#revised common lectionary

[magicalpostdeer]

[buggie-hagen]

Minor Festival Homily: Michael and All Angels (9/29/23)

Primary Text | John 7:53-8:11

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Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,

          Today’s passage from John teaches us the difference between God’s judgment and God’s mercy. This passage is traditionally called “the woman caught in adultery.” The scribes and the Pharisees drag the woman to Jesus not because they actually care about what she had done. They bring her so they can trap Jesus and discredit him. So they ask him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” (John 8:4-5). They think, “Aha! Now we have him! We have him caught no matter if he says ‘Yes’ or ‘No.’” If Jesus says, “Yes, stone her” then they’ve won their case against him—he will contradict himself. If Jesus says, “No, don’t stone her” they can accuse him of teaching against Moses. What none of them saw coming was what he would say to them. First, he said nothing. But when they pressed him more on the matter, he said, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7). In this way he blows them all out of the water.

          Let’s consider what Jesus did here. He does not deny the wrongdoing of the woman caught in adultery. Adultery is no little sin. It destroys the divine institution of marriage. It tears families apart. It unsettles any little ones involved affecting them the rest of their lives. Adultery causes black mold to grow on the trust necessary for such intimate relationships. God’s judgment in the law of Moses for such a sin is death by stoning. Which, Jesus does not deny. God’s judgment is unbending. It condemns outright and totally—that is the function of the law. But Jesus says here only the one without sin can be the one to stone her. In saying that Jesus slings the mud right back at the Pharisees. For they realize that they do not qualify to throw stones—they too, have their sins. Turns out, it was not they who caught Jesus, but Jesus who caught them. So they leave one by one so that Jesus and the woman are left alone to themselves.  Then, Jesus said to the woman, “‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again’” (John 8:10-11). Now we begin to see the difference between God’s judgment and God’s mercy. The kingdom of Jesus is filled only with sinners, actual sinners. But forgiven sinners. Luther wrote on this passage, “God’s mercy does not deal with insignificant sins, half-sins, imaginary sins, or sins that are no sins, but real sins that are felt. For example, not to fear God, not to trust Him and believe in Him, not to love one’s neighbor, not to pray, not to hear preaching, not to keep the commandments of Moses, any violation of God’s command, something that cannot be ignored—these call for a genuine, not a meaningless, forgiveness.” According to the law this woman caught stands condemned in her adultery. According to the gospel, this woman is forgiven. 

The Pharisees walked away because as sinful as adultery is, Jesus has held up the mirror, showing them that they are not so holy and pure as they think they are—they do not have a better standing than this woman they brought to shame. When it comes to sin, we are all on equal ground and equally condemned. Let us not think that we ourselves are pure and holy on the basis of what we do or do not do. In his teaching on adultery Jesus does not lower the severity of the sixth commandment on adultery—he illuminates its scope by saying anyone who even gazes at another with lust in their heart has committed adultery. So he has caught us in the act. But like the woman caught in adultery, you and I are upheld by the kingdom of the gospel—where there is no longer punishment or condemnation. The slogan of Christ’s kingdom is this: “I forgive you your sin; for in My kingdom no one is without forgiveness” (from Luther). Dear people, it is not holy, pure, and good people who are admitted to the kingdom. Those he sends far away. It is the adulterers and any who know the depth of their sin, these are the ones he brings in. And so he has brought you in by the hearing of the word, that first word that puts to death, and that second word that raises you from the dead—whatever your sin Jesus says to you, “I do not condemn you. I do not condemn you.”

[letmylightshinebright]

Lectionary Reading Of The Day

The Martyrs of Memphis: Constance, Thecla, Ruth, Frances, Charles Parsons, and Louis Schuyler, 1878

The Collect:

Rite I: We give thee thanks and praise, O God of compassion, for the heroic witness of the Martyrs of Memphis, who, in a time of plague and pestilence, were steadfast in their care for the sick and dying, and loved not their own lives, even unto death; Inspire in us a like love and commitment to those in need, following the example of our Savior Jesus Christ; who with thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Rite II: We give you thanks and praise, O God of compassion, for the heroic witness of the Martyrs of Memphis, who, in a time of plague and pestilence, were steadfast in their care for the sick and dying, and loved not their own lives, even unto death; Inspire in us a like love and commitment to those in need, following the example of our Savior Jesus Christ; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

First Lesson: 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, 4who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God. 5For just as the sufferings of Christ are abundant for us, so also our consolation is abundant through Christ.

