Holy Communion – Live for Second Sunday after Easter

Easter2 Broadcast 2020

The lockdown continues.  While the AIC cannot help you receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion, we can offer another live broadcast so that you can hear the beautiful, inspiring and comforting words of the Anglican service.  I have followed the practice of my former parish in printing the common titles of each section; omitting the Summary of the Law; substituting the KJV text of Psalm 23; and encouraging the people to join in the Prayer of Thanksgiving.

Holy Communion for Second Sunday after Easter
April 26th, A.D. 2020

Please respond or say with Minister all the words in Bold
The people always say the Amen.
Page numbers are from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer

A Prayer In Time of Calamity   Page 41

O GOD, merciful and compassionate, who art ever ready to hear the prayers of those who put their trust in thee; Graciously hearken to us who call upon thee, and grant us thy help in this our need; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

The Collect for Purity Page 67

ALMIGHTY God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid; Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy Name; through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

The Decalogue  Page 68

GOD spake these words, and said:
I am the Lord thy God; Thou shalt have none other gods but me.
Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.  

II.  Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven image, nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth; thou shalt not bow down to them, nor worship them;.
Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.

III.  Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain;
Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.

IV.  Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath-day.
Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.

V.  Honour thy father and thy mother;
Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.

VI.  Thou shalt do no murder.
Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.

VII.  Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.

VIII.  Thou shalt not steal.
Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.

IX.  Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.

X.  Thou shalt not covet
Lord, have mercy upon us, and write all these thy laws in our hearts, we beseech thee.

The Kyrie  Page 70

Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.

The Prayer of Sanctification  Page 70

O ALMIGHTY Lord, and everlasting God, vouchsafe, we beseech thee, to direct, sanctify, and govern, both our hearts and bodies, in the ways of thy laws, and in the works of thy commandments; that, through thy most mighty protection, both here and ever, we may be preserved in body and soul; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  Amen.

The Salutation  Page 70

  The Lord be with you.
And with thy spirit.
Let us pray.

The Collect for Second Sunday after Easter  Page 170

ALMIGHTY God, who hast given thine only Son to be unto us both a sacrifice for sin, and also an ensample of godly life; Give us grace that we may always most thankfully receive that his inestimable benefit, and also daily endeavour ourselves to follow the blessed steps of his most holy life; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

The Old Testament Lesson Page xxii

The Old Testament lesson is written in the 40th Chapter of Isaiah,
beginning at the 1st verse.

COMFORT ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.   Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.  The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.  Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:   And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.  The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:  The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.  The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.  O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!  Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.  He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

Here endeth the Old Testament lesson.

The Psalm Reading Page 466

The Psalm appointed for this day is Psalm 23 and 146.  Please respond with the half verse.

Dominus regit me.  King James Version

THE Lord [is] my shepherd; * I shall not want.
2. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: * he leadeth me beside the still waters.  3. He restoreth my soul: * he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: * for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: * thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: * and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Psalm 146   Page 522
Lauda, anima mea.

PRAISE the Lord, O my soul: while I live, will I praise the Lord; * yea, as long as I have any being, I will sing praises unto my God.
2. O put not your trust in princes, nor in any child of man; * for there is no help in them.
3. For when the breath of man goeth forth, he shall turn again to his earth, * and then all his thoughts perish.
4. Blessed is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, * and whose hope is in the Lord his God.
5. Who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that therein is; * who keepeth his promise for ever;
6. Who helpeth them to right that suffer wrong; * who feedeth the hungry.
7. The Lord looseth men out of prison; * the Lord giveth sight to the blind.
8. The Lord helpeth them that are fallen; * the Lord careth for the righteous.
9. The Lord careth for the strangers; he defendeth the fatherless and widow: * as for the way of the ungodly, he turneth it upside down.
10. The Lord thy God, O Sion, shall be King for evermore; * and throughout all generations. 

The Gloria Patri Page 9

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

The Epistle Page 170

The Epistle is written in the 2nd Chapter of the 1st. Epistle of St. Peter, beginning at the 19th verse.

THIS is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.  For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.  For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:   Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:  Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:  Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.  For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

Here endeth the Epistle

The Gospel Page 171

The Holy Gospel is written in the 10th Chapter of the Gospel of St. John, beginning at the 11th verse.

Glory be to thee, O Lord.

JESUS said, I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.  But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.  The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.  I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.   As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.  And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. 

Praise be to thee, O Christ.

