mercy and faithfulness to the house of Israel, *
  and all the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.

5  Shout with joy to the LORD, all you lands; *
  lift up your voice, rejoice, and sing.

6  Sing to the LORD with the harp, *
  with the harp and the voice of song.

7  With trumpets and the sound of the horn *
  shout with joy before the King, the LORD.

8  Let the sea make a noise and all that is in it, *
  the lands and those who dwell therein.

9  Let the rivers clap their hands, *
  and let the hills ring out with joy before the LORD,
  when he comes to judge the earth.

10  In righteousness shall he judge the world *
  and the peoples with equity.


SECOND READING:  1 John 5: 1 - 6   (RCL)

1Joh 5:1 (NRSV) Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, 4 for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith. 5 Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
6 This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one that testifies, for the Spirit is the truth.


1 John 4: 7 - 10   (Roman Catholic)

1Joh 4:7 (NRSV) Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 God's love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

h/t Montreal Anglican

All who believe that “Jesus is the Christ” (vv. 1, 5), the saviour of the world who offers forgiveness of deviations from God’s ways, have been adopted as children of God. All who love God (“the parent”) also love his or her fellow believers: this love is a dimension of God. The mark of loving God and obeying him is loving our fellows (v. 2). Loving God implies that we obey him (v. 3); this is not “burdensome” for us, being God’s, for we have the power to overcome evil. It is through our faith in God that we are victorious: we believe that “Jesus is the Son of God” (v. 5): this is the very core of our faith. As people come to Christ, so God’s power is shown more widely in the world. Some dissidents may have accepted that Jesus was baptised (“came by water”, v. 6) but rejected his very human agony on the cross (“blood”); however , but he experienced both baptism and crucifixion. The Spirit witnessed both these events; he is continually present as the soul of the Church, the continuation of Christ’s action in the world. In vv. 7-8, the author tells us that three things jointly “testify” that Jesus is Son of God:
•  “the Spirit”, at work in the community,
•  baptism (“water”), and
•  the crucifixion and/or the Eucharist (“blood”).

GOSPEL:  John 15: 9 - 17  (all)

John 15:9 (NRSV) As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.
12 "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. 16 You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. 17 I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.

Jesus continues to prepare his disciples for his physical departure from them. He has told them that he is the “true” (v. 1) vine, the Father’s agent, and that they are the “fruit” (v. 2), “the branches” (v. 5). They represent him in the world – to bear fruit, to do in his name. This is how God’s power will be extended among humans.
He has loved them as the Father has loved him; they are to continue to love him, by being obedient to his “commandments” (v. 10); he has been obedient, even to death on the cross. He continues to be in a loving relationship with the Father. This kind of love leads to “joy” (v. 11), ultimate joy. Jesus, the model for our behaviour, loved us so much that he gave his life for us, his “friends” (v. 13).
To be a servant (v. 15) of God was an honour in Old Testament times, but a servant was not normally admitted to the counsel of his master while “friends” were: his disciples know all that the Father has told him. Jesus has taken the initiative in choosing them and appointing them to seek converts who will be deeply and lastingly committed to him (v. 16).