1945 Lectionary — Readings with Homilies

The Lectionary

According to the 1928 Book of Common Prayer

Full Sunday Readings with Homilies

Psalms, First Lesson & Second Lesson for Lauds and Morning Prayer

For the Anglican & Anglo-Catholic Tradition · According to the Table of Lessons for the Christian Year, 1928 BCP

ADVENT

First Sunday in Advent

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 50

^50:1 The mighty God, even the Lord, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.of…: or, for Asaph ^50:2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined. ^50:3 Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. ^50:4 He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people. ^50:5 Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. ^50:6 And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah. ^50:7 Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I am God, even thy God. ^50:8 I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before me. ^50:9 I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds. ^50:10 For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. ^50:11 I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.mine: Heb. with me ^50:12 If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof. ^50:13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? ^50:14 Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: ^50:15 And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. ^50:16 But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth? ^50:17 Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee. ^50:18 When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers.hast…: Heb. thy portion was with ^50:19 Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit.givest: Heb. sendest ^50:20 Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother’s son. ^50:21 These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes. ^50:22 Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver. ^50:23 Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.that…: Heb. that disposeth his way

First Lesson Mal. 3:1–6 & 4:4–6

^3:1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. ^3:2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: ^3:3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. ^3:4 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years.former: or, ancient ^3:5 And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts.oppress: or, defraud ^3:6 For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

Second Lesson Luke 1:5–25

^1:5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. ^1:6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. ^1:7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years. ^1:8 And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course, ^1:9 According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. ^1:10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense. ^1:11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. ^1:12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. ^1:13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. ^1:14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. ^1:15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb. ^1:16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. ^1:17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. ^1:18 And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. ^1:19 And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings. ^1:20 And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season. ^1:21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple. ^1:22 And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless. ^1:23 And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house. ^1:24 And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying, ^1:25 Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

The mighty God hath spoken, and the earth trembles at the sound of his coming. So the Psalmist declares of One who shall not keep silence, whose advent is heralded by fire and tempest — not to destroy, but to refine. And Malachi, standing at the close of the Old Covenant, sees him at the threshold: the messenger who prepares the way, the Lord himself suddenly coming to his temple, like a refiner's fire and like fuller's soap, purging the sons of Levi that they may offer acceptable sacrifice.

This is the great paradox of Advent: we are bidden to long for a Coming that will also judge us. The same Lord whom we seek is the one before whom none may stand without purification. Zacharias, ministering at the golden altar of incense — the very emblem of the Church's prayer rising to heaven — is met by an angel. The barren womb of Elisabeth, like the barren world waiting in the long silence before the Incarnation, is promised fruit. God who hath spoken will act; God who hath promised will fulfil.

The season summons us, then, to a double preparation. Outwardly, we make straight in the desert a highway for our God; inwardly, we submit to the Refiner's fire. The prophet knew that gold and silver must pass through the furnace before they can adorn the sanctuary. So must the soul. Advent is not merely the anticipation of Christmas joy; it is the holy discipline by which we are made fit to receive the Word made flesh. The God who comes at Christmas comes also in judgment; the babe in the manger is the same Lord who shall gather his saints and judge the earth.

Let us use these weeks, therefore, not only in gladness but in examination. What dross still clings to us — what habits of sloth, what indulgence of the will, what lukewarm love? The fire of the divine mercy is not sent to consume us, but to purify; not to punish, but to prepare. Zacharias's dumbness is our own silence before the mystery of grace working beyond our comprehension. When at last the tongue is loosed, it breaks into praise: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he hath visited and redeemed his people. May that praise be ours, born of a heart made ready by penitence and longing, to receive him who cometh in the name of the Lord.

Second Sunday in Advent

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 25

^25:1 Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. ^25:2 O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me. ^25:3 Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause. ^25:4 Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. ^25:5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. ^25:6 Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old.tender…: Heb. bowels ^25:7 Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness’ sake, O Lord. ^25:8 Good and upright is the Lord: therefore will he teach sinners in the way. ^25:9 The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. ^25:10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. ^25:11 For thy name’s sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great. ^25:12 What man is he that feareth the Lord? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. ^25:13 His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth.dwell…: Heb. lodge in goodness ^25:14 The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.and…: or, and his covenant to make them know it ^25:15 Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.pluck: Heb. bring forth ^25:16 Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted. ^25:17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses. ^25:18 Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins. ^25:19 Consider mine enemies; for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred.cruel…: Heb. hatred of violence ^25:20 O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee. ^25:21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee. ^25:22 Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.

First Lesson Isa. 52:1–10

^52:1 Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean. ^52:2 Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion. ^52:3 For thus saith the Lord, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money. ^52:4 For thus saith the Lord God, My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause. ^52:5 Now therefore, what have I here, saith the Lord, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the Lord; and my name continually every day is blasphemed. ^52:6 Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I. ^52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! ^52:8 Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion. ^52:9 Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. ^52:10 The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

Second Lesson Luke 1:26–56

^1:26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, ^1:27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. ^1:28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. ^1:29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. ^1:30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. ^1:31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. ^1:32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: ^1:33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. ^1:34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? ^1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. ^1:36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. ^1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible. ^1:38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. ^1:39 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; ^1:40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. ^1:41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: ^1:42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. ^1:43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ^1:44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. ^1:45 And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. ^1:46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, ^1:47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. ^1:48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. ^1:49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. ^1:50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. ^1:51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. ^1:52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. ^1:53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. ^1:54 He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; ^1:55 As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever. ^1:56 And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

Awake, awake — so runs the great Advent summons of Isaiah, and the soul that hears it is shaken from its long slumber. Put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments. The prophet sees the holy city stripped of her captivity, shaking off the dust and rising in the dignity that God has prepared for her from the foundation of the world. And across the centuries the same cry comes to the Church, and through the Church to every baptised soul: arise, for thy redemption draweth nigh.

The Psalm for this day is a prayer of the humble and penitent spirit — Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. It is the posture of the soul in Advent: hands open, eyes upward, expectant. Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. This is not merely the petition of one who does not know the road; it is the cry of one who knows that the road must be walked in company with God, or not at all. The soul cannot find its way home alone.

And what is the good news that breaks upon this waiting world? An angel comes to a young woman in Galilee. The barrenness of the world — figured in Elisabeth, aged and childless — is already overcome by grace; and now into the order of the possible comes something altogether beyond nature: Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest. The Magnificat rises from Mary's lips, and in it she sings on behalf of all humanity the wonder of a God who puts down the mighty and exalts the humble.

This is the Advent mystery: God comes not by storm or conquest, but by consent freely given. He does not take what he will have; he asks. He chose a willing handmaid, a soul that said, Be it unto me according to thy word. Advent asks the same of us. Will we, in the honesty of penitence and the openness of faith, make room for him? Will we let the Word be formed in us as truly as it was formed in Mary — not born once in Bethlehem only, but born again in every soul that receives him? Shew me thy ways, O Lord, and by thy grace, let the Word take flesh in me.

Third Sunday in Advent

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 22:23 & 99

^22:23 Ye that fear the Lord, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.

First Lesson Jer. 1:4–10, 17–19

^1:4 Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, ^1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.ordained: Heb. gave ^1:6 Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. ^1:7 But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. ^1:8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord. ^1:9 Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. ^1:10 See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.

Second Lesson Luke 1:57–80

^1:57 Now Elisabeth’s full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son. ^1:58 And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her. ^1:59 And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. ^1:60 And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John. ^1:61 And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name. ^1:62 And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. ^1:63 And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all. ^1:64 And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God. ^1:65 And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judea. ^1:66 And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him. ^1:67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, ^1:68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, ^1:69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; ^1:70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: ^1:71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; ^1:72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; ^1:73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, ^1:74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, ^1:75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. ^1:76 And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; ^1:77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, ^1:78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, ^1:79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. ^1:80 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee — so the Lord speaks to Jeremiah, and in speaking to the prophet, speaks to every soul. The divine calling is not an afterthought; it precedes our birth, precedes our merit, precedes our knowing. We are known before we know; we are named before we speak; we are sent before we are ready. This is the scandal and the glory of vocation.

The Psalmist declares the kingship of God: The Lord reigneth, let the people tremble. He sitteth between the cherubims, in the holy place where heaven and earth are drawn together in the fire of divine presence. It is from this throne that the word of calling goes forth — to Jeremiah, to John the Baptist, to every Christian soul. The call does not wait upon our strength; it creates the strength it requires. Say not, I am a child, says God to the shrinking prophet. The divine commission overcomes every human insufficiency.

And now in the sixth month we hear of another birth — the coming into the world of John, the last and greatest of the prophets, the voice in the wilderness, the finger pointing to One who must increase while he decreases. The neighbours marvel and rejoice; the father who could not speak now breaks into the Benedictus — Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he hath visited and redeemed his people. It is the irruption of joy into the ordinary world of Judea, the announcement that the long winter of prophecy is over and the dawn of redemption is breaking.

These third weeks of Advent are marked by that peculiar mixture of awe and joy which the liturgical tradition names Gaudete — Rejoice. We rejoice not because suffering is over, but because the One who overcomes all suffering is at hand. We stand with Jeremiah, called before our birth. We stand with John, whose name means God is gracious, whose whole being was a preparation for another. We stand with Zacharias, who learned in silence what he could not receive in speech. In this last stretch of Advent waiting, let us embrace the discipline of holy expectation — no longer dreading the divine visitation, but longing for it; no longer asking whether we are worthy, but trusting that he who calls us is faithful to prepare us for what he has prepared for us.

Fourth Sunday in Advent

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 80

^80:1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.of: or, for ^80:2 Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy strength, and come and save us.come…: Heb. come for salvation to us ^80:3 Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved. ^80:4 O Lord God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people?be…: Heb. smoke ^80:5 Thou feedest them with the bread of tears; and givest them tears to drink in great measure. ^80:6 Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours: and our enemies laugh among themselves. ^80:7 Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved. ^80:8 Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it. ^80:9 Thou preparedst room before it, and didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land. ^80:10 The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars.goodly…: Heb. cedars of God ^80:11 She sent out her boughs unto the sea, and her branches unto the river. ^80:12 Why hast thou then broken down her hedges, so that all they which pass by the way do pluck her? ^80:13 The boar out of the wood doth waste it, and the wild beast of the field doth devour it. ^80:14 Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts: look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine; ^80:15 And the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted, and the branch that thou madest strong for thyself. ^80:16 It is burned with fire, it is cut down: they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance. ^80:17 Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself. ^80:18 So will not we go back from thee: quicken us, and we will call upon thy name. ^80:19 Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

First Lesson Isa. 40:1–11

^40:1 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. ^40:2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.comfortably: Heb. to the heartwarfare: or, appointed time ^40:3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. ^40:4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:straight: or, a straight placeplain: or, a plain place ^40:5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. ^40:6 The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: ^40:7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. ^40:8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. ^40:9 O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!O Zion…: or, O thou that tellest good tidings to ZionO Jerusalem…: or, O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem ^40:10 Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.with strong…: or, against the stronghis work: or, recompence for his work ^40:11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.that…: or, that give suck

Second Lesson Luke 3:1–17

^3:1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Cesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, ^3:2 Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. ^3:3 And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; ^3:4 As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. ^3:5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; ^3:6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. ^3:7 Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ^3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. ^3:9 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. ^3:10 And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then? ^3:11 He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise. ^3:12 Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do? ^3:13 And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you. ^3:14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages. ^3:15 And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not; ^3:16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: ^3:17 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. The great fortissimo of the fortieth chapter of Isaiah breaks upon us like a dawn after a long night, and in its light the whole of Advent is transfigured. All the waiting, all the penitence, all the longing — this is what it was for. The voice that cries in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, is the voice of one already certain of what is coming. The highway is built not for a conqueror who may or may not arrive, but for One whose coming is already assured in the eternal counsel of God.

The Psalmist cries, Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved — that face which is the light of the world, which no darkness comprehends. And Psalm 80 is a psalm of the Church under oppression, the people of God in their long captivity, but its refrain is not despair; it is petition ripening into confidence. The Shepherd of Israel, who leadeth Joseph like a flock, is not absent; he is about to shine forth with a glory that will silence all complaint.

John the Baptist stands at the crisis of history — in the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar, when the world was organised and ordered and ruled by those who knew nothing of the coming of God. He came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance, and the ancient words of Isaiah were at last, after six centuries, finding their embodiment in a living voice. He is mightier than I, says John, speaking of the One who follows, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose. This is the authentic note of the Church's ministry at every age — not to draw attention to itself, but to prepare the way, to point to Another.

Now on this last Sunday before the feast, the Church stands at the threshold of wonder. The long season of discipline gives way to the eve of joy. But let us carry into Christmas what Advent has given us: the knowledge of our need, the honesty of our poverty before God, the readiness to receive what we have not earned. He comes not to reward the deserving but to seek and to save the lost. He comes as a shepherd, gathering the lambs in his arms and carrying them in his bosom. Come, Lord Jesus.

CHRISTMAS & EPIPHANY

Christmas Day

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 89:1–30

^89:1 I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.Maschil…: or, A Psalm for Ethan the Ezrahite, to give instructionto all…: Heb. to generation and generation ^89:2 For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens. ^89:3 I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, ^89:4 Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah. ^89:5 And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O Lord: thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints. ^89:6 For who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord? who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord? ^89:7 God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him. ^89:8 O Lord God of hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee? ^89:9 Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them. ^89:10 Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces, as one that is slain; thou hast scattered thine enemies with thy strong arm.Rahab: or, Egyptthy…: Heb. the arm of thy strength ^89:11 The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them.the fulness…: or, all it containeth ^89:12 The north and the south thou hast created them: Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name. ^89:13 Thou hast a mighty arm: strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand.a…: Heb. an arm with might ^89:14 Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.habitation: or, establishment ^89:15 Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance. ^89:16 In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted. ^89:17 For thou art the glory of their strength: and in thy favour our horn shall be exalted. ^89:18 For the Lord is our defence; and the Holy One of Israel is our king.the Lord…: or, our shield is of the Lord, and our king is of the Holy One of Israel ^89:19 Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people. ^89:20 I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him: ^89:21 With whom my hand shall be established: mine arm also shall strengthen him. ^89:22 The enemy shall not exact upon him; nor the son of wickedness afflict him. ^89:23 And I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague them that hate him. ^89:24 But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him: and in my name shall his horn be exalted. ^89:25 I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers. ^89:26 He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation. ^89:27 Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth. ^89:28 My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him. ^89:29 His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven. ^89:30 If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments;

First Lesson Isa. 9:2–7

^9:2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. ^9:3 Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.not: or, to him ^9:4 For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.For…: or, When thou brakest ^9:5 For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.For…: or, When the whole battle of the warrior was, etcbut…: or, and it was, etcfuel: Heb. meat ^9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. ^9:7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Second Lesson Luke 2:1–20

^2:1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Cesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. ^2:2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) ^2:3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. ^2:4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) ^2:5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. ^2:6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. ^2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. ^2:8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. ^2:9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. ^2:10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. ^2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. ^2:12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. ^2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, ^2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. ^2:15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. ^2:16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. ^2:17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. ^2:18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. ^2:19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. ^2:20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever — and so the Church sings on this day of days, when mercy took flesh and dwelt among us. The Psalmist's ancient promise, sworn unto David, that his seed should endure for ever and his throne as the sun before God, finds its fulfilment in a manger in Bethlehem, where the throne of the universe is a bed of straw and the heir of all things lies wrapped in swaddling bands. The covenant made with the chosen has become a covenant with all flesh.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. Isaiah had seen it across the centuries: a great light shining upon those who walked in darkness, the yoke of burden broken, the rod of the oppressor laid down, and the cause of it all — a child, a son, whose name is Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Every one of those titles is a sermon in itself, and the Church has never finished preaching them. The government is upon his shoulder — the government not of one people or one empire, but of all creation.

And Luke, the beloved physician, who had traced all things from the very first, gives us the plainest and most overwhelming account: no room in the inn, the manger, the swaddling clothes, the shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night, the sudden glory of the angel, and that first Gloria in Excelsis Deo which has never since been silent in the worship of the Church. The angels gave the angels' song; the shepherds gave the shepherds' witness; and Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

What shall we give? The shepherds went with haste, and so we come with haste — but the appropriate Christmas haste is not the anxious hurry of the world, but the eager running of those summoned to a wonder. We come to see this thing which has come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. We come not as spectators but as those who have been given a share in the mystery — for if unto them a Saviour was born, he is our Saviour too; if the Mighty God took our flesh, it is our flesh he has glorified. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. The peace that passeth all understanding is offered to every heart this day. Receive it. Ponder it. Let it never lose its wonder.

First Sunday after Christmas

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 145

^145:1 I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. ^145:2 Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. ^145:3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.and his…: Heb. and of his greatness there is no search ^145:4 One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. ^145:5 I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.works: Heb. things, or, words ^145:6 And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness.declare: Heb. declare it ^145:7 They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness. ^145:8 The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.of great…: Heb. great in mercy ^145:9 The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. ^145:10 All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord; and thy saints shall bless thee. ^145:11 They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power; ^145:12 To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom. ^145:13 Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.an…: Heb. a kingdom of all ages ^145:14 The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down. ^145:15 The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.wait…: or, look unto ^145:16 Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing. ^145:17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.holy: or, merciful, or, bountiful ^145:18 The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. ^145:19 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them. ^145:20 The Lord preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy. ^145:21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.

First Lesson Isa. 9:2–7

Second Lesson Luke 2:1–20

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised, sings the Psalmist on this first Sunday of the Christmas octave, and the Christian cannot hear those words today without hearing them as praise for the mystery just celebrated. One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts — and what mightier act has God ever wrought than this, that the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us?

The prophet has given us the great words: The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light. And here is the light: a child born in Bethlehem, a son given from the bosom of the Father, whose government shall know no end, whose names are Wonderful and Counsellor and Prince of Peace. The Church has spent a week turning these words over and over in wonder, like a gem that shows a new facet at each turning. They do not exhaust; they expand. The more we meditate upon the Nativity, the more inexhaustibly rich it becomes.

For the shepherds on Christmas night it was immediate and overwhelming — the glory, the fear, the rushing to see. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. This pondering is the model for the Christmas season and indeed for the whole Christian life. We are called not merely to acknowledge the Incarnation but to dwell in it — to let it become the grammar of our understanding of God, of ourselves, of the world. The Son is given; that giving changes everything.

How does it change us? It changes our understanding of matter itself — for if God took flesh, flesh is not the enemy of the spirit but its dwelling. It changes our understanding of suffering — for if the Almighty chose to be born in poverty, poverty is not a proof of God's absence. It changes our understanding of joy — for the angels sang, and the shepherds returned glorifying and praising God, and every Christmas since has carried that first jubilation into the world. Let us be, in this octave, those who ponder as Mary pondered — not sentimentally, but with the deep attentiveness of those who know that what they are pondering is the hinge of all history and the hope of every soul.

