Archive for the ‘St. John the Baptist’ Tag
Above: Embrace of Elizabeth and the Virgin Mary
Image in the Public Domain
Humility and Arrogance
JUNE 1, 2020
DURING THE SEASON AFTER PENTECOST
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The Collect:
Almighty God, in choosing the virgin Mary to be the mother of your Son,
you made known your gracious regard for the poor and the lowly and the despised.
Grant us grace to receive your Word in humility, and so made one with your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 33
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The Assigned Readings:
1 Samuel 2:1-10
Psalm 113
Romans 12:9-16b
Luke 1:39-57
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Depending on the date of Easter, and therefore of Pentecost, the Feast of the Visitation can fall in either the season of Easter or the Season after Pentecost.
The history of the Feast of the Visitation has been a varied one. The feast, absent in Eastern Orthodoxy, began in 1263, when St. Bonaventure introduced it to the Order of Friars Minor (the Franciscans), which he led. Originally the date was July 2, after the octave of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist (June 24). Pope Urban VI approved the feast in 1389, the Council of Basel authorized it in 1441, propers debuted in the Sarum breviary of 1494, and Pope Pius V added the feast to the general calendar in 1561. In 1969, during the pontificate of Paul VI, Holy Mother Church moved the Feast of the Visitation to May 31, in lieu of the Feast of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which Pope Pius XII had instituted in 1954. The Episcopal Church added the Feast of the Visitation to its calendar in The Book of Common Prayer (1979). The feast had long been July 2 in The Church of England and much of Lutheranism prior to 1969. Subsequent liturgical revision led to the transfer of the feast to May 31 in those traditions.
The corresponding Eastern Orthodox feast on July 2 commemorates the placing of the Holy Robe of the Mother of God in the church at Blachernae, a suburb of Constantinople.
The theme of humility is prominent in the assigned readings and in the Lutheran collect I have quoted. A definition of that word might therefore prove helpful. The unabridged Webster’s New Twentieth Century Dictionary of the English Language (1951), a tome, defines humility as
Freedom from pride and arrogance; humbleness of mind; a modest estimate of one’s own worth; also, self-abasement, penitence for sin.
Humility refers to lowliness and, in the Latin root, of being close to the ground. God raising up the lowly is a Lukan theme, as is God overthrowing the arrogant. After all, the woes (Luke 6:24-26) follow the Beatitudes (6:20-25), where Jesus says,
Blessed are you who are poor,
not
Blessed are you who are poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3).
The first will be last and the last will be first, after all.
Wherever you are, O reader, you probably live in a society that celebrates the boastful, the arrogant. The assigned readings for this day contradict that exultation of the proud, however. They are consistent with the ethic of Jeremiah 9:22-23:
Yahweh says this,
“Let the sage not boast of wisdom,
nor the valiant of valour,
nor the wealthy of riches!
But let anyone who wants to boast, boast of this:
of understanding and knowing me.
For I am Yahweh, who acts with faithful love,
justice, and uprightness on earth;
yes, these are what please me,”
Yahweh declares.
—The New Jerusalem Bible (1985)
St. Paul the Apostle channeled that ethic in 1 Corinthians 1:31 and 2 Corinthians 10:17, among other passages.
That which he understood well and internalized, not without some struggle, remains relevant and timeless.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 1, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT JUSTIN MARTYR, CHRISTIAN APOLOGIST AND MARTYR
THE FEAST OF SAINT PAMPHILUS OF CAESAREA, BIBLE SCHOLAR AND TRANSLATOR; AND HIS COMPANIONS, MARTYRS
THE FEAST OF SAMUEL STENNETT, ENGLISH SEVENTH-DAY BAPTIST MINISTER AND HYMN-WRITER; AND JOHN HOWARD, ENGLISH HUMANITARIAN
THE FEAST OF SAINT SIMEON OF SYRACUSE, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2018/06/01/humility-and-arrogance-part-ii/
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2018/07/12/devotion-for-the-feast-of-the-visitation-of-mary-to-elizabeth-years-a-b-c-and-d-humes/
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Above: Elijah and the Chariot of Fire
Image in the Public Domain
Elijah and John the Baptist
JUNE 4, 2022
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The Collect:
God our creator, the resurrection of your Son offers life to all the peoples of the earth.
