First Sunday after Epiphany & AIC Bookstore, Part 10

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First Sunday after Epiphany, the first of three Sundays after Epiphany in A.D. 2026, is celebrated this year on January 11th. I discuss the Collect and the Epistle and Gospel readings in Episode Two in our Seasonal Video series, Epiphany: The Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles. The audio version of Episode Two is linked from the Podcast Archive page. There are two podcast homilies for First Sunday after Epiphany. The first Podcast Homily is based on the Holy Communion readings. The second, my Podcast Homily for Morning Prayer, is based on Psalm 72. The video version includes an image related to Psalm 72 from the Stuttgart Psalter, as it was used in the AIC Bookstore Publication, The Prayer Book Psalter: Picture Book Edition (see more below).

The Collect for First Sunday after Epiphany is a composition by Archbishop Cranmer based upon the Gregorian Sacramentary on the theme of mankind’s dependence upon God for His Grace and how it can and should be applied in the daily life of a Christian. The Epistle reading, Romans 12:1-5, is the first of a sequence of four readings from Romans during Epiphany season in the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. The subject is Paul’s observations on the Church as “one body in Christ.” As noted earlier, only three of these will be read in A.D. 2026.

Finding in the Temple, 19th C. stained glass window, Werchter, Belgium. Copyright Jorisvo | Dreamtime.com.

The Gospel lesson, Luke 2:41-51, is St. Luke’s unique account of the childhood of Christ, when at age 12 he encounters and teaches the leadership of the Temple in Jerusalem. Another stained glass window depicting this event, designed and made by Franz Mayer of Munich, is Window No. 57, St. Joseph’s Villa Chapel, Richmond, VA.

This gives me an opportunity to resume promotion of the AIC Bookstore Publications which was interrupted in mid-December of last year. One of ten books in our unique large page format, Paintings on Light: the Stained Glass Windows of St. Joseph’s Villa Chapel, is available exclusively at our Virtual Bookstore, which is accessible through my Amazon Author Central page. All book royalties are donated to the AIC. The image of Window 57, Teaching the Doctors in the Temple, was used in my Blog Post for First Sunday after Epiphany, 1/9/2015. The post is linked from the Jan. 2015 entry in the Archive column at right.

Paintings on Light: the Stained Glass Windows of St. Joseph’s Villa Chapel, printed in our square large page (8.5″ x 8.5″) format, offers high-resolution images of all 46 stained glass windows by Franz Mayer of Munich, the three Sanctuary murals and the 14 Stations of the Cross, as well as the story of the restoration of the Chapel by myself and my former parishioners at St. John Chrysostom Anglican Church (now closed), which worshipped at the Chapel. Summary: Details: 84 pages, including Bibliography, General Index and Scriptural cross-reference.

NOTE: Just for readers/viewers who like knowing small details, here are some statistics not included in the Blog post for Epiphany (Day & Season, linked from the Archive column at right): In Epiphany season, there are five readings from the Gospel of Matthew and one each from the Gospel of Mark and Gospel of John. There are five Collects derived from the Gregorian Sacramentary, one from the Gelasian Sacramentary and one original composition by Bishop John Cosin, added for the 1662 Book of Common Prayer.

As always, thank you for your interest and support, which makes possible the maintenance of our unique collection of videos, podcasts and books and making them available 24/7 on demand, and the continued search for royalty-free images of Christian art across the centuries. Over four dozen additional images were acquired in December 2025 and in this first week of A.D. 2026. Many of these images will be used in Blog posts in the first half of this year.

Glory be to God for all things! Amen!

Second Sunday after Christmas & Epiphany

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Second Sunday after Christmas is only celebrated when Jan. 2, 3, 4 or 5 happen on a Sunday. A.D. 2026 is one of those years. aThe Collect for the day was written by Archbishop Cranmer based on the 2nd Collect for Christmas Day in the Gregorian Sacramentary, a 10th C. tribute to one of the great Roman Catholic popes. The “for the Epistle” reading is Isaiah 61:1-3, which Jesus quotes in Luke 4:18, 19 in reference to the “Spirit of the Lord.” The Gospel lesson. Matthew 2:19-23, St. Matthew’s record of the Holy Family’s Flight to Egypt and Return, both of which were the result to a dream of Joseph. Jan. 4th is also the Eleventh Day of Christmas in the AIC video series, The Twelve Days of Christmas.

