·
28 Saint Simon and Saint Jude,
Apostles
·
29 James Hannington,
Bishop of Eastern Equatorial Africa, and his Companions, Martyrs, 1885
·
30 John Wyclif,
Priest and Prophetic Witness, 1384 was an
English scholastic philosopher, theologian, Biblical translator, reformer, priest, and a
seminary professor at the University of Oxford. He became an influential dissident within the Roman
Catholic priesthood during the 14th century and is considered an important
predecessor to Protestantism.
·
31 Paul Shinji Sasaki, Bishop of Mid-Japan, and of
Tokyo, 1946, and Philip Lindel Tsen, Bishop of Honan, China,
1954
November[
·
1 ALL SAINTS
·
3 Richard Hooker,
Priest, 1600 was an English priest in the Church
of England and an influential theologian.[2] He was one of
the most important English theologians of the sixteenth century.[3] His defence
of the role of redeemed reason informed the
theology of the seventeenth century Caroline
Divines and later provided many members of the Church of
England with a theological method which combined the claims of revelation, reason and
tradition.[3]
OLD TESTAMENT:
Joel 2: 23 - 32 (RCL)
Joel 2:23 (NRSV) O
children of Zion, be glad
and rejoice in the
LORD your God;
for he has given
the early rain for your vindication,
he has poured down
for you abundant rain,
the early and the
later rain, as before.
24 The threshing
floors shall be full of grain,
the vats shall
overflow with wine and oil.
25 I will repay
you for the years
that the swarming
locust has eaten,
the hopper, the
destroyer, and the cutter,
my great army,
which I sent against you.
26 You shall eat
in plenty and be satisfied,
and praise the
name of the LORD your God,
who has dealt
wondrously with you.
And my people
shall never again be put to shame.
27 You shall know
that I am in the midst of Israel,
and that I, the
LORD, am your God and there is no other.
And my people
shall never again
be put to shame.
28 Then afterward
I will pour out my
spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your
daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall
dream dreams,
and your young men
shall see visions.
29 Even on the
male and female slaves,
in those days, I
will pour out my spirit.
30 I will show
portents in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke.
31 The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great
and terrible day of the LORD comes. 32 Then everyone who calls on the name of
the LORD shall be saved; for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be
those who escape, as the LORD has said, and among the survivors shall be those
whom the LORD calls.
Jeremiah 14: 7 -
10, 19 - 22 (alt. for RCL)
Jere 14:7 (NRSV)
Although our iniquities testify against us,
act, O LORD, for
your name's sake;
our apostasies
indeed are many,
and we have sinned
against you.
8 O hope of
Israel,
its savior in time
of trouble,
why should you be
like a stranger in the land,
like a traveler
turning aside for the night?
9 Why should you
be like someone confused,
like a mighty
warrior who cannot give help?
Yet you, O LORD,
are in the midst of us,
and we are called
by your name;
do not forsake us!
10 Thus says the
LORD concerning this people:
Truly they have
loved to wander,
they have not
restrained their feet;
therefore the LORD
does not accept them,
now he will
remember their iniquity
and punish their
sins.
19 Have you
completely rejected Judah?
Does your heart
loathe Zion?
Why have you
struck us down
so that there is
no healing for us?
We look for peace,
but find no good;
for a time of
healing, but there is terror instead.
20 We acknowledge
our wickedness, O LORD,
the iniquity of
our ancestors,
for we have sinned
against you.
21 Do not spurn
us, for your name's sake;
do not dishonor
your glorious throne;
remember and do
not break your covenant with us.
22 Can any idols
of the nations bring rain?
Or can the heavens
give showers?
Is it not you, O
LORD our God?
We set our hope on
you,
for it is you who
do all this.
Sirach
(Ecclesiasticus) 35: 12 - 17 (alt. for RCL)
Sirach 35: 15b -
17, 20 - 22a (Roman Catholic)
12 Give to the
Most High as he has given to you,
and as generously
as you can afford.