Second Sunday after Christmas

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 65 & 121

^65:1 Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Sion: and unto thee shall the vow be performed.waiteth: Heb. is silent ^65:2 O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come. ^65:3 Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away.Iniquities: Heb. Words, or, Matters of iniquities ^65:4 Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple. ^65:5 By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our salvation; who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea: ^65:6 Which by his strength setteth fast the mountains; being girded with power: ^65:7 Which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people. ^65:8 They also that dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at thy tokens: thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice.rejoice: or, sing ^65:9 Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: thou preparest them corn, when thou hast so provided for it.and…: or, after thou hadst made it to desire rain ^65:10 Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly: thou settlest the furrows thereof: thou makest it soft with showers: thou blessest the springing thereof.settlest: or, causest rain to descend intomakest…: Heb. dissolvest it ^65:11 Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness.with: Heb. of ^65:12 They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness: and the little hills rejoice on every side.rejoice…: Heb. are girded with joy ^65:13 The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing.

First Lesson Micah 4:1–5 & 5:2–4

^4:1 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. ^4:2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. ^4:3 And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.pruninghooks: or, scythes ^4:4 But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it. ^4:5 For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.

Second Lesson Luke 2:21–32

^2:21 And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb. ^2:22 And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; ^2:23 (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) ^2:24 And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons. ^2:25 And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. ^2:26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. ^2:27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, ^2:28 Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, ^2:29 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: ^2:30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, ^2:31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; ^2:32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills by righteousness — so Micah envisions the last days, when the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and people shall flow unto it saying, Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord. And from that same prophet comes the oracle that guided the Magi and the scribes alike: But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel.

Littleness. The whole of the Christmas mystery is framed in littleness — the little town, the little child, the few shepherds, the young mother. And here on this second Sunday we meet old Simeon, who had waited all his long life for the consolation of Israel, and who takes the small child in his aged arms and says words that have echoed through the Church's worship ever since: Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation. The Nunc Dimittis — the song of one who has seen enough to die in peace, because he has held in his arms the light of the Gentiles and the glory of Israel.

The Psalm joins its voice: I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. It is the ancient confidence of those who have learned that the God who made the mountains is also the God who enters a manger. The creator of the universe is not too great for littleness; indeed it is precisely the greatness of God that enables such smallness, for only infinite power can afford infinite condescension.

Simeon's arms are the Church's arms — stretched open to receive what God has given, trembling with the weight of a glory that flesh can barely hold. He shall be for a sign which shall be spoken against, the old man says, and the shadow of the cross already falls across the cradle. But first, the peace — a peace that Simeon had waited for and that we also wait for in every season of Advent, every night of prayer, every moment when the world seems too broken and God too distant. He who held the infant held all history in those arms, and found it good.

The Epiphany

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 46 & 100

^46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.for: or, of ^46:2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;midst…: Heb. heart of the seas ^46:3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. ^46:4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. ^46:5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.and…: Heb. when the morning appeareth ^46:6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. ^46:7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.our…: Heb. an high place for us ^46:8 Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth. ^46:9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. ^46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. ^46:11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

First Lesson Isa. 60:1–9

^60:1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.shine…: or, be enlightened; for thy light cometh ^60:2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. ^60:3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. ^60:4 Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. ^60:5 Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.abundance…: or, noise of the sea shall be turned toward theeforces: or, wealth ^60:6 The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the Lord. ^60:7 All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory. ^60:8 Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows? ^60:9 Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the Lord thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee.

Second Lesson 2 Cor. 4:1–6

^4:1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; ^4:2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. ^4:3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: ^4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. ^4:5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. ^4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. Isaiah's great oracle for the feast of the Epiphany is not a gentle invitation; it is a royal summons. The darkness may still cover the earth; gross darkness may still lie upon the peoples. But upon the Church, upon those who have received the light, the glory has already risen — and the only fitting response is to arise and reflect it.

God is our refuge and strength, the Psalmist declares — and in the Christmas light, that ancient confidence becomes sharper and more specific. God is not merely our strength in the abstract; he has made bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. The light that shines from Bethlehem is not for Israel only; the Magi from the east are the first fruits of the Gentile world coming to its Lord, bringing gold and incense and myrrh — the gifts of a world that, even before it is converted, knows instinctively that this child is a king, a priest, and a sacrifice.

And Paul draws the veil back further still: God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. It is the Epiphany in miniature — the same light that shone over Bethlehem, the same light that drew the Magi, now kindled in every Christian soul by the Spirit of God. We do not go to the star; the star comes to us. The Magi's journey is re-enacted inwardly every time a soul opens to the light of the gospel.

Epiphany calls the Church outward as well as inward. Arise, shine. The light is not given to be hoarded but to be reflected. The kings come to the brightness of our rising — that is to say, the world around us is drawn toward the light insofar as we are truly illuminated by it. The great missionary imperative of the Church is grounded here: God shines in our hearts so that the world may see the face of Jesus Christ. We are, as Paul says in another place, the light of the world — not by our own virtue, but because we carry in clay vessels a treasure that is not ours but God's.

First Sunday after Epiphany

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 72 & 97

^72:1 Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king’s son.for: or, of ^72:2 He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment. ^72:3 The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness. ^72:4 He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor. ^72:5 They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations. ^72:6 He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth. ^72:7 In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.so long…: Heb. till there be no moon ^72:8 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. ^72:9 They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust. ^72:10 The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. ^72:11 Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him. ^72:12 For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper. ^72:13 He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy. ^72:14 He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight. ^72:15 And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba: prayer also shall be made for him continually; and daily shall he be praised.shall be given: Heb. one shall give ^72:16 There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth. ^72:17 His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed.endure: Heb. behis name shall be…: Heb. shall be as a son to continue his father’s name for ever ^72:18 Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. ^72:19 And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen. ^72:20 The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.

First Lesson Isa. 60:1–9

Second Lesson Matt. 2:1–12

^2:1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, ^2:2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. ^2:3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. ^2:4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. ^2:5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea: for thus it is written by the prophet, ^2:6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. ^2:7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. ^2:8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. ^2:9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. ^2:10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. ^2:11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. ^2:12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son — so the Psalmist prays for the messianic kingdom, that kingdom of justice and peace which shall have no end, where the righteous shall flourish and the poor shall be delivered and the oppressor crushed. The Epiphany season is the season of the revelation of this kingdom, the season in which the light shines ever more broadly and the dominion of the promised king becomes ever more apparent.

Isaiah's great Arise, shine resounds again on this first Sunday after the feast: Arise, shine, for thy light is come. The Gentiles coming to the light, the kings to the brightness of its rising — this is precisely what the Magi enact. Behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, asking for the one born King of the Jews. The star in the east is the light of Isaiah's prophecy become visible in the sky; the gifts of gold and incense are the tribute of a creation recognising its Lord. They fell down, and worshipped him.

It is a strange kind of kingship that is worshipped here. No palace, no court, no assembled nobility — only a young child with his mother, in circumstances so ordinary as to be almost invisible. Yet the wise men, who had followed a star across the desert, did not stumble at the plainness. They fell down. They gave. They returned another way. The Epiphany is not only the revelation of the king; it is the revelation of what wise men and women do in the presence of the king — they worship, they offer, they are changed.

And the Psalmist's prayer for this king is answered in the manger: he shall have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. The arms stretched in worship by the Magi are the same arms that will one day stretch upon the cross, and that dominion — purchased not by conquest but by sacrifice — is the only dominion that endures for ever. Come, let us worship the king whose kingdom is righteousness and peace; let us bring to him whatever gifts are ours; and let us, like the Magi, go home by another way, changed by the encounter.

Second Sunday after Epiphany

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 118

^118:1 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever. ^118:2 Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth for ever. ^118:3 Let the house of Aaron now say, that his mercy endureth for ever. ^118:4 Let them now that fear the Lord say, that his mercy endureth for ever. ^118:5 I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large place.in distress: Heb. out of distress ^118:6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?on…: Heb. for me ^118:7 The Lord taketh my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me. ^118:8 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. ^118:9 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes. ^118:10 All nations compassed me about: but in the name of the Lord will I destroy them.destroy…: Heb. cut them off ^118:11 They compassed me about; yea, they compassed me about: but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. ^118:12 They compassed me about like bees; they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.destroy: Heb. cut down ^118:13 Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall: but the Lord helped me. ^118:14 The Lord is my strength and song, and is become my salvation. ^118:15 The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly. ^118:16 The right hand of the Lord is exalted: the right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly. ^118:17 I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord. ^118:18 The Lord hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death. ^118:19 Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the Lord: ^118:20 This gate of the Lord, into which the righteous shall enter. ^118:21 I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation. ^118:22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. ^118:23 This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.the Lord’s…: Heb. from the Lord ^118:24 This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. ^118:25 Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord: O Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity. ^118:26 Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord: we have blessed you out of the house of the Lord. ^118:27 God is the Lord, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. ^118:28 Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee. ^118:29 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

First Lesson Zech. 8:1–8, 20–23

^8:1 Again the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, ^8:2 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury. ^8:3 Thus saith the Lord; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the Lord of hosts the holy mountain. ^8:4 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age.very…: Heb. multitude of days ^8:5 And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof. ^8:6 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith the Lord of hosts.marvellous: or, hard, or, difficult ^8:7 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country;the west…: Heb. the country of the going down of the sun ^8:8 And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.

Second Lesson 1 Cor. 12:12–31

^12:12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. ^12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. ^12:14 For the body is not one member, but many. ^12:15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? ^12:16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? ^12:17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? ^12:18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. ^12:19 And if they were all one member, where were the body? ^12:20 But now are they many members, yet but one body. ^12:21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. ^12:22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: ^12:23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. ^12:24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: ^12:25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. ^12:26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. ^12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. ^12:28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. ^12:29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? ^12:30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? ^12:31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

The Lord is returned unto Zion — so Zechariah records the divine promise — and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts the holy mountain. Streets full of old men and women, boys and girls playing: the vision of the restored city is the vision of a community restored to wholeness, where every age finds its place and the joy of God's presence makes life abundant. Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord.

This is the movement of the Epiphany season — the gathering of the nations to the light, the expansion of the kingdom from one people to all peoples, from one city to the ends of the earth. The Psalmist sings O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good, and the stone which the builders refused has become the head stone of the corner — an astonishing reversal in which what the world rejects becomes the foundation of a new creation.

And Paul unfolds the mystery of this gathering in his great image of the body: For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. The nations that come to Jerusalem in Zechariah's vision are not absorbed into a uniformity; they are incorporated into a body that is richer for its diversity. The eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee. The one Spirit who baptises us into one body distributes gifts differently to each, so that the whole body may be built up.

The Church is the continuation of the Epiphany — the ongoing manifestation of Christ in the world. When the Church is truly the body of Christ, with every member exercising the gift given to them, the word of Zechariah is fulfilled: many peoples shall come to seek the Lord. The gathering of the nations happens not by external conquest but by the attractive power of a community ordered by love and alive with the Spirit. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. Let every member, then, know its gift and use it — for in the faithful exercise of the humblest gift lies the continuing Epiphany of the Lord.

Third Sunday after Epiphany

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 42 & 43

^42:1 As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.Maschil…: or, A Psalm giving instruction of the sons, etcpanteth: Heb. brayeth ^42:2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? ^42:3 My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? ^42:4 When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday. ^42:5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.cast: Heb. bowedpraise: or, give thanksfor the…: or, his presence is salvation ^42:6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.the hill…: or, the little hill ^42:7 Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. ^42:8 Yet the Lord will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life. ^42:9 I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? ^42:10 As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?sword: or, killing ^42:11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

First Lesson Isa. 41:8–10, 17–20

^41:8 But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend. ^41:9 Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. ^41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Second Lesson John 4:1–14

^4:1 When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, ^4:2 (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,) ^4:3 He left Judea, and departed again into Galilee. ^4:4 And he must needs go through Samaria. ^4:5 Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. ^4:6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. ^4:7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. ^4:8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) ^4:9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. ^4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. ^4:11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? ^4:12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? ^4:13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: ^4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. The Psalmist's image of the thirsty deer is one of the most searching and honest in all of Scripture — it speaks of a longing that is not primarily about duty or orthodoxy but about life itself. The soul that thirsts for God is not performing piety; it is simply acknowledging what is true: that apart from God, the soul dies, as the deer dies apart from water. My soul thirsteth for the living God.

And to this thirsting soul God speaks through Isaiah with extraordinary tenderness: Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. The threefold yea — I will strengthen, I will help, I will uphold — is the divine answer to every anxiety, every desolation of spirit, every dark night of the soul. God does not merely promise his presence; he anticipates our need and offers himself before we ask.

And in the Gospel, by a well in Samaria, a thirsty woman meets the Living Water. The encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman is one of the deepest passages in all the Gospels — a conversation in which everything is double-edged, the physical and the spiritual interweaving at every turn. Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. The woman had come to draw water; she goes away leaving her waterpot behind, because she has found a spring in herself.

The Epiphany theme runs through all three readings today: God manifesting himself to those who seek him, even across the boundaries of race and religion and respectability. The Samaritan woman is the last person the world would have chosen as a vehicle of divine self-disclosure; she is the first person in John's Gospel to whom Jesus explicitly reveals himself as the Messiah. The God who comes to the thirsty soul comes in ways we do not expect, by paths we would not have chosen, with a gift that entirely exceeds what we asked for. Send out thy light and thy truth; let them lead me.

Fourth Sunday after Epiphany

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 66

^66:1 Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands:all…: Heb. all the earth ^66:2 Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious. ^66:3 Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee.submit…: or, yield feigned obedience: Heb. lie ^66:4 All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah. ^66:5 Come and see the works of God: he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men. ^66:6 He turned the sea into dry land: they went through the flood on foot: there did we rejoice in him. ^66:7 He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah. ^66:8 O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard: ^66:9 Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved.holdeth: Heb. putteth ^66:10 For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. ^66:11 Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins. ^66:12 Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.wealthy: Heb. moist ^66:13 I will go into thy house with burnt offerings: I will pay thee my vows, ^66:14 Which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble.uttered: Heb. opened ^66:15 I will offer unto thee burnt sacrifices of fatlings, with the incense of rams; I will offer bullocks with goats. Selah.fatlings: Heb. marrow ^66:16 Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul. ^66:17 I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue. ^66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: ^66:19 But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. ^66:20 Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.

First Lesson Isa. 61

^61:1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; ^61:2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; ^61:3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified. ^61:4 And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations. ^61:5 And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. ^61:6 But ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves. ^61:7 For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them. ^61:8 For I the Lord love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. ^61:9 And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed. ^61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.decketh: Heb. decketh as a priest ^61:11 For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.

Second Lesson Luke 4:16–32

^4:16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. ^4:17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, ^4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, ^4:19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. ^4:20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. ^4:21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. ^4:22 And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son? ^4:23 And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. ^4:24 And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. ^4:25 But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; ^4:26 But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. ^4:27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. ^4:28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, ^4:29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. ^4:30 But he passing through the midst of them went his way, ^4:31 And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days. ^4:32 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands — and the whole of this Sunday resounds with the sound of that noise, a noise that is not mere exuberance but the overflow of those who have seen the works of God and cannot keep silent. Come and see the works of God: he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men. He turned the sea into dry land; they went through the flood on foot: there did we rejoice in him. The God of the Exodus, who divides the waters and makes a path where there was none, is the same God who enters Nazareth on a sabbath day and opens the scroll.

Isaiah had written it six centuries before: The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives. And in the synagogue at Nazareth, Jesus reads those words, rolls up the scroll, gives it back to the minister, sits down — and says, with the most breathtaking compression in all of literature: This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

This day. Not tomorrow, not in a distant eschatological future, not in principle — this day, in this place, in the hearing of these people. The Epiphany reaches its local and particular intensity here: the Son of God in a village synagogue, claiming to be the fulfilment of the deepest hopes of his people. And the congregation at first marvels — Gracious words proceeded out of his mouth — and then stumbles: Is not this Joseph's son? The offense of the particular, the stumbling-block of the incarnate.

We also stumble, when the word of God comes to us not in glory and triumph but in ordinary flesh — in the broken and the poor, in the preaching of the word, in bread and wine, in one another. The Epiphany is always being transacted in the ordinary, and we are always being asked whether we will receive it there. Good tidings to the meek; healing to the brokenhearted; liberty to the captives. This is what the Spirit anointed him to do. This is what he still does, through those who bear his name.

Fifth Sunday after Epiphany

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 15 & 85

^15:1 Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?abide: Heb. sojourn ^15:2 He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. ^15:3 He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.taketh…: or, receiveth, or, endureth ^15:4 In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the Lord. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. ^15:5 He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.

First Lesson Ruth 1:1–17

^1:1 Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Beth–lehem–judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.ruled: Heb. judged ^1:2 And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Beth–lehem–judah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.continued: Heb. were ^1:3 And Elimelech Naomi’s husband died; and she was left, and her two sons. ^1:4 And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years. ^1:5 And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband. ^1:6 Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the Lord had visited his people in giving them bread. ^1:7 Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters in law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah. ^1:8 And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother’s house: the Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me. ^1:9 The Lord grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept. ^1:10 And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people. ^1:11 And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? ^1:12 Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons;should have…: or were with an husband ^1:13 Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord is gone out against me.tarry: Heb. hopeit grieveth…: Heb. I have much bitterness ^1:14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her. ^1:15 And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law. ^1:16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:Intreat…: or, Be not against me ^1:17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.

Second Lesson Col. 3:5–11

^3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: ^3:6 For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: ^3:7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. ^3:8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. ^3:9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; ^3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: ^3:11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? The Psalmist's question opens this Sunday with a challenge — not a comfortable question but a probing one, addressed not to the ungodly but to those who already worship, who already come to the house of God. He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. The qualification for dwelling in God's presence is not correctness of doctrine or correctness of ritual, but integrity of life — the harmony of inward conviction and outward action, of word and deed.

The Psalm of faithfulness is echoed by Ruth's great oath of faithfulness — Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God. This is spoken not by an Israelite to God, but by a Moabite woman to her mother-in-law. It is one of the most beautiful confessions of loyalty in all of Scripture, and it illuminates the Psalm with unexpected light: the one who dwells in God's tabernacle may be found anywhere, in any nation, in any circumstance, wherever the heart is fully given.

And Paul in his letter to the Colossians draws the practical consequence: put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him — an image in which there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. The holy hill of the Psalmist is not a geographical location; it is the community of those in whom Christ dwells, who have put on the new humanity that transcends every barrier of race and class and culture.

Ruth's movement from Moab to Israel is the movement of the soul toward God — away from the familiar securities and toward the unknown country of faith. And the Psalmist's qualification for the holy hill turns out to be nothing other than what Ruth embodies: constancy, honesty, mercy, the refusal to take advantage of the weak, the keeping of one's word even to one's own hurt. He that doeth these things shall never be moved. Grace creates the character it requires; and the character it requires is simply love, wearing the plain clothes of daily life.

