Holy Cross Day- 14 September- Philippians 2:8; John 12:32,33

On the church calendar, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on September 14 can serve as a reminder of changing seasons. Schools, including parish religious education, are often back in session. In the Northern Hemisphere, nature has hints of autumn. For those who observe the autumnal Ember Days, this festival also marks that time.

However, Holy Cross Day has deeper historical and theological significance. Several months have passed since Lent and Good Friday. Thus, this feast is a fresh reminder of the centrality of Christ's Cross. As Philippians 2:8 affirms, "he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." As John 12:32,33 teaches, "'And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.' This he said, signifying what death he should die."

Holy Cross Day dates back to the fourth century, when Emperor Constantine's mother decided to look for Christ's cross. While one may doubt if the remnants of that cross could or can be identified, it is useful to remember Christ's cross on this day and throughout the year. Holy Cross Day is a minor observance or "black-letter day" in the 1559 and 1662 Books of Common Prayer. It is also referred to indirectly in the 1928 American BCP  in setting the dates for the autumn Ember Days. 

Commemorating Christ's cross reminds us that the cross is at the heart of Christian doctrines of redemption. The cross has always been the central Christian symbol. This day can be an occasion to focus on why we are Christians. Our divine and human Lord has suffered the degradation and pain of the cross for us sinners and our salvation. In doing so, He has become the Paschal Lamb who takes away the sins of the world. He has offered us His mercy and peace. He has overcome sin and reconciled us with the heavenly Father. And by His Resurrection, our Lord Jesus Christ has transformed the Holy Cross into a glorious sign of faith, hope, love, and eternal life. Thanks be to God!

Trinity XV- Matthew 6:24-34

 The Gospel for the Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity is from St. Matthew 6:24-34. The reference to God's provision is appropriate for late summer/early autumn, the beginning of the harvest season, but it implies much more. It points us to divine providence and mercy in all its expressions. All creation depends upon God for existence and survival. He watches over and cares for wild plants and the least birds. How much more must He care for human beings, especially for His faithful people! 

Divine providence also implies other points. An important result of God's care is His expectation of a faithful response. This expectation appears in the first verse of this Sunday's Gospel. In Matthew 6:24, Jesus says, "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." God's grace comes first, but human beings must respond. We must choose: either we serve God, or we serve material wealth and possessions. We can not have two top priorities, and if we try, life becomes filled with irreconcilable conflicts. 

Divided loyalties remain an ongoing issue in human life. When people are prospering, they tend to become greedy to increase profits or comforts. When they are facing economic uncertainty, people tend to become anxious or grasping just to maintain minimal standards. In both cases, materialism tends to push loyalty to God and His eternal values aside.

Yet, our passage also contains beautiful images of what life can be like when human beings put God first and trust in Him. Christ points us to examples from nature. Even birds and wildflowers, which only live briefly, are cared for under divine providence. So faithful human beings should find comfort and joy in life. Earthly life may be fleeting, but God cares for us and gives us what we need. And as believers, we trust that when our allotted time here is complete, God will grant us even greater spiritual solace. Therefore, let us cast aside faithless anxieties. We must reject the idolatry of mammon or materialism. Let us place God's kingdom and His righteous standards first. Then life becomes truly meaningful.

Trinity XIV- Luke 17:11-19

The Gospel for Trinity XIV is from Luke 17:11-19. This selection is the second in a row that shows a Samaritan in a positive light. Last week, the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 15 showed a Samaritan's compassion to the man who had been robbed and beaten. This week, the positive example is a Samaritan leper who shows great gratitude.

As Jesus passed through a village on the way from Galilee to Jerusalem, He healed ten lepers.  Of the ten, only one, a Samaritan, responded by glorifying God and thanking Jesus. Christ noted the man's identity, and then "he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole"(17:19).An outcast Samaritan, who had also been a contagious and disfigured leper, becomes a great example of faith in God and in Christ.

The Samaritan's identity makes a significant point. Not only can a despised person exemplify good moral behavior, but such a person may also exemplify great religious faith. And faith is the ultimate issue. Regardless of all other human characteristics, faith in God through Christ is the core of a person's identity. Faith and a grateful response are more significant than physical health, nationality, or membership in a certain religious group.

