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!

Monday before Easter

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This year I have chosen interesting and sometime unique visual interpretations of the Gospel readings for Holy Week. For Monday before Easter the Gospel reading, Mark 14:1-72, is the longest during the cycle from Palm Sunday to Easter Day, covers four line on the opening page, plus four full pages, ending with two lines on the final page (1928 Book of Common Prayer, US Edition, 1943).

Upper panel: Jesus & His Disciples on the Mount of Olives; Lower panel: Arrest of Jesus, Peter Cutting Off the Ear of Malchus, illumination in egg tempera and gold on parchment, Gospels of Otto III, circa 998, Clm 4452, Image 96, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Munich, Germany. CC-by-NC-SA 4.0.

The bottom panel in the illustration appears as Illustration No. 73 in the AIC Bookstore Publication, The Gospel of Mark: Annotated & Illustrated. The volume was discussed in the Blog post for February 5, A.D. 2026, linked from the Archives column at right. The book is one the twenty-two volumes available exclusively through my Amazon Author Central page. Additional information is found on the AIC Bookstore page. St. Peter’s action against Malchus, a servant of the High Priest, is mentioned only in Mark 14:47 and John 18:10. The Golden Gospels of Otto III was produced at the Reichenau Monastery, Reichenau, Germany, for the third of four Ottonian successors to Charlemagne as Holy Roman emperors. The team of artists at Reichenau were locally trained by other artists brought from Constantinople under the supervision of the monk Liuthar. Just a few years later they began a two decade-long effort to produce a fully illuminated edition of Revelation (details about the AIC Bookstore version are found on the AIC Bookstore page.

A scene from the Gospel reading for Tuesday before Easter, Mark 15:1-39, will be the subject of the next Blog post. Thank you for your interest and support. Glory be to God for all things! Amen!

Sixth Sunday in Lent (Palm Sunday) and AIC Bookstore 19

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For the Sixth Sunday in Lent, officially called Sunday next before Easter but commonly called Palm Sunday, Archbishop Cranmer modified a collect from the Gregorian Sacramentary (10th C.) by adding the phrase “partakers of his resurrection” to the last line. The 1928 Book of Common Prayer instructs that the Collect is to be said daily following collect appointed for each day during the week (Monday before Easter, Tuesday before Easter, Wednesday before Easter, Thursday before Easter (Maundy Thursday), Good Friday, and Easter Even). The Epistle reading, Philippians 2:5-11, includes the instruction that “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow.” The Gospel reading, Matthew 27:1-54, is the evangelist’s long account of the trial of Jesus and His crucifixion and death upon the Cross and the earthquake which followed it, according to the oral tradition known by the Greek word, kerygma. The image is a watercolor by James Tissot depicting events in the reading from St. Matthew’s Gospel. In the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, the actual entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday is read on First Sunday in Lent, also based upon St. Matthew’s Gospel, Matthew 21:1-11.

The events described in the Gospel reading are discussed and illustrated in Episode Three in AIC Christian Education Video series, Lent: the Season of Penitence, is linked from the Digital Library page. The audio-only version for Palm Sunday is linked from the Podcast Archive page. The Podcast Homily for Palm Sunday is linked from the Podcast Homilies page. A related podcast homily, based upon the Morning Prayer Psalm reading for the day, Psalm 22, is linked from the Podcast Homilies-Morning Prayer page. The word kerygma is discussed in the AIC Bookstore Publication, Layman’s Lexicon on page. ????. The book. which was featured in my blog post for October 18, A.D. 2025 in conjunction with the entry for Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity (linked from the Archive column), is available through my Amazon Author Central page. Additional information about the book is found on the AIC Bookstore page.

This week’s focus from the AIC Bookstore is The Writing Prophets of the Old Testament, another volume published in the 8.5″ x 8.5″ format.

Cover illustrations, from left to right, are a 10th C. mosaic of Isaiah’s virgin birth prophecy, Neo-Moni Monastery, Chios, Greece; 18th C. Russian Orthodox icons of Ezekiel & Jeremiah, Kishi Monastery, Karelia, Russia; and exterior mosaic of Daniel, Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, Rome, Italy. Images of Isaiah, Ezekiel & Jeremiah are public domain; mosaic of Daniel © Can Stock Photo, Inc./Alessandro0070.