Joseph Dreaming/Holy Family Returns, Byzantine mosaic, Outer Narthex, Chora Church, Constantinople, now Istanbul, 14th C. Copyright Bapaume | Dreamtime.com

Epiphany season, one of the fixed feasts on the Anglican Church Calendar, officially begins on Jan. 6th. In A.D. 2026, Epiphany falls on a Tuesday. The name for the season is derived from the Greek word Epiphaneia, which means to manifest, or, more poetically, to “shine forth.” For the first Anglican Book of Common Prayer, published in 1549 A.D., Archbishop Thomas Cranmer wrote a new Collect for Epiphany (day). It was derived from the 10th C. version of the Gregorian Sacramentary. Epiphany was once known as “Little Christmas,” probably because Epiphany Eve (Jan. 5th) marks the end of the Christmas season. In the AIC’s video presentation for Christmas, The Twelve Days of Christmas, I use a graphic to present Christmas Day and Epiphany (Day) as “bookends.”

Epiphany and all the Sundays after Epiphany are each concerned with an example of the “manifestation” of Christ to the Gentile world. I discuss and illustrate the complex history of the season and also the readings for Epiphany Day in Episode One in our video series, Epiphany: The Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles. The Sundays after Epiphany, which can be as many as six and as few as one, are discussed in Episode Two and Episode Three in the same series. In A.D. 2026, there are only three Sundays after Epiphany. The podcast audio version of Episode One is available on the Podcast Archive page. My Podcast Homily for Epiphany (the Day) is linked from the Podcast Homilies page. You can also listen to the Podcast Homily for Morning Prayer, based on the Psalm readings for Epiphany (day), Psalm 46 and Psalm 100, hosted on the Podcast Homilies-Morning Prayer page. The three Sundays after Epiphany will be the subject of the next three blog posts.

Massacre of the Innocents, Byzantine mosaic, south wall, Outer Narthex, Chora Church, Constantinople, now Istanbul, Turkey, early 14th C. The scene above the arch is a portion of Christ Healing a Paralytic Man at Capernaum (Matthew 9:1-8) Copyright Evren Kalinbacak | Dreamstime.com.

The Epistle reading for Epiphany (day) is Ephesians 3:1-12, St. Paul’s essay on the “mystery” of the Christ who is revealed to the world. The Gospel reading, Matthew 2:1-12, is Matthew’s account of the Visit of the Wise Men. In our video series, The Twelve Days of Christmas, the episode for Fourth Day of Christmas, Dec. 28th, with the theme word “Compassion,” highlights the Murder of the Holy Innocents, Herod’s violent reaction to the news of the possible birth of a Saviour.

The actual visit of the Wise Men, or Magi, is depicted in another late-Byzantine mosaic, also in the Outer Narthex (or exonarthex), in this case at the rear of the Outer Narthex above the opening into the Church’s Parakklesion, effectively a funeral chapel. For more views of these and other Byzantine mosaics and frescoes illustrating hundreds of Scriptural scenes at Chora, visit the Chora Church web site. Another site with nearly a hundred images is available at https://thebyzantinelegacy.com. Yet another is https://www.360tr.com, which offers “virtual” tours you can manipulate. For the 3-D tour, it may take a little practice manipulating the view (forward, sideways, upward), but you will find the effort worthwhile as you move, in the virtual sense, through the Outer Narthex, the Inner Narthex (or Esonarthex), the Naos (the equivalent of the modern Nave and Altar) and the Parakklesion (with its spectacular representation of The Harrowing of Hades (or Anastasis). While at the site be sure to direct the pointer to look upward into the large Christ Pantokrator dome (#8) and the smaller Blessed Virgin dome (#9) in the Inner Narthex and the Church’s third dome in the righthand portion of the Outer Narthex.

The Return of the Magi, with the three Wise Men before the Blessed Virgin Mary (in blue robe, center), Outer Narthex, Chora Church, 14th C. Copyright Evren Kalinbacak | Dreamstime.com

In future posts in A.D. 2026, I will insert additional images from Chora Church in which the Gospel reading is illustrated.