Whether thinking of other people or ourselves, we should think of attitudes toward God rather than obvious external characteristics. The primary focus of a person's identity should not rest in worldly traits such as appearance, physical health, nationality, or denominational affiliation. We should ask ourselves whether we are humbly faithful and grateful to God for His work in Jesus Christ. For it is such faith that determines who we really are.

Trinity XIII- Luke 10:23-37

The Gospel for the Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity is from Luke 10:23-37 and includes the well-known parable of the Good Samaritan. That parable is important, and it encourages compassion and true neighborliness. We always need to grow in such virtues.  However, this time, let us focus on the lawyer whose question leads to the parable in Luke 10: 25-29. The lawyer recognizes the principle of two great commandments, but he wants to justify himself and his views.

Jesus and the lawyer, along with many of their contemporaries, agree on the two great commandments: love God and love neighbor. However, the key difference is in their attitudes. For Jesus, the Law is a helpful guide with spiritual and moral purposes. The Two Great Commandments encourage worshipping God and caring for other people. For the lawyer and other legalists, the emphasis is on the details of rule-keeping. Instead of concentrating on inner motivation, the legalist views the commandments as a checklist for self-congratulation and self-justification. So, Jesus tells a parable that shows good attitudes and actions may be found even among people who don't follow all the rules (such as Samaritans).

This is still a warning for Christians. We know basic commandments, and we can probably check off some rules we have followed. But we should consider our attitudes and opportunities to show mercy. Let us watch our motives and attitudes, and repent of our failures. We must honor the principles of divine Law, and through divine grace, we must seek to apply those principles with sincerity and compassion.

Trinity XII- Mark 7:31-37

The Gospel for the Twelfth Sunday after Trinity is from Mark 7:31-37. Like the collect for the day, it emphasizes divine mercy and grace. It is a miracle of the healing of a deaf-mute. This miracle takes place in the Decapolis, a region east of the Jordan. In the first century, this region had both Jewish and pagan Greek-speaking inhabitants. This circumstance points to the significance of Christ's ministry for all people. The healing of a deaf-mute of unspecified national origin suggests that divine grace is for all peoples. This healing also points to Christ's fulfillment of Messianic prophecies (Isaiah 35:5 and Ezekiel 24:27). So this fairly simple Gospel passage points to two profound themes: 1) the universality of divine mercy and grace, and 2) the arrival of the Messianic kingdom in the person of Jesus Christ.

Trinity XI- Luke 18: 9-14

 The Gospel for the Eleventh Sunday after Trinity is from Luke 18:9-14 and emphasizes God's mercy toward humble and penitent sinners such as the tax collector. Frequently, when human beings think of divine power, we tend to focus on creation, amazing miracles, extraordinary natural phenomena, or divine judgments against sin. We can certainly see manifestations of divine power in such things, and we should appreciate them. However, today's Gospel points us in a very different direction. Although God's creative work and His justice are notable expressions of His power, His grace, pardon, and mercy are even more powerful. We see this same emphasis in the opening words of the traditional collect for the day. Those words are "O God, who declarest thy almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity...." 

Like both the Pharisee and the tax collector, we are all sinners in one way or another. All fallen human beings deserve judgment and separation from God. Nevertheless, God is loving and merciful, and if we are open to His grace expressed in Jesus Christ, then we can humbly repent, receive divine mercy, and be justified or set right with God. God's great power is chiefly expressed through His love, mercy, and compassion! For all of us, that is certainly the Gospel, or Good News!

Trinity X- Luke 19:41

The Gospel for the Tenth Sunday after Trinity comes from Luke 19:41-47. This passage follows Luke’s account of Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. These verses highlight our Lord’s concern for the city and its people. St. Luke 19:41 says, “And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it…” There were various reasons to weep over first-century Jerusalem. The city was important for several reasons, and it suffered from diverse forms of corruption.

