Reflections

October 18, 2026 Today's Reading: Luke 10:1-9 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 17:1-20; Matthew 14:1-21 “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Luke 10:2) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. We know from the gospels that St. Luke was not one of the Twelve Disciples of Jesus, but the early church histor...

October 17, 2026 Today's Reading: Introit for Trinity 20 - Psalm 48:1, 9-11; antiphon: Liturgical Text Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 15:19-16:22; Matthew 13:44-58 “We have thought on your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple. As your name, O God, so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is filled with righteousness. Let Mount Zion be glad! Let the daughters of...

October 16, 2026 Today's Reading: Matthew 13:24-43 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 14:1-2, 22-23, 14:28-15:15; Matthew 13:24-43 “He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will te...

October 15, 2026 Today's Reading: Catechism: Table of duties: what hearers owe their pastor Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 13:1-18; Matthew 13:1-23 “We ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.” (1 Thessalonians 5:12–13) Obey your leader...

October 14, 2026 Today's Reading: Matthew 12:38-50 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 12:13-32; Matthew 12:38-50 “Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, ‘Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.’ But he answered them, ‘An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three...

October 13, 2026 Today's Reading: Ephesians 4:22-28 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 11:26-12:12; Matthew 12:22-37 “to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,  and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:22-24) In the N...

October 12, 2026 Today's Reading: Genesis 28:10-17 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 11:1-25; Matthew 12:1-21 “Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.’ Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.’ And he was afraid and said,...

October 11, 2026 Today's Reading: Matthew 9:1-8 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 9:23-10:22; Matthew 11:20-30 “But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’—he then said to the paralytic— ‘Rise, pick up your bed and go home.’” (Matthew 9:6) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. What is the thing at the heart of Christianity? People will argue all day (and all night!) about...

October 10, 2026 Today's Reading: Introit for Trinity 19 - Psalm 78:1-3, 4b; antiphon: Psalm 35:3b; 34:17a, 6b; 48:14a Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 9:1-22; Matthew 11:1-19 “We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done.” (Psalm 78:4) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Here we have evangelism...

October 9, 2026 Today's Reading: Matthew 10:24-42 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 8:1-20; Matthew 10:24-42 “So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 10:32-33) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. History is full of men and women who fearlessly confesse...

October 8, 2026 Today's Reading: Catechism: Table of duties: to bishops, pastors and preachers Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 7:1-19; Matthew 10:1-23 “He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.” (Titus 1:9) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Your pastor has been given one job – to be a steward of...

October 7, 2026 Today's Reading: Matthew 9:18-38 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 6:10-25; Matthew 9:18-38 “ When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. A woman suffering for twelve years from a horrible disease, a dead daughter, two blind men crying out for mercy, a demon-pos...

October 6, 2026 Today's Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:(1-3) 4-9 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 5:22-6:9; Matthew 9:1-17 “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:9) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Three words. Four syllables. Yet no greater words have been written, nor greater words confessed, “God is faithful.” Our very lives depend...

October 5, 2026 Today's Reading: Deuteronomy 10:12-21 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 5:1-21; Matthew 8:18-34 “For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe.” (Deuteronomy 10:17) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. God has made it pretty clear what he requires of his people. What does the Lord require of you? To fe...

October 4, 2026 Today's Reading: Matthew 22:34-46 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 4:21-40; Matthew 8:1-17 “‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?’ And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.’” (Matthew 22:36-28) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. “Jesus, tell us, which is th...

October 3, 2026 Today's Reading: Introit for Trinity 18 - Psalm 122:1, 6, 8-9; antiphon: Liturgical Text Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 4:1-20; Matthew 7:13-29 “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord!’” (Psalm 122:1) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. As we come to the end of a week reflecting on God’s Word regarding the virtue of humility, we can’t forget the time where we...

October 2, 2026 Today's Reading: Matthew 7:1-12 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 3:1-29 “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.” (Matthew 7:1-2) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. We're nearing the end of a week in which we’ve been reading God’s Word and seeing the virtue of humility. Today, God’s...

October 1, 2026 Today's Reading: Catechism: Daily Prayers: Asking a blessing & Returning Thanks Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 2:16-37; Matthew 6:16-34 The eyes of all look to You, O LORD, and You give them their food at the proper time. You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. (Ps. 145: 15–16) (Luther’s Small Catechism “Asking a Blessing”) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen....

September 30, 2026 Today's Reading: Ephesians 4:1-6 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 1:37-2:15; Matthew 6:1-15 “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,” (Ephesians 4:1-2) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. As we’ve been going through the Word th...

September 29, 2026 Today's Reading: Matthew 18:1-11 or Luke 10:17-20 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 1:19-36; Matthew 5:21-48 “Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:20) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. As we are going through God’s Word this week, we have been focusing on humility. Today, as the church cel...

September 28, 2026 Today's Reading: Proverbs 25:6-14 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 1:1-18; Matthew 5:1-20 “Do not put yourself forward in the king's presence or stand in the place of the great, for it is better to be told, ‘Come up here,’ than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.” (Proverbs 25:6-7) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Throughout the book of Proverbs, God gives His people wisdom re...

September 27, 2026 Today's Reading: Luke 14:1-11 Daily Lectionary: Malachi 3:6-4:6; Matthew 4:12-25 “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 14:11) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Notice the certainty of Jesus, “ everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Jesus wants you to have humility. One w...

September 26, 2026 Today's Reading: Introit for Trinity 17 - Psalm 119:1-2, 5-6; antiphon: Psalm 119:137, 124 Daily Lectionary: Malachi 2:1-3:5; Matthew 4:1-11 “Righteous are you, O LORD, and right are your rules. Deal with your servant according to your steadfast love, and teach me your statutes.” (Psalm 119:137, 124) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. You have heard the famous question about the chic...

Today's Reading: Matthew 3:1-17 Daily Lectionary: Malachi 1:1-14; Matthew 3:1-17 “and behold, a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.’” (Matthew 3:17) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Israel, as God’s people, never held up their end of the bargain. They said they would do all the things that God had asked them to do, and they did not. They were warned repeatedl...

September 24, 2026 Today's Reading: Catechism: Daily Prayers: Morning & Evening Prayer Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 9:22-38; Nehemiah 10:1-13:31; 1 Timothy 6:3-21 In the morning when you get up/In the evening when you go to bed, make the sign of the holy cross and say: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The catechism tells us to s...