13 For the Lord is
the one who repays,
and he will repay
you sevenfold.
14 Do not offer
him a bribe, for he will not accept it;
15 and do not rely
on a dishonest sacrifice;
for the Lord is
the judge,
and with him there
is no partiality.
16 He will not
show partiality to the poor;
but he will listen
to the prayer of one who is wronged.
17 He will not
ignore the supplication of the orphan,
or the widow when
she pours out her complaint.
20 The one whose
service is pleasing to the Lord will be accepted,
and his prayer
will reach to the clouds.
21 The prayer of
the humble pierces the clouds,
and it will not
rest until it reaches its goal;
it will not desist
until the Most High responds
22 and does
justice for the righteous, and executes judgment.
Note: Verse
numbering in Roman Catholic bibles is different from the above.
PSALM 65 (RCL)
Psal 65:1 (NRSV)
Praise is due to you,
O God, in Zion;
and to you shall
vows be performed,
2 O you who answer
prayer!
To you all flesh
shall come.
3 When deeds of
iniquity overwhelm us,
you forgive our
transgressions.
4 Happy are those
whom you choose and bring near
to live in your
courts.
We shall be
satisfied with the goodness of your house,
your holy temple.
5 By awesome deeds
you answer us with deliverance,
O God of our
salvation;
you are the hope
of all the ends of the earth
and of the
farthest seas.
6 By your strength
you established the mountains;
you are girded
with might.
7 You silence the
roaring of the seas,
the roaring of
their waves,
the tumult of the
peoples.
8 Those who live
at earth's farthest bounds are awed by your signs;
you make the
gateways of the morning and the evening shout for joy.
9 You visit the
earth and water it,
you greatly enrich
it;
the river of God
is full of water;
you provide the
people with grain,
for so you have
prepared it.
10 You water its
furrows abundantly,
settling its
ridges,
softening it with
showers,
and blessing its
growth.
11 You crown the
year with your bounty;
your wagon tracks
overflow with richness.
12 The pastures of
the wilderness overflow,
the hills gird
themselves with joy,
13 the meadows
clothe themselves with flocks,
the valleys deck
themselves with grain,
they shout and
sing together for joy.
65
Te decet hymnus (ECUSA
BCP)
1 You are to be praised, O God, in
Zion; *
to you shall vows be performed in Jerusalem.
2 To you that hear prayer shall all
flesh come, *
because of their transgressions.
3 Our sins are stronger than we are,
*
but you will blot them out.
4 Happy are they whom you choose
and draw to your courts to dwell there! *
they will be satisfied by the beauty of your
house,
by the holiness of your temple.
5 Awesome things will you show us in
your righteousness,
O God of our salvation, *
O Hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the seas that are far away.
6 You make fast the mountains by your
power; *
they are girded about with might.
7 You still the roaring of the seas,
*
the roaring of their waves,
and the clamor of the peoples.
8 Those who dwell at the ends of the
earth will tremble at your
marvelous
signs; *
you make the dawn and the dusk to sing for
joy.
9 You visit the earth and water it
abundantly;
you make it very plenteous; *
the river of God is full of water.
10 You prepare the grain, *
for so you provide for the earth.
11 You drench the furrows and smooth out
the ridges; *
with heavy rain you soften the ground and
bless its increase.
12 You crown the year with your
goodness, *
and your paths overflow with plenty.
13 May the fields of the wilderness be
rich for grazing, *
and the hills be clothed with joy.
14 May the meadows cover themselves with
flocks,
and the valleys cloak themselves with
grain; *
let
them shout for joy and sing.
Psalm 84: 1 - 7
(alt. for RCL)
Psal 84:1 (NRSV)
How lovely is your dwelling place,
O LORD of hosts!
2 My soul longs,
indeed it faints
for the courts of
the LORD;
my heart and my
flesh sing for joy
to the living God.
