Ascension Day & Sunday after Ascension

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In the Anglican worship tradition, Ascension is officially celebrated on the Thursday following Fifth Sunday after Easter and, because so many cannot attend a mid-week service, themes related to the Ascension are repeated on Sunday after Ascension (the Sixth Sunday after Easter). The Collect for Ascension Day is based on the Gregorian Sacramentary and the Missal texts at Sarum (Salisbury). Theological concepts observed on Ascension Day were incorporated into the Nicene Creed in 325 A.D. The original text and the changes made in 381 A.D. are discussed and illustrated in the AIC Video Series, The Nicene Creed, linked from the Digital Library page. The Epistle reading, Acts 1:1-11, includes St. Paul’s record of post-Resurrection appearances by Christ and His being taken up into heaven. The Gospel reading, Luke 24:49-53, is the evangelist’s own record of the actual event of the Ascension to the Father.

The Ascension, illumination in tempera and gold on parchment, Rabbula Gospels, 586 A.D., region of present-day Syria. Laurentian Museum, Florence, Italy. Public Domain.

For Sunday after Ascension, the Collect was derived from a Vespers office of the new Church of England that is itself derived from the deathbed song of the Venerable Bede. The Epistle reading, 1 Peter 4:7-11, another example of New Testament wisdom features throughout Eastertide, includes St. Peter’s teachings on the proper use of one’s gifts from God. In the Gospel lesson, the sixth and last in Eastertide from the pen of St. John, John 15:26-16:4a, St. John quotes more from Jesus on preparation for the coming of the Holy Spirit, or The Comforter. The Collect and readings are discussed and illustrated in Episode Three in the AIC Seasonal Video series, Eastertide: From Resurrection to Ascension, linked from the Digital Library page. The audio-only Podcast version of Episode Three is linked from the Podcast Archive page. My Podcast Homily for Sunday after Ascension is linked from the Podcast Homilies page. A related Podcast Homily, focused on the Psalm reading for Morning Prayer on Sunday after Ascension, Psalm 8 & Psalm 108:1-5, is linked from the Podcast Homilies-Morning Prayer page.

Sunday after Ascension brings the season of Eastertide to a close. The remainder of the Anglican Church Year is focused on readings and other material focused on Trinity Sunday and Trinitytide, the longest season on the Anglican Church calendar. The AIC Seasonal Video series, Trinitytide: the Teaching Season, is presented in nine episodes, also linked from the Digital Library page with Podcast/audio only versions linked from the Podcast Archive page.

I have not decided on a plan for Fr. Ron’s Blog during Trinitytide. Since the weekly postings for Trinity were completely rebuilt in A.D. 2021, the weekly Blog will probably revert to more topical postings without any specific plan in mind. As always, thank you for your interest and support. Viewers might be interested to know that the greatest number of visits to our site is coming from Asia. To our Asian friends, another thank you. Glory be to God for all things! Amen!

Fifth Sunday after Easter

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For Fifth Sunday after Easter, commonly known as Rogation Sunday, the Collect is another which was adapted from the Gelasian Sacramentary used in the Roman Catholic tradition. This short prayer acknowledges the LORD as the source of “all things that are good,” which we may think are our own, come through His “merciful guiding.” The Epistle is another reading from the Epistle of St. James offering more practical New Testament wisdom: become “doers” of the Word and “not hearers only.” James describes the benefits of restraint, or “bridling” of the tongue. Almost four centuries later one of the greatest saints of the Eastern Church, John Chrysostom, Bishop of Antioch and then Constantinople, suggested that practicing control of one’s tongue could be considered a worthy sacrifice during the season of Lent. The Gospel reading is again from John 16, this time verses 16-33, in which Jesus grants mankind permission to pray directly to the Father and promises that He will likewise pray for the same to His Father. The reading includes another concept of time of which Jesus spoke in His final days, in this case, “hour,” which are discussed in Episode 43 and Episode 44 in the AIC Video series, New Testament: Gospels, linked from the Digital Library page. In just a few days, the Disciples would discover exactly what Jesus meant in saying “that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation.” This dialogue appears only in the Gospel of John. There are no examples that I know of in Christian art which depict this event. The timeline in The Orthodox Study Bible: New Testament implies, by association with other events on the last days of Christ, that the location was somewhere in Jerusalem on Maundy Thursday. The dialogue is discussed, without illustration, in the AIC Bookstore Publication, The Gospel of John: Annotated & Illustrated. The volume is available through my Amazon Author Central page. Full details about the book are found on the AIC Bookstore page.

The Collect, Epistle and Gospel readings for Fifth Sunday after Easter are discussed in Episode Three in our video series, Eastertide: From Resurrection to Ascension, linked from the Digital Library page. The audio-only version, in MP3 format, is linked from the Podcast Archive page. My Podcast Homily for Fifth Sunday after Easter is linked from the Podcast Homilies page. A related Podcast Homily for Fifth Sunday after Easter, based on Psalm 118, the appointed Psalm for Morning Prayer, is linked from the Podcast Homilies-Morning Prayer page.