Sixth Sunday after Epiphany

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 75 & 138

^75:1 Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare.Al–taschith: or, Destroy notof: or, for ^75:2 When I shall receive the congregation I will judge uprightly.receive…: or, take a set time ^75:3 The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I bear up the pillars of it. Selah. ^75:4 I said unto the fools, Deal not foolishly: and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn: ^75:5 Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck. ^75:6 For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.south: Heb. desert ^75:7 But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another. ^75:8 For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them. ^75:9 But I will declare for ever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. ^75:10 All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off; but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.

First Lesson Isa. 2:6–19

^2:6 Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers.from…: or, more than theplease…: or, abound with the ^2:7 Their land also is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures; their land is also full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots: ^2:8 Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made: ^2:9 And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself: therefore forgive them not. ^2:10 Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty. ^2:11 The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. ^2:12 For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low: ^2:13 And upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan, ^2:14 And upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up, ^2:15 And upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall, ^2:16 And upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures.pleasant…: Heb. pictures of desire ^2:17 And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. ^2:18 And the idols he shall utterly abolish.he…: or, shall utterly pass away ^2:19 And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.of the earth: Heb. of the dust

Second Lesson Matt. 25:14–29

^25:14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. ^25:15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. ^25:16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. ^25:17 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. ^25:18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money. ^25:19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. ^25:20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. ^25:21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. ^25:22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. ^25:23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. ^25:24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: ^25:25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. ^25:26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: ^25:27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. ^25:28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. ^25:29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. Isaiah's great oracle of judgment closes the Epiphany season with a sobering note — the same light that draws the nations is also the light that exposes what cannot endure its brightness. The day of the Lord is a day of glory, but first it is a day of reckoning, and the treasures of the earth and the idols of human manufacture cannot stand before it.

Blessed is the man, says the Psalmist, who gives thanks not in the flush of prosperity but in the awareness of God's sovereignty — who knows that promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south: but God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another. The wisdom of Psalm 75 is not the pessimism of one who has given up on the world, but the realism of one who sees through its pretensions to the God who holds it in his hands.

And Christ, in the parable of the talents, raises the question of what we do with what we have been given. To every man according to his several ability — the gifts of God are distributed with infinite particularity, and the stewardship required of each differs accordingly. What is universal is the demand: the master returns and reckons. The one who buried his talent in the earth, preserving it against all risk, preserved nothing — for a gift unused is a gift surrendered. Unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

The Epiphany season has shown us the light of Christ manifested in the world — to Magi and shepherds and Samaritans and all who have eyes to see. That light is a gift; and like all gifts it makes a demand upon the recipient. We have received the light; we must now be the light. The gifts of the Spirit are not for our own security but for the building up of the body of Christ and the service of a world in darkness. The Lord alone shall be exalted: but he is exalted, in the mystery of the Incarnation, through those who bear his name and use his gifts.

THE GESIMAS

Septuagesima Sunday

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 20 & 121

^20:1 The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee;defend…: Heb. set thee on an high place ^20:2 Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion;thee help: Heb. thy helpstrengthen: Heb. support ^20:3 Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah.accept: Heb. turn to ashes: or, make fat ^20:4 Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel. ^20:5 We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the Lord fulfil all thy petitions. ^20:6 Now know I that the Lord saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.his holy…: Heb. the heaven of his holinesswith…: Heb. by the strength of the salvation of ^20:7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. ^20:8 They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright. ^20:9 Save, Lord: let the king hear us when we call.

First Lesson Joshua 1:1–9

[Text not available: Joshua 1:1–9]

Second Lesson 2 Tim. 2:1–13

^2:1 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. ^2:2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. ^2:3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. ^2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. ^2:5 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. ^2:6 The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits. ^2:7 Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things. ^2:8 Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: ^2:9 Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound. ^2:10 Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. ^2:11 It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: ^2:12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: ^2:13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. The divine commission to Joshua at the threshold of the Promised Land is also the Church's commission as she enters the pre-Lenten season — that long approach to the disciplines of Lent which the old liturgical tradition marked by the reading of the great narrative of salvation from Genesis to the Resurrection.

The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble, sings the Psalmist, knowing that trouble will come — that the journey through the wilderness is not a straight path but a hard one, beset by enemies and undermined by our own faithlessness. I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help: the eyes turn upward not because the hills are safe, but because help comes from beyond the hills, from the Lord himself who made heaven and earth.

And Paul, writing to Timothy with all the urgency of one who sees his own end approaching, exhorts his spiritual son: Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. The pre-Lenten weeks are precisely the time for the Christian to examine his entanglements — the compromises with the world, the comforts that have become necessities, the habits that have become chains. What is hindering us from the race set before us?

It is a faithful saying: If we be dead with him, we shall also live with him. The mystery of our participation in Christ's death and resurrection is the deepest ground of Christian courage. Joshua was told to be strong because God was with him; the Christian is told to be strong because she is in Christ, who has already conquered every enemy. The pre-Lenten season, for all its solemnity, is not a season of despair but of preparation — the sharpening of the sword, the girding of the loins, the fixing of the gaze upon Jerusalem. Be strong and of a good courage. The Lord thy God is with thee.

Sexagesima Sunday

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 71

^71:1 In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion. ^71:2 Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me. ^71:3 Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.Be…: Heb. Be thou to me for a rock of habitation ^71:4 Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man. ^71:5 For thou art my hope, O Lord God: thou art my trust from my youth. ^71:6 By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother’s bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee. ^71:7 I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong refuge. ^71:8 Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day. ^71:9 Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth. ^71:10 For mine enemies speak against me; and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together,lay…: Heb. watch, or, observe ^71:11 Saying, God hath forsaken him: persecute and take him; for there is none to deliver him. ^71:12 O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help. ^71:13 Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul; let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek my hurt. ^71:14 But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more. ^71:15 My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof. ^71:16 I will go in the strength of the Lord God: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only. ^71:17 O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works. ^71:18 Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.when…: Heb. unto old age and gray hairsthy strength: Heb. thine arm ^71:19 Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee! ^71:20 Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth. ^71:21 Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side. ^71:22 I will also praise thee with the psaltery, even thy truth, O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel.the psaltery: Heb. the instrument of psaltery ^71:23 My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed. ^71:24 My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long: for they are confounded, for they are brought unto shame, that seek my hurt.

First Lesson Isa. 50:4–10

^50:4 The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. ^50:5 The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. ^50:6 I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. ^50:7 For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. ^50:8 He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us stand together: who is mine adversary? let him come near to me.mine…: Heb. the master of my cause? ^50:9 Behold, the Lord God will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up. ^50:10 Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God.

Second Lesson 2 Cor. 12:1–12

^12:1 It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. ^12:2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. ^12:3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) ^12:4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. ^12:5 Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities. ^12:6 For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me. ^12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. ^12:8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. ^12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ^12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. ^12:11 I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing. ^12:12 Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion. The Psalmist's great confidence is born not of ignorance of trouble but of the experience of God through trouble — Thou art my hope, O Lord God: thou art my trust from my youth; by thee have I been holden up from the womb. A trust formed in the furnace of suffering has a quality that no untested faith can achieve. It knows what it is trusting, and why.

Isaiah gives us the Servant who embodies this trust: The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary. The Servant has been beaten, mocked, spat upon, and yet he sets his face like a flint — not because he is hard, but because he is held. He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? This is the faith that goes down into suffering and comes up singing. It is the faith of one who has learned that God does not abandon those who suffer for his sake.

And Paul, the apostle of suffering, makes his extraordinary boast: I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, caught up to the third heaven. Then the thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan; then the unanswered prayer; then the divine answer that changes everything: My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities — not because suffering is good in itself, but because in suffering the strength of Christ is most clearly seen.

Sexagesima is the Sunday of the weak made strong. We begin our pre-Lenten approach with this lesson: Lent is not a season in which we demonstrate our spiritual prowess. It is a season in which we acknowledge our poverty before God and receive what he freely gives. When I am weak, then am I strong — strong not with the brittle strength of self-sufficiency, but with the indestructible strength of those who have learned to cast themselves upon the mercy of God and to find it sufficient. In thee do I put my trust. Let that be enough. It is.

Quinquagesima Sunday

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 103

^103:1 Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. ^103:2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: ^103:3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; ^103:4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; ^103:5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s. ^103:6 The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. ^103:7 He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. ^103:8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.plenteous…: Heb. great in mercy ^103:9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. ^103:10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. ^103:11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.as…: Heb. according to the height of the heaven ^103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. ^103:13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. ^103:14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. ^103:15 As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. ^103:16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.it is…: Heb. it is not ^103:17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children; ^103:18 To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them. ^103:19 The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all. ^103:20 Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.that excel…: Heb. mighty in strength ^103:21 Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. ^103:22 Bless the Lord, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the Lord, O my soul.

First Lesson Wisdom 7:7–14

^7:7 Wherefore I prayed, and understanding was given me: I called upon God, and the spirit of wisdom came to me. ^7:8 I preferred her before sceptres and thrones, and esteemed riches nothing in comparison of her. ^7:9 Neither compared I unto her any precious stone, because all gold in respect of her is as a little sand, and silver shall be counted as clay before her. ^7:10 I loved her above health and beauty, and chose to have her instead of light: for the light that cometh from her never goeth out. ^7:11 All good things together came to me with her, and innumerable riches in her hands. ^7:12 And I rejoiced in them all, because wisdom goeth before them: and I knew not that she was the mother of them. ^7:13 I learned diligently, and do communicate her liberally: I do not hide her riches. ^7:14 For she is a treasure unto men that never faileth: which they that use become the friends of God, being commended for the gifts that come from learning.

Second Lesson John 15:1–17

^15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. ^15:2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. ^15:3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. ^15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. ^15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. ^15:6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. ^15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. ^15:8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. ^15:9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. ^15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. ^15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. ^15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. ^15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. ^15:14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. ^15:15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. ^15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. ^15:17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Quinquagesima — fifty days before Easter, the last Sunday before the Lenten fast begins — is a Sunday of unusual tenderness. The great Psalm of thanksgiving opens our worship with a breadth of gratitude that takes in the whole of human life: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies. Every clause is a world of grace.

Wisdom, in its prayer for understanding, says: I preferred her before sceptres and thrones, and esteemed riches nothing in comparison of her. I loved her above health and beauty, and chose to have her instead of light: for the light that cometh from her never goeth out. This is the disposition of the soul entering Lent: not the acquisition of more achievements or more virtues, but the single-minded pursuit of the wisdom that comes from God alone, a wisdom that outlasts every earthly advantage.

And then comes the Gospel's supreme meditation on love — the thirteenth chapter of the first letter to Corinth. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. Here is the standard by which all our Lenten observance will be judged. Not the length of our fasting, nor the severity of our disciplines, nor even the fervour of our devotion — but whether at the end of it all we love more truly. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up.

I am the true vine, says Christ in the Gospel; abide in me, and I in you. The great commandment he leaves his disciples is this: that ye love one another, as I have loved you. The Lenten fast is not an end in itself; it is the pruning of the vine, the cutting away of what hinders the growth of charity. Let us enter Ash Wednesday and the forty days of Lent with this question before us: Do I love more this year than last? Has the life of Christ grown in me? And let us enter, not in our own strength, but in the love which he first showed us.

LENT

Ash Wednesday

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 32 & 143

^32:1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.A Psalm…: or, A Psalm of David giving instruction ^32:2 Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. ^32:3 When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. ^32:4 For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah. ^32:5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. ^32:6 For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.when…: Heb. of finding ^32:7 Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah. ^32:8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.guide…: Heb. counsel thee, mine eye shall be upon thee ^32:9 Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee. ^32:10 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about. ^32:11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

First Lesson Isa. 58:1–12

^58:1 Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.aloud: Heb. with the throat ^58:2 Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God. ^58:3 Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.labours: or, things wherewith ye grieve others: Heb. griefs ^58:4 Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.ye shall…: or, ye fast not as this day ^58:5 Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?a day…: or, to afflict his soul for a day? ^58:6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?the heavy…: Heb. the bundles of the yokeoppressed: Heb. broken ^58:7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?cast…: or, afflicted ^58:8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward.be…: Heb. gather thee up ^58:9 Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; ^58:10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday: ^58:11 And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.drought: Heb. droughtsfail: Heb. lie, or, deceive ^58:12 And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.

Second Lesson Heb. 12:1–14

^12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, ^12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. ^12:3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. ^12:4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. ^12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: ^12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. ^12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? ^12:8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. ^12:9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? ^12:10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. ^12:11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. ^12:12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; ^12:13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. ^12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. The Psalmist opens Ash Wednesday not with lamentation but with beatitude — as if to say that the whole point of this day of penitence is not to wallow in guilt but to receive forgiveness. When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. There is a silence that destroys — the silence of unconfessed sin, the silence of a soul unwilling to name what is wrong. The healing begins when silence is broken: I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid.

Isaiah will not let us be comfortable with a merely ceremonial religion: Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free? The fast God chooses is not the performance of religious exercises but the transformation of the whole life — social, economic, moral, spiritual. Fasting without justice is hypocrisy; penitence without amendment is theatre. Yet the prophet also holds out the extraordinary promise: Then shall thy light break forth as the morning; and the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought.

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. The great text of Hebrews for Ash Wednesday is all motion — laying aside, running, looking. Lent is not a season of paralysis but of directed movement, with Christ as both the author of our faith and its finisher, both the one who begins the race in us and the one who will bring it to completion.

We receive the ashes today as a sign of what we already know: that we are dust, and to dust we shall return. But in Christ, dust has been taken into the Godhead, and the dust of our mortality has been glorified. The ashes are marked in the sign of the cross — the very shape of our salvation. Let us not be afraid of the darkness of these forty days; the dawn breaks forth as the morning for those who seek the face of God.

First Sunday in Lent

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 50

First Lesson Isa. 58

Second Lesson Matt. 6:1–18

^6:1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. ^6:2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. ^6:3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: ^6:4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. ^6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. ^6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. ^6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. ^6:8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. ^6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. ^6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. ^6:11 Give us this day our daily bread. ^6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. ^6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. ^6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: ^6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. ^6:16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. ^6:17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; ^6:18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

The mighty God hath spoken: so Psalm 50 opens the first Sunday of Lent with a declaration that allows no retreat into religious formality. Not for thy sacrifices do I reprove thee, says God in this Psalm — it is not the ritual that fails, but the heart. Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: and call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. The Lenten fast is about nothing less than the reordering of the whole inner life toward God.

Isaiah's great Lenten call comes again: Cry aloud, spare not; shew my people their transgression. And yet immediately it turns inward and tender: Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness... to deal thy bread to the hungry... and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? God is not interested in our self-punishment for its own sake. He is interested in our conversion — the turning of the whole person toward love of God and love of neighbour. When that turning is genuine, the promise follows: the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones; and thou shalt be like a watered garden.

But when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. The whole of the Sermon on the Mount's teaching on fasting, prayer, and almsgiving — that great charter of Lenten practice — is governed by this principle of hiddenness. The Lenten disciplines are not performances for the approval of others; they are the secret business of the soul with God, a business conducted in the closet, in the heart, at the margin of the day when no one else is watching.

Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. The prayer that Christ teaches as the pattern of Lenten prayer begins not with our needs but with the name of God. Let the name be hallowed — let the reality of God be the first thing, and our necessities follow. This is the great reordering of Lent: to put God first again, to let the Father who sees in secret be the centre around which everything else finds its proper place.

Second Sunday in Lent

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 86 & 142

^86:1 Bow down thine ear, O Lord, hear me: for I am poor and needy.A Prayer…: or, A Prayer, being a Psalm of David ^86:2 Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee.holy: or, one whom thou favourest ^86:3 Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily.daily: or, all the day ^86:4 Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. ^86:5 For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. ^86:6 Give ear, O Lord, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications. ^86:7 In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me. ^86:8 Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works. ^86:9 All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name. ^86:10 For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone. ^86:11 Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name. ^86:12 I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore. ^86:13 For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.hell: or, grave ^86:14 O God, the proud are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul; and have not set thee before them.violent: Heb. terrible ^86:15 But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. ^86:16 O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; give thy strength unto thy servant, and save the son of thine handmaid. ^86:17 Shew me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because thou, Lord, hast holpen me, and comforted me.

First Lesson 1 Kings 8:37–43

^8:37 If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, blasting, mildew, locust, or if there be caterpiller; if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness there be;cities: or, jurisdiction ^8:38 What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house: ^8:39 Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men;) ^8:40 That they may fear thee all the days that they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers. ^8:41 Moreover concerning a stranger, that is not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country for thy name’s sake; ^8:42 (For they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy strong hand, and of thy stretched out arm;) when he shall come and pray toward this house; ^8:43 Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for: that all people of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as do thy people Israel; and that they may know that this house, which I have builded, is called by thy name.this…: Heb. thy name is called upon this house

Second Lesson Col. 3:12–17

^3:12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; ^3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. ^3:14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. ^3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. ^3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. ^3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

Bow down thine ear, O Lord, hear me: for I am poor and needy. The Psalmist's prayer on the Second Sunday in Lent is the very sound of Lent itself — stripped of pretension, honest about its condition, casting itself upon the only help that is sufficient. For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. The richness of divine mercy is proportional to the poverty of human need; and Lent is the season of acknowledged need.

Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the temple reaches into the heart of every confession: What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, which shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house: Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest. The phrase is arresting: the plague of his own heart. We know what that plague is — the chronic infection of self-will, the besetting sin that we have known since childhood, the wound that will not quite heal. Lent asks us to spread our hands toward God with that knowledge, honestly held.

And Paul's letter to the Colossians offers the balm: Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. The Lenten disciplines of self-examination are not ends in themselves; they are preparation for this clothing of the self in the character of Christ. Examine, repent, confess — and then put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

The great Lenten movement is from the plague of the heart to the peace of God ruling in the heart — from the disorder of self-will to the order of charity. It is not accomplished by willpower but by grace received in prayer and sacrament and the patient practice of love in daily life. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Third Sunday in Lent

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 25

First Lesson Deut. 6:1–9, 20–25

^6:1 Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the Lord your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it:go: Heb. pass over ^6:2 That thou mightest fear the Lord thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged. ^6:3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey. ^6:4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: ^6:5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. ^6:6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: ^6:7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.teach: Heb. whet, or, sharpen ^6:8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. ^6:9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

Second Lesson 1 Cor. 3

^3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. ^3:2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. ^3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? ^3:4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? ^3:5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? ^3:6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. ^3:7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. ^3:8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. ^3:9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. ^3:10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. ^3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ^3:12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; ^3:13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. ^3:14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. ^3:15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. ^3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? ^3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. ^3:18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. ^3:19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. ^3:20 And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. ^3:21 Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; ^3:22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; ^3:23 And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. The Psalmist's prayer at the heart of Lent is deceptively simple — it is the prayer of one who knows that the path cannot be found by our own wisdom, that the way of God is not the way of the world, and that without divine instruction we will wander. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.

And the truth to which God leads is wonderfully compressed in Moses's great catechism of the faith: Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart. The Shema is not merely a formula; it is a programme for the whole of life. Every part of the human person — heart, soul, might, memory — is claimed for the love of the one God. Lent is the season of submitting every compartment of the self to this total claim.

And Paul draws the consequence for the community: I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. The Lenten examination of conscience is partly the examination of how we have treated the temple — not the stone buildings but the living community of believers, and the individual body in which the Spirit has taken up residence.