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

Trinity 22 & AIC Bookstore – Pt. 5

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My Fr. Ron’s Blog post for Trinity 22 was posted on October 25th, A.D. 2024. The episode is linked from the Archives column at the right side of the page. I discussed the Collect, based on the late Gregorian Sacramentary (10th C.), St. Paul’s epistle to the congregation at Phillipi (Philippians 1:3-11) and St. Matthew’s account of Jesus’ lesson on the Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:21-35) with first half, 17th C. art work by Claude Vignon. These readings were also discussed in Episode Eight in our Christian Education video series, Trinitytide: the Teaching Season. The podcast version of Episode Eight is linked from the Podcast Archive page. Additionally, the Podcast Homily for Morning Prayer on the Twenty-second Sunday after Trinity is also available.

This week’s post continues my focus on the unique books available in the AIC Bookstore, on this occasion focusing on the first of two books on the Church’s two major seasons, Easter and Christmas. Here, near the start of Advent in A.D. 2025, I present more about Christmas: The Nativity of Our Lord in Scripture, Art & Christian Tradition. This resource would be a great gift to any Christian this year. The volume is available only through my Amazon Author Central page.

Cover image, a stained glass interpretation at an unspecified location, copyright Waamel|Dreamstime.com.

The book was first published at Christmas, A.D. 2023. Art work includes 113 illustrations from the 5th to the early 20th C., including mosaics, icons, frescoes, stained glass, paintings, watercolors and two maps: Palestine in the Time of Christ and an 1835 Plan of Jerusalem. This 173-page high-quality paperback is divided into five parts. Part One includes text and commentary on St. Luke’s unique pre-Nativity account (Luke 1). Part Two continues with text and commentary on St. Luke’s version of the actual Nativity and his transition to post-Nativity events (Luke 2). Part Three includes text and commentary on St. Matthew’s version of the Nativity through the flight to and return from Egypt (Matthew 1 & 2). Part Four is focused on two pre-and post-Nativity traditions with art related to The Great “O” Antiphons (for Dec. 18th to 24th) and The Twelve Days of Christmas (with a theme words or phrases for Dec. 25th to Jan 5th). Part Four includes examples from the AIC’s two video and podcast series of the same name. Part Five, Christmas Traditions from around the World, includes discussion and illustrations of gift-giving, Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Christmas cards, the Three Kings tradition, Christmas music and foods, including Corkie Shibley’s recipe for my grandmother’s Sugar Cookies.

With its unique format and content, this volume will enhance anyone’s personal library of Christian resources. Next time, my focus will be on Easter: The Resurrection of Our Lord in Scripture, Prayer & Christian Tradition.

As always, thank you for your interest and support. Sales of these volumes help keep the Anglican Internet Church’s unique resources available online, mostly free of charge. All book royalties are donated, as received, to the AIC. Glory be to God for all things! Amen!

Trinity 20 & AIC Bookstore – Part 3

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My Fr. Ron’s Blog post for Twentieth Sunday after Trinity was posted on 10/11/2024. In the post I discussed the two changes to the original Gelasian Sacramentary version that were made in 1662 & 1789; St. Paul’s emphasis on his understanding of “joy” in the singing “Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs”; and St.. Matthew’s account of the Parable of the Wedding Feast (Matthew 22:1-14). The post is available using the link for October 2024 in the Archives column.

The same set of readings was discussed and illustrated in Episode Eight in our Christian Education video series, Trinitytide: The Teaching Season. All these episodes include illustrations from our archive of over 3,000 examples of Christian art over the centuries. Another illustration of the Parable of the Wedding Feast is featured in Chapter 22 of The Gospel of Matthew: Annotated & Illustrated, available through my Amazon Author Central page.

Cover art: King David on his harp, stained glass window, Collegiate Church of Notre Dame, Dinant, Belgium. Copyright Jorisvo/Dreamstime.com

This week’s example of works in the AIC Bookstore is The Prayer Book Psalter: History, Text & Commentary (370 pages, six illustrations, including two on the front or back cover). The book brings together both Western Church and Eastern Church interpretations and was intended to answer commonly-asked questions about the Psalter. It can be used as a quick-reference for either clergy or laity.

