Fifth Sunday in Lent & AIC Bookstore 18

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For Fifth Sunday in Lent, commonly known as Passion Sunday, Archbishop Thomas Cranmer composed a Collect based upon the Gregorian Sacramentary (10th C.), affirming that by His “great goodness” mankind may be “governed and preserved.” The Epistle reading, Hebrews 9:11-15, includes a rare reference to the “high priest of good things to come” who is “not made with hands.” The allusion is to the mysterious Melchizedek (Genesis 14:18-20; Ps. 110:4; Hebrews 5:6-11 & 6:20-7:28), who is considered as a type of Christ. The Gospel reading, the second of two in Lent from the Gospel of John, John 8:46-58, includes Jesus’ bold “I AM” declaration.

Byzantine Mosaic, illustrating Genesis 16:18-20, 6th C, Basilica di San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy. Ravenna, on the northeast coast of Italy, was under the control of Byzantine Empire. The Basilica is contemporary to the rule of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, who sponsored the construction of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. © Dmitry Chulov|Dreamstime.com.

The Collect, Epistle and Gospel readings are discussed and illustrated in Episode Three in the AIC Christian Education Video series, Lent: the Season of Penitence, which is linked from the Digital Library page. The audio-only version of Episode Three is linked from the Podcast Archive page. My Podcast Homily for Fifth Sunday in Lent is linked from the Podcast Homilies page. A separate Podcast Homily for Fifth Sunday in Lent, based on Psalm 51, the Morning Prayer reading for Fifth Sunday in Lent is linked from the Podcast Homilies-Morning Prayer page.

Three scenes from Revelation, Bamberg Apocalypse, 1000-1020 A.D., Bamberg State Library, Bamberg, Germany. © Staatsbibliothek, Bamberg, Germany. Used with permission.

The focus of this week’s AIC Bookstore Preview is Revelation: An Idealist Interpretation, another volume produced in the large page, 8.5″ x 8.5″ paperback format designed to enhance the illustrations and allow their placement fully in the context of book text. The book, patterned after the AIC Bible Study Video series of the same name, was made possible by the generous support of the Bamberg State Library, which provided high-resolution images from the original volume, The Bamberg Apocalypse, produced between 1000 and 1020 A.D., during the reigns of the Ottonian Holy Roman Emperors Otto III and Henry II. One of the Ottonian royal family was linked by marriage to a Byzantine princess. Artists working at the Reichenau monastery on Reichenau Island on Lake Constantine produced some of the finest expressions of traditional Christian teachings ever produced in the Western Church tradition. Their art drew upon earlier works produced in and around Constantinople. The volume includes A Brief History of Revelation and A Primer on Numerology in Revelation, the latter important in understanding St. John’s many uses of numbers. The companion video series of the same name is linked from the Bible Study-New Testament page. The volume is available exclusively through our Virtual Bookstore, which is my Amazon Author Central page. Additional information about the book is found on the AIC Bookstore page. 220 pages. 52 illustrations. $49.95.

A tip for understanding the Revelation and the four Gospels: when reading the Gospels, start with the Gospel of John and read it slowly, as if listening yourself to the Evangelist dictate the words to his scribe, Prochorus. Likewise with Revelation, especially noting the many allusions to 1st C. understandings about the Old Testament, from which St. John derived many of his allusions to important numbers (explained in A Primer on Numerology in Revelation, pages 7 to 11.

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

Second Sunday in Lent & AIC Bookstore 16

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Apologies to viewers for the late posting of the logo and links for the start of Lent. I was traveling without my computer and could not complete the changes until my return. The Welcome/Home page now includes both the seasonal image and the three episode links.

Jesus & the Canaanite Woman, stained glass window in the Munich style, mid-19th C., St. Germain-l ‘Auxerrois Church, a Roman Catholic Church near the Louvre, Paris, France. The window was designed by renowned French stained glass artist, Etienne Thevenot (1797-1862). © Zatletic|Dreamstime.com.