The temptation in Lent is to make it merely personal — my sins, my disciplines, my spiritual progress. But the Third Sunday reminds us that the faith is corporate: Israel is addressed as a people; the temple is the community; we are built together. The love that God requires is not only love of God and love of the neighbour as an afterthought — the love of neighbour is the test of the love of God, the proof that the Shema has truly entered the heart.

Fourth Sunday in Lent

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 147

^147:1 Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely. ^147:2 The Lord doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel. ^147:3 He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.wounds: Heb. griefs ^147:4 He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names. ^147:5 Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.his…: Heb. of his understanding there is no number ^147:6 The Lord lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground. ^147:7 Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God: ^147:8 Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains. ^147:9 He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry. ^147:10 He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man. ^147:11 The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy. ^147:12 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion. ^147:13 For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; he hath blessed thy children within thee. ^147:14 He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat.He…: Heb. Who maketh thy border peacefinest…: Heb. fat of wheat ^147:15 He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth: his word runneth very swiftly. ^147:16 He giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes. ^147:17 He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold? ^147:18 He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: he causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow. ^147:19 He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel.his word: Heb. his words ^147:20 He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the Lord.

First Lesson Exod. 16:4–15

^16:4 Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.a certain…: Heb. the portion of a day in his day ^16:5 And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily. ^16:6 And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the Lord hath brought you out from the land of Egypt: ^16:7 And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the Lord; for that he heareth your murmurings against the Lord: and what are we, that ye murmur against us? ^16:8 And Moses said, This shall be, when the Lord shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the Lord heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord. ^16:9 And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the Lord: for he hath heard your murmurings. ^16:10 And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. ^16:11 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, ^16:12 I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God. ^16:13 And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host. ^16:14 And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. ^16:15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat.It is…: or, What is this? or, It is a portion

Second Lesson John 6:27–40

^6:27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. ^6:28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? ^6:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. ^6:30 They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? ^6:31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. ^6:32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. ^6:33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. ^6:34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. ^6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. ^6:36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. ^6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. ^6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. ^6:39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. ^6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto our God. Even in the middle of Lent — especially in the middle of Lent — the Church breaks into praise. The ancient designation of this Sunday as Laetare, Rejoice, interrupts the fast with a foretaste of Easter. He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds; He telleth the number of the stars; He calleth them all by their names. The God who counts the stars is the God who heals the broken; the infinite and the intimate are one.

And the manna in the wilderness is the great sign of this: Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. The children of Israel, hungry and complaining in the desert, find in the morning a small round thing upon the ground, and Moses says, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat. The bread of heaven comes not to those who have earned it but to those who are hungry and lost and complaining — which is to say, to us. It comes daily, in exact proportion to need, without accumulation, without hoarding.

And Christ in the Gospel takes the manna as his own self-disclosure: I am the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life. The eucharistic resonance of these words is unmistakable: the bread of heaven which fell in the wilderness has become flesh in Bethlehem and is given again on the altar of the Church. Every communion is a Laetare Sunday, a moment of joy in the midst of the fast, a foretaste of the marriage supper of the Lamb.

This is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life. The Lenten fast is not an exercise in spiritual self-sufficiency; it is the preparation of an appetite for the only food that satisfies. We fast from the bread that perisheth so that we may hunger more truly for the bread that endures. The manna still falls; the altar is still spread; the living bread still invites: Come, for all things are now ready.

Fifth Sunday in Lent

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 51

^51:1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. ^51:2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. ^51:3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. ^51:4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. ^51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.conceive…: Heb. warm me ^51:6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. ^51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. ^51:8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. ^51:9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. ^51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.right: or, constant ^51:11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. ^51:12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. ^51:13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. ^51:14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.bloodguiltiness: Heb. bloods ^51:15 O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. ^51:16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.else…: or, that I should ^51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. ^51:18 Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem. ^51:19 Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.

First Lesson Isa. 1:10–20

^1:10 Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. ^1:11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.he goats: Heb. great he goats ^1:12 When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?to appear: Heb. to be seen ^1:13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.iniquity: or, grief ^1:14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. ^1:15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.make…: Heb. multiply prayerblood: Heb. bloods ^1:16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; ^1:17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.relieve: or, righten ^1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. ^1:19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: ^1:20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

Second Lesson 1 Pet. 4:12–19

^4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: ^4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. ^4:14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. ^4:15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters. ^4:16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. ^4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? ^4:18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? ^4:19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness — so the great penitential Psalm opens the fifth Sunday of Lent, and in its fifty-first verse the whole Lenten project is concentrated. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. This is what Lent has been working toward: not the accumulation of spiritual achievements, not the counting of fasting days, but the new heart — the heart that God creates when we lay the old one honestly before him.

Isaiah draws the lines starkly: Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? Bring no more vain oblations; cease to do evil; learn to do well. And then the extraordinary invitation: Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. The scarlet and crimson of guilt do not resist the divine cleansing; they yield to it completely. This is the logic of Lent: not that we earn our forgiveness, but that we accept it.

The epistle prepares us for what is coming: Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. The passion which we are approaching in these last weeks of Lent is not an accident or a defeat; it is the appointed path to glory. We share in it, not by imitating it physically, but by the willingness to suffer for righteousness' sake, to endure misunderstanding and contradiction, to entrust our cause to him who judges righteously.

If any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. The Fifth Sunday in Lent stands at the gate of Holy Week and says: the way forward leads through the passion. But the one who leads us through it has already come out the other side. Create in me a clean heart, O God — and I will go with thee into the darkness, knowing that thou art the resurrection and the life.

Palm Sunday

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 24 & 97

^24:1 The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. ^24:2 For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods. ^24:3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? ^24:4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.He…: Heb. The clean of hands ^24:5 He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. ^24:6 This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.O Jacob: or, O God of Jacob ^24:7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. ^24:8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. ^24:9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. ^24:10 Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.

First Lesson Zech. 9:9–12

^9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.having…: or, saving himself ^9:10 And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth. ^9:11 As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.by…: or, whose covenant is by blood ^9:12 Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee;

Second Lesson Mark 11:1–11

^11:1 And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples, ^11:2 And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him. ^11:3 And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither. ^11:4 And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him. ^11:5 And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt? ^11:6 And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go. ^11:7 And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him. ^11:8 And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way. ^11:9 And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: ^11:10 Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest. ^11:11 And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. The Psalmist's processional hymn, which the Church has always used for Palm Sunday, announces a royal entry of cosmic proportions — the King of glory, the Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle, coming to take possession of his city. The gates of heaven, the gates of Jerusalem, the gates of the human heart: all are commanded to open. The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory.

And Zechariah had seen him coming from afar: Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass. Justice and humility, salvation and meekness — these are the attributes of the king who enters Jerusalem on the first day of Holy Week. Not on a warhorse but on the foal of an ass: it is the most deliberately counter-cultural of all royal entries, and it announces a kingdom that reverses every expectation of what power looks like.

And they that went before and they that followed cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. The hosanna — Save, we beseech thee — is at once an acclamation and a cry for help. The crowd that throws down palm branches on Monday will be crying Crucify him by Friday. But the king who comes does not rely upon the crowd's consistency; he comes because his hour has come, because the cup has been prepared, because the purpose of the Incarnation has been tending toward this week since the foundations of the world.

We process today carrying palms that will become ashes next year. We sing hosannas knowing that the week will darken before it dawns. But this is the authentic shape of Christian life: not triumph untested, but triumph through suffering; not glory without the cross, but glory that could not be reached by any other road. Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest. Come, King of glory, come into our hearts this Holy Week, and reign there even unto the end.

EASTERTIDE

Easter Day

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 93 & 111

^93:1 The Lord reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the Lord is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved. ^93:2 Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting.of old: Heb. from then ^93:3 The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves. ^93:4 The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea. ^93:5 Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine house, O Lord, for ever.for ever: Heb. to length of days

First Lesson Isa. 25:1–9

^25:1 O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth. ^25:2 For thou hast made of a city an heap; of a defenced city a ruin: a palace of strangers to be no city; it shall never be built. ^25:3 Therefore shall the strong people glorify thee, the city of the terrible nations shall fear thee. ^25:4 For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. ^25:5 Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers, as the heat in a dry place; even the heat with the shadow of a cloud: the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low. ^25:6 And in this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. ^25:7 And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations.destroy: Heb. swallow upcast: Heb. covered ^25:8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it. ^25:9 And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

Second Lesson Matt. 28:1–10, 16–20

^28:1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. ^28:2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. ^28:3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: ^28:4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. ^28:5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. ^28:6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. ^28:7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. ^28:8 And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word. ^28:9 And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. ^28:10 Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

The Lord reigneth, he is clothed with majesty — and on this day of days the Church knows what that majesty looks like: it looks like an empty tomb, a folded grave-cloth, a garden in the early morning, and a name spoken by a voice that the grieving woman would have known anywhere. He is risen, as he said. The declaration of Easter is not primarily an argument but a fact — attested by witnesses, proclaimed by apostles, celebrated by the undying worship of the Church in every age and every nation.

O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things. Isaiah's ancient song of praise takes on its fullest resonance today: He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces. And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation. The waiting is over. The stone is rolled away. The waiting that began in Advent and deepened through Lent has reached its appointed end.

Go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead. The Great Commission begins in a garden, in the early morning, with women who came to mourn and were met by joy. All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me — and on the basis of that authority the world is commissioned afresh, not to religion only but to discipleship, not to ritual only but to the transformation of nations. Baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. The Trinity, revealed on the banks of the Jordan at the Baptism, is now the framework within which the whole world is invited to live.

He is not here, for he is risen. The tomb is empty because the resurrection is not the resuscitation of a corpse but the transformation of the whole person of Christ, body and soul together, into the life of the age to come. In that transformed body our humanity is already glorified; in his resurrection our resurrection is already assured. He is risen; and we shall rise. This is the faith that has made martyrs and saints, that has built cathedrals and crossed oceans, that has endured every persecution and outlasted every empire. Christ is risen indeed, and his kingdom shall have no end. Alleluia.

First Sunday after Easter

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 66

First Lesson Wisdom 2:23–3:9

[Text not available: Wisdom 2:23–3:9]

Second Lesson Rom. 1:1–12

^1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, ^1:2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) ^1:3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; ^1:4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: ^1:5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name: ^1:6 Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ: ^1:7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. ^1:8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. ^1:9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; ^1:10 Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you. ^1:11 For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; ^1:12 That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard — the voice of Easter praise will not be silenced on this first Sunday after the feast. Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul. The personal testimony of the Psalmist opens out into universal invitation: what God has done for one soul is the promise of what he will do for all.

The Wisdom of Solomon, that ancient meditation on the destiny of the righteous, gives us the Easter theology of the Apocrypha: the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and there shall no torment touch them. In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die: and their departure is taken for misery, and their going from us to be utter destruction: but they are in peace. The resurrection of Christ is the vindication of this faith — the proof that the hand of God does not let go, that the death which seemed to end everything is itself transformed by the power of the one who holds all things.

And Paul in his great letter to Rome declares the Gospel in its simplest form: Jesus Christ our Lord, declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations. The resurrection is not merely a private consolation; it is the ground of the world-mission of the Church. Because Christ is risen, the word of his grace is for all nations — for Rome, for the ends of the earth, for the most unlikely and the least promising.

That I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. Paul writes to a Church he has not yet visited, but already he speaks of mutual comfort — the encouragement that flows between believers when they share the Easter faith. We are not alone in the resurrection hope. The great cloud of witnesses who have believed before us, the community gathered in prayer around us, the communion of saints stretching from the first Easter morning to the last day — all of us are sustained by the same faith, comforted by the same risen Lord, gathered into the same hand that nothing can open.

Second Sunday after Easter

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 23 & 146

^23:1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. ^23:2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.green…: Heb. pastures of tender grassstill…: Heb. waters of quietness ^23:3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. ^23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. ^23:5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.anointest: Heb. makest fat ^23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.for ever: Heb. to length of days

First Lesson Isa. 40:1–11

Second Lesson John 10:1–10

^10:1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. ^10:2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. ^10:3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. ^10:4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. ^10:5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. ^10:6 This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. ^10:7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. ^10:8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. ^10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. ^10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. The Twenty-third Psalm, appointed for this Sunday in the full freshness of Eastertide, is one of those passages of Scripture that seem to contain more truth than any one reading can exhaust. Every clause is a world: He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters; He restoreth my soul. To hear these words in the Easter octave is to hear them in their fullest light — for the Shepherd who leads and restores is the same Shepherd who laid down his life for the sheep and took it again.

Isaiah's great Comfort ye resounds again in the season of resurrection: He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. The arms of the risen Christ are the arms of the eternal shepherd — carrying the most vulnerable, leading with gentleness, leaving no sheep behind. And those arms bear still the marks of the nails; the shepherd who gathers us to his bosom is the shepherd who was wounded for our transgressions.

I am the door, says Christ in the Gospel; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. The abundant life of Eastertide is not mere continuation of what we had before — it is the life of those who have passed through death with their shepherd and come out the other side into a country they did not know they were capable of inhabiting. The same shepherd who leads us through the valley of the shadow of death leads us out into green pastures where goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our life.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, while I have any being — the Psalmist's second appointment for this Sunday adds the note of perpetuity. The Easter shepherd does not lead for a season; he leads for ever. The resurrection life has no end, no dusk, no terminus. He that dwells in the house of the Lord all the days of his life shall behold the beauty of the Lord, and his shepherd shall not fail him. What want can remain for those who are led by the Lord?

Third Sunday after Easter

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 36:5 & 138

^36:5 Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.

First Lesson 2 Sam. 12:15–23

^12:15 And Nathan departed unto his house. And the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife bare unto David, and it was very sick. ^12:16 David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.fasted: Heb. fasted a fast ^12:17 And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them. ^12:18 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?vex: Heb. do hurt ^12:19 But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead. ^12:20 Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the Lord, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat. ^12:21 Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread. ^12:22 And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the child may live? ^12:23 But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.

Second Lesson John 14:1–14

^14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. ^14:2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ^14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. ^14:4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. ^14:5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? ^14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. ^14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. ^14:8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. ^14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? ^14:10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. ^14:11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake. ^14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. ^14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ^14:14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. A single verse from Psalm 36, appointed alongside Psalm 138, opens this Sunday with an image of measurelessness: the mercy of God is not parcelled out by human calculation but reaches higher than the heavens, deeper than the sea. Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off. Easter is the demonstration of this mercy — the inconceivable condescension of God reaching into the lowest place, the tomb, and raising what had fallen.

David, in his grief over the dying child born of his sin with Bathsheba, asks the question that every bereaved person asks: Can I bring him back again? The answer is the universal no that stands as the boundary of all human power over death. But beyond that no lies the great Easter yes: the child will not come back, but David will go forward — forward to where the child already is, forward to that country from which no human power can bring us back, but into which the risen Christ has opened a door.

In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. The certainty of Christ's words about the Father's house is grounded in his own experience of it — he is not speculating about the afterlife but reporting from direct knowledge. I go to prepare a place for you. The preparation has been made by the resurrection itself — the first man to pass through death into the life of the age to come has blazed the trail that all who follow him will walk.

I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. These words, which troubled Philip, are not intended to close doors but to open them. The way is personal — not a route to be navigated without a guide, but a relationship with one who walks with us every step. The truth is not a proposition but a person. The life is not mere biological existence but the life of God himself, offered in and through the one who went down into death and came up carrying the keys. He that hath seen me hath seen the Father. This is all we need, and it is enough.

Fourth Sunday after Easter

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 116

^116:1 I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. ^116:2 Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.as long…: Heb. in my days ^116:3 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.gat…: Heb. found me ^116:4 Then called I upon the name of the Lord; O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul. ^116:5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. ^116:6 The Lord preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me. ^116:7 Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee. ^116:8 For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. ^116:9 I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living. ^116:10 I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted: ^116:11 I said in my haste, All men are liars. ^116:12 What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me? ^116:13 I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. ^116:14 I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people. ^116:15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. ^116:16 O Lord, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds. ^116:17 I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord. ^116:18 I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people, ^116:19 In the courts of the Lord’s house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the Lord.

First Lesson Job 19:21–27

^19:21 Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me. ^19:22 Why do ye persecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh? ^19:23 Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book!Oh…: Heb. Who will give, etc ^19:24 That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever! ^19:25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: ^19:26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:And…: or, After I shall awake, though this body be destroyed, yet out of my flesh ^19:27 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.another: Heb. a strangerthough…: or, my reins within me are consumed with earnest desire (for that day)within…: Heb. in my bosom

Second Lesson John 12:44–50

^12:44 Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. ^12:45 And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me. ^12:46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. ^12:47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. ^12:48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. ^12:49 For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. ^12:50 And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. Psalm 116 is the psalm of one rescued from mortal peril — The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me — who has come through to the other side and cannot keep silent about it. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints: the death that the Psalmist feared and was delivered from is, in the light of Easter, revealed as precious — precious because it is the gate through which the shepherd leads his flock.

And Job, from the depths of his suffering, speaks words that the Christian cannot hear except as prophecy: For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. This affirmation, born not of easy comfort but of absolute extremity, becomes in the Easter light the confession of the Church: the Redeemer has come, has died, has risen, shall stand at the latter day. The hope of Job is now the possession of every baptised soul.

I am come a light into the world, says Christ in the Gospel, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. The Easter light is the light of those who have passed through the darkness of death and found that it has no power over the one who is the resurrection and the life. For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting.

This is the deepest truth of Eastertide: the commandment of God is life. Not death, not destruction, not the darkness which the world so often presents as the last word — but life, everlasting life, the life of God himself overflowing into a creation that was made for it from the beginning. What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. The cup of salvation is the cup of Easter — received in faith, drunk in love, poured out in the service of a world that does not yet know what it is thirsting for.

Fifth Sunday after Easter

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 65 & 67

First Lesson Ezek. 34:25–31

^34:25 And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods. ^34:26 And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing. ^34:27 And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them. ^34:28 And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid. ^34:29 And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more.of renown: or, for renownconsumed: Heb. taken away ^34:30 Thus shall they know that I the Lord their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord God. ^34:31 And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord God.

Second Lesson Luke 11:1–13

^11:1 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. ^11:2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. ^11:3 Give us day by day our daily bread. ^11:4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. ^11:5 And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; ^11:6 For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? ^11:7 And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. ^11:8 I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. ^11:9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. ^11:10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. ^11:11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? ^11:12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? ^11:13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come. The Psalmist's great declaration on the Fifth Sunday after Easter is the fruit of Easter faith: because God has opened the way to the Father in the resurrection of his Son, all flesh — not only the righteous, not only the religious, not only those who have earned a hearing — may come. And the promise that follows is rich: there shall be showers of blessing; there shall be showers of blessing.

Ezekiel's vision of the covenant of peace after the long exile carries the same note of abundance: I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods. I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing. The restoration of Israel is the type and figure of the Easter restoration — the overcoming of every threat, the provision of every need, the return of the garden.