3 Even the sparrow
finds a home,
and the swallow a
nest for herself,
where she may lay
her young,
at your altars, O
LORD of hosts,
my King and my
God.
4 Happy are those
who live in your house,
ever singing your
praise. [Se'lah]
5 Happy are those
whose strength is in you,
in whose heart are
the highways to Zion.
6 As they go
through the valley of Ba'ca
they make it a
place of springs;
the early rain
also covers it with pools.
7 They go from
strength to strength;
the God of gods
will be seen in Zion.
84 Quam
dilecta! (ECUSA BCP)
1 How dear to me is your dwelling, O LORD of
hosts! *
My soul has a desire and longing for the
courts of
the
LORD;
my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living
God.
2 The sparrow has found her a house
and the swallow a nest where she may lay
her young; *
by the side of your altars, O LORD of hosts,
my King and my God.
3 Happy are they who dwell in your house! *
they will always be praising you.
4 Happy are the people whose strength is in you!
*
whose hearts are set on the pilgrims' way.
5 Those who go through the desolate valley will
find
it
a place of springs, *
for the early rains have covered it with
pools of water.
6 They will climb from height to height, *
and the God of gods will reveal himself in
Zion.
Psalm 34: 1 - 2,
16 - 18, 22 (Roman Catholic)
Psal 34:1 (NRSV) I
will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall
continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul makes
its boast in the LORD;
let the humble
hear and be glad.
16 The face of the
LORD is against evildoers,
to cut off the
remembrance of them from the earth.
17 When the
righteous cry for help, the LORD hears,
and rescues them
from all their troubles.
18 The LORD is
near to the brokenhearted,
and saves the
crushed in spirit.
22 The LORD
redeems the life of his servants;
none of those who
take refuge in him will be condemned.
Note: Verse
numbering is one greater in Roman Catholic bibles
NEW TESTAMENT: 2
Timothy 4: 6 - 8, 16 - 18 (all)
2Tim 4:6 (NRSV) As
for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my
departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I
have kept the faith. 8 From now on there is reserved for me the crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day,
and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
16 At my first
defense no one came to my support, but all deserted me. May it not be counted
against them! 17 But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through
me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So
I was rescued from the lion's mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil
attack and save me for his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and
ever. Amen.
In the
conclusion of the letter, the author depicts Paul as seeing his death as
imminent. He says that his coming martyrdom is a “libation”, literally an
offering poured around the base of the altar as an offering for sin; Paul’s
death will pay homage to God and will contribute to the saving of others. Like
a prize boxer and a runner, he has completed the event, i.e. his ministry; he
has preserved and guarded “the faith” (v. 7) handed down to him. Jews wore crowns or wreaths in
joy and honour; in Greece, winners of athletic meets wore them. Paul will
receive his – as will other Christians – when Christ comes again (“his
appearing”, v. 8). As Jesus was deserted as death approached, so is Paul
almost alone: “only Luke is with me” (v. 11). At his first trial or hearing (“defence”, v. 16), “all deserted” him – all but Christ, who helped him
proclaim the good news to all, both present and beyond. Then Paul was rescued
“from the lion’s mouth” (v. 17), from violent death. Christ will rescue him from the
devil’s onslaughts (but likely not from physical death). After final personal
messages (vv. 19-21), the author prays that Christ may be with Timothy; may God’s
“grace” (v. 22), his freely--given gift of love, be with the members of
Timothy’s community.
This
letter may have been written about a time of general persecution of Christians:
possibly during the reign of Domitian (95
AD) or of Trajan (112
AD). It is also possible it was written during or shortly after a more
localized persecution.
Verse
6: “being poured out as a libation”: Paul
speaks of "”being poured out as a libation” in Philippians 2:17.
For offering of a drink as well as animal and cereal (grain) offerings in the
Temple, see Numbers 15:1-12; 28:7, 24;
Exodus 29:40;
Psalm 16:4.
