6 Jan Hus, Prophetic Witness and Martyr, 1415   referred to in historical texts as Iohannes Hus or Johannes Huss, was a Czech theologian and philosopher who became a church reformer and an inspirer of Hussitism, a key predecessor to Protestantism and a seminal figure in the Bohemian Reformation. After John Wycliffe, the theorist of ecclesiastical reform, Hus is considered the second church reformer, as he lived before Luther, Calvin, and Zwingli
11 Benedict of Nursia, Abbot of Monte Cassino, c. 540 *Benedecto; Gothic: Benedikt; c. 2 March 480 – c. 21 March 543 AD) is a Christian saint venerated in the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Oriental Orthodox Churches, the Anglican Communion and Old Catholic Churches.[3] He is a patron saint of Europe.[4]

Benedict founded twelve communities for monks at Subiaco, Lazio, Italy (about 65 kilometres (40 mi) to the east of Rome), before moving to Monte Cassino in the mountains of southern Italy. The Order of Saint Benedict is of later origin and, moreover, not an "order" as commonly understood but merely a confederation of autonomous congregations.[5]

Benedict's main achievement, his "Rule of Saint Benedict", contains a set of rules for his monks to follow.

12 Nathan Söderblom, Archbishop of Uppsala and Ecumenist, 1931


OLD TESTAMENT: Genesis 24: 34 - 38, 42 - 49, 58 - 67 (RCL)

Gene 24:34 (NRSV) So he said, "I am Abraham's servant. 35 The LORD has greatly blessed my master, and he has become wealthy; he has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female slaves, camels and donkeys. 36 And Sarah my master's wife bore a son to my master when she was old; and he has given him all that he has. 37 My master made me swear, saying, "You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Ca'naanites, in whose land I live; 38 but you shall go to my father's house, to my kindred, and get a wife for my son.'

42 "I came today to the spring, and said, "O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, if now you will only make successful the way I am going! 43 I am standing here by the spring of water; let the young woman who comes out to draw, to whom I shall say, "Please give me a little water from your jar to drink," 44 and who will say to me, "Drink, and I will draw for your camels also"--let her be the woman whom the LORD has appointed for my master's son.'
45 "Before I had finished speaking in my heart, there was Rebekah coming out with her water jar on her shoulder; and she went down to the spring, and drew. I said to her, "Please let me drink.' 46 She quickly let down her jar from her shoulder, and said, "Drink, and I will also water your camels.' So I drank, and she also watered the camels. 47 Then I asked her, "Whose daughter are you?' She said, "The daughter of Bethu'el, Na'hor's son, whom Mil'cah bore to him.' So I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her arms. 48 Then I bowed my head and worshiped the LORD, and blessed the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right way to obtain the daughter of my master's kinsman for his son. 49 Now then, if you will deal loyally and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so that I may turn either to the right hand or to the left."

58 And they called Rebekah, and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" She said, "I will." 59 So they sent away their sister Rebekah and her nurse along with Abraham's servant and his men. 60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her,
"May you, our sister, become
thousands of myriads;
may your offspring gain possession
of the gates of their foes."
61 Then Rebekah and her maids rose up, mounted the camels, and followed the man; thus the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.
62 Now Isaac had come from Be'er-la'hai-roi, and was settled in the Neg'eb. 63 Isaac went out in the evening to walk in the field; and looking up, he saw camels coming. 64 And Rebekah looked up, and when she saw Isaac, she slipped quickly from the camel, 65 and said to the servant, "Who is the man over there, walking in the field to meet us?" The servant said, "It is my master." So she took her veil and covered herself. 66 And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. 67 Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent. He took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.


Zechariah 9: 9 - 12 (alt. for RCL)
Zechariah 9: 9 - 10 (Roman Catholic)

Zech 9:9 (NRSV) Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem!
Lo, your king comes to you;
triumphant and victorious is he,
humble and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 He will cut off the chariot from E'phraim
and the war horse from Jerusalem;
and the battle bow shall be cut off,
and he shall command peace to the nations;
his dominion shall be from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
11 As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you,
I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
12 Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope;
today I declare that I will restore to you double.


PSALM 45: 10 - 17 (RCL)

Psal 45:10 (NRSV) Hear, O daughter, consider and incline your ear;
forget your people and your father's house,
11 and the king will desire your beauty.
Since he is your lord, bow to him;
12 the people of Tyre will seek your favor with gifts,
the richest of the people 13 with all kinds of wealth.
The princess is decked in her chamber with gold-woven robes;
14 in many-colored robes she is led to the king;
behind her the virgins, her companions, follow.
15 With joy and gladness they are led along
as they enter the palace of the king.
16 In the place of ancestors you, O king, shall have sons;
you will make them princes in all the earth.
17 I will cause your name to be celebrated in all generations;
therefore the peoples will praise you forever and ever.

Note: Verse numbering may be different in your Psalter


45   Eructavit cor meum   (ECUSA BCP)

11  “Hear, O daughter; consider and listen closely; *
  forget your people and your father’s house.