And then, to this people who dwell safely in the wilderness, Christ teaches the Lord's Prayer. When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. The prayer that Easter makes possible — the prayer of those who know that God has acted and will act, who have seen what the love of the Father looks like in the face of the risen Son — is the prayer of those who ask from within the covenant of peace rather than from outside it. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

How much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? The showers of blessing that Ezekiel prophesied, that the Psalmist trusted, that Christ promised to those who ask — are above all the gift of the Spirit, poured out at Pentecost upon the waiting Church, and poured out still upon every soul that asks in faith. We pray because Easter has shown us that the Father hears; we ask because we know that the Son intercedes; we knock because the Spirit himself opens the door. Of such is the kingdom of God.

Ascension Day

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 96

^96:1 O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the earth. ^96:2 Sing unto the Lord, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day. ^96:3 Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people. ^96:4 For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods. ^96:5 For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the Lord made the heavens. ^96:6 Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. ^96:7 Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength. ^96:8 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.due…: Heb. of his name ^96:9 O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.in the…: or, in the glorious sanctuary ^96:10 Say among the heathen that the Lord reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously. ^96:11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.the fulness…: or, all it containeth ^96:12 Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice ^96:13 Before the Lord: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.

First Lesson Dan. 7:9–10, 13–14

^7:9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. ^7:10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

Second Lesson Eph. 4:1–16

^4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, ^4:2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; ^4:3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ^4:4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; ^4:5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, ^4:6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. ^4:7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. ^4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. ^4:9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? ^4:10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) ^4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; ^4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: ^4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: ^4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; ^4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: ^4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the earth. The new song that the Psalmist calls for is fulfilled on Ascension Day — the day when the risen Christ, in the sight of his disciples, was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. It is the most astonishing departure in all history: not the departure of one who is leaving, but of one who is arriving — arriving at the right hand of the Father, arriving at the place where human flesh is enthroned in the Godhead.

Daniel sees it from the other side: I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away. What Daniel saw in vision, the disciples saw in fact: the Son of Man going to receive the kingdom. His dominion is not the domination of the world by force, but the reign of love from within the heart of the Godhead, radiating outward to every corner of creation.

And Paul unfolds the gift that the Ascension releases: When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. The ascended Christ is not absent; he is the source of every gift the Church possesses. The ascension is not a withdrawal but an amplification — no longer limited by the geography of first-century Palestine, Christ now fills all things. Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

The disciples returned from the mount of Ascension to Jerusalem, not grieving but with great joy, blessing God continually in the temple. This is the Ascension paradox: the visible departure of Christ becomes the occasion of greater joy, not lesser — because they understood at last that the One who had ascended had not left them, but had become the ground on which they stood, the air they breathed, the horizon toward which they moved. Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. Thither we ascend in prayer; thither we shall ascend in the end.

Sunday after Ascension

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 21:1–6 & 24

^21:1 The king shall joy in thy strength, O Lord; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! ^21:2 Thou hast given him his heart’s desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah. ^21:3 For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness: thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head. ^21:4 He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever. ^21:5 His glory is great in thy salvation: honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him. ^21:6 For thou hast made him most blessed for ever: thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance.made him most…: Heb. set him to be blessingsmade him exceeding…: Heb. make him glad with joy

First Lesson Isa. 33:5, 17, 20–22

^33:5 The Lord is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness.

Second Lesson John 17

^17:1 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: ^17:2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. ^17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. ^17:4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. ^17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. ^17:6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. ^17:7 Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. ^17:8 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. ^17:9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. ^17:10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. ^17:11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. ^17:12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. ^17:13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. ^17:14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. ^17:15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. ^17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. ^17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. ^17:18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. ^17:19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. ^17:20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; ^17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. ^17:22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: ^17:23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. ^17:24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. ^17:25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. ^17:26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

The king shall joy in thy strength, O Lord; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice. The Psalm for this Sunday between Ascension and Pentecost catches the note of Easter triumph carried forward into the ascended life of Christ at the Father's right hand: Thou hast given him his heart's desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah. The request of Christ's lips — that prayer of the seventeenth chapter of John, prayed in the upper room on the night of his betrayal — is being answered even now in the glory of the ascended King.

Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off. Isaiah's promise for this Sunday is not the promise of a distant future but the promise of the eternal present — the land very far off is the land from which the ascended Christ governs, which is also the land into which, in faith and prayer, we are already admitted. For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us.

And the great high-priestly prayer of John 17 is the reading that holds the whole Sunday together: Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. The prayer moves between time and eternity — between the work done in history and the glory that was before all time — and it sweeps the disciples and all who believe through their word into that same movement.

That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. The Church gathered in prayer between Ascension and Pentecost is gathered into this prayer. We pray in it, through it, sustained by it. The unity that Christ prays for is not an ecclesiastical arrangement but a participation in the divine life itself — a unity like the unity of the Father and the Son, the closest unity conceivable. And this prayer is being answered, slowly, painfully, gloriously, in the ongoing life of the Church until the day when we shall see the king in his beauty and the land that is very far off shall be our home.

Whitsunday

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 68

^68:1 Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.before…: Heb. from his face ^68:2 As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God. ^68:3 But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.exceedingly…: Heb. rejoice with gladness ^68:4 Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name Jah, and rejoice before him. ^68:5 A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation. ^68:6 God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.in families: Heb. in a house ^68:7 O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah: ^68:8 The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel. ^68:9 Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary.send: Heb. shake outconfirm: Heb. confirm it ^68:10 Thy congregation hath dwelt therein: thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor. ^68:11 The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.company: Heb. army ^68:12 Kings of armies did flee apace: and she that tarried at home divided the spoil.did…: Heb. did flee, did flee ^68:13 Though ye have lien among the pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold. ^68:14 When the Almighty scattered kings in it, it was white as snow in Salmon.in it…: or, for her, she ^68:15 The hill of God is as the hill of Bashan; an high hill as the hill of Bashan. ^68:16 Why leap ye, ye high hills? this is the hill which God desireth to dwell in; yea, the Lord will dwell in it for ever. ^68:17 The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place.even…: or, even many thousands ^68:18 Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them.for men: Heb. in the man ^68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah. ^68:20 He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death. ^68:21 But God shall wound the head of his enemies, and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses. ^68:22 The Lord said, I will bring again from Bashan, I will bring my people again from the depths of the sea: ^68:23 That thy foot may be dipped in the blood of thine enemies, and the tongue of thy dogs in the same.dipped: or, red ^68:24 They have seen thy goings, O God; even the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary. ^68:25 The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; among them were the damsels playing with timbrels. ^68:26 Bless ye God in the congregations, even the Lord, from the fountain of Israel.from…: or, ye that are of the fountain of Israel ^68:27 There is little Benjamin with their ruler, the princes of Judah and their council, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.and their…: or, with their company ^68:28 Thy God hath commanded thy strength: strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us. ^68:29 Because of thy temple at Jerusalem shall kings bring presents unto thee. ^68:30 Rebuke the company of spearmen, the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people, till every one submit himself with pieces of silver: scatter thou the people that delight in war.the company…: or, the beasts of the reedsscatter…: or, he scattereth ^68:31 Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God. ^68:32 Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth; O sing praises unto the Lord; Selah: ^68:33 To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, which were of old; lo, he doth send out his voice, and that a mighty voice.send…: Heb. give ^68:34 Ascribe ye strength unto God: his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds.clouds: or, heavens ^68:35 O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places: the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God.

First Lesson Wisdom 1:1–7

^1:1 Love righteousness, ye that be judges of the earth: think of the Lord with a good (heart,) and in simplicity of heart seek him. ^1:2 For he will be found of them that tempt him not; and sheweth himself unto such as do not distrust him. ^1:3 For froward thoughts separate from God: and his power, when it is tried, reproveth the unwise. ^1:4 For into a malicious soul wisdom shall not enter; nor dwell in the body that is subject unto sin. ^1:5 For the holy spirit of discipline will flee deceit, and remove from thoughts that are without understanding, and will not abide when unrighteousness cometh in. ^1:6 For wisdom is a loving spirit; and will not acquit a blasphemer of his words: for God is witness of his reins, and a true beholder of his heart, and a hearer of his tongue. ^1:7 For the Spirit of the Lord filleth the world: and that which containeth all things hath knowledge of the voice.

Second Lesson John 4:19–26

^4:19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. ^4:20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. ^4:21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. ^4:22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. ^4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. ^4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. ^4:25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. ^4:26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered — the great processional Psalm of Pentecost opens with the image of irresistible divine power, power that does not advance by force but by the sheer overwhelming fact of the divine presence. The Spirit of God, hovering over the waters at creation, hovering over Mary at the Annunciation, descending upon Christ at his Baptism, rushes now upon the assembled disciples in wind and fire and the sudden gift of tongues. The Church is born at Pentecost as creation was born at the first dawn — by the breath of God.

The Wisdom of Solomon, that great meditation on the Spirit's work in the world, gives us the Pentecostal theology: For the Spirit of the Lord filleth the world; and that which containeth all things hath knowledge of the voice. The Holy Spirit is not confined to the Church; he fills the world. But the Church is the place where the filling becomes conscious, acknowledged, celebrated — the place where the voice of God is heard and responded to with the full response of human worship.

And Christ, by the well at Sychar, offers the Pentecostal gift to a woman who did not know she was thirsty for it: But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. Pentecost is the feast of authentic worship — worship that is not merely formal or conventional or habitual, but alive with the Spirit who was promised and has come.

Into a malicious soul wisdom shall not enter — the precondition for the gift of the Spirit is the renunciation of malice, the opening of the soul to the Spirit of wisdom and love. Pentecost is not a reward for the virtuous; it is a transformation of the willing. The disciples were willing — they waited, they prayed, they persevered in one accord in one place. And the Spirit came. So the Spirit comes to every soul that waits, prays, and perseveres — not because we have earned him, but because the Father seeketh such to worship him, and he will not seek in vain.

TRINITY

Trinity Sunday

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 29 & 99

^29:1 Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty, give unto the Lord glory and strength.ye mighty: Heb. ye sons of the mighty ^29:2 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.the glory…: Heb. the honour of his namein…: or, in his glorious sanctuary ^29:3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the Lord is upon many waters.many: or, great ^29:4 The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.powerful: Heb. in powerfull…: Heb. in majesty ^29:5 The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars; yea, the Lord breaketh the cedars of Lebanon. ^29:6 He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn. ^29:7 The voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire.divideth: Heb. cutteth out ^29:8 The voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness; the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh. ^29:9 The voice of the Lord maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory.to calve: or, to be in paindoth…: or, every whit of it uttereth, etc ^29:10 The Lord sitteth upon the flood; yea, the Lord sitteth King for ever. ^29:11 The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.

First Lesson Isa. 6:1–8

^6:1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.his…: or, the skirts thereof ^6:2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. ^6:3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.one…: Heb. this cried to thisthe whole…: Heb. his glory is the fulness of the whole earth ^6:4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.door: Heb. thresholds ^6:5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.undone: Heb. cut off ^6:6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:having…: Heb. and in his hand a live coal ^6:7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.laid…: Heb. caused it to touch ^6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.Here…: Heb. behold me

Second Lesson 1 Pet. 1:1–12

^1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, ^1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. ^1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ^1:4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, ^1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. ^1:6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: ^1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: ^1:8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: ^1:9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. ^1:10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: ^1:11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. ^1:12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty, give unto the Lord glory and strength. The voice of the Lord is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth. The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars; yea, the Lord breaketh the cedars of Lebanon. The Lord sitteth upon the flood; yea, the Lord sitteth King for ever. On Trinity Sunday the Church contemplates the God who thunders from his throne, and the proper response is not theological formulation but adoration: In his temple doth every one speak of his glory.

And Isaiah is given a glimpse of that temple: In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above him the seraphim, crying one to another: Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. The threefold holiness is the Church's Sanctus, the seraphic hymn that the Eucharist lifts into the worship of every age. And from within this vision of divine majesty comes the question that is also a commission: Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

And Peter writes to the elect of God scattered abroad, in a salutation that is also a Trinitarian theology: Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Father, Spirit, Son — not as an abstract doctrine but as the grammar of salvation, the shape of the life into which every Christian is drawn. Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.

The mystery of the Trinity is not primarily a mathematical puzzle about the number three; it is the revelation that God is love — love that flows eternally between Father, Son, and Spirit, and that overflows, by sheer abundance, into the creation of a world and the redemption of a race. To be baptised into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost is to be drawn into the river of this love, to be carried by its current, to find in its depths the life that our deepest nature has always been seeking. Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

First Sunday after Trinity

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 73

^73:1 Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.of: or, forTruly: or, Yetof…: Heb. clean of heart ^73:2 But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. ^73:3 For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. ^73:4 For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm.firm: Heb. fat ^73:5 They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men.in…: Heb. in the trouble of other menlike: Heb. with ^73:6 Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment. ^73:7 Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish.have…: Heb. pass the thoughts of the heart ^73:8 They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily. ^73:9 They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth. ^73:10 Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them. ^73:11 And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High? ^73:12 Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches. ^73:13 Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency. ^73:14 For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.chastened: Heb. my chastisement was ^73:15 If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children. ^73:16 When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;too…: Heb. labour in mine eyes ^73:17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. ^73:18 Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction. ^73:19 How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors. ^73:20 As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image. ^73:21 Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins. ^73:22 So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.ignorant: Heb. I knew notbefore: Heb. with ^73:23 Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand. ^73:24 Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. ^73:25 Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. ^73:26 My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.strength: Heb. rock ^73:27 For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee. ^73:28 But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.

First Lesson Jer. 23:23–32

^23:23 Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God afar off? ^23:24 Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord. ^23:25 I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed. ^23:26 How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart; ^23:27 Which think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbour, as their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal. ^23:28 The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the Lord.that hath a dream: Heb. with whom is, etc ^23:29 Is not my word like as a fire? saith the Lord; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? ^23:30 Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the Lord, that steal my words every one from his neighbour. ^23:31 Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the Lord, that use their tongues, and say, He saith.that…: or, that smooth their tongues ^23:32 Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the Lord, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the Lord.

Second Lesson Matt. 7:13–14, 21–29

^7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: ^7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart. But the Psalmist's opening avowal is immediately complicated: But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. The goodness of God is not something the Psalmist knows automatically; it is something he has to fight his way back to through the evidence of experience. And when he comes back — in the sanctuary, in the worship of God's house — he sees everything differently: it is good for me to draw near to God.

The prophet Jeremiah raises the question of authentic divine speech: Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. The prophets who prophesy lies, who speak the dreams of their own hearts, who call deceit the word of God — they stand in the most dangerous position, claiming divine authority for what is merely human invention. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the Lord. Let those who have God's word speak it faithfully; let those who do not be silent.

And Christ, in the Sermon on the Mount, draws the final lines: Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock.

The first Sunday after Trinity sets the tone for the long Trinity season — the season in which the Church works out, in the ordinary and extended time of common life, the implications of what she has received. The rock on which the wise man builds is not a religious feeling or a theological conviction but the doing of the will of God — the daily, unglamorous, persistent faithfulness that is the only foundation that endures when the rain descends and the floods come and the winds blow. But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.

Second Sunday after Trinity

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 15 & 19

First Lesson Job 31:13–28

^31:13 If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me; ^31:14 What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him? ^31:15 Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?did not one…: or, did he not fashion us in one womb? ^31:16 If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail; ^31:17 Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof; ^31:18 (For from my youth he was brought up with me, as with a father, and I have guided her from my mother’s womb;)her: that is, the widow ^31:19 If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering; ^31:20 If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep; ^31:21 If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate: ^31:22 Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone.bone: or, chanelbone ^31:23 For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure. ^31:24 If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence; ^31:25 If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much;gotten…: Heb. found much ^31:26 If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness;sun: Heb. lightin…: Heb. bright ^31:27 And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand:my mouth…: Heb. my hand hath kissed my mouth ^31:28 This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above.

Second Lesson 1 Cor. 13

^13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. ^13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. ^13:3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. ^13:4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, ^13:5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; ^13:6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; ^13:7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. ^13:8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. ^13:9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. ^13:10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. ^13:11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. ^13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. ^13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? The Psalmist's question frames the whole of this Sunday, and the answer — he that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart — is the character that the Trinity season calls the Church to cultivate in the long months between Pentecost and Advent. The heavens declare the glory of God, Psalm 19 adds: and the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. The knowledge of God in nature and the knowledge of God in scripture together form the character of those who dwell on his holy hill.

Job, in his great integrity, says: If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me; What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him? Did not he that made me in the womb make him? The ethical imperative flows directly from the theological affirmation: if God made us, then how I treat every person is how I treat one who bears the mark of the divine creation. Job's integrity is not merely private virtue; it is the recognition of God in the face of the poor and the powerless.

And Paul, in the most sustained and beautiful passage in all of Scripture on the nature of Christian love, gives us the standard by which the Trinity season will be measured: Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass. Not the gifts of the Spirit — not prophecy, not knowledge, not faith that moves mountains — but charity: patient, kind, envying nothing, bearing all things, believing all things, hoping all things, enduring all things. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

The walk from Whitsunday to Advent is the walk of charity — not the charity of occasional generosity, but the pervasive orientation of the whole life toward the love of God and the service of the neighbour. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer. And let the love that is greater than all gifts grow in us through these long ordinary months, watered by prayer and fed by the word, until it comes at last to its full flowering.

Third Sunday after Trinity

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 145

First Lesson Jer. 31:1–14

^31:1 At the same time, saith the Lord, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people. ^31:2 Thus saith the Lord, The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest. ^31:3 The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.of…: Heb. from afarwith lovingkindness…: have I extended lovingkindness unto thee ^31:4 Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: thou shalt again be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry.tabrets: or, timbrels ^31:5 Thou shalt yet plant vines upon the mountains of Samaria: the planters shall plant, and shall eat them as common things.eat…: Heb. profane them ^31:6 For there shall be a day, that the watchmen upon the mount Ephraim shall cry, Arise ye, and let us go up to Zion unto the Lord our God. ^31:7 For thus saith the Lord; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O Lord, save thy people, the remnant of Israel. ^31:8 Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither. ^31:9 They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.supplications: or, favours ^31:10 Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock. ^31:11 For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he. ^31:12 Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the Lord, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all. ^31:13 Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow. ^31:14 And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the Lord.

Second Lesson Matt. 9:9–13

^9:9 And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him. ^9:10 And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. ^9:11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? ^9:12 But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. ^9:13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. The Psalmist's praise on this Third Sunday after Trinity is the praise of one who has learned — through all the vicissitudes of a life lived before God — that the Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down. This is not mere theological assertion; it is the testimony of experience, the knowledge that has been won through prayer and suffering and long waiting.

And Jeremiah speaks on behalf of a God who loves with a love that defies every failure: Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel. The everlasting love is not diminished by Israel's unfaithfulness, not exhausted by her long exile, not cancelled by her persistent waywardness. It simply outlasts everything that could oppose it, and when it acts it acts with the energy of creation itself: I will build thee again.