The Nicene Creed  Page 70

BELIEVE in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, And of all things visible and invisible: 

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God; Begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of very God; Begotten, not made; Being of one substance with the Father; By whom all things were made: Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, And was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, And was made man: And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried: And the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures: And ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of the Father:  And he shall come again, with glory, to judge both the quick and the dead; Whose kingdom shall have no end.  

And I believe in the Holy Ghost, The Lord, and Giver of Life, Who proceedeth from the Father and the Son; Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; Who spake by the Prophets: 

And I believe one Catholic and Apostolic Church:  I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins:  And I look for the Resurrection of the dead: And the Life of the world to come.  Amen.

The Prayer for Christ’s Church Page 74

Let us pray for the whole state of Christ’s Church.

ALMIGHTY and everliving God, who by thy holy Apostle hast taught us to make prayers, and supplications, and to give thanks for all men; We humbly beseech thee most mercifully to accept our [alms and] oblations, and to receive these our prayers, which we offer unto thy Divine Majesty; beseeching thee to inspire continually the Universal Church with the spirit of truth, unity, and concord: And grant that all those who do confess thy holy Name may agree in the truth of thy holy Word, and live in unity and godly love.

We beseech thee also, so to direct and dispose the hearts of all Christian Rulers, that they may truly and impartially administer justice, to the punishment of wickedness and vice, and to the maintenance of thy true religion, and virtue.

Give grace, O heavenly Father, to all Bishops and other Ministers, that they may, both by their life and doctrine, set forth thy true and lively Word, and rightly and duly administer thy holy Sacraments.

And to all thy People give thy heavenly grace; and especially to this congregation here present; that, with meek heart and due reverence, they may hear, and receive thy holy Word; truly serving thee in holiness and righteousness all the days of their life.

And we most humbly beseech thee, of thy goodness, O Lord, to comfort and succour all those who, in this transitory life, are in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or any other adversity.

And we also bless thy holy Name for all thy servants departed this life in thy faith and fear; beseeching thee to grant them continual growth in thy love and service, and to give us grace so to follow their good examples, that with them we may be partakers of thy heavenly kingdom.  Grant this, O Father, for Jesus Christ’s sake, our only Mediator and Advocate.  Amen.

Invitation to Holy Communion Page 75

YE who do truly and earnestly repent you of your sins, and are in love and charity with your neighbours, and intend to lead a new life, following the commandments of God, and walking from henceforth in his holy ways; Draw near with faith, and take this holy Sacrament to your comfort; and make your humble confession to Almighty God, devoutly kneeling.

The General Confession Page 75

ALMIGHTY God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all things,  Judge of all men;  We acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness, Which we, from time to time, most grievously have committed, By thought, word, and deed, Against thy Divine Majesty, Provoking most justly thy wrath and indignation against us. We do earnestly repent, And are heartily sorry for these our misdoings; The remembrance of them is grievous unto us; The burden of them is intolerable. Have mercy upon us, Have mercy upon us, most merciful Father; For thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, Forgive us all that is past; And grant that we may ever hereafter Serve and please thee In newness of life, To the honour and glory of thy Name; Through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

The Pardon & Absolution Page 76

ALMIGHTY God, our heavenly Father, who of his great mercy hath promised forgiveness of sins to all those who with hearty repentance and true faith turn unto him; Have mercy upon you; pardon and deliver you from all your sins; confirm and strengthen you in all goodness; and bring you to everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

The Comfortable Words Page 76

Hear what comfortable words our Saviour Christ saith unto all who truly turn to him.

COME unto me, all ye that travail and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you.  St. Matt. xi. 28.
So God loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, to the end that all that believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  St. John iii. 16.

Hear also what Saint Paul saith.
This is a true saying, and worthy of all men to be received, That Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.  1 Tim. i. 15.

Hear also what Saint John saith.
If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the Propitiation for our sins.  1 St. John ii. 1, 2.

The Sursum Corda Page 76

Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up unto the Lord.
Let us give thanks unto our Lord God.
It is meet and right so to do. 

The Proper Preface/Preface Completed  Pages 77

IT is very meet, right, and our bounden duty, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto thee, O Lord, Holy Father, Almighty, Everlasting God.  

THEREFORE with Angels and Archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious Name; evermore praising thee, and saying,

The Sanctus Page 77

HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, Lord God of hosts,
Heaven and earth are full of thy glory:
Glory be to thee, O Lord Most High.  Amen.