Psalm: Psalm 116:1–8

1 I love the Lord, because he has heard the voice of                             my supplication, *        because he has inclined his ear to me whenever                             I called upon him. 2 The cords of death entangled me;   the grip of the grave took hold of me; *        I came to grief and sorrow. 3 Then I called upon the Name of the Lord: *       “O Lord, I pray you, save my life.” 4 Gracious is the Lord and righteous; *        our God is full of compassion. 5 The Lord watches over the innocent; *        I was brought very low, and he helped me. 6 Turn again to your rest, O my soul, *        for the Lord has treated you well. 7 For you have rescued my life from death, *        my eyes from tears, and my feet from stumbling. 8 I will walk in the presence of the Lord *        in the land of the living.

Gospel: John 12:24-28

24Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honour.

27 ‘Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—“Father, save me from this hour”? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. 28Father, glorify your name.’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.’

[bookkats]

Advent Candles RCL

Week 1 Mark 13:24-37Isaiah 64:1-9Psalm 801 Corinthians 1:3-9 HopeOur Hope lies in the LordThe waiting seems long, but we wait togetherGod you shape us into your peoplePrepare our hearts for HopeUncover hope, Holy SpiritStir the Hope in us Today Hymn Suggestions: Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence, Taize: Wait for the Lord (Taize could be done throughout the candle lighting liturgy) Week…

[machine-unlearning]

*youth pastor voice* Now, I know you all love to celebrate Trans Figures. But this Sunday, the Revised Common Lectionary celebrates the Transfiguration of our Lord and Savior."

[maureen-corpse]

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I hate Vanderbilt University's new Revised Common Lectionary site. I know it's free but my god. One revision at a time, Cornelius

[biblebloodhound]

Lessons From a Genealogy (Ruth 4:18-22)

By listing someone’s descendants in writing, it indicates an ongoing developing story which has happened, and continues to develop up to the present time, and even into the future.

Now these are the descendants of Perez: Perez became the father of Hezron, Hezron of Ram, Ram of Amminadab, Amminadab of Nahshon, Nahshon of Salmon, Salmon of Boaz, Boaz of Obed, Obed of Jesse, and Jesse of David. (New Revised Standard Version) No, I didn’t make a mistake about what the verses are for today from the Revised Common Lectionary. Yes, the Old Testament lesson is a brief genealogy.…

[dutch-and-flemish-painters]

Albert Gregorius - Parable of the Prodigal Son -

The Parable of the Prodigal Son (also known as the parable of the Two Brothers, Lost Son, Loving Father, or of the Forgiving Father) is one of the parables of Jesus in the Bible, appearing in Luke 15:11–32. Jesus shares the parable with his disciples, the Pharisees, and others.

In the story, a father has two sons. The younger son asks for his portion of inheritance from his father, who grants his son's request. This son, however, is prodigal (i.e., wasteful and extravagant), thus squandering his fortune and eventually becoming destitute. As consequence, he now must return home empty-handed and intend to beg his father to accept him back as a servant. To the son's surprise, he is not scorned by his father but is welcomed back with celebration and a welcoming party. Envious, the older son refuses to participate in the festivities. The father tells the older son: "you are ever with me, and all that I have is yours, but your younger brother was lost and now he is found."

The Prodigal Son is the third and final parable of a cycle on redemption, following the parable of the Lost Sheep and the parable of the Lost Coin. In Revised Common Lectionary and Roman Rite Catholic Lectionary, this parable is read on the fourth Sunday of Lent (in Year C); in the latter it is also included in the long form of the Gospel on the 24th Sunday of Ordinary Time in Year C, along with the preceding two parables of the cycle. In the Eastern Orthodox Church it is read on the Sunday of the Prodigal Son.

Albert Jacob Frans Gregorius, or Albert Jacques François Grégorius (26 October 1774, Bruges - 25 February 1853, Bruges) was a Flemish-Belgian portrait painter and Director of the art academy in Bruges.

[emjee]

Merry Jesus undermining the social primacy of the nuclear family Sunday to all on the Revised Common Lectionary who celebrate

[gsptucson]

Fr. Steve’s Sermon for Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023 (Proper 25A)

“Loving our Apex Predator Neighbor”

Download Sermon Audio (2.9Mb MP3)

Download Sermon Text (97Kb PDF)

Revised Common Lectionary for Fourth Sunday in Creation

[magicalpostdeer]

[tpanan]

My Saturday Daily Blessings

May 10, 2025

Be still quiet your heart and mind, the LORD is here, loving you talking to you...........  

   Saturday of the Third Week of Easter (Roman Rite Calendar)

Lectionary: 278

First Reading:                            Acts 9:31-42

Responsorial Psalm:                 Psalm 116:12-13, 14-15, 16-17

Verse before the Gospel:        See John 6:63c, 68c

Gospel:           John 6:60-69

**Meditation: http://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=may10

Sources: Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

**Meditations may be freely reprinted for non-commercial use - please cite:  copyright © 2023 Servants of the Word, source: dailyscripture.net, author Don Schwager. Scripture quotations from Common Bible: Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1973, and Ignatius Edition of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 2006, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Bible: Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1973, and Ignatius Edition of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 2006, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.  