The they that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick — so Christ responds to the Pharisees who murmur about his eating with publicans and sinners. The logic of incarnate love is the logic of the physician who goes where the sick are, who cannot pass by the wounded and call himself a healer. I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. The Matthean vision of discipleship begins here — at a tax table, with a man named Matthew who was the least likely of all candidates for apostolic calling, who simply heard the word Follow me and followed.

The Third Sunday after Trinity is the Sunday of those who know themselves to be among the sick, the fallen, the bowed down — which is to say, it is the Sunday of all of us, without exception. The Psalmist who praises God extravagantly is also the Psalmist who knows what it is to fall. The everlasting love that Jeremiah proclaimed is the love that meets us at our Matthew moment — at the custom house of our particular failure, with the simple, life-changing summons: Follow me.

Fourth Sunday after Trinity

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 91

^91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.abide: Heb. lodge ^91:2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. ^91:3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. ^91:4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. ^91:5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; ^91:6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. ^91:7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. ^91:8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. ^91:9 Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; ^91:10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. ^91:11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. ^91:12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. ^91:13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.adder: or, asp ^91:14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. ^91:15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. ^91:16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.long…: Heb. length of days

First Lesson Lam. 3:22–33

^3:22 It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. ^3:23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. ^3:24 The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. ^3:25 The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. ^3:26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. ^3:27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. ^3:28 He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him. ^3:29 He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope. ^3:30 He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach. ^3:31 For the Lord will not cast off for ever: ^3:32 But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. ^3:33 For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.willingly: Heb. from his heart

Second Lesson Matt. 10:24–39

^10:24 The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. ^10:25 It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household? ^10:26 Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. ^10:27 What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. ^10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. ^10:29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. ^10:30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. ^10:31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. ^10:32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. ^10:33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. ^10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. ^10:35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. ^10:36 And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. ^10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. ^10:38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. ^10:39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. The great Psalm of divine protection — which the tradition calls the Soldier's Psalm and the Psalm of the plague — opens the Fourth Sunday after Trinity with a shelter wide enough for all human fear. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. This is not the language of the strong who need no shelter; it is the language of those who know that every safety is borrowed from God.

The Lamentations of Jeremiah, which sound so dark in their opening verses — he hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light — give us on this Sunday the jewel of the whole book: It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. These words were written in the ashes of Jerusalem; they are among the most faith-forged sentences in all of scripture, and their depth is proportional to the depth of the darkness they were written in.

Hearken to this: the disciple is not above his master. So Christ prepares his disciples for a life that will not be cushioned from suffering. Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. The Fourth Sunday after Trinity is the Sunday of Christian courage — not bravado, but the quiet courage that comes from knowing that the God under whose shadow we abide is greater than every threat.

He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. The paradox of Christian existence is encapsulated here: the life clutched at and defended is the life that perishes; the life given in the service of God and neighbour is the life that endures. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The shadow of the Almighty is renewed each day, each morning, each moment of need — not because we have earned the shelter, but because his compassions fail not.

Fifth Sunday after Trinity

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 62 & 63

^62:1 Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation.Truly: or, Onlywaiteth: Heb. is silent ^62:2 He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved.defence: Heb. high place ^62:3 How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? ye shall be slain all of you: as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence. ^62:4 They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.inwardly: Heb. in their inward parts ^62:5 My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. ^62:6 He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved. ^62:7 In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. ^62:8 Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah. ^62:9 Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.altogether: or, alike ^62:10 Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them. ^62:11 God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.power: or, strength ^62:12 Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to his work.

First Lesson Eccl. 2:1–11, 18–23

^2:1 I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity. ^2:2 I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it? ^2:3 I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.to give…: Heb. to draw my flesh with wineall…: Heb. the number of the days of their life ^2:4 I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: ^2:5 I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits: ^2:6 I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees: ^2:7 I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:servants born…: Heb. sons of my house ^2:8 I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.musical…: Heb. musical instrument and instruments ^2:9 So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me. ^2:10 And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour. ^2:11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

Second Lesson Matt. 19:16–26

^19:16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? ^19:17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. ^19:18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, ^19:19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. ^19:20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? ^19:21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. ^19:22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. ^19:23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. ^19:24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. ^19:25 When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? ^19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved. The twin Psalms of waiting and thirsting — 62 and 63 — set the tone of a Sunday that is profoundly about the nature of the good life. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Power belongeth unto God.

Ecclesiastes speaks with brutal honesty about the life spent in the pursuit of earthly pleasure and wealth: I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards... Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit. Then I hated all my labour... because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me. And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? The Preacher does not reach his conclusion by pessimism but by observation: the life organised around the acquisition and enjoyment of things cannot be completed, because things can always be lost.

Behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? The rich young ruler has everything the Preacher enumerates and more — and he comes to Christ precisely because he knows that something is missing. The instruction to sell all and give to the poor is not a universal rule; it is a specific diagnosis of this specific soul's attachment. What is harder for you than for almost anyone else? That is what you must be willing to give. With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

The Fifth Sunday after Trinity invites us into the ancient wisdom of the soul that waits upon God — the soul that has learned to taste and see that the Lord is good, and to find in that goodness a satisfaction that no earthly acquisition can provide. My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me. The soul that waits upon God alone does not wait in vain; it is carried on wings like an eagle into a country where the vanity of Ecclesiastes is at last overcome.

Sixth Sunday after Trinity

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 85

^85:1 Lord, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob.for the sons: or, of the sonsfavourable: or, well pleased ^85:2 Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah. ^85:3 Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger.thyself…: or, thine anger from waxing hot ^85:4 Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease. ^85:5 Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations? ^85:6 Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee? ^85:7 Shew us thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us thy salvation. ^85:8 I will hear what God the Lord will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly. ^85:9 Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land. ^85:10 Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. ^85:11 Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven. ^85:12 Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase. ^85:13 Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.

First Lesson 2 Sam. 19:16–23

^19:16 And Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite, which was of Bahurim, hasted and came down with the men of Judah to meet king David. ^19:17 And there were a thousand men of Benjamin with him, and Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him; and they went over Jordan before the king. ^19:18 And there went over a ferry boat to carry over the king’s household, and to do what he thought good. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king, as he was come over Jordan;what…: Heb. the good in his eyes ^19:19 And said unto the king, Let not my lord impute iniquity unto me, neither do thou remember that which thy servant did perversely the day that my lord the king went out of Jerusalem, that the king should take it to his heart. ^19:20 For thy servant doth know that I have sinned: therefore, behold, I am come the first this day of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king. ^19:21 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the Lord’s anointed? ^19:22 And David said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, that ye should this day be adversaries unto me? shall there any man be put to death this day in Israel? for do not I know that I am this day king over Israel? ^19:23 Therefore the king said unto Shimei, Thou shalt not die. And the king sware unto him.

Second Lesson Matt. 5:38–48

^5:38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: ^5:39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. ^5:40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. ^5:41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. ^5:42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. ^5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. ^5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; ^5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. ^5:46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? ^5:47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? ^5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee? Psalm 85 is the prayer of a Church that knows it has been revived before and longs to be revived again — a prayer rooted in gratitude for past mercies and confident in their future renewal. Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. The great reconciliation of divine attributes — mercy and righteousness, truth and peace — is the peace that the Psalm prays for and that the Gospel enacts.

David, in the strange little episode of Shimei's submission after Absalom's rebellion, gives us an image of mercy undeserved. Shimei had cursed the king; Shimei now throws himself on the king's mercy. The sons of Zeruiah want vengeance; David refuses it: Thou shalt not die. The magnanimity of the returned king is a figure of the divine mercy — which does not exact the penalty it could exact, which receives the penitent as though the offence had never been, which says to the sinner returning from rebellion: Thou shalt not die.

And Christ raises the stakes in the Sermon on the Mount to a level that no merely human ethic can sustain: But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good. The love that Christ requires is not merely tolerant of enemies; it is actively beneficent toward them. It is the love that Psalm 85 prays for — mercy and truth met together, righteousness and peace kissed — made flesh in the daily conduct of the believer.

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. This final word is not a counsel of despair but an invitation to participation in the divine character. The perfection of the Father is his impartial, inexhaustible love — and it is this love that is being formed in us by the slow work of grace through the long months of Trinity. Revive us again; let thy people rejoice in thee; show us thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us thy salvation.

Seventh Sunday after Trinity

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 18:1–20

^18:1 I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. ^18:2 The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.my strength: Heb. my rock ^18:3 I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. ^18:4 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.ungodly men: Heb. Belial ^18:5 The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.sorrows: or, cords ^18:6 In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears. ^18:7 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth. ^18:8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.out of his nostrils: Heb. by his, etc ^18:9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet. ^18:10 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind. ^18:11 He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. ^18:12 At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire. ^18:13 The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire. ^18:14 Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them. ^18:15 Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils. ^18:16 He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.many: or, great ^18:17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me. ^18:18 They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the Lord was my stay. ^18:19 He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me. ^18:20 The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.

First Lesson Hosea 14

^14:1 O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. ^14:2 Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.receive…: or, give good ^14:3 Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy. ^14:4 I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him. ^14:5 I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.grow: or, blossomcast…: Heb. strike ^14:6 His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon.spread: Heb. go ^14:7 They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.grow: or, blossomscent: or, memorial ^14:8 Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found. ^14:9 Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.

Second Lesson Rom. 6:12–18

^6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. ^6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. ^6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. ^6:15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. ^6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? ^6:17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. ^6:18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. The Psalmist's declaration on the Seventh Sunday after Trinity is at once a vow and a recognition — a vow made possible only by the recognition that love of God is not self-generated but responsive: He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters. We love him because he first loved us; the Psalm is the echo of a love already given, returning to its source.

Hosea gives us the extraordinary image of a God who heals in response to return: O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take with you words, and turn to the Lord... I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him. I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. The God of Hosea is not waiting to condemn the returning sinner; he is waiting to dew-fall upon the parched earth of a backslidden soul and cause it to blossom.

And Paul draws the practical consequence: Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. The freedom that Easter has given — freedom from the dominion of sin and death — is the freedom to yield the members to righteousness, to put the whole person in the service of the love that first claimed us.

Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. This is the paradox of Christian freedom: we are freed from one master in order to serve another — but the second master is not a tyrant but a Redeemer, not the harsh taskmaster of the law but the gentle dew of divine love that causes the lily to grow and the cedars of Lebanon to cast their roots deep. Return unto the Lord, for he will heal; yield to God, for his grace is sufficient; love him, for he first loved you. I will love thee, O Lord, my strength: in thee is all my delight.

Eighth Sunday after Trinity

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 119:33–48

^119:33 Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end. ^119:34 Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart. ^119:35 Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight. ^119:36 Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness. ^119:37 Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.Turn…: Heb. Make to pass ^119:38 Stablish thy word unto thy servant, who is devoted to thy fear. ^119:39 Turn away my reproach which I fear: for thy judgments are good. ^119:40 Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy righteousness. ^119:41 Let thy mercies come also unto me, O Lord, even thy salvation, according to thy word. ^119:42 So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me: for I trust in thy word.So…: or, So shall I answer him that reproveth me in a thing ^119:43 And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth; for I have hoped in thy judgments. ^119:44 So shall I keep thy law continually for ever and ever. ^119:45 And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts.at liberty: Heb. at large ^119:46 I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed. ^119:47 And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved. ^119:48 My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate in thy statutes.

First Lesson Ecclus. 1:18–27

^1:18 The fear of the Lord is a crown of wisdom, making peace and perfect health to flourish; both which are the gifts of God: and it enlargeth their rejoicing that love him. ^1:19 Wisdom raineth down skill and knowledge of understanding standing, and exalteth them to honour that hold her fast. ^1:20 The root of wisdom is to fear the Lord, and the branches thereof are long life. ^1:21 The fear of the Lord driveth away sins: and where it is present, it turneth away wrath. ^1:22 A furious man cannot be justified; for the sway of his fury shall be his destruction. ^1:23 A patient man will tear for a time, and afterward joy shall spring up unto him. ^1:24 He will hide his words for a time, and the lips of many shall declare his wisdom. ^1:25 The parables of knowledge are in the treasures of wisdom: but godliness is an abomination to a sinner. ^1:26 If thou desire wisdom, keep the commandments, and the Lord shall give her unto thee. ^1:27 For the fear of the Lord is wisdom and instruction: and faith and meekness are his delight.

Second Lesson John 7:14–24

^7:14 Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught. ^7:15 And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned? ^7:16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. ^7:17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. ^7:18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. ^7:19 Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me? ^7:20 The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee? ^7:21 Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel. ^7:22 Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man. ^7:23 If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day? ^7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end. The Eighth Sunday after Trinity is the Sunday of instruction — of the soul that knows it does not know enough, that asks to be taught not merely facts but the way, the path, the direction in which the whole life should move. Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight. The delight is crucial: the Psalmist is not asking to be compelled but to be guided, not to be constrained but to be drawn.

The Wisdom of Sirach, which the 1928 BCP includes among the readings for this long season, gives us a theology of the fear of the Lord that is rich and full: The fear of the Lord is a crown of wisdom, making peace and perfect health to flourish. The root of wisdom is to fear the Lord, and the branches thereof are long life. The fear that Ecclesiasticus describes is not the fear that torments but the fear that orients — the deep reverence before the holy God that becomes the ground of all authentic wisdom and the source of true peace.

And Christ, in the temple at the Feast of Tabernacles, says: My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. The criterion of true teaching is not cleverness or eloquence or even apparent success, but fidelity to the one who sent — the alignment of the teacher's word with the Teacher's word.

Moses therefore gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. The Eighth Sunday after Trinity asks the Church and every individual Christian: are you truly taught? Have you sat long enough with the word of God to be formed by it, or merely informed? Is your religion the product of the way of God's statutes, or the product of your own spiritual preference? Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes: and I shall keep it unto the end.

Ninth Sunday after Trinity

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 115

^115:1 Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake. ^115:2 Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God? ^115:3 But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. ^115:4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. ^115:5 They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: ^115:6 They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: ^115:7 They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. ^115:8 They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them. ^115:9 O Israel, trust thou in the Lord: he is their help and their shield. ^115:10 O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord: he is their help and their shield. ^115:11 Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord: he is their help and their shield. ^115:12 The Lord hath been mindful of us: he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron. ^115:13 He will bless them that fear the Lord, both small and great.and: Heb. with ^115:14 The Lord shall increase you more and more, you and your children. ^115:15 Ye are blessed of the Lord which made heaven and earth. ^115:16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s: but the earth hath he given to the children of men. ^115:17 The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence. ^115:18 But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the Lord.

First Lesson Ezek. 14:1–11

^14:1 Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me. ^14:2 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, ^14:3 Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them? ^14:4 Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the Lord will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols; ^14:5 That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols. ^14:6 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.yourselves: or, others ^14:7 For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me; I the Lord will answer him by myself: ^14:8 And I will set my face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and ye shall know that I am the Lord. ^14:9 And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the Lord have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel. ^14:10 And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity: the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeketh unto him; ^14:11 That the house of Israel may go no more astray from me, neither be polluted any more with all their transgressions; but that they may be my people, and I may be their God, saith the Lord God.

Second Lesson 1 Thess. 4:1–12

^4:1 Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. ^4:2 For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. ^4:3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: ^4:4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; ^4:5 Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: ^4:6 That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. ^4:7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. ^4:8 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit. ^4:9 But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. ^4:10 And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more; ^4:11 And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; ^4:12 That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory. The Psalmist's renunciation of self-glory on the Ninth Sunday after Trinity is not false modesty; it is the recognition that what we have been given we have received, and what we have received is not our own. But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. The idols of silver and gold, the work of men's hands — they have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not. The contrast between the living God and the dead idols is the permanent challenge of the Ninth Sunday.

Ezekiel speaks to those who have set up idols in their hearts — not the stone and wood of antiquity, but the functional gods of every age: security, status, comfort, control. Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them? The question cuts to the heart of much religious activity: do we actually want to hear from God, or do we want God to ratify what we have already decided? The idol in the heart is more dangerous than the idol in the shrine, because it is harder to see.

For this is the will of God, even your sanctification — Paul's directness on this point is bracing. God is not interested in our conformity to social convention or ecclesiastical respectability; he is interested in our sanctification, the deep transformation of the whole person into the image of Christ. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. And then, with a wonderful pastoral delicacy: he therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us — this is the motto of the sanctified life, the life in which the self has been deposed from the throne it was never meant to occupy, and the living God has taken his rightful place. The idols of the heart are dismantled not by willpower but by worship — by the sustained turning of the gaze toward the God who alone is worthy, until gradually the heart's affections are reordered around him who is the source and end of all good. He will bless them that fear the Lord, both small and great.

Tenth Sunday after Trinity

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 145

First Lesson Ecclus. 1:1–10

^1:1 All wisdom cometh from the Lord, and is with him for ever. ^1:2 Who can number the sand of the sea, and the drops of rain, and the days of eternity? ^1:3 Who can find out the height of heaven, and the breadth of the earth, and the deep, and wisdom? ^1:4 Wisdom hath been created before all things, and the understanding of prudence from everlasting. ^1:5 The word of God most high is the fountain of wisdom; and her ways are everlasting commandments. ^1:6 To whom hath the root of wisdom been revealed? or who hath known her wise counsels? ^1:8 There is one wise and greatly to be feared, the Lord sitting upon his throne. ^1:9 He created her, and saw her, and numbered her, and poured her out upon all his works. ^1:10 She is with all flesh according to his gift, and he hath given her to them that love him.

Second Lesson John 8:25–36

^8:25 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning. ^8:26 I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him. ^8:27 They understood not that he spake to them of the Father. ^8:28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. ^8:29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him. ^8:30 As he spake these words, many believed on him. ^8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; ^8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. ^8:33 They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? ^8:34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. ^8:35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. ^8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. The nearness of God — his availability to every soul that seeks him in honesty — is the great theme of Psalm 145, which the lectionary appoints for this tenth Sunday. The Lord is not a distant deity who must be approached through intermediaries and elaborate protocols; he is near, nigh, close, the opening and shutting of whose hand determines the satisfaction of every living thing.

All wisdom cometh from the Lord, and is with him for ever — Sirach's great prologue establishes the divine origin of all genuine knowledge. Who can find out the height of heaven, and the breadth of the earth, and the deep, and wisdom? Wisdom was created before all things, and precedes all human enquiry. She is with all flesh according to his gift, and he hath given her to them that love him. The gift of wisdom, like the nearness of God, is not reserved for an intellectual elite; it is given to those who love, which is to say, to any soul that is truly open.

If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. The Christ who speaks in the Tenth Sunday's Gospel is the Christ who offers freedom through truth — not the freedom of mere autonomy, but the freedom of those who have been liberated from the tyranny of ignorance, of self-deception, of sin. The truth that sets free is not a proposition but a person: I am the way, the truth, and the life. To continue in his word is to live in the company of the Truth himself, until gradually his light dissipates the darkness in which we have been living.

When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. The cross is, paradoxically, the supreme teaching moment — the moment in which the truth of God is most fully disclosed, the moment in which the nearness of God reaches its absolute extremity. He is nigh unto all them that call upon him: and on Good Friday he was nearest of all, bearing in his own body the distance that sin creates between God and humanity, and closing it for ever.