In this post, let us focus on the key aspect of corruption: Jerusalem's role as the heart of the Jewish religion. The city was the place where the whole Jewish people focused their relationship with God. In general, the people honored the religious establishment even though many religious leaders lacked living faith. Such leaders thought all was well as long as certain external forms were maintained. Most of the priests and religious scholars viewed Jesus as a troublemaker to be neutralized. Most official religious leaders sought to maintain the respectable, prosperous, and powerful situations permitted by Rome.

Of course, worldly Rome would only allow these leaders to continue for so long. Rome was greedier and more powerful than the Jerusalem priests and scribes were. The Empire would eventually tire of Judean party squabbles and rebellions; in 70 AD, Roman military might would destroy the rebellious city. Such then was the city over which Jesus wept. He wept because He loved His people, and He still honored the religious heritage and values which Jerusalem symbolized. He wept because of the corruption, spiritual blindness, and sin that endangered the city and the Jewish people.

There is a historical aspect to this Gospel selection. It is about first-century Jerusalem. However, it is also about the human story, and sadly, it seems to have many applications to present-day Christianity. Like the religious parties of first-century Jerusalem, many contemporary Christians, especially the religious leaders, do not know the things that bring true peace. Many who profess Christ do not follow Him, and the problem is more than general human weakness or individual sins. Our post-modern religious institutions are permeated by various forms of moral and spiritual corruption. 

Christendom does have a great heritage, but so did ancient Jerusalem (and so did ancient Rome). Even a great heritage can become so corrupt that it collapses from internal weakness and external pressures. Christ's Church will continue to the end of the age, but particular institutional and civilizational expressions of the Church may fade away. That includes, for example, the Vatican and Canterbury, as well as many smaller religious organizations. The dangers are real and acute.

Yet, we are not without hope. Christianity is a faith based on repentance and renewal. If even a remnant heeds Christ and lives by His truth and His values, their message survives through the chaos and destruction. Jesus Christ offers us a different way than the worldly way. He offers true peace, peace with God and fellow believers. He offers new life through divine grace and living faith. The question that faces supposed Christians is whether we really accept Him and His peace, or we ignore Him and pursue the corrupt ways that lead to destruction. Lord, have mercy upon us.

Trinity IX- Luke 15:11-32

 The traditional Gospel for the Ninth Sunday after Trinity is the famous passage from Luke 15 generally known as the Parable of the Prodigal Son. There are three central characters in the story: 1) the ungrateful and wasteful son who repents and returns home, 2) the merciful, gracious, and forgiving father who celebrates the prodigal's return, or 3) the legalistic and resentful older brother who is jealous and hurt. All three characters can provide food for thought. 

The most important one is the father, who represents almighty God, the heavenly Father. Everything belongs to him, and he has the right to dispose of it as he pleases. At the same time, this loving father wants to see his sons grow into mature and responsible men, and he allows the sons the freedom to make choices, even bad choices. He continues to love them and wait in hope for them to come to their senses, repent, and return. When they do, he makes his love clear.

Of course, the younger son who is prodigal or wasteful is the dramatic example. His mistakes are obvious. He rebels, leaves home, squanders his inheritance, and falls into a degraded life, envying swine. In such humiliation, he must humble himself even further by returning to the father in repentance, hoping for minimal consideration. Yet, as dramatic as his case is, the wasteful son is not the only sinner. The dutiful son also has problems. He lacks a true appreciation of the graciousness of his father. Outwardly, he has remained near his father, but through his wrong attitudes, he has become spiritually distant from the father, and he also needs to repent.

This familiar story needs to sink into our minds and hearts repeatedly. God is loving, gracious, and merciful. He gives us many things, and He gives us certain freedoms in our responses. Unfortunately, at various times and in different ways, we have all been ungrateful and fallen into sin. So whether our sinfulness has been expressed in dramatic ways or in quiet attitudes, we all need to repent and seek His gracious love.

Trinity VIII- Matthew 7:15-21

 The Gospel for the Eighth Sunday after Trinity contains two important warnings from our Lord. The first warning is Matthew 7:15, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." The second is Matthew 7:21, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." Sometimes, these verses have been viewed as general warnings about corruption and hypocrisy among believers. And that is partially true. All Christians should be careful to avoid spiritual and moral corruption.  However, in these verses, our Lord is focusing on a more specific issue: the danger of corrupt religious leaders who endanger God's people, His sheep.