By your Holy Spirit, kindle in us the fire of your love,
empowering our lives for service and our tongues for praise,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 36
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The Assigned Readings:
2 Kings 2:1-15a
Psalm 104:23-34, 35b
Luke 1:5-17
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May the glory of the LORD endure for ever;
may the LORD rejoice in all his works.
–Psalm 104:32, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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Elijah was a great prophet of God. He departed this earth in 2 Kings 2:1-15a, not having died. Expectations that he would return to prepare for the coming of the Messiah circulated for centuries. In Luke 9, for example, some speculated that Jesus was the returned Elijah. No, the chapter insisted, Jesus was greater than Elijah. St. John the Baptist fulfilled Elijah’s function (Matthew 17:12-13) and Jesus was the Messiah. Both Elijah and St. John the Baptist ran afoul of officialdom for the sake of righteousness.
The glory of the LORD endures forever. It would do so even without the efforts of many faithful people, but such efforts are certainly laudable. They are good works related to active faith in God. Grace is free yet not cheap, for it makes demands on its recipients. Sometimes the cost is one’s life.
Just as St. John the Baptist pointed to Jesus and, according to tradition, Elijah pointed to the Messiah, may each of us follow Christ, lead others to him, and seek his glory, not our own.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 8, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT THORFINN OF HAMAR, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
THE FEAST OF GALILEO GALILEI, SCIENTIST
THE FEAST OF HARRIET BEDELL, EPISCOPAL DEACONESS
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2016/01/08/elijah-and-john-the-baptist/
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Above: One of My Crucifixes, July 15, 2014
Photograph by Kenneth Randolph Taylor
The Glory of the Lord, Part IV
JUNE 1, 2022
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The Collect:
O God, form the minds of your faithful people into one will.
Make us love what you command and desire what you promise,
that, amid all changes of this world, our hearts
may be fixed where true joy is found,
Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 35
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The Assigned Readings:
Ezekiel 3:12-21
Psalm 29
Luke 9:18-27
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The voice of the LORD is a powerful voice;
the voice of the LORD is a voice of splendor.
–Psalm 29:4, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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Ezekiel, having received his prophetic commission from God, sat stunned for seven days. He probably needed that time to digest what had just occurred.
A major theme in Luke 9 is the identity of Jesus. Herod Antipas (reigned 4 B.C.E.-39 C.E.) wonders who Jesus might be (verses 7-9). The Roman client ruler, who had already ordered the execution of St. John the Baptist (Matthew 14:1-12), so who could Jesus be? Some even claimed to Jesus was Elijah, returned to the earth to prepare the way for the Messiah/Son of Man. The chapter refutes that claim, for the Feeding of the Five Thousand men plus uncounted women and children was greater than the feeding of a multitude (2 Kings 4:43-44) by Elisha, Elijah’s protege. Furthermore, Elijah (representing the prophets) stands with Jesus at the Transfiguration (verses 28-36). St. Simon Peter grasps that Jesus is actually the Messiah (verse 20). Yet, Jesus tells his Apostles, following him entails taking up one’s cross.
As I have written in this miniseries of four posts, the Presence/glory of God was evident in the acts of God, including in nature and human events. Jesus of Nazareth was the physical manifestation of the divine Presence/glory in human flesh. The Gospel of John, not containing an account of the Transfiguration, interpreted Christ’s deeds and resurrection as evidence of the Presence/glory of God. The Gospel of Luke depicted that Presence/glory via an account of the Transfiguration, set shortly before 9:51, when Jesus set his face toward Jerusalem–to die yet not to remain dead for long.
I try to imagine the scene in Luke 9:18-27 as if I had been present:
I heard Peter identify Jesus as the Messiah of God and think, “Jesus is the Messiah, but what does that mean?” I After all, I know of competing interpretations of Messiahship. The Master answered my unspoken question immediately by identifying himself as the Son of Man–an apocalyptic figure from the Book of Daniel. Furthermore, he said that he will die then rise from the dead a few days later. As if that were not enough, he ordered us to follow him, even to take up a cross, literal or metaphorical.