[ CAB] [ JBC]
Verse
6: “the time of my departure”: Paul writes
in Philippians 1:23:
“I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ,
for that is far better”. [ JBC]
Verse
7: “the race”: Paul uses this metaphor in
1 Corinthians 9:24 and
Philippians 3:12-14.
[ CAB] See also 2:5 and
1 Timothy 6:12.
[ CAB]
Verse
8: “crown of righteousness”: See
also 2:5;
1 Corinthians 9:25;
Revelation 2:10.
[ CAB] If there were Jewish
Christians in Timothy’s community, they would be familiar with the wearing of
crowns or wreaths of leaves or flowers as symbols of joy and honour at feasts
and weddings. [ NOAB]
Verse
8: “on that day”: i.e. the Day of
Judgement. 1:18 says
“... may the Lord grant that he [Onesiphorus] will find mercy from the Lord on
that day!”. [ NOAB]
Verses
10-12: Comments: As
Jesus was deserted as death approached ...: See Matthew 26:56 (“Then
all the disciples deserted him and fled”) and Mark 14:50.
Verses
10-11: “Demas ... Luke”: They are also
mentioned in Colossians 4:14 and
Philemon 24.
In both books, they are co--workers with Paul, but in Acts of Paul and
Thecla, Demas and Hermogenes teach that the resurrection (which they
see as purely spiritual) has already taken place! Here Demas, Crescens and
Titus are off on missionary journeys. For “Galatia” some manuscripts read Gaul.
[ CAB]
Verse
10: “Dalmatia”: The coastal region of
ancient Illyricum, now in Yugoslavia and Albania. [ CAB]
Verse
11: “Mark”: Colossians 4:10 mentions
the activities of Mark in Asia Minor and says that he is “the cousin of
Barnabas”. Philemon 24 says
that he is one of Paul’s co--workers. [ CAB]
It is probable that John Mark, a colleague of Barnabas (see Acts 12:12, 25; 15:37-39),
is the same person, though he is said to have abandoned Paul at one point (see
Acts 13:13 and 15:38).
[ NJBC]
Verse
12: “Tychicus”: He is also mentioned in
Titus 3:12;
Colossians 4:7;
Ephesians 6:21-22.
Acts 20:4 tells
us that he was one of Paul’s companions when he visited Greece for the last
time. [ CAB]
Verse
13: “cloak”: Winter is coming: see also v.
21.[CAB]
Verse
13: “Troas”: An Aegean port city on the
west coast of Asia Minor. [ CAB]
Verse
13: “books ... parchments”: The “books”
are papyrus scrolls, the then current writing material. The “parchments” are
scrolls made out of animal skin, usually from sheep or goats. [ CAB] Paul exercises the
philosophic virtue of self--sufficiency: 1 Timothy 6:6-8 says:
“Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; for we
brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; but if
we have food and clothing, we will be content with these”. [ NJBC]
Verse
13: “Carpus”: He is mentioned only here in
the New Testament. [ CAB]
Verse
14: “Alexander”: This may be the same
person as in Acts 19:33 (in
Ephesus). 1 Timothy 1:19-20 says:
“By rejecting conscience, certain persons have suffered shipwreck in the faith;
among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have turned over to Satan, so
that they may learn not to blaspheme”. In Acts of Paul and
Thecla, Hermogenes “the coppersmith” opposes Paul. [ NJBC]
Verse
14: “the Lord will pay him back for his
deeds”: See also Psalm 28:4; 62:12;
Proverbs 24:12.
In Romans 2:6,
Paul writes: “... For he [God] will repay according to each one's deeds”. [ CAB]
Verse
15: “message”: A scholar suggests that the
Greek word is a legal term, so legal arguments would be a
suitable translation.
Verse
16: “At my first defence”: If this indeed
means his first trial, Paul wrote (or is imagined as writing) 2
Timothy between his first and second trial. [ JBC]
Verse
17: “the lion’s mouth”: A common Old
Testament metaphor for violent death: see Psalms 7:2; 17:12; 22:21.