[letmylightshinebright]

Lectionary Reading Of The Day:

Track 2

Old Testament: Isaiah 35:4-7a

4Say to those who are of a fearful heart, “Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you.”

5Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; 7the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water.

Psalm: Psalm 146

1 Hallelujah!    Praise the Lord, O my soul! *        I will praise the Lord as long as I live;        I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. 2 Put not your trust in rulers, nor in any child of earth, *        for there is no help in them. 3 When they breathe their last, they return to earth, *        and in that day their thoughts perish. 4 Happy are they who have the God of Jacob for their help! *        whose hope is in the Lord their God; 5 Who made heaven and earth, the seas, and all that is in them; *        who keeps his promise for ever; 6 Who gives justice to those who are oppressed, *        and food to those who hunger. 7 The Lord sets the prisoners free;    the Lord opens the eyes of the blind; *        the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; 8 The Lord loves the righteous;    the Lord cares for the stranger; *        he sustains the orphan and widow,        but frustrates the way of the wicked. 9 The Lord shall reign for ever, *        your God, O Zion, throughout all generations.        Hallelujah!

Epistle: James 2:1-10, [11-13], 14-17

1My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favoritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ? 2For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, 3and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Have a seat here, please,” while to the one who is poor you say, “Stand there,” or, “Sit at my feet,” 4have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?5Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? 6But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into court? 7Is it not they who blaspheme the excellent name that was invoked over you?

8You do well if you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 9But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.[ 11For the one who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery but if you murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. 13For judgment will be without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.]

14What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? 15If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, 16and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? 17So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.

Gospel: Mark 7:24-37

24From there he set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, 25but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet.26Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27He said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” 28But she answered him, “Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29Then he said to her, “For saying that, you may go—the demon has left your daughter.” 30So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

31Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. 32They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. 33He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. 34Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” 35And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. 36Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. 37They were astounded beyond measure, saying, “He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”

[ghostsandgod]

NOVUS ORDO CHANGES TO THE LECTIONARY

7. Ecumenical Requirements.

If ecumenical requirements and expressions 'no longer in harmony with the new positions of the Church' moved the revisers to alter the traditional rations, certain scriptural passages that could be applied to 'separated brethren' were likewise best consigned to oblivion.

Missing passages on unbelievers and our dealings with them:

-The god of this world has blinded unbelievers to the truth.

-Bear not the yoke with unbelievers, since light and darkness, Christ and Belial, faithful and unbeliever, have nothing in common and must remain separate.

-Our Lord, in a flame of fire shall wreak vengeance on those who know not God or reject the gospel, and they shall suffer eternal punishment from the face of the Lord.

-Many who came out of Egypt sinned by unbelief, and thus could not enter the promised land.

-The unbelieving shall be punished in a pool of fire and brimstone.

-Every soul which will hear not the prophet shall be destroyed.

-Willful apostasy brings dread judgement and a rage of fire.

Missing passages on the Jews:

-The Jews conspire to kill St Paul.

-Unbelieving Jews stir up the minds of the Gentiles against the faith.

-Jews incite the people and rulers of Thessalonica against St Paul.

-Jewish conjurers are attacked by a demon.

-Jews seize St Paul in the temple and seek to kill him.

-Vain talkers and seducers, 'especially of the circumcision' who spread fables and turn away from the truth.

-The church of Ephesus is blasphemed by them who say they are Jews and are not, but are of 'the Synagogue of Satan.'

-The Jews 'who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and have persecuted us, and please not God, and are adversaries to all men.'

Missing pages on heresy, heretics and thier ultimate fate.

-False apostles are deceitful workmen, who, like Satan, transform themselves into angels of light.

-Beware of false teachers, they are comparable to dogs.

-Shun the vain babblings and the canker of those who have erred from the truth and subverted the faith, and who are held in the devil's snares.

-Be not led away with various and strange doctrines.

-Avoid the heretic, since he is subverted and condemned by his own judgment.

-If anyone bring you not this doctrine, recieve him not nor say: God speed you, or else you will partake of his wicked works.

-It would be better that false teachers had not known the way of justice, since they will recieve a more severe judgment, they are like dogs who have returned to thier vomit or sows wallowing in the mire.

-Fr Anthony Cekada

[sejanashines]

Holy Week Readings 2025

Join me each week of Holy Week 2025 to listen in as I read through the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) Readings for Year C every day. I will be reading them live on Facebook (SejanaShines) at 8:15am CDT and then copying the video onto YouTube right after. You can find the YouTube playlist here “Holy Week Readings 2025 with Sejana” on SejanaShines. Tell me more about these ‘lectionary’…