Eleventh Sunday after Trinity

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 124 & 125

^124:1 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, now may Israel say; ^124:2 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us: ^124:3 Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us: ^124:4 Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul: ^124:5 Then the proud waters had gone over our soul. ^124:6 Blessed be the Lord, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth. ^124:7 Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped. ^124:8 Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

First Lesson Isa. 26:12–16, 19

^26:12 Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us.in us: or, for us ^26:13 O Lord our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name. ^26:14 They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise: therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish. ^26:15 Thou hast increased the nation, O Lord, thou hast increased the nation: thou art glorified: thou hadst removed it far unto all the ends of the earth. ^26:16 Lord, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them.prayer: Heb. secret speech

Second Lesson Rom. 8:26–39

^8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. ^8:27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. ^8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. ^8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. ^8:30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. ^8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? ^8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? ^8:33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. ^8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. ^8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ^8:36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. ^8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. ^8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, ^8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth. The Psalm of ascents — Psalm 124 — is the song of a people who have been delivered from what should have destroyed them, and who know exactly where the credit lies. If it had not been the Lord who was on our side — the conditional is terrifying, for it opens the abyss: if not for God, we should have been swallowed up quick. They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever. The stability of those who trust is the stability of Zion — grounded not in their own resources but in the mountain of the Lord.

Isaiah, speaking after a long deliverance, sings the song of a people who have been carried through what they could not carry themselves: Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us. All our works are wrought in us by God; our righteousness is not our own production but a participation in the divine. And then the resurrection oracle: Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.

And Paul unfolds the logic of hope: We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. The golden chain of grace — predestinated, called, justified, glorified — is not an abstract theological scheme but the pastoral ground on which the suffering soul stands when circumstances argue against God's care. What shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life... shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. This is the foundation that cannot be moved — not our faithfulness, not our virtue, not even our perseverance, but the love of God that holds from the other side. Our help is in the name of the Lord: and that name is Love.

Twelfth Sunday after Trinity

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 139

^139:1 O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. ^139:2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. ^139:3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.compassest: or, winnowest ^139:4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. ^139:5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. ^139:6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. ^139:7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? ^139:8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. ^139:9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; ^139:10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. ^139:11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. ^139:12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.hideth…: Heb. darkeneth notthe darkness and…: Heb. as is the darkness, so is the light ^139:13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. ^139:14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.right…: Heb. greatly ^139:15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.substance: or, strength, or, body ^139:16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.all…: Heb. all of themwhich…: or, what days they should be fashioned ^139:17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! ^139:18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee. ^139:19 Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men. ^139:20 For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain. ^139:21 Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? ^139:22 I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies. ^139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: ^139:24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.wicked…: Heb. way of pain, or, grief

First Lesson Ecclus. 15:11–20

^15:11 Say not thou, It is through the Lord that I fell away: for thou oughtest not to do the things that he hateth. ^15:12 Say not thou, He hath caused me to err: for he hath no need of the sinful man. ^15:13 The Lord hateth all abomination; and they that fear God love it not. ^15:14 He himself made man from the beginning, and left him in the hand of his counsel; ^15:15 If thou wilt, to keep the commandments, and to perform acceptable faithfulness. ^15:16 He hath set fire and water before thee: stretch forth thy hand unto whether thou wilt. ^15:17 Before man is life and death; and whether him liketh shall be given him. ^15:18 For the wisdom of the Lord is great, and he is mighty in power, and beholdeth all things: ^15:19 And his eyes are upon them that fear him, and he knoweth every work of man. ^15:20 He hath commanded no man to do wickedly, neither hath he given any man licence to sin.

Second Lesson Phil. 2:12–18

^2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. ^2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. ^2:14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings: ^2:15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; ^2:16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain. ^2:17 Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all. ^2:18 For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Psalm 139 on the Twelfth Sunday after Trinity confronts us with the comprehensive knowledge of God — not as an abstraction but as an intimacy that reaches into every corner of our being. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? The rhetorical questions are answered by the Psalmist himself: I cannot. And in the light of this Sunday's teaching, that impossibility is the ground of peace rather than the occasion of terror.

He himself made man from the beginning, and left him in the hand of his counsel — Sirach, meditating on human freedom, traces its dignity to the divine act of creation. God made us for goodness; he set life and death before us, fire and water; he left us the dignity and the responsibility of choice. Life and death; and whether him liketh shall be given him. The freedom of the will is not a burden but a glory — the sign that God takes us seriously enough to invite us into partnership with his purposes.

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Paul's words to the Philippians hold the great paradox of Christian obedience: the command to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling is immediately grounded in the declaration that God is doing the working. The freedom and the grace, the human effort and the divine empowering, are not opposites but coinherent — God working from within the will that he has given, lifting it toward the good that he has purposed.

That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world. The lights of the world are lit from within, not from without; they shine because the light of God has been kindled in them by the Spirit who dwells in the searched and known soul. Thou hast searched me, O Lord, and known me: and in that searching, known me to be loved — loved not despite what thou hast found, but through and beyond it, with a love that will not let me go.

Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 104

^104:1 Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty. ^104:2 Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain: ^104:3 Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind: ^104:4 Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire: ^104:5 Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.Who…: Heb. He hath founded the earth upon her bases ^104:6 Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains. ^104:7 At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away. ^104:8 They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them.They go up…: or, The mountains ascend, the valleys descend ^104:9 Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth. ^104:10 He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills.He: Heb. Whorun: Heb. walk ^104:11 They give drink to every beast of the field: the wild asses quench their thirst.quench: Heb. break ^104:12 By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which sing among the branches.sing: Heb. give a voice ^104:13 He watereth the hills from his chambers: the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works. ^104:14 He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth; ^104:15 And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man’s heart.oil…: Heb. to make his face shine with oil, or, more than oil ^104:16 The trees of the Lord are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted; ^104:17 Where the birds make their nests: as for the stork, the fir trees are her house. ^104:18 The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats; and the rocks for the conies. ^104:19 He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down. ^104:20 Thou makest darkness, and it is night: wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth.beasts…: Heb. beasts thereof do trample on the forest ^104:21 The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God. ^104:22 The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together, and lay them down in their dens. ^104:23 Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening. ^104:24 O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches. ^104:25 So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts. ^104:26 There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein.made: Heb. formed ^104:27 These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season. ^104:28 That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good. ^104:29 Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust. ^104:30 Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth. ^104:31 The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever: the Lord shall rejoice in his works.endure: Heb. be ^104:32 He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke. ^104:33 I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. ^104:34 My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord. ^104:35 Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Praise ye the Lord.

First Lesson Ecclus. 17:1–15

^17:1 The Lord created man of the earth, and turned him into it again. ^17:2 He gave them few days, and a short time, and power also over the things therein. ^17:3 He endued them with strength by themselves, and made them according to his image, ^17:4 And put the fear of man upon all flesh, and gave him dominion over beasts and fowls. ^17:5 They received the use of the five operations of the Lord, and in the sixth place he imparted them understanding, and in the seventh speech, an interpreter of the cogitations thereof. ^17:6 Counsel, and a tongue, and eyes, ears, and a heart, gave he them to understand. ^17:7 Withal he filled them with the knowledge of understanding, and shewed them good and evil. ^17:8 He set his eye upon their hearts, that he might shew them the greatness of his works. ^17:9 He gave them to glory in his marvellous acts for ever, that they might declare his works with understanding. ^17:10 And the elect shall praise his holy name. ^17:11 Beside this he gave them knowledge, and the law of life for an heritage. ^17:12 He made an everlasting covenant with them, and shewed them his judgments. ^17:13 Their eyes saw the majesty of his glory, and their ears heard his glorious voice. ^17:14 And he said unto them, Beware of all unrighteousness; and he gave every man commandment concerning his neighbour. ^17:15 Their ways are ever before him, and shall not be hid from his eyes.

Second Lesson Mark 3:20–21, 31–35

^3:20 And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. ^3:21 And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty. The great Psalm of creation on the Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity sets every human concern in its proper cosmic context: Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind. O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches. The smallness of human sin is revealed against this vast canvas — and so is the largeness of the divine mercy.

Sirach meditates on the human creature made by this great Creator: He endued them with strength by themselves, and made them according to his image, and put the fear of man upon all flesh... He shewed them good and evil. He set his eye upon their hearts, that he might shew them the greatness of his works. We were made to know God's works, to be capable of seeing the manifold wisdom that the Psalmist celebrates. The creature made in the divine image was made for contemplation of the divine beauty — and the Thirteenth Sunday calls us back to that contemplation.

And then the Gospel gives us one of the most condensed and searching of Christ's encounters: his friends say, He is beside himself. His family comes and calls for him. And he looks around at those who sat about him and says: Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother. The new family created by obedience to God is not the replacement of the natural family, but its transfiguration and its expansion to include all who have yielded their will to the Father's.

The Thirteenth Sunday calls us to see ourselves as Sirach sees us — creatures made in the image of God, endowed with the capacity to see and respond to his works — and to live accordingly. The great creation hymn of Psalm 104 is not a scientific treatise but an act of worship; and worship is what we were made for. Bless the Lord, O my soul. Let the contemplation of what God has made return us to the wonder and the love that are the proper response to the God who made us.

Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 19 & 24

^19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. ^19:2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. ^19:3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.where…: or, without these their voice is heard: Heb. without their voice heard ^19:4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,line: or, rule, or, direction ^19:5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. ^19:6 His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. ^19:7 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.law: or, doctrineconverting: or, restoring ^19:8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. ^19:9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.true: Heb. truth ^19:10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.the honeycomb: Heb. the dropping of honeycombs ^19:11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. ^19:12 Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. ^19:13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.the great: or, much ^19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.strength: Heb. rock

First Lesson Micah 6:1–8

^6:1 Hear ye now what the Lord saith; Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice.before: or, with ^6:2 Hear ye, O mountains, the Lord’s controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth: for the Lord hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel. ^6:3 O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me. ^6:4 For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. ^6:5 O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of the Lord. ^6:6 Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?of a…: Heb. sons of a year? ^6:7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?body: Heb. belly ^6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?walk…: Heb. humble thyself to walk

Second Lesson Phil. 4:4–13

^4:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. ^4:5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. ^4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. ^4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. ^4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. ^4:9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. ^4:10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. ^4:11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. ^4:12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. ^4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. On the Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity the great Psalms of natural revelation frame the Sunday — Psalm 19, which moves from the glory of the sun to the perfection of the Law, and Psalm 24, which asks Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? The clean hands and pure heart of the Psalmist's answer are the same as the answer to the question Micah asks in the First Lesson.

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? The great Micah text — three requirements, three words, three whole programmes for a life — is perhaps the most compressive summary of ethical religion in the Hebrew Bible. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord? The answer is not burnt offerings or rivers of oil — not the ritual observance that can substitute for the transformation of the character — but justice, mercy, and the humble walk.

Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Paul's letter to the Philippians, from which the Second Lesson is drawn on this Sunday, is a letter written from prison, full of joy. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. The clean hands and pure heart that ascend the hill of the Lord are kept there not by effort but by the peace of God — a peace that is not achieved but received.

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Paul's great Philippian testimony is the fruit of a character formed by justice and mercy and humble walking — and by the practice of thanksgiving in all circumstances, which is the habit that opens the soul to the peace that passes understanding. The heavens declare it; the law confirms it; the apostle embodies it; and the daily walk of faith is learning to let it be true in us as well as in them.

Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 49

^49:1 Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world:for: or, of ^49:2 Both low and high, rich and poor, together. ^49:3 My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding. ^49:4 I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the harp. ^49:5 Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about? ^49:6 They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; ^49:7 None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him: ^49:8 (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:) ^49:9 That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption. ^49:10 For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others. ^49:11 Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.all…: Heb. generation and generation ^49:12 Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish. ^49:13 This their way is their folly: yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah.approve…: Heb. delight in their mouth ^49:14 Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.beauty: or, strengthin the grave from…: or, the grave being an habitation to every one of them ^49:15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.power: Heb. handthe grave: or, hell ^49:16 Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased; ^49:17 For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him. ^49:18 Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself.while…: Heb. in his life ^49:19 He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light.He…: Heb. The soul shall ^49:20 Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.

First Lesson Ecclus. 5:1–10

^5:1 Set thy heart upon thy goods; and say not, I have enough for my life. ^5:2 Follow not thine own mind and thy strength, to walk in the ways of thy heart: ^5:3 And say not, Who shall controul me for my works? for the Lord will surely revenge thy pride. ^5:4 Say not, I have sinned, and what harm hath happened unto me? for the Lord is longsuffering, he will in no wise let thee go. ^5:5 Concerning propitiation, be not without fear to add sin unto sin: ^5:6 And say not His mercy is great; he will be pacified for the multitude of my sins: for mercy and wrath come from him, and his indignation resteth upon sinners. ^5:7 Make no tarrying to turn to the Lord, and put not off from day to day: for suddenly shall the wrath of the Lord come forth, and in thy security thou shalt be destroyed, and perish in the day of vengeance. ^5:8 Set not thine heart upon goods unjustly gotten, for they shall not profit thee in the day of calamity. ^5:9 Winnow not with every wind, and go not into every way: for so doth the sinner that hath a double tongue. ^5:10 Be stedfast in thy understanding; and let thy word be the same.

Second Lesson Luke 12:13–21

^12:13 And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. ^12:14 And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? ^12:15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. ^12:16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: ^12:17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? ^12:18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. ^12:19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. ^12:20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? ^12:21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world: both low and high, rich and poor, together. Psalm 49 on the Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity summons the whole of humanity to hear a word about the universal human condition: None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him. The redeeming price of a soul is above all earthly reckoning — which means that no arrangement of wealth or power or status can accomplish what only grace can give. But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. The soul that God redeems does not require earthly redemption; it is already held by a hand that death itself cannot open.

Sirach speaks to those who trust in earthly security: Set thy heart upon thy goods; and say not, I have enough for my life. Follow not thine own mind and thy strength. Make no tarrying to turn to the Lord, and put not off from day to day: for suddenly shall the wrath of the Lord come forth, and in thy security thou shalt be destroyed. The urgency of Ecclesiasticus on this point is the urgency of the Gospel itself: the rich fool thought his life was secured, and God said to him, This night thy soul shall be required of thee.

And Christ in the parable draws the line between the rich fool and the poor: The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully. And he thought within himself, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. The question that the parable poses is not whether wealth is evil in itself, but where the heart is. Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

To be rich toward God — this is the positive aspiration of the Fifteenth Sunday. It is to be rich in the things that God values: justice and mercy and humble walking; the love of neighbour; the willingness to give from our abundance to those who lack. The things of earth are transient; the treasure in heaven is imperishable. Make no tarrying to turn to the Lord. Let this day be the day of the turning.

Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 116

First Lesson Isa. 12

^12:1 And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. ^12:2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. ^12:3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. ^12:4 And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.call…: or, proclaim ^12:5 Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. ^12:6 Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.inhabitant: Heb. inhabitress

Second Lesson John 11:21–44

^11:21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. ^11:22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. ^11:23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. ^11:24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. ^11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: ^11:26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? ^11:27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. ^11:28 And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee. ^11:29 As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him. ^11:30 Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him. ^11:31 The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there. ^11:32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. ^11:33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, ^11:34 And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. ^11:35 Jesus wept. ^11:36 Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! ^11:37 And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? ^11:38 Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. ^11:39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. ^11:40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? ^11:41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. ^11:42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. ^11:43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. ^11:44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. Psalm 116, appointed for the second time in the Trinity season, takes on new depth on this Sunday of death and resurrection — Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. The soul that has been brought back from the edge of death — sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me — has learned something about the mercy of God that the unafflicted soul cannot easily know. The Lord preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me.

Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Isaiah's small, perfect canticle — only six verses — contains the whole of the Christian Easter hope. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. The wells are open; the waters are free; the joy of those who draw from them is not the shallow satisfaction of a momentary pleasure but the deep gladness of those who have found the source of life itself.

I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. The confrontation of Christ with death at the tomb of Lazarus is the Gospel's supreme demonstration of what Isaiah's canticle announces. The sisters' grief, the Jews' weeping, the Saviour's tears — the whole human weight of death — is present in the story. And into it Christ speaks the word of authority: Lazarus, come forth. And the dead man came out.

The raising of Lazarus is not merely a miraculous event in first-century Palestine; it is a disclosure of the nature of reality at its deepest level. The God who made the world from nothing is the God who calls the dead from their graves and the lost from their despair. He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live — and this is the faith with which the Church goes to every deathbed, every grief, every ending that the world calls final. We draw water from the wells of salvation, and we find them inexhaustible.

Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 25

First Lesson Jer. 13:15–21

^13:15 Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the Lord hath spoken. ^13:16 Give glory to the Lord your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness. ^13:17 But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the Lord’s flock is carried away captive. ^13:18 Say unto the king and to the queen, Humble yourselves, sit down: for your principalities shall come down, even the crown of your glory.principalities: or, head tires ^13:19 The cities of the south shall be shut up, and none shall open them: Judah shall be carried away captive all of it, it shall be wholly carried away captive. ^13:20 Lift up your eyes, and behold them that come from the north: where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock? ^13:21 What wilt thou say when he shall punish thee? for thou hast taught them to be captains, and as chief over thee: shall not sorrows take thee, as a woman in travail?punish: Heb. visit upon

Second Lesson Mark 10:35–45

^10:35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire. ^10:36 And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you? ^10:37 They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory. ^10:38 But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? ^10:39 And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized: ^10:40 But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared. ^10:41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and John. ^10:42 But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. ^10:43 But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: ^10:44 And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. ^10:45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Psalm 25 returns for the Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity, and in its return it carries the fruit of all the Sundays before — the accumulated wisdom of a Church that has spent months in the school of the Holy Spirit, learning through the ordinary and the difficult and the unexpected that the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant.

Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the Lord hath spoken. Jeremiah's warning against pride has its particular application to religious pride — the pride that assumes we have heard enough, know enough, no longer need to listen. My soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the Lord's flock is carried away captive. The captivity of God's people in every age is so often the captivity of pride — the refusal to hear the word that contradicts our preferred account of ourselves.

And Christ, in his response to the sons of Zebedee who want the chief seats in his kingdom, gives the definitive teaching on Christian leadership: Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: and whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

The seventeenth Sunday is the Sunday of service — the service that is not servility but the free choice of those who have learned from the one who washed feet and died for love. Shew me thy ways, O Lord: and the way he shows is always the way of the servant, the way that descends to serve and in descending rises to the only greatness that endures. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him: and the fear of the Lord teaches the humble walk that no pride can find.

Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 48 & 112

^48:1 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.for: or, of ^48:2 Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. ^48:3 God is known in her palaces for a refuge. ^48:4 For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together. ^48:5 They saw it, and so they marvelled; they were troubled, and hasted away. ^48:6 Fear took hold upon them there, and pain, as of a woman in travail. ^48:7 Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind. ^48:8 As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it for ever. Selah. ^48:9 We have thought of thy lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of thy temple. ^48:10 According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: thy right hand is full of righteousness. ^48:11 Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of thy judgments. ^48:12 Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof. ^48:13 Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following.Mark…: Heb. Set your heart toconsider: or, raise up ^48:14 For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.