The volume, written for a lay audience of readers, is focused on the Major and Minor Prophets of the Old Testament, supported by documents from both the Eastern and Western Church understandings. It includes five parts of the Septuagint Old Testament not included in the King James Version (Prayer of Azariah; Song of the Three Children; Susanna; Bel & the Dragon; and Daniel and Habakkuk in the Lion’s Den. Sixty-three illustrations from the Third through the Twentieth Century. Includes special text boxes (What is a Prophet?; Isaiah in Christian Liturgies; Jeremiah in Christian Liturgies; Ezekiel in Christian Worship, Scripture & Teaching; Daniel in Christian Worship; Theophanies: Images of Christ and God the Father; Joel in Scripture & Christian Literature; Amos in the Anglican Prayer Book; Micah on Right Worship; Zechariah in Scripture and Christian Literature; Malachi in Christian Liturgy; Old Testament/New Testament Parallels. 144 pages. $35.00. The book is available exclusively through my Amazon Author Central page. More information about the book is included 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 & AIC Bookstore 17

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For Fourth Sunday in Lent in the 1549 Book of Common Prayer Archbishop Cranmer composed a Collect derived from the Gregorian Sacramentary (10th C., honoring the late 6th-early 7th C. Pope Gregory the Great) on the theme of Christ’s redemptive sacrifice (“by the comfort of thy grace” for the salvation of those who “worthily deserve to be punished.”). The Epistle reading (Galatians 4:21-31) continues St. Paul’s teaching concerning the differences between the old and new covenant using a “slave” vs. “free” allegory. The reading offers a break from the cycle of St. Paul’s teachings on the Christian virtues in the readings for the season of Lent. The Gospel reading (John 4:1-14), St. John’s account of the event traditionally known as the miraculous feeding of the 5,000, is the first of two readings from the Evangelist John during Lent.

The Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes, Byzantine mosaic, Outer Narthex, above the Christ Pantokrator image over the door between the Outer and Inner Narthex, Chora Church, Constantinople/Istanbul, Turkey, 14th C. © Evren Kalinbacak|Dreamstime.com.

The Fourth Sunday in Lent is discussed and illustrated in Episode Two 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 Two is linked from the Podcast Archive page. My Podcast Homily for Fourth Sunday in Lent is linked from the Podcast Archive page. The Podcast Homily for Fourth Sunday in Lent is linked form the Podcast Homilies Page. A related Podcast Homily based on the Psalm reading for Morning Prayer on Fourth Sunday in Lent, Psalm 147, is linked from the Podcast Homilies-Morning Prayer page.

Christ Panatokrator with Saints & Angels, mosaic, 1140-1170 A.D., West Wall, Sanctuary, Capela Palatina, Palermo, Sicily. Photographed by John Schermann. Used with permission.

This week’s focus among the 22 AIC Bookstore Publications is The Acts of the Apostles: Annotated & Illustrated. This work is the first fully illustrated version of St. Luke’s unique account of the growth of the Church Universal during the decades after Christ’s Ascension. The full text of Luke 1 and 2 and Matthew 2 (using the New King James Version text) are followed by commentary and illustrations from the 9th to the 20th C., including maps of St. Paul’s missionary journeys. Three appendices: Angels in the Acts of the Apostles; The Holy Spirit in The Acts of the Apostles; and a complete Glossary of all persons, places and events mentioned in St. Luke’s text, an especially useful resource in understanding the volume of detail provided by St. Luke. 226 pages. $49.00. The book is available exclusively through our Virtual Bookstore, which is my Amazon Author Central page.

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!

Quinquagesima Sunday & AIC Bookstore 15

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For Quinguagesima Sunday, Archbishop Cranmer created a new Collect based on 1 Corinthians 13:11, which is part of the Epistle reading for the day. He used the English understanding of the Greek agape as “Charity” rather than the modern understanding as “Love.” He closed with the admonition that those without these virtues will be “counted dead before thee.” The Epistle reading, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, in the King James Version also translates agape as “charity.” The Gospel reading, Luke 18:31-43 is the evangelist’s account of Jesus healing the “Blind Man of Jericho.” In St. Mark’s account he is known as “Blind Bartimaeus” and is given a family history. My favorite depiction in Christian art, seen below, is from the 10th C. Ottonian era’s Gospels of Otto III. It is Illustration No. 53 in the AIC Bookstore Publication, The Gospel of Mark: Annotated & Illustrated, which was the subject of the Blog post for Sexagesima Sunday, linked from the Archive column at right. For unknown technical reasons the image would not upload for this Blog post.

Site visitors will find discussion and illustrations for Quinquagesima Sunday in Episode Two of the AIC video series, Gesima: the Sundays of Pre-Lent. The MP3 audio-only version is linked from the Podcast Homilies page. My Podcast Homily for Quinguagesima Sunday is linked from the Podcast Archive page. A related Podcast Homily based on the Psalm reading for Quiquagesima Sunday, Psalms 19 & 23, is linked from the Podcast Homilies-Morning Prayer page. The Gospel of Mark: Annotated & Illustrated and The Gospel of Luke: Annotated & Illustrated (see below for more information) are available through the AIC’s Virtual Bookstore, which is my Amazon Author Central page.

St. Luke Writing, 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 5v, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Munich, Germany. CC-by-SA 4.0. Perspective correction applied. Henry II was the last of the Ottonian successors to Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne.