[ NOAB] Psalm 22 tells
how God vindicates the just person who suffers persecution. [ NJBC] In Psalm 22:19,
a psalmist calls on Yahweh:
“But you, O Lord, do not be
far away! O my help, come quickly to my aid!”.
However,
is this figurative or literal? We know, for example, that Ignatius of Antioch
died literally in the lion's mouth, around 107-115 AD. This was around the time
when 2 Timothy was written, assuming that it was written in Paul's name. By
that time people were regularly being thrown to the wild beasts, and doubtless
earlier. So it is possible, even assuming that the letter is Pauline, that the
phrase is meant literally.
Verse
18: “To him be the glory forever and
ever”: For other doxologies,
see 1 Timothy 1:17; 6:16;
Philippians 4:20.
[ CAB]
Verse
18: “will rescue me”: 3:11 says:
“... What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them”
Verse
19: “Prisca and Aquila”: Acts 18:2-3 says
of them: “There [in Corinth] he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus,
who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had
ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, and, because he was of
the same trade, he stayed with them, and they worked together – by trade they
were tentmakers”. They are also mentioned in Acts 18:18, 26;
Romans 16:3;
1 Corinthians 16:19.
A house--church met in their home. [ NOAB]
[ CAB]
Verse
19: “Onesiphorus”: 1:16-17 says
“May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often
refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chain; when he arrived in Rome, he
eagerly searched for me and found me”. [ NOAB]
His household is also mentioned in 4:19.
In that his “household” is mentioned, he may be deceased. [ CAB]
Verse
20: “Erastus”: Romans 16:23 tells
us that he was “city treasurer” (possibly of Corinth). Acts 19:22 tells
us that Paul sent “two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus” to Macedonia. [ CAB]
Verse
20: “Trophimus”: “Trophimus from Asia” was
also one of Paul’s companions when he was in Greece for the last time: see
Acts 20:4.
Acts 21:29 tells
us that he was from Ephesus. [ NOAB]
Verse
20: “Miletus”: A port city on the Aegean
Sea, south of Ephesus. Acts 20:17 tells
us that “From Miletus he [Paul] sent a message to Ephesus, asking the elders of
the church to meet him”. [ CAB]
Verse
21: Those named in this verse are
mentioned only here in the New Testament. [ CAB]
Verse
21: “before winter”: i.e. before the end
of the navigation season. [ NOAB]
Verse
21: “Pudens”: By tradition, a Roman
senator converted by Peter.
Verse
21: “Linus”: Traditionally identified as
Paul’s successor as bishop of Rome – but the identification is not certain.
Verse
21: “Claudia”: Apostolic
Constitutions 7:46, 17-19 says that Claudia was Linus’ mother.
Verse
22: “Your” is in the singular and “you” is
plural, so the author addresses both Timothy and the community. Philemon ends
with “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit”. [ NJBC] 1 Timothy also ends with
“Grace be with you”. [ CAB]
GOSPEL: Luke 18: 9
- 14 (all)
Luke 18:9 (NRSV)
He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were
righteous and regarded others with contempt: 10 "Two men went up to the
temple to pray, one a Phar'isee and the other a tax collector. 11 The
Phar'isee, standing by himself, was praying thus, "God, I thank you that I
am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax
collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.' 13 But the
tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating
his breast and saying, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' 14 I tell you,
this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who
exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be
exalted."