First Lesson Prov. 2:1–9

^2:1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; ^2:2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; ^2:3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;liftest…: Heb. givest thy voice ^2:4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; ^2:5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. ^2:6 For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. ^2:7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. ^2:8 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. ^2:9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.

Second Lesson 1 Tim. 3:14–4:16

[Text not available: 1 Tim. 3:14–4:16]

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion. Psalm 48 contemplates the city of God — not as a geographical location but as the community of those who know that God is in the midst of her, that he is a refuge, that the kings who assembled and passed by together were troubled and hasted away because the reality of divine presence defeated every pretension to rival sovereignty.

Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments — Psalm 112 adds the character of the citizen of the holy city. This is not the mechanical rule-follower but the one who delights — whose obedience is the expression of love rather than the performance of duty. Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever. The righteousness that endures is not achieved by human effort alone; it is the righteousness that flows from loving God.

My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding... then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. Proverbs sets out the curriculum of the wise life: receive, hide, incline, apply, cry, search — a full programme of active reception, in which wisdom is neither received passively nor grasped aggressively, but sought with the whole engaged person.

Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. The pastoral word of Paul to Timothy closes the Sunday with the charge that is also the promise: faithfulness in doctrine and life saves not only the teacher but those who hear. This is the vocation of every Christian in relation to every other — to be the means of grace through which the saving wisdom of God reaches those who are not yet reached. The great and greatly praised God of Psalm 48 is served in the ordinary faithfulness of the soul that loves him.

Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 72

First Lesson Job 24:1–17

^24:1 Why, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that know him not see his days? ^24:2 Some remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks, and feed thereof.feed…: or, feed them ^24:3 They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow’s ox for a pledge. ^24:4 They turn the needy out of the way: the poor of the earth hide themselves together. ^24:5 Behold, as wild asses in the desert, go they forth to their work; rising betimes for a prey: the wilderness yieldeth food for them and for their children. ^24:6 They reap every one his corn in the field: and they gather the vintage of the wicked.corn: Heb. mingled corn, or, dredgethey gather…: Heb. the wicked gather the vintage ^24:7 They cause the naked to lodge without clothing, that they have no covering in the cold. ^24:8 They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter. ^24:9 They pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor. ^24:10 They cause him to go naked without clothing, and they take away the sheaf from the hungry; ^24:11 Which make oil within their walls, and tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst. ^24:12 Men groan from out of the city, and the soul of the wounded crieth out: yet God layeth not folly to them. ^24:13 They are of those that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof. ^24:14 The murderer rising with the light killeth the poor and needy, and in the night is as a thief. ^24:15 The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me: and disguiseth his face.disguiseth…: Heb. setteth his face in secret ^24:16 In the dark they dig through houses, which they had marked for themselves in the daytime: they know not the light. ^24:17 For the morning is to them even as the shadow of death: if one know them, they are in the terrors of the shadow of death.

Second Lesson Titus 2

^2:1 But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: ^2:2 That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. ^2:3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; ^2:4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, ^2:5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. ^2:6 Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. ^2:7 In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, ^2:8 Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you. ^2:9 Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; ^2:10 Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. ^2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, ^2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; ^2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; ^2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. ^2:15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son. The messianic Psalm 72 opens the Nineteenth Sunday with a vision of the just and merciful rule for which all creation longs: He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor. He shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper. In the long Trinity season, this vision of God's justice is the standard against which all human arrangements are measured — and measured and found wanting.

Job looks at the world and sees the injustice that the messianic Psalm promises to overcome: Some remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks, and feed thereof... They cause the naked to lodge without clothing, that they have no covering in the cold. Men groan from out of the city, and the soul of the wounded crieth out: yet God layeth not folly to them. Job's complaint about the silence of God in the face of injustice is one of the most honest voices in Scripture — and the answer, ultimately, is not a theological explanation but the presence of the one who himself suffered unjustly.

For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

The sober, righteous, and godly life of the Nineteenth Sunday is not a withdrawal from the world of Job's complaint but an engagement with it — the engagement of those who know that the messianic king has come, that he has given himself for the redemption of all, and that the blessed hope of his glorious appearing gives the present struggle its ultimate significance. Till the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, we live and pray and work for the justice that only he can perfectly establish.

Twentieth Sunday after Trinity

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 11 & 12

^11:1 In the Lord put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain? ^11:2 For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart.privily: Heb. in darkness ^11:3 If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? ^11:4 The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men. ^11:5 The Lord trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. ^11:6 Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.an horrible…: or, a burning tempest ^11:7 For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.

First Lesson Mal. 2:14–17

^2:14 Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the Lord hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant. ^2:15 And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.residue: or, excellencygodly…: Heb. seed of Godtreacherously: or, unfaithfully ^2:16 For the Lord, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the Lord of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.that he…: or, if he hate her, put her awayputting…: Heb. to put away ^2:17 Ye have wearied the Lord with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment?

Second Lesson Matt. 19:3–15

^19:3 The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? ^19:4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, ^19:5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? ^19:6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. ^19:7 They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? ^19:8 He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. ^19:9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery. ^19:10 His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry. ^19:11 But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. ^19:12 For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother’s womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it. ^19:13 Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them. ^19:14 But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. ^19:15 And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

In the Lord put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain? If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? Psalm 11 asks the great crisis question of faith in a disordered world — and answers it by lifting the gaze: The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven. His eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men. The pure words of the Lord are as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. When the human foundations crack, the divine foundation remains.

For the Lord, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away — Malachi's word on covenant faithfulness comes hard on the heels of a question about divorce, and behind the domestic question lies the theological one: is God faithful? The God who hates putting away is the God who keeps covenant, who does not divorce his people even when they are unfaithful, who seeks the godly seed, who asks only that we take heed to our spirit. Marriage, in this reading, is a human analogy of the divine faithfulness — which is why its breaking is so grave.

And Christ, when the Pharisees come to tempt him on the same question, goes behind the Mosaic concession to the created order: He which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

The Twentieth Sunday after Trinity is a Sunday of covenant — of the faithfulness that God shows and requires, of the foundations that do not shake because they are rooted in the character of God himself. In a world where every human arrangement is provisional and fragile, the Lord's throne is in heaven, and his word is as silver purified seven times. Let the righteous stand in that confidence, live by that faithfulness, and receive into the kingdom the children who come without pretension, in the simplicity that the kingdom requires.

Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 76 & 121

^76:1 In Judah is God known: his name is great in Israel.chief…: or, overseerof: or, for ^76:2 In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion. ^76:3 There brake he the arrows of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the battle. Selah. ^76:4 Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey. ^76:5 The stouthearted are spoiled, they have slept their sleep: and none of the men of might have found their hands. ^76:6 At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, both the chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep. ^76:7 Thou, even thou, art to be feared: and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry? ^76:8 Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared, and was still, ^76:9 When God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Selah. ^76:10 Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain. ^76:11 Vow, and pay unto the Lord your God: let all that be round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared.unto him…: Heb. to fear ^76:12 He shall cut off the spirit of princes: he is terrible to the kings of the earth.

First Lesson Isa. 59:15–21

^59:15 Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.maketh…: or, is accounted madit displeased…: Heb. it was evil in his eyes ^59:16 And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him. ^59:17 For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke. ^59:18 According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence.deeds: Heb. recompences ^59:19 So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.lift…: or, put him to flight ^59:20 And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord. ^59:21 As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever.

Second Lesson 2 Cor. 10:1–7, 17–18

^10:1 Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you: ^10:2 But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. ^10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: ^10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) ^10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; ^10:6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. ^10:7 Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ’s, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ’s, even so are we Christ’s.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

In Judah is God known: his name is great in Israel. Psalm 76 opens with the note of divine nearness and divine power — the God who is known in Israel is the God who breaks the arrows of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the battle; who speaks, and the chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep. The Lord will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help: in the world's uncertainties, the help that comes from beyond the hills is the only help that does not fail.

And God's arm — his own arm — brought salvation unto him. Isaiah's vision of the divine warrior who acts because there was no intercessor, who saves by his own righteousness because no human righteousness was sufficient — is the Old Testament ground of the doctrine of redemption. God did not wait for humanity to achieve a righteousness that merited rescue; he clothed himself in the garments of vengeance and came. As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart.

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds — Paul's word to the Corinthians on the Twenty-First Sunday defines Christian engagement with the powers of the world: not with political force or intellectual superiority or institutional advantage, but with the weapons of prayer and proclamation and the word of God, which are mighty through God. Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. The final word of Paul on this Sunday is also the final word of the Church in every season of conflict: not in our strength, not in our numbers, not in our influence — but in the Lord who broke the weapons of war and whose covenant will not depart. The Lord keepeth thy soul; the Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

Twenty-Second Sunday after Trinity

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 32 & 43

First Lesson Ecclus. 27:30–28:7

[Text not available: Ecclus. 27:30–28:7]

Second Lesson Matt. 18:7–20

^18:7 Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! ^18:8 Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. ^18:9 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. ^18:10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. ^18:11 For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. ^18:12 How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? ^18:13 And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. ^18:14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish. ^18:15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. ^18:16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. ^18:17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. ^18:18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. ^18:19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. ^18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. The great Psalm of forgiveness — Psalm 32 — opens this Sunday as it opened Ash Wednesday, but now, late in Trinity, it carries the weight of a whole year's experience of the need for forgiveness. When I kept silence, my bones waxed old; but I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. The cycle of concealment and confession, of self-protective silence and liberating acknowledgement, is the cycle of every Christian's life.

O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles — Psalm 43's prayer for divine guidance and the restoration of worship is the prayer of a soul in exile, longing for the place of God's presence. And Sirach, on the topic of forgiveness and refraining from wrath, gives us the logic of the Lord's Prayer applied to human relations: Forgive thy neighbour the hurt that he hath done unto thee, so shall thy sins also be forgiven when thou prayest. He that sheweth no mercy to a man which is like himself: and doth he ask forgiveness of his own sins?

How oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. The mathematics of divine forgiveness are beyond human arithmetic, and Christ is not setting a limit but dissolving the very idea of a limit. For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them: the presence of the forgiving Christ is the ground and the possibility of human forgiveness.

The Trinity season closes in on this Sunday's central truth: that the forgiven must forgive, that those who have received mercy must extend it, that the community of the redeemed is characterised above all by the willingness to begin again — to say, as the Psalmist says, I acknowledged my sin; and to receive again what is offered again without limit: the forgiveness that covers transgression, the mercy that casteth all our sins into the depths of the sea.

Twenty-Third Sunday after Trinity

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 33

^33:1 Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright. ^33:2 Praise the Lord with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. ^33:3 Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise. ^33:4 For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth. ^33:5 He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.goodness: or, mercy ^33:6 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. ^33:7 He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses. ^33:8 Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. ^33:9 For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast. ^33:10 The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect.bringeth: Heb. maketh frustrate ^33:11 The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.to all…: Heb. to generation and generation ^33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. ^33:13 The Lord looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men. ^33:14 From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth. ^33:15 He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works. ^33:16 There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. ^33:17 An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength. ^33:18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; ^33:19 To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. ^33:20 Our soul waiteth for the Lord: he is our help and our shield. ^33:21 For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. ^33:22 Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.

First Lesson Jer. 29:1, 4–14

^29:1 Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders which were carried away captives, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon;

Second Lesson Titus 3:1–8

^3:1 Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, ^3:2 To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men. ^3:3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. ^3:4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, ^3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; ^3:6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; ^3:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. ^3:8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright. The Psalmist's call to worship on this penultimate Sunday before Advent holds the whole of the Trinity season in its compass: For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth. He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. The goodness of the Lord, celebrated in these final Sundays of the long season, is not the goodness of a deity remote in heaven but of one whose mercy is upon them that fear him from generation to generation.

Seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace. Jeremiah's word to the exiles in Babylon is the word that Christ's body has always needed to hear: do not withdraw from the world into sectarian isolation, but seek the peace of the place where you are. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. The expected end — the future and a hope — is given not to those who flee from history but to those who engage it with the faithfulness that only the covenant people can bring.

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying. Paul's word to Titus on this Sunday is the great summary of what the Trinity season has been building toward — the grace that underlies everything, the mercy that precedes all merit, the inheritance that is given rather than achieved.

This is the faith that seeks the peace of the city; this is the confidence that generates the expected end; this is the ground on which the righteous rejoice, knowing that the Lord who made them his own will bring them to the hope for which they were made.

Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Trinity

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 66

First Lesson Mal. 3:13–4:3

[Text not available: Mal. 3:13–4:3]

Second Lesson Luke 10:17–24

^10:17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. ^10:18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. ^10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. ^10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. ^10:21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight. ^10:22 All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him. ^10:23 And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: ^10:24 For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me — so Psalm 66 concludes, and the prayer that has been offered through the whole long Trinity season is received, as it is always received, with mercy that does not turn away. Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul. The testimony of the Twenty-Fourth Sunday is the testimony of the whole Christian year: this is what God has done; come and hear.

Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord. Malachi's vision of the remnant — the small company of those who feared the Lord and spoke often one to another — is the vision of the Church in every age: not the majority, not the powerful, not the comfortable, but those who have learned to fear God and to encourage one another in the faith. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings.

And the seventy returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Nevertheless in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. The profound reorientation of joy that Christ offers here is the reorientation of the whole Trinity season: our joy is grounded not in our spiritual achievements or our successes in ministry, but in the fact that our names are written in heaven — in the mercy of God toward us, before and beyond anything we have done.

All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son. The mystery of the divine life — into which Jesus rejoices that the poor in spirit and little ones are admitted by revelation — is the mystery that this whole year's worship has been circling. We have not understood it; but we have been understood. We have not loved perfectly; but we have been loved. And in the love that makes our names known in heaven, we rejoice with a joy that the world can neither give nor take away.

ADVENT

Third Sunday before Advent

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 15 & 85

First Lesson Ruth 1:1–17

Second Lesson Col. 3:5–11

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? The question of Psalm 15 comes before the Church as it stands at the gate of the last three Sundays before Advent — three Sundays of recollection and anticipation, in which the year draws to its close and the themes of judgment and consummation begin to sound. He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee? The double Psalm for this Sunday — integrity and revival — names the two things the Church carries into the pre-Advent weeks.

Ruth's great oath on this Third Sunday before Advent is a word about covenant faithfulness at the human level — Whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God. In the approach to the season of divine judgment and renewal, this human faithfulness is held up as a mirror of the divine: the God who is faithful to his covenant asks for covenant faithfulness in return. Ruth is received into the covenant not by birth but by love and loyalty, and her story is the story of every Gentile soul that has found its home in Israel's God.

And Paul in Colossians sets the agenda for the final weeks of the year: Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth... And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. The putting off of the old and the putting on of the new — which is the work of a whole lifetime — is urgently appropriate as the Christian year moves toward its end.

The approaching Advent will ask us again who we are waiting for and whether we are ready. This Sunday invites us to answer honestly: we are still in the process of renewal; the image of Christ is still being formed in us; the truth we speak from the heart is still imperfect. But Ruth came home, even from Moab. And the God who revives will revive us again, and cause his face to shine, and we shall be saved.

Second Sunday before Advent

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 75 & 138

First Lesson Isa. 2:6–19

Second Lesson Matt. 25:14–29

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks; unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near, thy wondrous works declare. The Psalmist's double thanksgiving on the Second Sunday before Advent frames the approaching end of the year with a confidence rooted not in human achievement but in the nearness of the divine name — the name that is near because God himself is near, because his wondrous works are the constant testimony of his presence and his purpose.

The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. Isaiah's word from the Second Sunday after Epiphany returns now at the year's end with eschatological weight. The approach of Advent carries with it the approach of judgment — the final purification of creation from everything that has set itself up against God. The Lord alone shall be exalted: not the empires, not the ideologies, not the idols of the age.

For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. The parable of the talents on the last two Sundays before Advent is a parable about the end of time — the master who has been away a long time returns, and the accounting begins. Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. The joy of the Lord — not the mere avoidance of punishment, but the positive entry into the master's joy — is the inheritance of those who have used what they were given.

The Second Sunday before Advent asks the Church to take stock: What has been given to us this year? Have we used it, invested it, let it multiply in the service of God and neighbour? Or have we buried it in safety, preserving it from risk by keeping it entirely to ourselves? The Lord alone shall be exalted: and in his exaltation, those who have been faithful in little will be found faithful in much, and will enter — with Ruth and the righteous of every age — into the joy of their Lord.

Sunday next before Advent

Lauds · Morning Prayer · Psalm, First Lesson & Second Lesson

Psalms Ps 39

^39:1 I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.my mouth…: Heb. a bridle, or, muzzle for my mouth ^39:2 I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred.stirred: Heb. troubled ^39:3 My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue, ^39:4 Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am.how…: or, what time I have here ^39:5 Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.at…: Heb. settled ^39:6 Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.a vain…: Heb. an image ^39:7 And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee. ^39:8 Deliver me from all my transgressions: make me not the reproach of the foolish. ^39:9 I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because thou didst it. ^39:10 Remove thy stroke away from me: I am consumed by the blow of thine hand.blow: Heb. conflict ^39:11 When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely every man is vanity. Selah.his…: Heb. that which is to be desired in him to melt away ^39:12 Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears: for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were. ^39:13 O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more.

First Lesson Jer. 4:23–28

^4:23 I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. ^4:24 I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. ^4:25 I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. ^4:26 I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the Lord, and by his fierce anger. ^4:27 For thus hath the Lord said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end. ^4:28 For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.

Second Lesson Matt. 25:31–46

^25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: ^25:32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: ^25:33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. ^25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: ^25:35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: ^25:36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. ^25:37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? ^25:38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? ^25:39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? ^25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. ^25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: ^25:42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: ^25:43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. ^25:44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? ^25:45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. ^25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Homily · for the reading of these scriptures

I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me. Psalm 39 is the Psalm of the soul that has learned by long discipline the wisdom of restraint — not the restraint of cowardice but of those who have seen enough of their own folly to know the value of silence before God. Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am. The last Sunday of the year is the Sunday of human frailty acknowledged before the eternal.

For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it. Jeremiah's apocalyptic vision — the earth without form and void, the birds of the heavens fled, the fruitful place a wilderness — is the vision of what happens when the word of God is ignored long enough. The cosmos that was called into being by God's word is undone by the rejection of that word. Yet will I not make a full end: even at the edge of judgment, mercy holds.

When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory. And he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in.

Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. The standard of the last judgment is the standard of the whole Christian life: not theological correctness or liturgical propriety, but the presence or absence of love for the least. The sheep and the goats are separated not by their beliefs but by their actions — by whether, in the face of hunger and thirst and nakedness and imprisonment, they saw the face of Christ. The Sunday next before Advent places that face before us: every face of every person in need is the face of the coming King. Lord, make me to know mine end — and make my end the service of thy glory, in the face of the least of thy brethren.

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