For this 15th posting of details of the 22 AIC Bookstore Publications, the focus on The Gospel of Luke: Annotated & Illustrated. The volume offers 21st C. readers views of 86 illustrations from the 5th to the 20th C., including mosaics, frescoes, paintings, watercolors, stained glass windows, and illuminations produced originally only for the use of kings, bishops and clergy. The entire text of the Gospel of Luke, using the New King James Version, is included with commentary. The volume includes fourteen special text boxes: The Art of Illumination of Scripture; A Guide to Reading the Gospel of Luke; Angels in the Gospel of Luke; The Temptations of Christ: Reality or Fiction?; The Holy Spirit in the Gospel of Luke; The Prayer Habits of Jesus Christ; “The Son of Man” in the Gospel of Luke; Discernment; Ambrose of Milan on the Raising of the Daughter of Jairus; Theophanies in Scripture; Isaiah on Lucifer/Satan; Samaria and Samaritans in the Gospel of Luke; Unique Parables in the Gospel of Luke; and The Gospel of Luke in the Anglican Worship Cycle. One hundred and eleven illustrations. 276 pages. 8.5″ x 8.5.” $65.00. Available only through our Virtual Bookstore, which is my Amazon Author Central page.

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

Sexagesima Sunday & AIC Bookstore 14

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The Collect, Epistle and Gospel readings for Sexagesima Sunday are discussed and illustrated in Episode Two in the AIC Seasonal Video series, Gesima: the Sundays of Pre-Lent. The audio-only version in MP3 format of Episode Two is linked from the Podcast Archive page. My Podcast Homily for Sexagesima Sunday is linked from the Podcast Homilies page. A separate homily for Sexagesima Sunday-Morning Prayer, based on Psalm 33, the appointed Psalm for Sexagesima Sunday, is linked from the Podcast Homilies-Morning Prayer page. Sexagesima Sunday is the second of three of the pre-Lenten period.

The Collect for the occasion is another original composition by Archbishop Cranmer for the 1549 B.C.P., based on the Gregorian Sacramentary (10th C.), honoring the 590-604 A.D. Roman Catholic Pope who introduced Ash Wednesday to the Christian calendar. The primary theme is God Almighty as the only true defender of the faithful. The Epistle reading, 2 Corinthians 11:19-31, is a variation on St. Paul’s theme of the importance of the Christian virtues, in this case “diligence.” St. Paul also relates a litany of the forms of persecution he suffered for his advocacy in the spread of the Gospels.

The Sower, stained glass window, St. Mary Abbot’s Church, Kensington High St., London, England, probably 3rd Qtr., 19th C. © Jozef Sedmak|Dreamstime.com

The Gospel reading, Luke 8:4-15, the second from St. Luke’s Gospel so far in A.D. 2026, is the Parable of the Sower. Other versions on the same subject are found in Mark 4:1-9, 13-20 and Matthew 13:1-9; 18-23. In St. Luke’s version the Parable and its explanation are part of a single narrative. The reference in Luke 8:10 to seeing, hearing and understanding in both the Old and New Testament contexts is also addressed in the full-page special text box on Page 36 of the AIC Bookstore Publication: The Gospel of Mark: Annotated & Illustrated. See more below.

The cover illustration is a miniature illumination in egg tempera and gold on parchment, The Pericope Book of Henry II, produced at Reichenau Monastery, Reichenau, Germany, 1007-1012, under the supervision of the monk Liuthar. Ms. Clm 4452, Folio 4r, Bayerisches Staatsbibliothek, Munich, Germany. CC-by-SA 4.0. Perspective correction applied. Henry II was the last of the Ottonian successors to Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne.

For this Sexagesima Sunday blog post, the focus among the 22 AIC Bookstore Publications is another in the New Testament: Gospels series, The Gospel of Mark: Annotated & Illustrated. The AIC edition of the Gospel of Mark includes an illumination of the reading for the upcoming Quinquagesima Sunday, St. Matthew’s account of the Healing of the Blind Man of Jericho (illus. # 53). The book includes 86 illustrations from the 6th to the 20th C., including a spectacular pair of illuminations of the Three Women at the Empty Tomb and The Angel at the Empty Tomb, placed on opposite pages as they were in the original book. There are ten special text boxes: The Art of Illumination of Scripture; Guide to Reading the Gospel of Mark; Angels in the Gospel of Mark; The Holy Spirit in the Gospel of Mark; “The Son of Man” in the Gospel of Mark; “Heart” & “Understanding” in Scripture; The Twelve: Disciples or Apostles?’ “Ears to Hear” in the Old and New Testaments; The Christian Virtues and Their Opposites; Concepts of Time in the Gospel of Mark. 190 pages. $49.00. The volume is available through our Virtual Bookstore (my Amazon Author Central page).

Later this week or early next week there will be special Blog post on another AIC Bookstore Publication: Easter: the Resurrection of Our Lord in Scripture, Art & Christian Tradition (discussed in my 11/22/2025 Blog post (linked from the Archive column at right). I hope to establish a promotion through the Blaze system used by our site host, WordPress.com.

As always, thank you for your interest and support.

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.