The text of each Psalm, using the 1928 Book of Common Prayer (1943 U.S. Edition), is followed by commentary from a Christological perspective, where possible using quotations from the ancient fathers of Christianity, including saints Athanasius of Alexandria, Augustine of Hippo, Gregory of Nyssa, James, John Cassian, John Chrysostom, Martin Luther, the Apostles Paul and Peter, and Theodoric of Cyprus. For each Psalm there is a listing of where, if applicable, each Psalm has been used in Christian hymns and songs. The music cross-reference is focused on traditional songs and hymns used not only in the Anglican worship tradition, but also the Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian traditions.

Each Psalm (see the sample page of Psalm 149, one of the shortest Psalms) is categorized by its type, either Penitential, Passion, Cursing, Messianic, Royal, Hallel and Songs of Ascent; by the traditional understanding of its authorship (David, Sons of Korah; Sons of Asaph (Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah and Azariah); Solomon; Moses; Ethan the Ezrahite; and Unknown; and by how and where it is used in the 1928 BCP (Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, Other); and by its classification in one of the traditional five “Books” of the Psalms in the full text section of the BCP. At the back of the book is a Glossary listing every person or place named in the Psalter, with entries cross-referenced to other Psalms, other Scripture and to other books in the AIC Bookstore. The volume is available exclusively through my Amazon Author Central page.

Next week’s topic will be our other book focused on the Psalms, The Prayer Book Psalter: Picture Book Edition, which features illustrations from the historic Stuttgart Psalter (circa 820 A.D. during the reign of Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne) and 20 other illustrated editions of the Psalter from the 10th to the 17th C., including the Psalter of Henry the Eighth. The page size is 8.5″ x 8.5″ with the Psalm text set in large type in the Apple Luminari typeface, with illuminated capitals created by Corkie Shibley, and with the Psalm’s title in both English and Latin. The book was produced with the assistance of the Wurttembergische Landesbibliothek, Stuttgart, Germany, the holder of the only known copy of the Stuttgart Psalter. The Stuttgart Psalter is associated with the Blessed Alcuin of York, author of the Collect for Purity in the Anglican Holy Communion liturgy and spiritual advisor and teacher to the Emperor Charlemagne, his family and his royal court, and Abbot of the Abbey of St. Martin, Tours, France.

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

Liturgical Worship: Scripture-based – Part 2

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This week I continue my discussion about Liturgical Worship in the Anglican tradition using the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. The illustration below shows clergy officiating at Holy Communion using the Sarum Rite. Sarum is modern day Salisbury, England. The Sarum Rite in England is a predecessor of the 1549 Book of Common Prayer, the first England language liturgical prayer book produced under the supervision of Archbishop Thomas Cranmer.

Priests Celebrating at Altar, using the Sarum Rite, illumination, Book of Hours, circa 1400, Ms. Richardson 5-92, Folio 44v, Houghton Library, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. Public Domain.

One of the best commentaries on the 1928 Book of Common Prayer was written by Massey Shepherd. It includes an introductory commentary plus section-by-section commentary on the entire BCP. On the Holy Communion liturgy, pages 67-89, he observes that the words to be spoken by clergy and people before an after the Gospel reading (“Glory be to thee, O Lord” and “Praise be to thee, O Christ”) are “a reminder that liturgical worship is a corporate action of both minister and congregation, conducted under the inspirational judgment of the Lord.”

Shepherd also notes that the Sanctus prayer, spoken during the Preface, is a paraphrase which is derived from the prophet Isaiah’s vision of the heavenly throne, in which the seraphim sing (Isaiah 6:1-3). Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts, Heaven and earth are full of thy glory: Glory be to thee, O Lord most high.”

Another interesting observation by Massey Shepherd concerns the opening words of the Prayer for the Whole State of Christ’s Church (BCP p. 74) is evidence of the Church’s acceptance of the understanding that God listens of the prayers/petitions of His faithful people and, further, that the text affirms that the people/congregation, in hearing the remainder of the prayer, acknowledge the obligation to be obedient unto His divine will: “all those who do confess thy holy Name may agree in the truth of thy holy Word, and live in unity and godly love.” This understanding is more directly addressed in the preface to the General Confession (p. 75).

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


Liturgical Worship: Scripture-based – Part 1

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Earlier this month my Blog post promised additional commentary on the value of liturgical worship, specifically, worship using the 1928 Book of Common Prayer in the Anglican tradition. This is the first entry in the series. More will follow on an unpredictable schedule.