For Second Sunday in Lent Archbishop Cranmer adapted a Collect from the Gregorian Sacramentary (10th C.) on the theme of mankind’s inherent lack of power to do save itself combined with a plea for protection from adversity and from evil thoughts. The Epistle reading, 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8, contains more of St. Paul’s teachings on the Christian virtues, especially on mastering passions. The Gospel reading, Matthew 15:21-28, the Evangelist’s account of Jesus’ encounter with the “Woman of Canaan.” In Episode Two of the AIC Christian Education Video series, Lent: the Season of Penitence, I discuss the differences between this account by St. Mark in which she is called the “Syro-Phoenician Woman.” In both versions, the woman calls Jesus by the titles “Lord” and “Son of David.” The audio-only version of Episode Two is linked from the Podcast Archive page. My Podcast Homily for Second Sunday in Lent based on the Holy Communion readings, is linked from the Podcast Homilies page. A second Podcast Homily for Second Sunday in Lent, based on the Psalm reading in Morning Prayer (Psalms 30 and 32), is linked from the Podcast Homilies-Morning Prayer page.

John Writing His Gospel, illumination in tempera and gold on parchment, produced at Reichenau Monastery, Reichenau, Germany, circa 1007-1012, Pericope Book of Henry II, Ms. Clm 4452, Folio 3v, Bayerische Landesbibliothek, Munich, Germany. CC-by-SA 4.0. Henry II was the last of the Ottonian Holy Emperors who were successors to the first Emperor, Charlemagne, crowned at Rome on Christmas Day, 800 A.D., as the first Holy Roman Emperor since the sacking of Rome in the second half of the 5th C.

This week’s sampling from the 22 books among the AIC Bookstore Publications is The Gospel of John: Annotated & Illustrated. This volume was actually the first book of the Gospels which was published in the 8.5″ x 8.5″ format. It includes 86 images from a 5th mosaic to a 20th C. stained glass window. Images include many “illuminations” in gold or silver and egg tempera on parchment originally intended for the exclusive use of bishops and emperors. The entire text of St. John’s unique gospel is printed, with section-by-section commentary, using the New King James Version text. The text includes sixteen “special text boxes”: The Art of Illumination of Scripture; A Guide to Reading the Gospel of John; Angels in the Gospel of John; The Seven “Signs” in the Gospel of John; Numerology in the Gospel of John; Concepts of Time in the Gospel of John; “Jews” in the Gospel of John; “Abide” in the Gospel of John; “I AM” in the Gospel of John; Emotions of Jesus in the Gospel of John; “The Son of Man” in the Gospel of John; The New Commandment: “Love” in the Gospel of John; “Peace” in the Gospel of John; Names of the Holy Spirit in the Gospel of John; The Sacrament of Confession/Penance in the Gospel of John; and John Writing His Gospel (Constantinople, 1285 A.D.). 186 pages. $55.00. The book is available exclusively through Fr. Ron’s Amazon Author Central page, which we call the Virtual Bookstore. Additional information about all the AIC Bookstore Publications can be found on the AIC Bookstore page.

As always, thank you for your interest and support. We remain committed to keeping the valuable examples of Christian art across the centuries available on demand, 24/7 through this site’s postings, videos, podcasts and books. You are invited to subscribe to these periodic posts on topics of seasonal or special interest by clicking the “Follow Anglican Internet Church” logo in the right hand column. Glory be to God for all things! Amen!

First Sunday in Lent

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This week marks the start of the season of Lent, the penitential season leading up to Easter. The Collect, Epistle & Gospel readings for Ash Wednesday and First Sunday in Lent, respectively, are discussed and illustrated in Episode One and Episode Two of the AIC Seasonal Video Series, Lent: The Season of Penitence. The audio-only versions of Episode One and Episode Two are linked from the Podcast Archive page. The Podcast Homily for Ash Wednesday and the Podcast Homily for First Sunday in Lent are linked from the Podcast Homilies page. A separate Podcast Homily, based upon the Psalm reading for Morning Prayer on First Sunday in Lent, Psalm 3 and Psalm 62, is linked from the Podcast Homilies-Morning Prayer page. Ash Wednesday, the day for the Imposition of Ashes, has marked the start of Lent in the Western Church since the end of the 6th/start of 7th C. Pope Gregory the Great created Ash Wednesday as his answer to the strong Eastern Christian criticism from the Byzantine Patriarch and others that Lent did not actually last forty days in Western Church worship.