Luke
has presented Jesus telling a parable about a judge and a widow. Even the
uncaring judge listens to a petition, eventually; when Christ comes again, he
will hear and answer the prayers of the faithful with due alacrity. Now Jesus
tells a parable to “some” who take a legalistic approach to Judaism: “they were
righteous”, pious. Pharisees kept the Law scrupulously – both written and
aural, so they must be acceptable to God! (The unwritten law formed a protective shell round Mosaic law, reducing the chances of ever erring
to the point of transgressing the real law.) Like the Pharisee in the story, they were
fastidious in their observation of ritual practices: they fasted on Mondays and
Thursdays, and tithed (v. 12): they were seen to be religious. But their pride in keeping
the Law led them into self--righteousness (“trusted in themselves”, v. 9), self--importance, and arrogance (“regarded others with
contempt”). On the other hand, tax collectors were despised for collaborating
with the Roman occupiers. At this point, Jesus’ hearers would be cheering for
the Pharisee, especially since most were followers of the Pharisaic party. The
tax collector admits he is a sinner (v. 13), repents (“beating his breast”) and seeks God’s mercy. In
v. 14, Jesus explains the example story: the tax collector goes
home “justified”, accepted by God, acquitted in God’s court of justice, for he
has recognized his need for God’s mercy – but not the Pharisee. In the kingdom,
roles will be reversed: God receives those who turn to him and implore his
mercy; he rejects those who parade their supposed virtues. We should receive
the Kingdom as a child does (v. 17).
For Jesus’ commentary on
this parable, see 6:20-26 (the Beatitudes), part of the Sermon on
the Plain. [ Blomberg] In
the story of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:20),
Jesus says “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the
scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven”.
Luke and Paul differ as
to who is righteous. While Paul relates righteousness to faith, the law and the
cross, Luke emphasizes three points:
- self--confident boasting of one’s own good deeds will
not achieve acquittal at God’s judgement;
- like Jesus, one must engage in deeds of righteousness,
e.g. almsgiving;
- God has vindicated his innocently suffering righteous
one, Jesus the Christ: see 23:47;
Acts 3:14; 7:52; 22:14.
[ NJBC]
Verse 10: The hours of prayer were 9 am and 3 pm. [ JBC]
Verse 10: “tax collector”: Publicani were
tax--farmers who bid on contracts to collect taxes in the provinces.
“These publicani paid the stipulated sum--total of the impost
directly into the Roman treasury and recouped themselves in the provinces by
means of their trained staffs of collectors." [M. Cary and H. H.
Scullard, A History of Rome Third Edition, Basingstoke:
Macmillan, 1975, 1979]. In essence, having paid the tax up front, they
subsequently extorted what they could from the populace, keeping the difference
as profit.
Verse 11: “standing by himself”: Jeremias, the great
interpreter of the parables, wrote, based on its Aramaic background, that this
phrase can be translated: took up a prominent position. [ JBC]
Verse 11: In Matthew 6:5,
Jesus says: “... whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they
love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that
they may be seen by others...”. See also Mark 11:25.
[ NOAB] The Law permitted a
righteous Jew to disdain the unrighteous. In a standard prayer, then and now, a
pious Jewish man thanks God that he is not a slave, a Gentile or a woman ( Babylonian Talmud:
Menahot Tractate 43b). Paul’s reaction to this prayer is “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” (see Galatians 3:28).
[ Blomberg]
Verse 12: “I give a tenth ...”: See also 11:42. Didache 8:1 says “But as
for your fasts, let them not be with the hypocrites, for they fast on the
second and fifth days of the week, but fast on the fourth and sixth days”.
Christians are bidden to fast on Wednesdays and Fridays. [ BlkLk]
Verse 13: “beating his breast”: After Jesus dies, the
crowd “returned home, beating their breasts” ( 23:48).
Normally only women beat their breasts; in times of extreme emotion, men did it
too. [ NJBC]
Verse 14a: “justified”: This saying of Jesus led to
Paul’s doctrine of justification. [ JBC]
Verse 14b: After telling the Parable of the Lost Sheep,
in 15:7 Jesus
says: “... there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than
over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance”.
Verses 15-17: In contrast to the boasting Pharisee of
vv. 9-14,
disciples (followers) should approach God as a little child: with spontaneity,
a spirit of dependence, a sense of wonderment, with no plaques of achievement.
The doors of the Kingdom do not swing open to those who comport themselves
differently. [ NJBC]
© 1996-2019
Chris Haslam