Liturgical worship is practiced in several denominations, especially the Anglican, Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and, to a lesser extent, among some jurisdictions with the Lutheran, Methodist and Presbyterian traditions. The origin of these traditions is derived from early Church worship, both in the Western and Eastern Church jurisdictions. For Anglicans, the “gold standard” is those liturgies derived from Archbishop Thomas Cranmer’s preparation (with assistance from many whose names are not commonly noted) of the 1549 Book of Common Prayer, the first set of liturgies written in the English language. Cranmer found inspiration in liturgies developed on the European continent, especially in the Lutheran Church, but also from the liturgy named in honor of St. John Chrysostom. Prior to the production of the 1549 Book of Common Prayer, Cranmer also wrote the office known as The Litany, or General Supplication, which still appears on pages 54-59 in the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.

Archbishop Cranmer did not compose something new but a working collection of liturgies for Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, the Litany & the Penitential Office for Ash Wednesday, as well as other offices and collections of prayers for specific occasions. All of these liturgies, offices and prayers have a common characteristic: They are based upon Holy Scripture, both of the Old Testament and the New Testament. For example, the Holy Communion liturgy begins with the Lord’s Prayer and a Collect, commonly called the Collect for Purity, written in the late 8th or early 9th C. by the Blessed Alcuin of York. The Collect sets the tone for the entire liturgy with understandings, both Jewish and Christian, concerning the nature of the God who sees all and knows all. It also serves as a warning against trivializing the meaning of the words that are to follow in the Holy Communion liturgy. It is useful to recall that Theos, a name of God, is the root word of “theology,” means The One Who Sees.

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.

Alcuin of York, and his importance in the development of Christian doctrine since the 9th C., is discussed in the Blog posts for Lent 4 and Lent 5.

Other examples of the use of Holy Scripture are the responsive reading of the Ten Commandments, or Decalogue. The full text must be used at least once per month. On other occasions, the clergyman may read the “Summary of the Law,” which is a paraphase of Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18, and to which Jesus referred on Mark 12:28-34. Christ cited the two Old Testament sources in response to the question by some Scribes regarding which is the most important Commandment.

Another example is the Comfortable Words, which are quotations Matthew 11:28; John 3:16; 1 Timothy 1:15 and 1 John 2:1, 2. These follow the General Confession and Absolution. Yet another is the selection of New Testament and Old Testament verses which may be used during the Offertory, although the most commonly used in the first in the sequence, “Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, it is more blessed to give than to receive,” based on Acts 20:35.

In Part Two, I will focus on indirect or paraphrases of Scripture which appear in the offices of Morning and Evening Prayer, the Holy Communion liturgy and are provided in other offices for special occasions, ranging from baptisms to funerals.

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

Sunday after Ascension

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Anglican worship for the Sunday after Ascension marks the close of the prayer cycle focused on historical events, beginning with First Sunday in Advent and including the seasons of Advent, Christmas/Nativity of Our Lod, Epiphany, and Eastertide/Ascension. Next Sunday, Whitsunday/Pentecost, marks the start of what the AIC refers to as the “Teaching Season.” During this second half of the year, the collects and readings are focused on elements of doctrine rather than events.

For Sunday after Ascension, instead of another prayer adapted from one of three primary sources in the Western Church tradition, that is, the Leonine, Gregorian or Gelasian sacramentaries, Archbishop Thomas Cranmer turned to the traditions of the English Church. His Collect for Sunday after Ascension was adapted from a song which was sung for The Venerable Bede during Bede’s final illness in 735 A.D. In the English Church, the words of the song had been incorporated into a prayer in the Vespers office, usually celebrated around 5 P.M. or local sunset. The words of the Collect, very much like the Gospel reading from John 16 for Fourth Sunday after Easter, were intended to prepare worshippers for the transition from the celebration of Christ’s Ascension, celebrated on Ascension Day, the Thursday following Fifth Sunday after Easter, into the recognition of the Descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost/Whitsunday. In the King James Version and the Book of Common Prayer, the Holy Ghost, or Holy Spirit, is referred to as “Comforter.” In the New King James Version He is called the “Helper.” Bede is also venerated in the Roman Catholic tradition, although he was not canonized by the Roman Church until the reign of Pope Leo XIII in 1899 A.D. The Venerable Bede was the author of the earliest history of the Church in England, Ecclesiastical History of England, covering the period up to 731 A.D., the year the book was published. An online version is available through CCEL.org.