I must take time to consider these words. These are difficult sayings. Understanding them fully will require the passage of time. When was the last time a dead person returned to life? And do I really want to take up a cross, literal or metaphorical? I used to lead a quiet life as a fisherman. What have I gotten myself into? Nevertheless, I will keep walking with Jesus.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 8, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT THORFINN OF HAMAR, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
THE FEAST OF GALILEO GALILEI, SCIENTIST
THE FEAST OF HARRIET BEDELL, EPISCOPAL DEACONESS
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2016/01/08/the-glory-of-the-lord-part-iv/
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This is post #350 of LENTEN AND EASTER DEVOTIONS.
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Above: Anna at the Presentation of Jesus, by Giotto
Image in the Public Domain
Divine Consolation
MAY 25, 2022
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The Collect:
Beautiful God, you gather your people into your realm,
and you promise us food from your tree of life.
Nourish us with your word, that empowered by your Spirit
we may love one another and the world you have made,
through Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 34
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The Assigned Readings:
2 Chronicles 34:20-33
Psalm 93
Luke 2:25-38
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The LORD is King;
he has put on splendid apparel;
the LORD has put on his apparel
and girded himself with strength.
He has made the whole world so sure
that it cannot be moved;
Ever since the world began, your throne has been established;
you are from everlasting.
The waters have lifted up, O LORD,
the waters have lifted up their voice;
the waters have lifted up their pounding waves.
Mightier than the sound of many waters,
mightier than the breakers of the sea,
mightier is the LORD who dwells on high.
Your testimonies are very sure,
and holiness adorns your house, O LORD,
for ever and for evermore.
–Psalm 93, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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Humility before God, whose testimonies are sure, is a virtue. In the main two readings for this day we encounter five people who were humble before God:
- King Josiah of Judah (reigned 640-609 B.C.E.), who instigated religious reforms consistent with the Book of Deuteronomy,
- Saints Mary and Joseph of Nazareth, who raised Jesus in an observant Jewish home, and
- Saints Simeon and Anna the Prophetess, who testified regarding the infant Jesus.
As Father Raymond E. Brown pointed out in The Birth of the Messiah (Updated Edition, 1993), the law and the prophets framed birth and infancy of Jesus. The Lukan language alluded to Isaiah 40:1 and 66:12-13, with their references to the consolation (paraklesis in Greek and parakalein in Hebrew, sounding like paraclete) of Israel. Sts. Joseph and Mary obeyed legal customs. Two prophets attested to our Lord and Savior’s bona fides, but only one prophet affirmed St. John the Baptist in Luke 1:67-79. St. Anna the Prophetess looked for the redemption of Jerusalem, echoing Isaiah 52:9 (The Revised English Bible, 1989):
Break forth together into shouts of joy,
you ruins of Jerusalem;
for the LORD has comforted his people,
he has redeemed Jerusalem.
The author of the Gospel of Luke understood the life of Jesus as fitting neatly into a much longer narrative of consolation and redemption. His subtle word choices helped to establish connections with subsequent texts, such as John 14:15f, in which Jesus promised that God the Father would send another Paraclete–Comforter, Counselor, and Advocate–the Holy Spirit, simply put.
Consolation is among the most frequent reasons many people seek God. This makes sense to me. The quest for comfort recurs throughout the Bible, especially in the Book of Psalms, because of the ubiquity of distress. Turning to God might not end one’s distress, but it does provide one with a means of coping with it. If we love God, we will obey divine commandments. This might lead to suffering (John 15:18-27), but at least the Holy Spirit will be present with us during our ordeals. There is much consolation in that.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 5, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE TWELFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS
THE FEAST OF CHARLES JUDSON CHILD, JR., EPISCOPAL BISHOP OF ATLANTA
THE FEAST OF LESLIE WEATHERHEAD, BRITISH METHODIST THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF MARGARET MACKAY, SCOTTISH HYMN WRITER
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2016/01/05/divine-consolation/
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Above: The Ascension of Christ, Circa 1873
Image Source = Library of Congress
Reproduction Number = LC-DIG-pga-01968
Patience and the Kingdom of God
SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 2020
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The Collect:
Almighty God, your Son came into the world to free us
from all sin and death. Breathe upon us the power
of your Spirit, that we may be raised to new life in Christ
and serve you in righteousness all our days, through Jesus Christ,
our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the
Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 28
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The Assigned Readings:
Ezekiel 36:8-15
Psalm 130
Luke 24:44-53
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My soul waits for the Lord,
more than the night watch for the morning,
more than the night watch for the morning.