The Canon of the Mass Page 80

ALL glory be to thee, Almighty God, our heavenly Father, for that thou, of thy tender mercy, didst give thine only Son Jesus Christ to suffer death upon the Cross for our redemption; who made there (by his one oblation of himself once offered) a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction, for the sins of the whole world; and did institute, and in his holy Gospel command us to continue, a perpetual memory of that his precious death and sacrifice, until his coming again:  For in the night in which he was betrayed, (a) he took Bread; and when he had given thanks, (b) he brake it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, Take, eat, (c) this is my Body, which is given for you; Do this in remembrance of me.  Likewise, after supper, (d) he took the Cup; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of this; for (e) this is my Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for you, and for many, for the remission of sins; Do this, as oft as ye shall drink it, in remembrance of me. 

WHEREFORE, O Lord and heavenly Father, according to the institution of thy dearly beloved Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, we, thy humble servants, do celebrate and make here before thy Divine Majesty, with these thy holy gifts, which we now offer unto thee, the memorial thy Son hath commanded us to make; having in remembrance his blessed passion and precious death, his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension; rendering unto thee most hearty thanks for the innumerable benefits procured unto us by the same.

AND we most humbly beseech thee, O merciful Father, to hear us; and, of thy almighty goodness, vouchsafe to bless and sanctify, with thy Word and Holy Spirit, these thy gifts and creatures of bread and wine; that we, receiving them according to thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ’s holy institution, in remembrance of his death and passion, may be partakers of his most blessed Body and Blood.

AND we earnestly desire thy fatherly goodness, mercifully to accept this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving; most humbly beseeching thee to grant that, by the merits and death of thy Son Jesus Christ, and through faith in his blood, we, and all thy whole Church, may obtain remission of our sins, and all other benefits of his passion.  And here we offer and present unto thee, O Lord, our selves, our souls and bodies, to be a reasonable, holy, and living sacrifice unto thee; humbly beseeching thee, that we, and all others who shall be partakers of this Holy Communion, may worthily receive the most precious Body and Blood of thy Son Jesus Christ, be filled with thy grace and heavenly benediction, and made one body with him, that he may dwell in us, and we in him. And although we are unworthy, through our manifold sins, to offer unto thee any sacrifice; yet we beseech thee to accept this our bounden duty and service; not weighing our merits, but pardoning our offences, through Jesus Christ our Lord; by whom, and with whom, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, all honour and glory be unto thee, O Father Almighty, world without end.  Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer Page 82

And now, as our Saviour Christ hath taught us, we are bold to say,

OUR Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us.  And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever.  Amen.

The Prayer of Humble Access  Page 82

WE do not presume to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies.  We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy Table.  But thou art the same Lord, whose property is always to have mercy: Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and to drink his blood, that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body, and our souls washed through his most precious blood, and that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us.  Amen.

The Agnus Dei Page 82

O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world,
have mercy upon us.
O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world,
have mercy upon us.
O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world,
grant us thy peace.

Words of Administration of the Elements Page 82

THE Body of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was given for thee, preserve thy body and soul unto everlasting life.  Take and eat this in remembrance that Christ died for thee, and feed on him in thy heart by faith, with thanksgiving.

THE Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was shed for thee, preserve thy body and soul unto everlasting life. Drink this in remembrance that Christ’s Blood was shed for thee, and be thankful.

The Prayer of Thanksgiving Page 83

Let us pray.

ALMIGHTY and everliving God, we most heartily thank thee, for that thou dost vouchsafe to feed us who have duly received these holy mysteries, with the spiritual food of the most precious Body and Blood of thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ; and dost assure us thereby of thy favour and goodness towards us; and that we are very members incorporate in the mystical body of thy Son, which is the blessed company of all faithful people; and are also heirs through hope of thy everlasting kingdom, by the merits of his most precious death and passion. And we humbly beseech thee, O heavenly Father, so to assist us with thy grace, that we may continue in that holy fellowship, and do all such good works as thou hast prepared for us to walk in; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen.

The Gloria in excelsis Page 84

GLORY be to God on high, and on earth peace, good will towards men.  We praise thee, we bless thee, we worship thee, we glorify thee, we give thanks to thee for thy great glory, O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty.

O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ; O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.  Thou that takest away the sins of the world, receive our prayer. Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us. 

For thou only art holy; thou only art the Lord; thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost, art most high in the glory of God the Father.  Amen.