The Ascension, the left panel of a triptych in tempera on wood, Andrea Mantegna, 1463-1464 A.D., Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy. Image from The Yorck Project: 10,000 Masterworks. Public Domain.

O GOD, the King of glory, who hast exalted thine only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph
into thy kingdom in heaven; We beseech thee, leave us not comfortless; but send to us thine Holy Ghost
to comfort us, and exalt us into the same place whither our Saviour Christ is gone before,
who liveth and reigneth with thee and same Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

The Epistle reading, 1 Peter 4:7-11, begins with St. Peter’s advice concerning preparation for final judgment (verse 7), goes on to extol the Christian virtue of love (Verse 8, translated as “charity” in the King James Version and the Book of Common Prayer) and acknowledges that virtues come to mankind as a sovereign gift from God. The final verse (verse 11) includes words which have been incorporated into many Christian liturgies and prayers, here printed in the Prayer Book translation:

If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God;
If any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth:
that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ,
to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

The Gospel reading, John 15:26 to John 16:4a, the fifth of five selections from the Gospel of John in the Sundays after Easter and Sunday after Ascension, includes a warning about the earthly dangers for followers of Jesus Christ, not only for those immediately within His hearing but also for those who would follow Him in the generations to come. Perhaps that is why the reading is presented in the Book of Common Prayer out of chronological order, with reference in verse 26 to an event already celebrated on Ascension Day.

But these things I have told you, that when the time comes,
you may remember that I told you of them.

The Ascension, illumination in tempera and gold on parchment, Rabbula Gospels, produced in the region of present-day Syria, then known as Mesopotamia, at the monastery of St. John of Zagba, 586 A.D. Codex Pluteus 1, 56, Folio 13v, Biblioteca Medicea Laurenzina, Florence, Italy. The document has been in Florence since the 16th C. The volume also includes the oldest surviving image of the Crucifixion. This version is from The Yorck Project: 10,000 Masterworks, published on a DVD and released into the Public Domain in 2002 A.D.

The actual descent of the Holy Spirit is celebrated annually on the Church Calendar on Whitsunday/Pentecost. The descent is described vividly by St. Luke in Acts 2:1-11, which is the Epistle reading for Whitsunday. The illustration displayed above the Collect for the Day represents the Western style of literalist interpretation of Christ’s Ascension. The illustration above this paragraph represents a more spiritual style. Both illustrations and twelve others were used in our publication, Easter: The Resurection of Our Lord in Scripture, Art & Christian Tradition, available through my Amazon Author Central page, with details of the volume found on the AIC Bookstore page. The Collect, Epistle and Gospel readings for Sunday after Ascension are discussed and illustrated in Episode Three in the AIC Christian Education Video series, Eastertide: From Resurrection to Ascension, linked from the Digital Library page and, in MP3 audio format, from the Podcast Archive page.

Next week I plan to begin a new series of topical Blog postings. Readers are reminded that Blog entries for the other Sundays on the Church Calendar are linked from the Fr. Ron’s Blog tab for the years from 2023 through 2025. The page includes links to all posts going back to the opening of this site in August 2014. The Blog includes topical links following the actual blog entries.

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

Fourth Sunday after Easter

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For Fourth Sunday after Easter Archbishop Cranmer adapted another prayer from the Gelasian Sacramentary, one of the three most important prayers sources in the Roman Catholic tradition. The Collect affirms the sovereignty of God and His only-begotten Son over all things, including the wide range of human emotions.

ALMIGHTY God, who alone canst order the unruly wills and affections of sinful men;
Grant unto thy people, that they may love the thing which thou commandest, and
desire that which thou dost promise, that so, among the sundry and manifold changes
of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed, where true joys are to be found;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

James the Just, tempera and gold on panel Russian Orthodox icon in the Novgorod style, 1560 A.D. James holds a book, representing his epistle, in his left hand. Public Domain.

