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 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.
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!
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