Next week, my Blog post will be made on Ascension Day, May 14th, and will include commentary on readings for Ascension Day and Sunday after Ascension.

As always, thank you for your interest and support for keeping this site available, on-demand, 24/7. Glory be to God for all things! Amen!

Fourth Sunday after Easter

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For Fourth Sunday after Easter the Collect selected by Archbishop Cranmer for the 1549 Book of Common Prayer was adapted from the Gelasian Sacramentary, which dates to the second half of the 8th C. The Gelasian Sacramentary remained popular in the English Church before the separation from Rome. The Epistle reading, James 1:17-21, is a favorite example of what is commonly known as “New Testament wisdom” writings. The concept of “New Testament wisdom” is discussed in the AIC Bookstore Publication, Christian Spirituality: An Anglican Perspective, in the context of the wisdom writings of two pairs of saints, St. Peter & Paul, St. James and St. Jude. The book was featured in my Blog post for December 5th, A.D. 2025 (linked from the Archive column at right). It is available through my Amazon Author Central page, with more complete detail available on the AIC Bookstore page.

The Descent of the Holy Spirit, Rabbula Gospels, 586 A.D., Laurentian Library, Florence, Italy. Perspective correction applied. Public Domain.

In the Gospel reading, John 16:5-11, St. John quotes Jesus’ teaching concerning the Holy Spirit, called the “spirit of truth,” who would guide the Apostles “to all truth. For the illustration I have chosen one of the oldest images representing the Holy Spirit as a dove, from the Rabbula Gospels (586 A.D.). The Collect, Epistle and Gospel readings are discussed and illustrated in Episode Three in our Bible Study/New Testament series, Eastertide: From Resurrection to Ascension. The audio only version of Episode Three in MP3 format is linked from the Podcast Archive page. My Podcast Homily for Fourth Sunday after Easter is linked from the Podcast Homilies page. A related Podcast Homily, based on Psalm 116, which is the Psalm reading in Morning Prayer for Fourth Sunday after Easter, is linked from the Podcast Homilies-Morning Prayer page. In later posts during Eastertide/Ascension and also for Trinity Sunday, there will be other examples of imagery related to the Holy Spirit, many of which include the Blessed Virgin Mary as the central figure among the Apostles and saints.

As always, thank you for your interest and support. Glory be to God for all things! Amen!

Third Sunday after Easter

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For Third Sunday after Easter Archbishop Cranmer selected a Collect from the Leonine Sacramentary (10th C. version). It is the oldest Collect in the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. The Collect includes two uniques phrases, “the light of truth” and a reference to “Christ’s religion.” The Epistle reading, 1 Peter 2:11-17 includes St. Peter’s teaching on Christian virtues, specifically referring to resisting “lust” and obedience to civil authority. In the Gospel lesson, John 16:16-22, Jesus referred to a concept of time, “in a little while,” which confused the Disciples/Apostles. The concept refers to Jesus’ own expectation of the time coming for His death upon the Cross. I discuss the Collect and readings in Episode Two in the AIC Christian Education Video series, Eastertide: From Resurrection to Ascension. The entire series is linked from the Digital Library page. The audio-only version of Episode Two is linked from the Podcast Archive page. My Podcast Homily for Third Sunday after Easter is linked from the Podcast Homilies page. A related Homily for Third Sunday after Easter, based on the appointed Psalm reading for Morning Prayer, Psalm 36:5-12 and Psalm 138, is linked from the Podcast Homilies-Morning Prayer page.

Because there are no specific examples of Christian art which clarify the issue raised in the Gospel lesson, I have chosen one of the oldest surviving images of St. John, from the Codex Aureus of Stockholm, originally known as the Codex Aureus of Canterbury where it was produced, circa 750 A.D. I discuss the its complicated history — including possession by theft by Vikings & its return a century later, and, still later, by a member of the Spanish royal family, before its arrival in Sweden following its purchase by the Swedish royal family. The matter is presented in the context of this and other references by Jesus to other concepts of time in Episode Forty-three and Episode Forty-four in our Bible Study Video series, The New Testament: Gospels linked from the Bible Study-New Testament pages. The image was used as Illustration No. 4 in our publication, The Gospel of John: Annotated & Illustrated, available through my Amazon Author Central page. Details about the book are found on the AIC Bookstore page. The image is one of almost 600 examples of Christian art used on this site since its inception in August A.D. 2014.

John Writing His Gospel, illumination in colors and gold on parchment, Codex Aureus of Stockholm, also called Codex Aureus of Canterbury in honor of its original owner, Ms. A.135, Konigsliga Biblioteket, Stockholm, Sweden. Public Domain.