The Collect for First Sunday in Lent is an original composition by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer for the 1549 Book of Common Prayer, based upon Ephesians 4:22-24, focused on three topics: fasting, righteousness & holiness. These adaptations of the writings of St. Paul reflect the strong influence of the Pauline canon upon the worship, study and prayer practices of the Anglican Church. The choice of 2 Corinthians 6 as the Epistle reading also reflects Archbishop Cranmer’s emphasis on the Christian virtues as understood and aggressively taught by St. Paul. The Gospel reading for First Sunday in Lent, Matthew 4:1-11, is the first of four readings from the Gospel of Matthew in Lent, being an account of the Temptations of Christ. The image I have chosen is a mosaic from the ceiling in the north end of the Outer Narthex (or Exonarthex) at Chora Church, formerly Constantinople, now Istanbul, Turkey, depicting John the Baptist as witness to the Temptations. The partially-viewed segment at left is the supper edge of the mosaic of the Nativity of Christ on the east wall of the Exonarthex. The partial image at upper right depicts the Dream of Joseph and the Return of the Holy Family. The mosaics were created between 1315 and 1321 during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Isaac Comnenus using funds contributed by Theodore Metocrites, who is depicted adjacent to a Christ Pantokrator image near the door into the Inner Narthex (or Esonarthex). The image is one of about four dozen images from Chora Church downloaded earlier this year, bringing our archive of images to almost 3,000. The Church is located on the European side of the Straits of the Bosporus. It is now a museum/mosaic in which Christian worship is no longer conducted.

The Temptations of Christ, 1st Qtr., 14th C., Chora Church. © Serban Enache|Dreamstime.com.

Next week I will pick up with another Bookstore Preview, in this case featuring The Gospel of John: Annotated & Illustrated. As always, thank you for your interest and support. Glory be to God for all things! Amen!

Septuagesima Sunday and AIC Bookstore 13

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The Collect, Epistle and Gospel readings for Septuagesima Sunday are discussed and illustrated in Episode One in the AIC Christian Education Video series, Gesima: the Pre-Lenten Season. The episode includes explanations of the name, the possible dates and many of the myths about the literal meaning of each name. The season’s usage, and non-usage, in other Christian traditions, especially the Roman Catholic, is also explained. The audio only version of Episode One is linked from the Podcast Archive page. My Podcast Homily for Septuagesima Sunday is linked from the Podcast Homilies page. A second Podcast Homily for Septuagesima Sunday, this one based on the Psalm reading in Morning Prayer, Psalm 18:21-35, is linked from the Podcast Homilies-Morning Prayer page. The abbreviated name “Gesima,” a short transitional season, is derived from a Latin word meaning day or days. The start of “Gesima” season is moveable, with variations based upon the date of Easter. The earliest possible date is January 18th and the latest possible date is February 22nd. In A.D. 2026 the first Sunday in “Gesima” season is February 1st.

The Collect for the Septuagesima Sunday is a composition from the 1549 Book of Common Prayer by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, based on the Gregorian Sacramentary (10th C.) and also strongly influenced by the late 8th-early 9th C. Vulgate Bible translation by Alcuin of York. Alcuin of York was spiritual advisor to Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne and the imperial family, Abbot of the Abbey of St. Martin of Tours, and author of the Collect for Purity in the Anglican Holy Communion liturgy. The complicated relationship between Alcuin and Charlemagne, and the results of their joint effect upon the development and spread of Christianity in Western Europe was the subject of my Blog post for 3/16/2024. The entry is linked from the Archive column (under March 2024) at right.

The Epistle reading, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, is the 4th of four lessons by St. Paul’s focused on the theme of the Christian Virtues. The concept of “virtue/virtues” in the Christian Tradition and its development in both the Western and Eastern Church is explored in the AIC Bookstore Publication, Layman’s Lexicon, which was featured in the blog post on 10/18/2025 for Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity (linked from the October 2025 entry in the Archive column at right).

The Gospel reading, Matthew 20:1-6, the fourth so far in A.D. 2026 from the Gospel of Matthew, is the Evangelist’s account of the Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard. The image below is a 16th C. depiction of the event. An 11th C. depiction of the lesson, with color and more detail, from the Codex Aureus of Echternach, was used in my Blog posts for Feb. 18th, 2025 and Jan. 18th, 2019, both linked from the Archives column at right. The Codex Aureus of Echternach version also appears in the AIC Bible Study Video series, The New Testament: Gospels in Episode Six, using a copy from the Yorck Project: 10,000 Masterworks. The Yorck Project offered quite literally 10,000 images from around the world in both the civil and religious world. The project’s several authors released the images in their DVD into the Public Domain.

The Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard, engraving after a pen and ink drawing, Andrea del Sarto (also known as Andrea d’Agnola), Florentine artist, 16th C. © Coatchristophe|Dreamstime.com.

This week’s AIC Bookstore Publication is The Gospel of Matthew: Annotated & Illustrated, one of five volumes in our Christian Education: New Testament series. The book is one of twelve printed in the large page format (8.5″ x 8.5″). The format allows for larger images from historic Christian art, wider margins and larger type faces for body text. Three other volumes in the large page format were the subject of my Blog posts in 2025 for 11/15, 11/22 and 11/27. All three are linked from the Archives column.

Matthew Writing His Gospel, a miniature illumination in gold and egg tempera on parchment, Pericope Book of Henry II (1007-1012), the last of Ottonian successor to Charlemagne, produced at Reichenau Monastery, Reichenau, Germany, Ms. Clm 4452, Folio 3v., Bayerisches Staatsbibliothek, Munich, Germany. CC-by-SA 4.0.

The book includes the entire text, with commentary, of the Gospel of Matthew, set in the text of the New Kings James Version. There are thirteen “special text boxes,” including The Art of Illumination of Scripture; A Guide to Reading the Gospel of Matthew; The Holy Spirit in the Gospel of Matthew; Angels in the Gospel of Matthew; Parables in the Gospel of Matthew; The Christian Virtues and Their Opposites; and Samara and Samaritans in the Gospel of Matthew. The book’s 117 illustrations are from the 6th through the early 20th C. 278 pages, including full Bibliography, detailed list of Sources of Illustrations and summary information about other AIC Bookstore Publications. $65.oo. The book is available exclusively through our Virtual Bookstore (which is Fr. Ron’s Author Central page on Amazon.com). Portions of the text of St. Matthew’s Nativity, Resurrection and Post-Resurrection narratives also appear in our two Seasonal publications, Christmas: The Nativity of Our Lord in Scripture, Art & Christian Tradition and Easter: the Resurrection of Our Lord in Scripture, Art & Christian Tradition. Both volumes are also printed in the 8.5″ x 8.5″ format.

During January A.D. 2026 I have continued searching historic archives for additional examples of Christian art depicting scenes which are the subject of the Gospel lessons later in the year. I have also been busy updating and sorting our catalogue of nearly 3,000 images, all with their own detailed entries in an Excel spreadsheet. In the spreadsheet they are categorized first by subject. Each entry includes the source, background, whether Public Domain or copyright protected (with author or source indicated), and where each is filed in the AIC’s records. Even more detailed information about each entry is also listed, where available, in seventeen notebooks labelled “Picture Sources.” I am especially grateful to the helpful staff at the British Library for the continued digitization of the Library’s vast collection. The British Library is still recovering from an assault on its resources in 2024 A.D., which resulted in the destruction of or damage to many valuable cross-references, and previously-digitized material. Many resources used in AIC Bookstore Publications are no longer available to the public. Many sources require expensive re-photographing. The AIC remains committed to keeping these valuable resources available, on-demand, in one or more of the WATCH-LISTEN-READ formats and, except for the Bookstore Publications, free of charge.

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

Third Sunday after Epiphany, the Conversion of St. Paul and AIC Bookstore-Part 12

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Welcome to my Blog post for Third Sunday after Epiphany, the last of three Sundays following Epiphany Day in A.D. 2026. Sunday, Feb. 1, will mark the beginning of the three “Gesima” Sundays (or Pre-Lent season). The “Gesima” Sundays offer a transition in tone and content before the start of Lent on Sunday, February 22nd.

In A.D. 2026, Sunday, January 25th, is also the appointed fixed day honoring the Conversion of St. Paul, a pivotal event in the history of the Church Universal. Below is a remarkable mosaic depicting the event (left) and its immediate consequences (right), of the blinded St. Paul led away, with Christ in a semi-circle at top right. The Collect for the Conversion of St. Paul refers to Saul/Paul as one who “caused the light of the Gospel to shine throughout the world.” The event and the unique legacy of one of Christianity’s most fervent defenders, is discussed and illustrated in more detail in Episode Five in our Christian Education Video series, The Lives of the Saints, Volume 1 – the 1928 B.C.P. Saints. All sixteen episodes in the series are linked from the Digital Library page. The audio track of Episode Five is linked from the Podcast Archive page.