The Epistle reading, James 1:17-21, is one of foremost examples of New Testament “wisdom.” It illustrates concepts found in the “wisdom” books of the Septuagint Old Testament, which include the Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon (also known as the Song of Songs). The selection is the first of two consecutive readings from the Book of James during Easter season, the other being the reading for Fifth Sunday after Easter. The author, traditionally said to have been the first “Bishop” of Jerusalem, includes themes from the Collect. St. James affirms the importance of the virtue of self-control: “…let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God” (verses 19 and 20a). The great early Church Bishop, first of Antioch, then of Constantinople, John Chrysostom often used his homilies to counsel his listeners on the concept of the tongue as a weapon and the obligation of all men to “give it a rest,” especially during penitential seasons on the Church Calendar. A modern reproduction of the icon shown above is available online from the web site www.iconsofsaints.com. James is commonly called Brother of the Lord, based on the tradition that Joseph of Nazareth was his father from a marriage prior to his marriage to the Blessed Virgin Mary. James is traditionally thought to have been a “healer.”

The Gospel reading, John 16:5-11, is the fifth of six readings from the Gospel of John for the Sundays from Easter Day through Fifth Sunday after Easter. The account is unique to the Gospel of John and offers a link between the events of Easter Day and the coming of the Holy Spirit, or “Comforter” and “Spirit of truth” (King James Version) and “Helper”(New King James Version). Details of the Descent of the Holy Spirit is dramatically and uniquely told by St. Luke in Acts 2:1-4. The words of Jesus Christ in John 16 were spoken to the Apostles on the evening of Maundy Thursday after the Last Supper. Jesus offers words of comfort to His followers concerning His departure from them and the benefits to themselves of the coming of the Holy Spirit. Jesus offered them assurance that the Spirit “will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak; and he will shew you things to come” (verse 13). The Descent of the Holy Spirit is described and illustrated in the AIC Bookstore Publication, The Acts of the Apostles: Annotated & Illustrated, available through my Amazon Author Central page, with details found on the AIC Bookstore page. The volume includes 77 illustrations and seven “special text” pages. In historic Christian art, at least in the surviving examples, The Acts of the Apostles was very rarely illustrated and even then included only one or two examples, usually of the scene in Acts 2:1-4. The volume also includes an 1888 map of the Mediterranean Sea with annotation concerning the origin of those present for the event and five examples of historic illustrations for Acts from circa 1100 A.D. to the late 19th C.

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 the Collect was adapted by Archbishop Cranmer from the Leonine Sacramentary, one of the three primary sources in the Roman Catholic tradition. It is the oldest Collect in the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. Instead of the more commonly used phrase, Church Universal, the collect refers to “Christ’s Religion.” It reflects the Christian belief concerning the merciful nature of God the Father in offering His creation a path to return to “the way of righteousness.” This understanding was incorporated into the Sacrament of Confession.

ALMIGHTY God, who showest to them that are in error the light of truth,
that they may return unto the way of righteousness: Grant unto all those
who are admitted into the fellowship of Christ’s Religion, that they may avoid
those things which are contrary to their profession, and follow all such things
as are agreeable to the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Epistle reading, 1 Peter 2:11-17, actually comes before the reading for last week’s reading for the Second Sunday after Easter. In the closing verse, St. Peter urges Christians to “love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the King.” The phrase is part of the basis for the Prayer for the President of the United States and all in Civil Authority in the Anglican Evening Prayer office.

The Last Supper, illumination in tempera and gold on parchment, upper scene of two scenes on Maundy Thursday, Codex Bruchsal, circa 1220 A.D., which was produced for use at Speyer Cathedral in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Speyer, Germany. Ms. Codex Bruchsal 1, Folio 28r, Badische Landesbibliothek, Karlsruhe, Germany. CC by NC 3.0.

The Gospel reading, John 16:16-22, is one of six readings in Easter from the Gospel of John. It is the first of three readings from Chapter 16. The three readings are not presented in sequence. Verses 16-22 are presented before verses 5-11 (Fourth Sunday after Easter), with verses 23-33 presented on Fifth Sunday after Easter. The verses, which were spoken on the evening of Maundy Thursday, include one of Jesus’ several references to concepts of time. Here it is based on the Greek word, mikron (Strong’s Greek word # 3397), translated in the King James Version as “in a little while.” I discussed these verses and Jesus’ other uses of words focused on unique details in the Gospel of John, on this occasion concerning concepts of time, in Episode Forty-four in our Bible Study video series, New Testament: Gospels. The episode is linked from the Digital Library page, with the Podcast version linked from the Podcast Archive page. St. John records in verse 17 that his fellow Disciples were puzzled: “What is this that He says: ‘a little while?’ We do now know what He is saying” (NKJV text). In the reading for Fifth Sunday after Easter from John 16:23-33, Jesus uses another Greek word referring to time: “hora,” meaning “hour” (Strong’s Greek word # 5610), which refers to a specific amount of time or occasion when something will happen. The image above is part of Illustration No. 67 in our Bookstore publication, The Gospel of John: Annotated & Illustrated, available through my Amazon Author Central page, with summary information on the AIC Bookstore page.