–Psalm 130:5, Common Worship (2000)
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The kingdom of God has arrived,
the canonical Gospels proclaim,
yet it has not arrived completely.
That is my paraphrase of one Gospel theme. Some of my recent reading for the Historical Jesus group to which I belong proves helpful here. James D. G. Dunn, in Jesus Remembered (2003), considers Mark 1:15a:
…The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand….
—Revised Standard Version—Second Edition (1971),
words of St. John the Baptist. That “time,” or kairos in Greek,
…can be readily understood to indicate not simply one event, a date in time, but a period of time.
–page 438
I like this understanding of the Kingdom of God as an age. Too much of Protestantism overemphasizes events and minimizes ages and processes in personal life and the Bible. The comprehension of the Kingdom of God as an age and as a promise fulfilled partially, with more to come reconciles several seeming contradictions in biblical texts. Ezekiel’s vision, yet unfulfilled, will become reality. The Kingdom of God, evident since Jesus walked the face of the planet, will become more pronounced.
Frustration over the partial fulfillment of the promise is understandable and predictable. In fact, so is the perception that the Kingdom of God is a promise we will never see made real. Alfred Firmin Loisy (1857-1940), a French Roman Catholic theologian, said that Jesus promised us the Kingdom of God and all we got was the Church, which Christ founded, but not in the form it took in time. For these and other opinions the Roman Catholic Church excommunicated him. Loisy’s disappointment did contain some legitimate points yet missed a crucial truth: we have received a down payment on the Kingdom of God, which is evident in the Church. It has been evident in the Church for nearly two thousand years. But there is more to come.
Patience can be a difficult spiritual lesson to learn. I am still working on it, in fact. And even more patience will be necessary for growth in God, whose timeframe is not ours.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
NOVEMBER 27, 2013 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT JAMES INTERCISUS, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYR
THE FEAST OF HENRY SLOANE COFFIN, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN THEOLOGIAN
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2014/01/14/patience-and-the-kingdom-of-god/
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Above: Christ Rescuing Peter from Drowning
Genesis and Mark, Part XII: Wonders, Jealousies, Fears, and Violence
MARCH 14 and 15, 2022
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
–The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Genesis 18:1-15 (11th Day of Lent)
Genesis 21:1-21 (12th Day of Lent)
Psalm 119:73-80 (Morning–11th Day of Lent)
Psalm 34 (Morning–12th Day of Lent)
Psalms 121 and 6 (Evening–11th Day of Lent)
Psalms 25 and 91 (Evening–12th Day of Lent)
Mark 6:14-34 (11th Day of Lent)
Mark 6:35-56 (12th Day of Lent)
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Some Related Posts:
Feast of the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, Martyr (August 29):
http://neatnik2009.wordpress.com/2010/06/13/feast-of-the-beheading-of-st-john-the-baptist-martyr-august-29/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/10/10/feast-of-the-beheading-of-st-john-the-baptist-martyr-august-29/
Prayers:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/01/30/prayer-for-monday-in-the-second-week-of-lent/
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/01/30/prayer-for-tuesday-in-the-second-week-of-lent/
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ALPHA:
The Feeding of the Five Thousand is a story which all four canonical Gospels tell. Here are the citations:
- Mark 6:30-44
- Matthew 14:13-21
- Luke 9:10-17
- John 6:1-15
There are five thousand men in Mark. There is no indication of an estimate, such as “about” or “as many as.” Neither is there any mention of women and children.
Matthew 14:21 tells us of
about five thousand men…, to say nothing of women and children. (The New Jerusalem Bible)
Luke 9:14 has
about five thousand men. (The New Jerusalem Bible)
And John 6:10 mentions
as many as five thousand men. (The New Jerusalem Bible)
So the women and children occur explicitly in the Matthew reading, although the Johannine version implies them. (I read the text in several translations quite closely and consulted commentaries.) Such details interest me.
BETA:
Sometimes a lectionary becomes too choppy. I understand the need to avoid placing too much material on one day. The Lutheran daily lectionary I am following provides for
two readings of 15-25 verses each….one from the Old Testament, the other from the New Testament.
