Reflections

September 29, 2024  Today's Reading: Luke 10:17-20 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 1:19-36 ; Matthew 5:21-48 “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.’” (Luke 10:19-20) In the Name...

September 28, 2024  Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 19 - Psalm 135:1-3, 13-14; antiphon: Psalm 135:13 Daily Lectionary: Deuteronomy 1:1-18 ; Matthew 5:1-20 “Your name, O LORD, endures forever, your renown, O LORD, throughout all ages. For the LORD will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants.” (Psalm 135:13-14) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The things of this world that cal...

September 27, 2024  Today's Reading: Matthew 4:12-25 Daily Lectionary: Malachi 3:6-4:6 ; Matthew 4:12-25 “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”” (Matthew 4:17) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The beginning of Jesus’ public ministry probably went unnoticed by most. In the wake of John the Baptist’s arrest, Jesus withdraws from Judea, heads to Ga...

September 26, 2024  Today's Reading: Catechism - Table of duties: of citizens Daily Lectionary: Malachi 2:1-3:5 ; Matthew 4:1-11 “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.” (1 Peter 2:13-14) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. What kind of relationship sho...

September 25, 2024  Today's Reading: Matthew 3:1-17 Daily Lectionary: Malachi 1:1-14 ; Matthew 3:1-17 “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 th...

September 24, 2024  Today's Reading: James 3:13-4:10 Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 9:22-38 ; Nehemiah 10:1-13:31 ; 1 Timothy 6:3-21 “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?” (James 4:1) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Sin is not so much an act as it is a condition, and that condition manifests itself in many ways. What James is de...

September 23, 2024  Today's Reading: Jeremiah 11:18-20 Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 9:1-21 ; 1 Timothy 5:17-6:2 “But, O LORD of hosts, who judges righteously, who tests the heart and the mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you have I committed my cause.” (Jeremiah 11:20) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. We are called to love our enemies, yet here is Jeremiah asking to see God’s vengeance...

September 22, 2024  Today's Reading: Mark 9:30-37 Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 7:1-4; 8:1-18 ; Ezra 1:1-10:19 ; 1 Timothy 5:1-16 [Jesus said,] “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”” (Mark 9:35) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The disciples don’t look very good in our reading. They don’t ask the questions they should be asking, and they don’t answer the questions that t...

September 21, 2024  Today's Reading: Matthew 9:9-13 Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 5:1-16, 6:1-9, 15-16 ; 1 Timothy 4:1-16 “Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matthew 9:13) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  Matthew certainly sacrifices something. He sacrifices his certain income and the wealth and status that goes along w...

September 20, 2024  Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 18 - Psalm 37:5-7; antiphon: Psalm 37:4 Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 4:7-23 ; 1 Timothy 3:1-16 “Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act” (Psalm 37:5) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  Waiting for the Lord to act when things do not appear to be going the way they should be going is one of the most difficult things to do. We se...

September 19, 2024  Today's Reading: Catechism: Table of duties: of civil government Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 2:11-20, 4:1-6 ; 1 Timothy 2:1-15 “For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” (Romans 13:1) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  Sometimes, we think that if other people are not doing what they are supposed to do, then we can do what would othe...

September 18, 2024  Today's Reading: Haggai 1:1-2:23 Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 1:1-2:10 ; Haggai 1:1-2:23 ; 1 Timothy 1:1-20 “The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts” (Haggai 2:9) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  The people who returned from exile in Babylon had begun to rebuild the temp...

September 17, 2024  Today's Reading: James 3:1-12 Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 36:1-23 ; Philemon 1-25 ; Colossians 4:1-18 “From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.” (James 3:10) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  Isn’t it strange how little control we have over our tongues? Why do we continually have to apologize to people because we “didn’t mean...