As always, thank you for your interest and support. The AIC is pleased to be able to continue to provide this kind of access to traditional Christian teaching in print, visual and audio formats. Glory be to God for all things! Amen!

Second Sunday after Easter & AIC Bookstore 21

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Apologies to viewers the late posting of the Blog for First Sunday after Easter. For unknown technical reasons the “Post” command failed to execute. It is now available with the unique image from the Alheide Psalter, a rare example of Christian art prepared by a woman, from the collection of the British Library, London, England.

For Second Sunday after Easter, commonly known as Good Shepherd Sunday, Archbishop Thomas Cranmer created an original Collect based on the Epistle reading for the day, 1 Peter 2:19-23, which includes commentary on the expectation of “suffering” and St. Paul’s unique reference to the Cross as a Tree. The Gospel reading, John 10:11-16, the third of six readings from St. John’s Gospel in Eastertide.

Christ the Good Shepherd, stained glass window, Franz Mayer of Munich, 2nd Qtr., 20th C., St. Joseph’s Villa Chapel, Richmond, Va. (from The Stained Glass Windows of St. Joseph’s Villa Chapel). Photo by Ronald E. Shibley.

I discuss and illustrate the Collect, Epistle and Gospel readings for Second Sunday in Easter in Episode Two in our video series, Eastertide: From Resurrection to Ascension, linked from the Digital Archive page. The audio-only version of Episode Two is linked from the Podcast Archive page. My Podcast Homily for Second Sunday after Easter is linked from the Podcast Homilies page. A related Podcast Homily for Second Sunday after Easter, based upon the Psalm reading for the occasion, Psalm 23 and Psalm 146, is linked from the Podcast Homilies-Morning Prayer page.

The last in the series of previews of the AIC Bookstore Publications is The Prayer Book Psalter: Service Book Edition. The book includes all the pages from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer of the offices for Morning and Evening Prayer plus the Prayers and Thanksgiving, the Litany and Penitential Office for Ash Wednesday, the liturgy for Holy Communion and the full text of the Psalter and Family Prayers.. The Penitential Office includes two texts for the traditional administration of ashes. The Psalter section also includes the King James Version text of Psalm 23 as an Addendum. The volume is offered as an inexpensive alternative for small parishes to the bound versions of the full-text of the B.C.P. The book, and the St. Joseph’s Villa Chapel volume, is available exclusively through my Amazon Author Central page.

As always, thank you for your interest and support. Glory be to God for all things! Amen!

First Sunday after Easter & Bookstore Preview #20

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For First Sunday after Easter the 1928 Book of Common Prayer (American edition, 1943 revisions) the Collect, one of two original compositions by Archbishop Cranmer in Eastertide, is based upon John 3:16, Romans 4:25 and 1st Corinthians 5:7-8. The emphasis is upon St. Paul’s teachings on concepts concerning Christ’s redemptive sacrifice and, indirectly, the Christian virtues and their opposites. The Gospel lesson, John 20:19-23, records Jesus’ visit post-Resurrection appearance on the Monday after His Resurrection in which the Lord Jesus “breathed” the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and taught a lesson concerning the proper path to forgiveness.

The Three Marys at the Empty Tomb, illumination in colors on parchment, Alheide Psalter, 4th Qtr, 12th C-1st Qtr., 13th C., Thuringia, Germany, Ms. Additional 11847, Folio 13v, British Library, London, England. The manuscript is named after the woman who identifies herself as the scribe at the end of the volume.

These topics are discussed and illustrated in Episode Two of our video series, Eastertide: From Resurrection to Ascension. The audio-only version of Episode Two is linked from the Podcast Archive page. My Podcast Homily for First Sunday after Easter is linked from the Podcast Homilies page. A related Podcast Homily based on the Psalm reading in Morning Prayer for First Sunday after Easter, Psalm 103, is linked from the Podcast Homilies-Morning Prayer page. The Gospel reading is discussed and illustrated in our Bookstore Publication, The Gospel of John: Annotated & Illustrated. The volume is available exclusively through my Amazon Author Central page. Additional details about the book are found on the AIC Bookstore page.

We are nearing the end of the comments and images from the AIC Bookstore Publications, now numbering twenty-two volumes. Today, the focus is on The St. Chrysostom Hymnal, a project which grew out of my own local congregation’s effort to find hymns and songs which could easily be sung by people not trained in music. I researched hundreds of hymnals of many denominations at a local seminary’s library. Potential music was presented to the committee. Each proposed addition to our local hymnal was voted on by the members. Anything that did not pass muster was left out. One of the objectives was to find more music for Advent, Christmas and Easter and more hymns and songs suitable for opening and closing hymns. Yet another objective was to include hymns attributed to St. Ambrose of Milan and others discovered by, or written by, hymnologist John Mason Neale. The local publication was printed on letter-sized paper and placed in a spiral binding. After my retirement from pulpit ministry, I reworked the volume into the 5.5″ x 8.5″ format. Originally published in two volumes, it was later reformatted into a single book. Like all AIC Bookstore Publications, the volume is available exclusively though my Amazon Author Central page. Complete information about the book is found on the AIC Bookstore page.