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

Fourth Sunday in Lent

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For the Fourth Sunday in Lent Archbishop Thomas Cranmer again relied upon the Gregorian Sacramentary as the source for the Collect. It is the third of five Collects in Lent to come from that source. This adaptation even more strongly than other collects in the season points toward the redemptive sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the many sins of God’s creation, mankind. In the Western Church, the word or title “Almighty,’ affirms that God is the Supreme authority over all things. In the Eastern Church tradition, especially as understood in the Russian language, His Name in this capacity is Bozhe, which literally translates as the One who can do anything He wishes. It is one of several different Russian words referring to God the Father. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance defines the title as meaning “sufficient or all-powerful. It is used 48 times, the first in Genesis 17:1 and the last in Joel 1:15, in the King James Version of the Old Testament. The title is derived from the Hebrew Shaddah (Strong’s Hebrew word # 7706). In the New Testament, there are only nine uses, eight of which are from Revelation, based on the Greek word Pantokrator (Strong’s Greek word # 3841). In the Eastern Church tradition, the image of Christ as “Pantokrator” is commonly used in icons, mosaics and frescoes. A common colloquial translation of the title into English is “Ruler of the Universe.” An image of Christ as Pantokrator as used in the Deesis mosaic in the Hagia Sophia at Constantinople/Istanbul, appears in the blog post for First Sunday after Easter, posted on 4/6/2024.

In the English language, one of the clearest example of the meaning of Pantokrator, in the late 17th C., Bible scholar, Bishop, and spiritual advisor to Queen Elizabeth I and King James I, the Blessed Lancelot Andrewes compiled a set of prayers based on Scripture. Since there was no single English word to convey the meaning, he used this all-encompassing phrase, “Blessed, praised,. celebrated, magnified, exalted, glorified and hallowed be thy Name, O Lord; Great and marvelous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty,” which is part of the Second Antiphon in the Sixth Hour office in our publication, Hear Us, O Lord: Daily Prayers for the Laity. More of Andrewes’ writings are printed in the Introduction to Christian Spirituality: An Anglican Perspective. Both books are available through my Amazon Author Central page. A summary of each is found on the AIC Bookstore page.

GRANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished,
by the comfort of thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Epistle reading, Galatians 4:21-31, is part of St. Paul’s explanation of the difference between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. This epistle was addressed in verse 2 to the several churches in the region of Galatia in Asia Minor, but St. Paul does not name any particular city. In the reading, in symbolic language St. Paul explains the important difference between the descendants of the two sons of Abraham, one born of a “bondmaid” (Hagar, or Agar in the KJV, symbolizing bondage under the law, in verses 22, 24, 25; called a “bondwoman in the NKJV text) and one born of a “freewoman” (Sarah, referred to but not named in verses 22 and 23). He uses the phrase “children of promise” (verse 28), which refers to Christians guided by the Holy Spirit under the New Covenant.

The Miracle of the Loaves and the Fishes, opaque watercolor over graphite on gray wove paper, James Tissot, 1886-1894, Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY. Public Domain.

The Gospel reading, John 6:1-14, is the first of two readings from St. John’s Gospel in Lent. The subject, with great detail including the talk of Philip and Andrew, is the miracle of the Feeding of the 5,000, which is the fourth of the seven “signs” in the Gospel of John. Discussed in detail in Episode Thirty-nine in our video series, The New Testament: The Gospel of John. The image, also commonly known as The Feeding of the 5,000, is Illustration No. 37 in The Gospel of John: Annotated & Illustrated, like the other AIC Bookstore Publications cited above, linked from my Amazon Author Central page. Full information about the book is found on the AIC Bookstore page. Tissot’s image, like his other Bible illustrations, includes great detail and a visual expression of the scale and the setting, including an extensive variety of clothing commonly worn in the 1st C.

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