September 16, 2024  Today's Reading: Isaiah 50:4-10 Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 35:1-7, 16-25 ; Zephaniah 1:1-3:20 ; Colossians 3:1-25 “He who vindicates me is near…” (Isaiah 50:8) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  In the words of Isaiah the prophet, we hear our Lord, the Man Jesus, who suffers as the holy and righteous Servant of God. As a man, He hears the Word of God, learns it, grows in the kn...

September 15, 2024  Today's Reading: Mark 9:14-29 Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 34:1-4, 8-11, 14-33 ; Nahum 1:1-3:19 ; Colossians 2:8-23 “But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.” (Mark 9:27) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  Between predictions of His death and resurrection, Jesus’ divine glory is displayed on the mountain, and Jesus gives life to an apparently dead boy in th...

September 14, 2024  Today's Reading: John 12:20-33 Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 33:1-25 ; Jonah 1:1-4:11 ; Colossians 1:24-2:7 “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” (John 12:32) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  The cross looks like defeat, but faith sees the victory of Jesus over sin and death. The cross looks like helplessness, but faith sees the power of Go...

September 13, 2024  Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 17 - Psalm 31:14-16; antiphon: Psalm 31:24 Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 32:1-22 ; Hosea 1:1-14:9 ; Colossians 1:1-23 “But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’” (Psalm 31:14) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  What does it mean to have a God? We confess that the First Commandment requires us to “fear, love, and trust in God above...

September 12, 2024  Today's Reading: Catechism: Table of Duties: What hearers owe their pastor Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 31:1-21 ; Philippians 4:1-23 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. (Hebrews 13:17) In the Name +...

September 11, 2024  Today's Reading: Philippians 3:1-21 Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 29:1-24 ; Philippians 3:1-21 “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” (Philippians 3:8a) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  When it comes to salvation, there is Jesus, and there is everything else. We can divide everything into categories: is this Jesus? O...

September 10, 2024 Today's Reading: James 2:1-10, 14-18 Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 9:1-13, 10:18-29 ; 2 Kings 13:1-18:8 ; Philippians 2:12-30 “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (James 2:17) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  St. James reminds us that there are no exceptions under the Law of God. Just as Jesus Himself says that even lust is adultery, and even hatred is murder...

September 9, 2024  Today's Reading: Isaiah 35:4-7a Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 6:1-23 ; 2 Kings 6:24-8:2 ; Philippians 1:21-2:11 “Say to those who have an anxious heart, ‘Be strong; fear not!’ Behold, your God…will come and save you.” (Isaiah 35:4) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  What I like about those words, “anxious heart” is that “anxious” is directly related to speed or haste. The “hasty heart.”...

September 8, 2024 Today's Reading: Mark 7:24-30, 31-37 Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 5:9-27 ; Philippians 1:1-20 “And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, ‘Ephphatha,’ that is, ‘Be opened.’” (Mark 7:34) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  Jesus puts His fingers in the deaf ears of the man and touches the man’s garbled tongue with His holy saliva, and He looks up to heaven and sighs . It is a wo...

September 7, 2024  Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 16 - Psalm 28:1-2, 6-7; antiphon: Psalm 28:8 Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 4:38-5:8 ; Ephesians 6:1-24 “ The Lord is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed.” (Psalm 28:8) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. What separates those who have faith in God and those who do not? If you look just at the outside of someone’s life,...

September 6, 2024  Today's Reading: 2 Kings 4:8-22, 32-37 Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 4:8-22, 32-37 ; Ephesians 5:15-33 “ And he said, “At this season, about this time next year, you shall embrace a son.” And she said, “No, my lord, O man of God; do not lie to your servant.” But the woman conceived, and she bore a son about that time the following spring, as Elisha had said to her.”  (2 Kings 4:16-1...

September 5, 2024  Today's Reading: Catechism: Table of Duties: To bishops Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 2:19-25; 4:1-7 ; Ephesians 4:25-5:14 “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. It’s good to know what you are getting into when deciding on a vocat...