Reflections

November 18, 2024  Today's Reading: Daniel 12:1-3 Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 37:1-21 ; Revelation 17:1-18 ; Matthew 27:33-56 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. (Daniel 12:2) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  Here, at the end of Daniel, we have yet another vision of what the end times will bring— somet...

November 17, 2024  Today's Reading: Mark 13:1-13 Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 33:1-22 ; Jeremiah 34:1-36:32; 45:1-51:64 ; Matthew 27:11-32 And Jesus began to say to them, “See that no one leads you astray. (Mark 13:5) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. There is no shortage of people who have claimed to be the Messiah throughout history. A quick Wikipedia search will bring up over forty names of people wh...

November 16, 2024 Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 26 - Ps. 48:11-14; antiphon: Mark 13:13b Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 31:1-17, 23-34 ; Revelation 16:1-21 ; Matthew 27:1-10 Let Mount Zion be glad! Let the daughters of Judah rejoice because of your judgments! Walk about Zion, go around her, number her towers, consider well her ramparts, go through her citadels, that you may tell the next gene...

November 15, 2024  Today's Reading: Matthew 26:57-75   Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 30:1-24 ; Revelation 15:1-8 ; Matthew 26:57-75   Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.” And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw...

November 14, 2024  Today's Reading: Catechism - Table of duties: To Employers and Supervisors Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 29:1-19 ; Revelation 14:1-20 ; Matthew 26:36-56 Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him. (Ephesians 6:9) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  It can be fun to con...

November 13, 2024  Today's Reading: Matthew 26:20-35 Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 26:1-19 ; Revelation 13:1-18 ; Matthew 26:20-35 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you,for this is my blood of the...

November 12, 2024  Today's Reading: Hebrews 9:24-28 Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 25:1-18 ; Matthew 26:1-19 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf… But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. (Hebrews...

November 11, 2024 Today's Reading: 1 Kings 17:8-16 Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 23:21-40 ; Matthew 25:31-46 Then the word of the Lord came to [Elijah], “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. And he cal...

November 10, 2024  Today's Reading: Mark 12:38-44 Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 23:1-20 ; Matthew 25:14-30 And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the gre...

November 9, 2024  Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 25 - Psalm 107:1-2, 41-42; antiphon: Psalm 107:8 Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 22:1-23 ; Matthew 25:1-13 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble… Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the childre...

November 8, 2024  Today's Reading: Jeremiah 20:1-18 Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 20:1-18 ; Matthew 24:29-51 O Lord, you have deceived me, and I was deceived; you are stronger than I, and you have prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all the day; everyone mocks me… O Lord of hosts, who tests the righteous, who sees the heart and the mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you have I com...

November 7, 2024  Today's Reading: Catechism - Table of duties: To workers of all kinds Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 11:1-23 ; Jeremiah 12:1-19:15 ; Matthew 24:1-28 To Workers of all kinds. Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doin...

November 6, 2024  Today's Reading: Matthew 23:13-39 Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 8:18-9:12 ; Matthew 23:13-39 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharise...

November 5, 2024  Today's Reading: Hebrews 9:11-22 Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 7:1-29 ; Matthew 23:1-12 How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance,...

November 4, 2024  Today's Reading: Deuteronomy 6:1-9 Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 5:1-19 ; Matthew 22:23-46 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them whe...

November 3, 2024 Today's Reading: Mark 12:28-37 Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 3:6-4:2 ; Matthew 22:1-22 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your...

November 2, 2024 Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 24 - Psalm 89:1-4; antiphon: Psalm 9:1 Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 1:1-19 ; Matthew 21:23-46 I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all Your wonderful deeds. (Psalm 9:1) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The story is told of a woman wanting to look her best for her daughter’s wedding. “Don’t worry, ma’am,” said the hair...

November 1, 2024  Today's Reading: Matthew 5:1-12 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 34:1-12 ; Matthew 21:1-22 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:12) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. When Peter made the good confession that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God,” Jesus said, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona...

October 31, 2024 Today's Reading: John 8:31-36 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 32:28-52 ; Deuteronomy 33:1-29 ; Matthew 20:17-34 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:35-36) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Today, we give thanks to God for the Lutheran Reformation, for like an angel flying in midheaven (Rev...

October 30, 2024  Today's Reading: Jeremiah 31:7-9 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 31:30-32:27 ; Matthew 20:1-16 For thus says the Lord: “Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, and raise shouts for the chief of the nations; proclaim, give praise, and say, ‘O Lord, save your people, the remnant of Israel.’ (Jeremiah 31:7) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Who are you? Forget for a second how you would answe...

October 29, 2024 Today's Reading: Hebrews 7:23-28 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 31:1-29 ; Matthew 19:16-30 Consequently, He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Perhaps you have heard it said of someone, “That’s their life. It’s what they live for.” It could be a bo...

October 28, 2024 Today's Reading: John 15:12-16, 17-21 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 30:1-20 ; Matthew 19:1-15 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you. (John 15:18) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Why did the world hate the apostles Simon and Jude? Their names are tied together on the church calendar today because, according to tradition, they were both martyred on the...

October 27, 2024 Today's Reading: Mark 10:46-52 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 29:1-29 ; Matthew 18:21-35 And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!’ And Jesus stopped and said, ‘Call him.’ And they called the blind man, saying to him, ‘Take heart. Get up; He is calling you.”  (Mark 10:48-49) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. If you e...

October 26, 2024  Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 23 - Psalm 131; antiphon: Psalm 130:1-2 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 28:1-22 ; Matthew 18:1-20 O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy! (Psalm 130:1-2) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Psalm 130 (all eight verses, not just the two from which the antiphon for tomorrow’s Introit is derived) is popular...

October 25, 2024 Today's Reading: Matthew 17:14-27 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 27:1-26 ; Matthew 17:14-27 What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tax? From their sons or from others?” And when he said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. (Matthew 17:25-26) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. It sounds too good to be true, but that does not mean tha...