The Blessing Page 84

THE Peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his son Jesus Christ our Lord:  And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be amongst you and remain with you always.  Amen.

 

Thank you for joining us for this live broadcast of Holy Communion for the Second Sunday after Easter.  Please join us again next Sunday, Third Sunday after Easter, May 3rd, at 10:30 A.M.   We will continue live broadcasts of Holy Communion until regular Church services are resumed.

IN THE ABSENCE OF THE SACRAMENTS, please consider reading aloud the Prayer for God’s Mercy and Preservation on page 586 and the  Intercession prayer on pages 590-591 of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer (American edition).

New Testament: Gospels – Episodes 32 to 35

 

Christ-Good Shepherd-Ravenna-5thC
I Am the Good Shepherd, Byzantine mosaic, 1st half, 5th C. A.D., Mausoleum of Galla Placida, Ravenna, Italy.  The Yorck Project: 10,000 Masterworks.

Keeping with the pace started last week, I’ve uploaded four more episodes in the New Testament: Gospels series.  This week’s uploads are Episode Thirty-two, Episode Thirty-three, Episode Thirty-four and Episode Thirty-five.  In these four episodes I complete my discussion and commentary on the “I Am” declarations in the Gospel of St. John, including the Bread of Life; The Living Bread; The Light of the World; I Am From above; I Am not of this world; Before Abraham Was, I Am; I Am the Door; I Am the Good Shepherd; I Am the Resurrection and the Life; I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; and, finally, I am the True Vine.

As always, selection of a featured illustration is difficult, with so many choices across four episodes.  This time I selected another example of early Byzantine art in the west at Ravenna, Italy.  The photograph was used in the Yorck Project’s DVD: 10,000 Masterworks.   The DVD is accessible online, but be prepared: there are actually more than 10,000 images, which are arranged alphabetically, some by title and some by artist.

Watch Episode Thirty-two.           Podcast version of Episode Thirty-two

Watch Episode Thirty-three.      Podcast version of Episode Thirty-three.

Watch Episode Thirty-four.       Podcast version of Episode Thirty-four.

Watch Episode Thirty-five.        Podcast version of Episode Thirty-five.

The next group of four episodes, 36 to 39, are about the Seven Signs in the Gospel of St. John, treating those six which are unique to St. John’s Gospel first, followed by the last two, which appear in the Synoptic Gospels.   These are complete and will be featured here during the week of Nov. 10th, when the featured illustration is a 15th C. fresco of the Raising of Lazarus from a church in Greece.

The next group, also of four, 40 to 43, is focused on Unique Themes, Details & Events in the Gospel of St. John, beginning with Themes; followed by Details of Content; followed by unique mentions of Places and People, including Cana and Samaria; Peter; Nathanael; Philip; Andrew; the Samaritan Woman (Photina).   These four are complete and will be featured here during the week of Nov. 17th, when the featured illustration is a mid-19th Eastern Orthodox Christ Pantokrator image in Romania.

The final two episodes are complete in script and slides but still need a voice track.  The voice track will be recorded during the week of Nov. 10th with release during the week of Nov. 24th.  They are focused on more unique details & one five unique events in the Gospel of St. John, including the Visit of Nicodemus; the Restoration of the Adulterous Woman; Foot Washing on Maundy Thursday; the institution of the Sacrament of Penance/Confession; and Jesus’ Breakfast the the Seashore with the eleven remaining Disciples; and, ending with some summary slides on all four Gospels and the series.  The featured illustration will be a splendid mosaic of Jesus washing St. Peter’s feet from the tradtion of the Eastern Church.

In other news, I have upgraded the illustrations throughout the AIC Web Site and fixed (I hope) some glitches in spacing that in previous attempts don’t want to stay fixed.  I’ll be very surprised is they stay fixed.  I think I need some help from the technical people at WordPress.com.

As always, thank you for your interest and support.  May God bless you in all that you do in His Name! Amen! Glory be to God for all things! Amen!

 

New Testament: Gospels – Episodes 28 to 31

Christ-Samaritan womanatwell-Ravenna-6th C

Hoping to get the revisions to New Testament: Gospels online before Christmas (and even more hopefully before Thanksgiving), I’ve accelerated the schedule of uploads.  For the week of October 27th there are four new episodes.  Episode Twenty-eight is focused on how the followers of John the Baptist became followers of Jesus Christ; the calling of the two pair of brothers, Peter and Andrew, James and John; and the dramatic conclusion of Chapter 1.  Episode Twenty-nine is the first of seven episodes focused on the “I Am” declarations, beginning with Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan Woman at the Well of Jacob, with St. Photina as the first to whom Jesus reveals Himself as Messiah.  Episode Thirty continues with two more “I Am” declarations, the first calming the Disciples at sea and the second being Part 1 of 2 on “I Am the Bread of Life.”  Episode Thirty-one continues the story with Part 2 of 2 of the “I Am the Bread of Life,” plus “I Am the Living Bread,” and Part 1 of 2 in “I Am the Light of the World.”