The Conversion of St. Paul, mosaic, Capella Palatina, Palermo, Sicily, commissioned by the first Norman king of Sicily, Roger II, in 1132 A.D. The mosaics were completed between 1140 and 1170 A.D. Public Domain, World Gallery of Art.

I discuss and illustrate the readings for Third Sunday after Epiphany in Episode Three on our video series, Epiphany: The Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles. The audio version of the Episode Three is linked from the Podcast Archive page. My Podcast Homily for Epiphany 3 is linked from the Podcast Homilies page. Another Podcast Homily, this one derived from the Psalm readings in Morning Prayer for the day, Psalms 42 and 43, attributed to the Sons of Torah, is linked from the Podcast Homilies-Morning Prayer page. In the Hebrew worship tradition, Psalm 43 was spoken aloud by the priest upon approach to the altar.

The Miracle at Cana, Byzantine mosaic, Outer Narthex, Chora Church, Constantinople/Istanbul, early 14th C. The image is positioned in a pendentive above the Christ Pantokrator image (visible at lower right) over the door to the passage between the Outer and Inner Narthex. © Evren Kalinbacak|Dreamstime.com

For the occasion, Archbishop Cranmer prepared a Collect based upon the Gelasian Sacramentary in a version strongly influenced by the late 8th-early 9th C. translation of the Vulgate Bible by the Blessed Alcuin of York. Alcuin was the author of the Collect for Purity in the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, spiritual advisor to Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne and teacher of Christianity to the Emperor’s family, and Abbot of the Abbey of St. Martin of Tours in France. The Epistle reading, Romans 12:16-21 is the third of four teachings of St. Paul on the Christian Virtues. The reading ends with the advice to “overcome evil with good.” The Gospel reading, John 2:1-11, is St. John’s account of the Wedding at Cana, or, in St. John’s words, “the beginning of the miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee.”

This important symbolic event is honored in the Galilee by several churches claiming to be on the site of, or near the historic location of, the Wedding, including a Greek Orthodox “Wedding” Church in Kfar Kana, which claims to possess two of the jars used in the wedding. The Greek church features an image of the event over its front door. It is near a similar “Wedding Church” owned by the Franciscans. © Gelia|Dreamstime.com.

This week’s focus among the AIC Bookstore Publications is Fr. Ron’s Kitchen Companion. The book evolved out of several sources over several decades, beginning with the first version (produced in the early 1980s for a former employee off to college and, later, for my daughter in her first apartment at college). It emerged in a greatly-expanded form for use by my former parishioners, most of whom were living on limited incomes. The current edition, the 9th, dates to 2024, when all the Bookstore publications were updated. The books was given a new cover and expanded content as part of the celebration of the start of the AIC’s second decade on the web.

The book’s sub-title, is self-explanatory. Inside the volume is a list of essential seasonings, some easily available, some which must be ordered from Amazon or other vendors. It is what I label as a backwards cookbook, with the recipes, grouped by protein source, organized to help decide what to do with a particular ingredient; examples: Beef: steak? stewed? ground? skewered? The book is worth the purchase price based on just a few key recipes, including my time-tested recipes for Classic Southern Pot Roast, Hawaiian “Mochi” Chicken and Byzantine Eggplant Moussaka. I hope to produce an updated version of the ingredients list and some new recipes later in A.D. 2026. The revised version also would add sources for some of the Hawaiian-sourced seasonings discovered during or after the trip my wife and I took to Maui at mid-year A.D. 2025. The cover image was arranged and photographed by Corinne (Corkie) Shibley.

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

Second Sunday after Epiphany and AIC Bookstore, Part 11

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Welcome to the second of three posts for the Sundays after Epiphany in A.D. 2026.

The Collect (Gregorian), Epistle (Romans 12:1-6) and Gospel (Mark 1:1-11) readings for Second Sunday after Epiphany are discussed and illustrated in Episode Three in the AIC Seasonal Video series, Epiphany: The Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles. The audio version of Episode Three is linked from the Podcast Archive page. My Podcast Homily for Second Sunday after Epiphany is available on the Podcast Homilies page. My Morning Prayer Podcast Homily for Second Sunday after Epiphany, with commentary and reading of Psalms 22 and 29, is linked from the Podcast Homilies-Morning Prayer page.