As always, thank you for your interest and support. Glory be to God for all things!

Easter Even

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For Easter Even, which is the Saturday before Easter, the appointed Gospel reading, Matthew 27:57-66, includes the evangelist’s account of Joseph of Arimathea in the burial of Jesus, the presence of two of the three Marys (Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary), at the tomb and the order of Pilate, at the urging of the “chief priests and Pharisees,” to guard the tomb (against Jesus’ prophecy of rising in three days. In the AIC Bookstore’s publication, Easter: the Resurrection of Our Lord in Scripture, Art & Christian Tradition, Chapter Three includes many images of the Harrowing of Hades and Chapter Four includes images relating to Jesus’ prophecies of Resurrection three days. The volume is available through my Amazon Author Central page. Additional information is found on the AIC Bookstore page.

The Harrowing of Hell, illumination in colors and gold leaf on parchment, German Homilary, circa 1320, W.148, Folio 21r, Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, MD. CC0 license.

As always, thank you for your interest and support. Glory be to God for all things! Amen!

Good Friday

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For Good Friday, the 1928 Book of Common Prayer (American edition, 1943) the Gospel reading is John 19:1-37, which is the source of many important details concerning the Crucifixion and events in the hours and day that followed. For this occasion, I offer viewers the oldest surviving image of the Crucifixion.

The Crucifixion, illumination in tempera and gold on parchment, Rabula Gospels, Syria, 586 A.D. The document is held at Biblioteca Laurenziana, Florence, Italy. The Yorck Project: 10,000 Masterworks. Public domain.

Other AIC resources for Good Friday include both video and audio-only versions of In the Cross of Christ I Glory, which I used at my former parish between Noon and Ninth Hour (3:00 P.M.). Episodes are also linked from the Digital Library and Podcast Archive pages. The readings were derived from a post-World War II office for Good Friday to which I added many quotations and prayers from the early Fathers of the Church Universal, including both Eastern Church and Roman Catholic saints and prominent figures.

For Good Friday (117 slides; nearly four dozen illustrations from the 6th to the 19th C.)

Part 1 – Opening Remarks, First to Fourth Word
Part 2 – Fifth to Seventh Word, plus Closing Remarks

The audio-only version (MP3 format) of this presentation is linked from the Podcast Archive page.

As always, thank you for your interest and support. Glory be to God for all things! Amen!

Thursday before Easter

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For Thursday before Easter, commonly known as Maundy Thursday the 1928 Book of Common Prayer (American Edition, 1943) provides two choices for the Gospel reading: Luke 23, which continues from the reading for Wednesday before Easter, and John 13:1-15, which is St. John’s unique (both in content and style) account of Jesus’ model for the humble act of footwashing. There are few examples of how this event was depicted in Christian. Among the best of them is this mosaic at the Monastery of Hosios Loukas, Boeotia, Greece, circa 10th C.

Christ Washes the Apostles’ Feet, with St. Peter at center, mosaic, Monastery of Hosios Loukas, Boeotia, Greece, 10th C. Photo by Edbb. CC-by-SA 3.0. Perspective correction applied to the original image.

I used this image as Illustration No. 66 in The Gospel of John: Annotated & Illustrated, which is available exclusively through my Amazon Author Central page. Additional information about the book is found on the AIC Bookstore page. In the book, a second image of footwashing, from the Codex Bruchsal, made for use at Speyer Cathedral, Speyer, Germany around 1220 A.D. is Illustration No. 67. The volume was highlighted in my Blog post for 2/17/26 in association with celebration of First Sunday in Lent. The post is linked from the Archives column at right.

Glory be to God for all things! Amen!

Wednesday before Easter

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The Gospel reading for Wednesday in Holy Week is the entirety of Luke 22. Among the topics is the evangelist’s account of Christ’s prophecy of the betrayal of St, Peter (Luke 22:31-34) and its fulfillment (Luke 22:54-62). I have chosen a Western Church visual interpretation, in this case one of several watercolors by James Tissot. Tissot conducted extensive research in the Holy Land, focusing on clothing, architectural detail, visiting the locations where the events described took place. The Brooklyn Museum purchased the entire collection in the late 19th C. and later entered the images into the public domain. This particular image is: 00.159.246_PS2.jpg.

The Second Denial of St. Peter, opaque watercolor over graphite on gray wove paper, James Tissot, circa 1886-1894, Brooklyn Museum. Public domain.