It is always hard to decide upon a feature image for a multi-episode release.  I have chosen a 1st Quarter, 6th C. A.D. Byzantine-style mosaic of St. Photina and Jesus at the Well of Jacob, one of 13 mosaics in the upper tier in the left wall of the Nave at the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna, Italy.  The figure in white is not identified.    Among the professional photographs of the Basilica I could not find a higher resolution version of this image.  Because it is so high up on the wall, it is very hard to photograph without distortion.  The image here is from Wikipedia Commons.  In the video I explain the meaning of St. Photina’s name, her family history, and the traditional story of her death as a martyr.   I also explain why this encounter and the first one in Episode Thirty is presented as an “I Am” declaration.  Among other details I encountered is the tradition that the well-head from this story was bought by a Byzantine emperor and was installed and still exists beneath the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople/Istanbul, Turkey.

Watch Episode Twenty-eight      Listen to the Podcast of Episode Twenty-eight.

Watch Episode Twenty-nine.      Listen to the Podcast of Episode Twenty-nine.

Watch Episode Thirty.      Listen to the Podcast of Episode Thirty.

Watch Episode Thirty-one.      Listen to the Podcast of Episode Thirty-one.

I have recorded and edited into video format (and made the companion MP3 podcasts) for Episode Thirty-two through Episode Forty-one.  These will be released during the early weeks of November.   I still need to record the sound tracks for Episode Forty–two through Episode Forty-five, but will not be able to do so until the week of Nov. 10th.

I have also been upgrading each page on this site, adding images from the newest videos and correcting formatting errors.  In coming weeks, I hope to replace several of the masthead images with material from the videos.  This will not be easy owing to the wide-screen format.  Narrow slices of most images would be unacceptable.  My objective is to make the site more usable in conveying traditional Christian teaching.

As always, thank you for your interest and support. I urge viewers and listeners to share this material with others.  May God bless you in all that you do in His Name! Amen!  Glory be to God for all things! Amen!

 

New Testament: Gospels – Episodes 26 & 27

NT-Gospels-Title1-revEpisode Twenty-six and Episode Twenty-seven, the first of twenty focused on the Gospel of St. John in the AIC Bible Study Video series, New Testament: Gospels, were uploaded this week.  In Episode Twenty-six I explore the history, authorship & themes and offer some suggestions on how to read the Gospel of St. John, plus a reading of the first five verses of John 1,the opening words in St. John’s ground-breaking Prelude.  In Episode Twenty-seven I read and discuss the whole Prelude:  John 1:1-18.     Among the many examples of historic art depictions of St. John is a remarkable and colorful example from the Carolingian era of the revived Holy Roman Empire in western Europe.  The manuscript, The Benedictional of Aethelwold, a service book for the Mass by the Bishop of Winchester, based on the Gallican and Gregorian Sacramentaries, was protected by various noble families after the English Reformation.  It was acquired from the Duke of Devonshire, Chatsworth, Devonshire, by the British Library in 1958 A.D.  Below is the only illumination of a Gospel author that has survived, St. John with the traditional Eagle symbol.

John-Writing-Aethelwold Bened-Addl 49598_f019v-v2
St. John Writing His Gospel.  Illumination in colored inks and gold on parchment, The Benedictional of Aethelwold, made at Winchester, England, for the use of Aethelwold, Bishop of Winchester, 963-984 A.D.   Ms. Additional 49598, Folio 19v, British Library, London, England.  Perspective correction applied.

Watch the Video of Episode Twenty-six.          Listen to the Podcast (Episode 26)

Watch the Video of Episode Twenty-seven.       Listen to the Podcast (Episode 27)

The text and audio of the next two episodes (28, 29) will be released during the week of Oct. 27th, with two more episodes each week until the entire revised series is complete later this year.

As always, thank you for your interest and support.  May God bless you in all that you do in His Name! Amen!   Glory be to God for all things! Amen!

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