The Collect for Second Sunday after Epiphany, another composition by Archbishop Cranmer based upon the Gregorian Sacramentary, includes a plea to Almighty God to hear “the supplications of thy faithful people.” The Epistle reading, Romans 12:6-12, is the second of a sequence of four readings from Romans on St. Paul’s understanding of the Christian virtues during Epiphany season.

Baptism of Christ, fresco, Chiesa di San Agostino, Milan, Italy. The fresco is a 20th C. reproduction of the original mosaic which was destroyed by bombing during World War II. © Jozef Sedmak | Dreamtime.com.

The Gospel reading, Mark 1:1-11, is St. Mark’s account of the baptism of Christ, presented in the context of the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy (verse 3) and the importance of John the Baptist, the last prophet of the Old Testament, as the “forerunner,” appropriately placed at the start of Jesus’ earthly ministry.

Baptism of Christ, marble bas relief, Benedetto da Maiano, San Zeno Cathedral, Pistoia, Tuscany, Italy. © Jozef Sedmak | Dreamtime.com

Sr. Mark describes the simultaneous presence of all three divine persons of the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (the latter as the dove who speaks (verses 10-12). The same verses are pictured in Illus. No. 24 of a stained glass window by Franz Mayer of Munich in the AIC Bookstore Publication, Paintings on Light: The Stained Glass Windows of St. Joseph’s Villa Chapel, discussed in the post for First Sunday after Epiphany (1/5/26), linked from the Archive column at right.

The focus of this week’s installment of my commentary on the AIC Bookstore Publications is Occasional Services for Anglican Worship. Presented in 198 pages in our 5.5″ x 8.5″ black & white format. The volume includes the text of offices not provided for in the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. The include a) Holy Communion in the style of the 1549 Book of Common Prayer, a text I produced at the request of former UECNA Archbishop Stephen C. Reber, at whose direction a text of the Decalogue, harmonization of the offertory text with the 1928 Book of Common Prayer version and two additional Propers were included; b) a Christmas Eve suite in three parts: the Great “O” Antiphons for Dec. 12 to Dec. 24; Midnight Mass for Christmas Eve/Christmas Day with parts of Evening Prayer, and a Midnight Office for Christmas Eve, commonly known as Visits to the Crib; c) Holy Communion for Maundy Thursday using my 1549 version; d) In the Cross of Christ I Glory, prayers and responses for Good Friday, with each section based on the Seven Words from the Cross, 1940 Hymnal & St. Chrysostom Hymnal; e) Easter Morning Office, a Sunrise service for use either outside or inside at dawn on Easter Sunday; f) Ascension Day Office, including music for A Hymn of Glory Let Us Sing; g) Holy Communion for Transfiguration Day, using the 1549 BCP); h) Hours Offices for First Hour, Sixth Hour & Compline; i) A Litany for Healing; and, finally, j) an Advent Wreath Ceremony, a four-part verse and response originally composed by the late UECNA Archdeacon George McClellan.

The cover image (see above) is a detail of the stained glass window for the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary at St. Joseph’s Villa Chapel. The full image is Illustration No. 54 in the AIC Bookstore Publication, Paintings on Light: the Stained Glass Windows of St. Joseph’s Villa Chapel. The book was featured in my Blog post for 1/9/26, which is linked from the Archive column at right.

This week, as part of the continuing effort to make this site easier to navigate using the built-in links at the top and bottom of all pages, I have made some corrections. These are: a) fixing broken links on the Podcast Archive and Bible Study pages; b) editorial changes to line spacing and other technical details on the Digital Library and Podcast Archive pages; c) adding the cover image and summary text for Christian Spirituality: An Anglican Perspective (highlighted in my 12/5/25 blog post),which was missing from the AIC Bookstore page. We aim to provide access to teaching and learning materials in all three forms: watch/listen/read.

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

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 23 and AIC Bookstore – Part Six

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Ooophs. In A.D. 2025, there is no Trinity 23. On the traditional calendar it is preempted by Sunday Next Before Advent. In 2024 A.D. for reasons I do not remember, I did not provide a Blog post for Trinity 23. In 2025 A.D. it is the final Sunday after Trinity, since Advent begins on Sunday, November 30th. However, you can listen to my Podcast Homily for Trinity 23 or, for a visual version, watch Episode Eight in Trinitytide: the Teaching Season. The Gospel reading for Trinity 23 includes Jesus’ use of the phrase, “Render unto Caesar…” (Matthew 22:15-22). In the video series, the discussion includes another of James Tissot’s remarkable watercolor interpretations of the words of Christ. The Gospel reading for Trinity 23 is the ninth quotation from the Gospel of Matthew in Trinitytide.