Human beings need leaders in various areas of life, including the area of religion and faith. Yet, false prophets and other corrupt religious leaders have been a problem throughout human history. They were a problem for ancient Israel, for Jews and Gentiles during Christ's time, and for the Christian Church at many times in history.

Although corruption has been an ongoing human problem, corrupt leadership seems even more of an issue in our time. The moral corruption of secular and religious leaders often gains attention, especially when it involves financial or sexual immorality. Such corruption can be very disheartening, especially when corrupt leaders claim to be Christians. Nevertheless, our verses point to an even more serious problem than financial or sexual misconduct. By speaking of "false prophets," Jesus is pointing beyond personal moral failings to serious matters of false teaching. We may think many example, including Christian and non-Christian teachers and ministers. Of course, any religious leader who misbehaves may create scandal and need to repent, but a person who promotes false teachings is even more dangerous for the flock. Those Christian leaders who reject the truth of Scripture, the Creeds, and the Commandments are wolves hiding within ready to mislead and devour Christ's flock. 

The faithful must beware of the danger, but we must not despair. Jesus Christ is still our great and good shepherd who watches over us from heaven and assists us through the Holy Spirit. He offers us His grace through Word and Sacrament. And although corrupt leaders do cause much damage, they do not endure forever. God limits the damage caused by evil, and He continues to raise up good leaders among the faithful remnant of His people. So let us persevere in faith and in hope!

Trinity VII- Romans 6:19-23

The Gospel for this Sunday is from Mark 8:1-9, an account of the miraculous feeding of the four thousand. Christ's miraculous feedings can always remind us of His power and of the human need for both physical and spiritual nourishment. This time, however, I decided to focus on the traditional Epistle from Romans 6:19-23.

This selection continues the theme of Christian freedom that was emphasized in last Sunday's Epistle. Through Baptism, we have been united with Jesus Christ. We have died and risen with Him. Although fallen human beings are mired in uncleanness and sin, through the work and grace of our Lord, we have been given new life. By grace, we can now become "servants to righteousness" (Romans 6:19). Sin remains as long as we are in this world, but it no longer has to reign in the lives of believers. As Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."   

Because of Christ, there is the hope of deliverance from slavery to sin. This deliverance, rooted in divine grace, begins in this world as we are united with Christ through repentance, baptismal grace, and faith. We are freed from the domination of sin and given the grace to bear the fruits of holiness. We remain weak and imperfect sinners in this world, but we can start to change and produce good fruit. This is a gift of God, and it points us toward another gift of God- eternal life through Christ. Eternal life is life lived in fellowship with God through the grace of His Son. Eternal life begins in this world with a faithful response to grace, and it reaches its fullness in the world to come.

Trinity VI- Matthew 5:20; Romans 6:11

 On the Sixth Sunday after Trinity, the Gospel begins with Matthew 5:20: "Jesus said unto his disciples, "Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.'"  How can this be? The Pharisees were noted for their pursuit of legal righteousness. How can the disciples of Jesus even hope that their righteousness might exceed that of the Pharisees?

We see the answer in the following verses, Matthew 5:21-26. In these verses and throughout the Sermon on the Mount, it becomes clear that our Lord is talking about more than a mere external obedience to the commandments of divine Law. While obeying certain rules can help restrain evil and provide guidance for good behavior, external obedience is not sufficient. Following the rules is not enough because true righteousness involves inner attitudes. God wants us to turn from sin and be renewed inwardly in faith, hope, and love each day. And such repentance and renewal only come through divine grace manifest in Jesus Christ. 

In other words, Matthew 5 refers to the same spiritual renewal discussed in Romans 6:3-11. The only way for fallen human beings to be righteous is through union with Jesus Christ, a union which takes place through Baptism and Faith. This renewal begins with the grace of Christian Baptism, but in our fallen condition, we need new applications of grace until the end of our earthly pilgrimages. Many aspects of life and experience can be associated with renewal, but notably, it occurs through hearing and reading the Word, participating in the Lord's Supper, and constant prayer. Day by day and week by week, we must continue dying to sin and being "alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:.11) Only the righteousness that comes through living faith in Jesus Christ truly exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees!