12  The king will have pleasure in your beauty; *
  he is your master; therefore do him honor.

13  The people of Tyre are here with a gift; *
  the rich among the people seek your favor."

14  All glorious is the princess as she enters; *
  her gown is cloth-of-gold.

15  In embroidered apparel she is brought to the king; *
  after her the bridesmaids follow in procession.

16  With joy and gladness they are brought, *
  and enter into the palace of the king.

17  “In place of fathers, O king, you shall have sons; *
  you shall make them princes over all the earth.

18  I will make your name to be remembered
from one generation to another; *
  therefore nations will praise you for ever and ever.”



Psalm 145: 8 - 14 (alt. for RCL)
Psalm 145: 1 - 2, 8 - 11, 13 - 14 (Roman Catholic)

Psal 145:1 (NRSV) I will extol you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you,
and praise your name forever and ever.

8 The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 The LORD is good to all,
and his compassion is over all that he has made.
10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD,
and all your faithful shall bless you.
11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom,
and tell of your power,
12 to make known to all people your mighty deeds,
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations.
The LORD is faithful in all his words,
and gracious in all his deeds.
14 The LORD upholds all who are falling,
and raises up all who are bowed down.


145   Exaltabo te, Deus   (ECUSA BCP)

8  The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, *
  slow to anger and of great kindness.

9  The Lord is loving to everyone *
  and his compassion is over all his works.

10  All your works praise you, O Lord, *
  and your faithful servants bless you.

11  They make known the glory of your kingdom *
  and speak of your power;

12  That the peoples may know of your power *
  and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

13  Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; *
  your dominion endures throughout all ages.

14  The LORD is faithful in all his words *
  and merciful in all his deeds.

15  The Lord upholds all those who fall; *
  he lifts up those who are bowed down.


Song of Solomon 2: 8 - 13 (alt. to Ps. 45 for RCL)

Song 2:8 (NRSV) The voice of my beloved!
Look, he comes,
leaping upon the mountains,
bounding over the hills.
9 My beloved is like a gazelle
or a young stag.
Look, there he stands
behind our wall,
gazing in at the windows,
looking through the lattice.
10 My beloved speaks and says to me:
"Arise, my love, my fair one,
and come away;
11 for now the winter is past,
the rain is over and gone.
12 The flowers appear on the earth;
the time of singing has come,
and the voice of the turtledove
is heard in our land.
13 The fig tree puts forth its figs,
and the vines are in blossom;
they give forth fragrance.
Arise, my love, my fair one,
and come away.


NEW TESTAMENT: Romans 7: 15 - 25a   (RCL)

Roma 7:15. I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. 17 But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me.
21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, 23 but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Paul has written of two ways of being:

the old, where being subject to the Law, people continually contravene it (sin), are dependent on God’s love to restore them to harmony with him, and in sinning ensure that they have no spiritual life after death, and
the new,
attained through baptism, where through Christ sin is no more, and physical death leads to eternal life. But we have not yet fully attained the new, so we are still influenced by evil. Now Paul asks: how could sin (personified) use the Law, which is good, to destroy humans? Humans are at fault, not the Law. He endures conflict between what he does, his “actions”, his exterior, and his “inmost self” (v. 22), his “mind” (vv. 23, 25). His true self abides by “the law of God” (v. 22), by God’s ways; it sees that what he does is not what he wills, and is what he hates (v. 15). Vv. 17 and 20 seem to say that sin, not he, is responsible for his actions, but realize that the “sin” is his sin. He is caught up in sin; he wills to obey God, but he can’t! (v. 18). So it seems to be a principle of life (“law”, v. 21) that whenever he wills good, the devil is never far away. His body is “at war” (v. 23) with his being. It is God, through Christ, who “will rescue” (v. 24) him from this sorry estate.


GOSPEL: Matthew 11: 16 - 19, 25 - 30 (RCL)
                  Matthew 11: 25 - 30 (Roman Catholic)

Matt 11:16 (NRSV) "But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another,
17 "We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we wailed, and you did not mourn.'
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, "He has a demon'; 19 the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, "Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds."

25 At that time Jesus said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
28 "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

John the Baptist has sent his disciples to ask Jesus whether he is the expected Messiah. Jesus has invited John to decide for himself: does he not do deeds of healing as foretold of the Messiah in Isaiah? John, Jesus has said, is indeed a prophet, the “messenger” (v. 10) sent to prepare for the Messiah (foretold in Malachi, and there named as Elijah), and the greatest human. For people of faith, John heralds the dawn of the time of fulfilment of God’s promise.

Vv. 16-19a are a parable in which the “children” are John and Jesus; the people of Israel ignore their message, whether it be told austerely (by John, as at a funeral, “mourn”) or in merriment (by Jesus, as at a wedding). But God’s “wisdom” proves them right by their results. Then vv. 20-24: people in Jewish towns, where Jesus has invited conversion through miracles (“deeds of power”), have ignored his message and will be condemned at the Last Day, while people of Gentile towns would have been much more receptive. In vv. 25-26, Jesus thanks his Father for choosing the simple, uneducated (“infants”) over the religious leaders (“the wise ...”). He is totally the Father’s representative; only the Father knows him, and only he and those he chooses know the Father. He invites the downtrodden to accept his “rest” (v. 28). Rabbis spoke of the “yoke” (v. 29) of the Law, with its many regulations. Jesus’ way is “easy” (v. 30): love God and each other! He is both teacher and the one to emulate.