For this week’s Blog posting, the focus is on the second of two AIC Bookstore Publications focused on the primary seasons on the Anglican Church Calendar: Easter and Christmas.

The cover image is an 11th C. mosaic, Christ Resurrected (known as the Anastasis in Greek), east wall, Narthex, Hosios Loukas Monastery, Distoma, Greece. Source: Wikipedia Commons. The theological symbolism of the image is discussed in Chapters 2 and 3.

Easter: The Resurrection of Our Lord in Scripture, Art & Christian Tradition is presented in 156 pages. There are 132 illustrations from the 6th C., 9th through 17th C. and 19th through 21st C. The book is divided into six parts, plus a Preface, List of Illustrations and a brief guide to the art of illumination of Scripture. Part One includes discussion and art related to events and prophecies during the three days between Good Friday and Easter Sunday (called the Triduum in Latin), including the “Harrowing of Hades.” This is the period of Jesus’ visit in Hades/Hell that is mentioned in the Apostles’ Creed. A special text box includes the Easter/Paschal sermon of St. John Chrysostom, which is still delivered annually on Holy Saturday in many Eastern Orthodox Churches. Chapter Four in this section is focused on Jesus’ prophetic references to Resurrection in three days.

Part Two is focused on events of the Resurrection recorded for early on Easter Day, according to the accounts in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. A special text box explains the “Three Marys” tradition regarding the three women at the empty tomb in these Gospel accounts.

Part Three is focused on Post-Resurrection appearances of Jesus Christ, as recorded in the Gospels of Luke and John, including those occurring on Easter evening and the eight days afterward, including accounts of the “doubts” of St. Thomas and his confession; on meeting Apostles on the road to Emmaus and the subsequentmeal at Emmaus; and Jesus with the Apostles at the Sea of Tiberius, uniquely recorded in the Gospel of John.

Part Four is focused on Jesus’ final post-Resurrection appearances, the Great Commission and the Ascension. The text is based on the accounts in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, plus The Acts of the Apostles. There are fourteen illustrations of the Ascension depicting the event from both the Western and Eastern Church traditions.

Part Five is focused on music for Easter in both the Western and Eastern Church traditions, including the text of Easter hymns and Psalms; a special text box listing all the seasonal music printed in another AIC Bookstore Publication, The St. Chrysostom Hymnal, which was used at my former parish and which is now available in paperback.

Part Six is focused on Easter traditions both in liturgy and foods and includes images of Easter worship in Kent, Lancashire, St. Agnes Island, and London, England; and in Bucharest, Romania; Kiev, Ukraine; Emmaus-Nicopolis, Israel; and Gomel City, Belarus. For this volume, Corkie Shibley created a recipe for “Empty Tomb Hot Cross Buns.”

Sources for this collection of Christian art include icons, mosaics, frescoes, altarpieces, bas reliefs, tapestries, oil paintings and watercolors; stained glass windows; illustrated Psalters, Pericope Books, Sacramentaries, as well as illustrated Bibles and Gospels produced for the use of both clergy and royalty. The format used in Easter: The Resurrection of Our Lord in Scripture, Art & Christian Tradition is slightly different than in the Christmas volume. For this blog post, there is no image of an inside page, because nearly all the illustrations, for best effect, are printed on full pages placed opposite the actual Scripture text.

This volume, first published in A.D. 2023 and updated at Epiphany A.D. 2024, was written and edited primarily for the education of the laity of the Church; however, clergy from both the Western and Eastern Church traditions may find the Bibliography and the Sources of Illustrations pages useful for further learning and research. I am grateful to the staff at libraries and other archives in England, Europe and the United States and to our donors, who make possible the acquisition of the high-resolution images used in this book. Several individuals who provided exceptional assistance in resolving the many technical issues (resolution, clarity, etc.) are named in the Preface.

Like all the AIC Bookstore Publications, Easter: The Resurrection of Our Lord in Scripture, Art & Christian Tradition is available only through my Amazon Author Central page. Royalties for all the AIC Bookstore Publications are contributed to the AIC. Additional information about pricing and pagination of this and the other AIC Bookstore Publications is found on the AIC Bookstore page.

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!