—Lutheran Service Book (2006), page 299
Yet this system divides the passage describing the Feeding of the Five Thousand (men) in Mark into two readings across as many days. One of my methods in composing these posts is combining days of material as necessary to maintain a certain degree of textual unity, not that I need to defend myself in this matter. This is a purely procedural notice.
We read today of wonders coexisting with sad news. Abraham and Sarah become parents in their old age yet expel Hagar and Ishmael, victims in the narrative. Our Lord heals people, feeds five thousand men with a small amount of food, and walks on water. Yet Herod Antipas, the man responsible for the death of John the Baptist, wants to meet Jesus. The wondrous and the unfortunate rub shoulders with each other.
That is the nature of the world, is it not? The Second Person of the Trinity became incarnate as Jesus of Nazareth. His life was at risk before he was born and remained so after his birth. And the Roman Empire executed him–not for being a nice guy who told people to love their neighbors, by the way. Authorities perceived him as a thread to their power. And he was, but not in the way in which zealots would have preferred him to be.
Jealousies and fears arise within us, bringing out the worst of our natures. Sometimes we project them onto God and convince ourselves that God commands us to expel or execute those who, by their existence, threaten our positions, status, or ego. May God forgive us, regardless of whether we know what we do.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 15, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THE FIRST U.S. PRESBYTERIAN BOOK OF COMMON WORSHIP, 1906
THE FEAST OF CAROLINE CHISHOLM, HUMANITARIAN
THE FEAST OF PIRIPI TAUMATA-A-KURA, ANGLICAN MISSIONARY
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2013/01/20/genesis-and-mark-part-xii-wonders-jealousies-fears-and-violence/
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Above: Ashen Cross
Genesis and Mark, Part I: New Beginnings
MARCH 2, 2022
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
–The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Genesis 1:1-19
Psalm 5 (Morning)
Psalms 27 and 51 (Evening)
Mark 1:1-13
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A Related Post:
Prayer:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/01/20/prayer-for-ash-wednesday/
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The first (actually second written) myth of creation in Genesis, of which we read a part today, tells of the creation of order from chaos:
When God began to create heaven and earth–the earth being unformed and void, with darkness over the surface of the deep and a wind from God sweeping over the water….
–Genesis 1:1-2, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures
Meanwhile, in the Gospel of Mark, the oldest of the canonical Gospels (written probably 67-70 CE), the narrative opens with
The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
–Mark 1:1, The New Jerusalem Bible
Subsequent verses assume certain knowledge. For example, who was John the Baptist? And what was his background? For more details, read parts of Matthew and Luke, Gospels drew from Mark and expanded on it.
It is appropriate to read about new beginning on Ash Wednesday. This is the first day of Lent, a season of somberness, spiritual self-examination, and preparation for Easter. In churches we put away flowers and the word “alleluia.” Lent is an excellent time to strive to cease a bad habit and to learn a good one to replace it. It is an excellent time to focus on cooperating with God in converting chaos into a proper order. Certainly each of us needs more internal order and less internal chaos.
And may we remember that Jesus, although new from a human perspective, was actually quite old. (Read John 1:1-18.) The form was new; the substance was ancient. Sometimes God approaches us in new ways. The message is old but the medium is new or more recent.
One might not restrict these spiritual exercises to Lent alone, of course. Yet may one not dismiss the importance of the church year. There is great value in having certain time set apart for different emphases.
May you, O reader, have a holy Lent. And may God’s blessings on you bless others. We are made to live in community after all, and what one person does affects others.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 27, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF GEORGE WASHINGTON DOANE, EPISCOPAL BISHOP OF NEW JERSEY
THE FEAST OF SAINTS ANTONY AND THEODOSIUS OF KIEV, FOUNDERS OF RUSSIAN ORTHODOX MONASTICISM; SAINT BARLAAM OF KIEV, RUSSIAN ORTHODOX ABBOT; AND SAINT STEPHEN OF KIEV, RUSSIAN ORTHODOX ABBOT AND BISHOP
THE FEAST OF THE EARLY ABBOTS OF CLUNY
THE FEAST OF JOSEPH WARRILOW, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2013/01/20/genesis-and-mark-part-i-new-beginnings/
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