Reflections

January 23, 2026 Today's Reading: Introit for The Transfiguration of Our Lord - Psalm 84:1-2a, 4, 10-11; antiphon: Psalm 77:18b Daily Lectionary: Joel 2:18-32 ; Romans 11:25-12:13 “How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts!” (Psalm 84:1) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. When Peter saw the Lord Jesus transfigured on the mountain with Moses and Elijah standing beside him, he offered to build t...

January 22, 2026 Today's Reading: Catechism: Second Commandment Daily Lectionary: Joel 2:1-17 ; Romans 11:1-24 “To confuse the devil, I say, we should always have this holy name in our mouth, so that the devil may not be able to injure us as he wishes.” (Large Catechism I 72) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Have you ever considered that the first person in the Bible to invoke the name of God was the...

January 21, 2026 Today's Reading: Ephesians 5:22-33 or Romans 12:6-16 Daily Lectionary: Joel 1:1-20 ; Romans 10:1-21 “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.” (Romans 12:9) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Love does not exist apart from those who love and those things they love. Love is intentional; that is, it is always aimed at something. Love finds delight in that which...

January 20, 2026 Today's Reading: Exodus 33:12-23 or Amos 9:11-15 Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 47:1-14, 21-23 ; Romans 9:19-33 “Moses said, ‘Please show me your glory.’” (Exodus 33:18) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Moses has a request for the Lord. “Please show me your glory.” It is an odd request, considering that Moses had already seen the Lord’s glory. In the burning bush, Moses saw the Lord’s glo...

January 19, 2026 Today's Reading: John 2:1-11 Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 44:1-16, 23-29; Romans 9:1-18 “On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee” (John 2:1a) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. “On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee…” Starting John’s Gospel at 2:1 needs a little more context. Third day of what? We need to go back a chapter. Three days before the wedding,...

January 18, 2026 Today's Reading: Mark 8:27-35 (36-9:1) Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 40:1-4; 43:1-12; Ezekiel 40:5-42:20; 43:13-27; Romans 8:18-39 “And he asked them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered him, ‘You are the Christ.’ And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.” (Mark 8:29-30) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Jesus must have missed the evangelism workshop. As Christians...

January 17, 2026 Today's Reading: Introit for Epiphany 2 - Psalm 66:1-5, 20; antiphon: Psalm 66:4; 92:1 Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 39:1-10, 17-29 ; Romans 7:21-8:17 “Shout for joy to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise! Say to God, ‘How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you. All the earth worships you and sings...

January 16, 2026 Today's Reading: Romans 7:1-20 Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 38:1-23 ; Romans 7:1-20 “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin th...

January 15, 2026 Today's Reading: Catechism: First Commandment Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 37:15-28 ; Romans 6:1-23 “You shall have no other gods. What does this mean? We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.” (The Small Catechism, The First Commandment) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. One of my favorite exercises in Confirmation is having the confirmands noodle on the question of how...

January 14, 2026 Today's Reading: Ezekiel 36:33-37:14 Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 36:33-37:14 ; Romans 5:1-21 “Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.’ So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood...

January 13, 2026 Today's Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 36:13-28 ; Romans 4:1-25 “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.” (...

January 12, 2026 Today's Reading: Joshua 3:1-3, 7-8, 13-17 or Isaiah 42:1-7 Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 34:1-24 ; Romans 3:19-31 “I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit...

January 11, 2026 Today's Reading: Matthew 3:13-17 Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 33:1-20 ; Romans 3:1-18 “Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?’ But Jesus answered him, ‘Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’" (Matthew 3:13-15) In the...

January 10, 2026 Today's Reading: Introit for The Baptism of Our Lord - Psalm 89:1, 26-28; antiphon: Liturgical Text; Psalm 89:20 Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 18:1-4, 19-32 ; Ezekiel 19:1-24:27 ; Romans 2:17-29 “I will sing of the steadfast love of the LORD, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations. He shall cry to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of m...

January 9, 2026 Today's Reading: Ezekiel 3:12-27 Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 3:12-27 ; Ezekiel 4:1-11:25 ; Romans 2:1-16 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me…But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD.’ He who will hear, let him hear; and...

January 8, 2026 Today's Reading: Catechism - Table of Duties: To Everyone Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 2:1-3:11 ; Romans 1:18-32 “The commandments...are summed up in this one rule: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Romans 13:9) I urge…that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone. (1 Timothy 2:1)” (Small Catechism, Table of Duties, To Everyone) In the Name + of Jesus. Am...

January 7, 2026 Today's Reading: 1 Peter 4:12-19 Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 1:1-14, 22-28 ; Habakkuk 1:1-3:19 ; Romans 1:1-17 “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.” (1 Peter 4:12-13)...

January 6, 2026 Today's Reading: Matthew 2:1-12 Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 66:1-20 ; Luke 3:21-38 “When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:10-11) In the Name + of Jesus. A...

January 5, 2026 Today's Reading: Genesis 46:1-7 Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 65:8-25 ; Luke 3:1-20 “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph’s hand shall close your eyes.” (Genesis 46:3-4) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Several years ago,...

January 4, 2026 Today's Reading: Matthew 2:13-23 Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 63:15-65:7 ; Luke 2:41-52 “And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, ‘Out of Egypt I called my son.’” (Matthew 2:14-15) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. There is a deep thread of exodus th...

January 3, 2026 Today's Reading: Introit for Second Sunday After Christmas - Psalm 8:1, 4-6; antiphon: Psalm 8:2 Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 63:1-14 ; Luke 2:21-40 “Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.” (Psalm 8:2) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Christmas provides us with a unique lens to contemplate Psalm 8:2....

January 2, 2026 Today's Reading: Galatians 4:1-7 Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 62:1-12 ; Luke 2:1-20 “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” (Galatians 4:4-5) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The word Paul uses for time here is "chronos," meaning clock time. The t...

January 1, 2026 Today's Reading: Luke 2:21 Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 61:1-11 ; Luke 1:57-80 “And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.” (Luke 2:21) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. There is something remarkable and yet so subtle in the Christmas story: the Holy Child of Bethlehem is not called Jesus unti...

December 31, 2025 Today's Reading: Luke 12:35-40 Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 60:1-22 ; Luke 1:39-56 “Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes…You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Luke 12:37, 40) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Awake and ready! These are the words our Lord Jesus uses to describe the mission of His disciples, you...

December 30, 2025 Today's Reading: Isaiah 11:1-5 or 2 Samuel 7:1-16 Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 58:1-59:3, 14-21 ; Luke 1:26-38 “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him…” (Isaiah 11:1-2a) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Our lives and even this world (our newsfeeds, our headlines, our daily burde...