Trinity V- Luke 5:1-11

 The Gospel for the Fifth Sunday after Trinity is Luke's account of the call of some of the apostles (Luke 5:1-11). Several Galilean fishermen had a poor night of fishing, and Jesus guided them to a great catch.  Jesus uses this encounter to call the fishermen to follow Him. The great catch of fish becomes a call to catch people for the kingdom of God. It is a call for commitment and a challenge to have faith..

The miraculous catch of fish still applies to us. It reminds us that Jesus Christ is the holy Lord of creation who still works in amazing and surprising ways. The miracle is a call to discipleship and  the ministry of gathering people for the kingdom of God. We have a vocation to follow Jesus in all things and to share in His mission of seeking people for God's kingdom. The specifics vary according to our personal situations and talents, but all of us are asked to contribute to Christ's mission. Like those Galilean fishermen, despite our fears and hesitations, let us respond in faith.

Trinity IV- Luke 6- Human Judgment

 This Sunday's Gospel from St. Luke 6 is from the Sermon on the Plain, a section similar to the Sermon on the Mount in St. Matthew. The selection contains many significant sayings of our Lord. One of them is very famous- “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged” (Luke 6:37). This important Christian principle has not always been easy to understand or to apply. On the one hand, it reminds us that human judgments are imperfect, especially when it comes to evaluating the attitudes, faith, and intentions of other people. We recognize that human beings often misjudge others.  We may jump to false conclusions or be harsh. Even the best human judgments about another person are limited and fall short in some respects. So, we seek to have humble and open minds regarding other people and their standing before God.

On the other hand, in practical terms, we know that human beings must make certain judgments about health and safety. Even in moral and spiritual matters, people must make some practical daily judgments. Both individuals and societies need to make decisions to protect themselves from unwise and bad behaviors. This reality is recognized by Jesus Himself in John 7:24. There, our Lord says, “Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” 

Thus, the verse about not judging from Luke 6:37 should be understood wisely and sensibly. Christians must not judge hastily or unfairly. We must not judge harshly or unmercifully. And we must not presume that even our best human judgments always live up to divine standards. However, we must value divine revelation and promote high moral and spiritual standards. We must humbly ask for divine help to follow righteous standards ourselves and encourage others to do the same. We seek to be merciful, fair, and reasonable in our opinions about human beings and their behaviors. Above all, we strive to treat others as we would like to be treated.

Trinity III- Luke 15:1-10

 The Gospel from Luke 15:1-10 contains two brief parables: the lost sheep and the lost coin.   A shepherd who loses one sheep out of a hundred and a housewife who loses one coin out of ten make great efforts to recover what has been lost. And when they do recover the lost sheep or coin, they rejoice greatly. These parables illustrate the divine attitude toward sinners. God cares for every soul, no matter how insignificant that person might seem. He searches for the lost, and He and all of heaven rejoice over every soul recovered.

These parables apply to us. We all belong to God, but at different times or in different ways, we get lost. Yet, each of us has great value to God, and He keeps seeking us. He offers us His amazing grace in Word and Sacrament; He takes the initiative even when we are unaware. If we have already been found by Him, we should be grateful to Him and live accordingly. If we are still wandering like lost sheep, we should be aware of God's desire to find us and accept His mercy.  We should always be aware of the divine grace that seeks us, and we should respond in humble gratitude. We should also acknowledge that the same divine grace is seeking the people around us.

Trinity II- Luke 14:16-23

In this week's Gospel from St. Luke 14:16-23, our Lord tells a parable about a feast. He uses the comparison of a feast to illustrate God's gracious invitation into His presence and the human tendency to resist and reject divine grace. Many of those invited to the feast despise the gracious host's hospitality and offer plausible-sounding excuses. The host knows that there are others who will gladly accept, and he promises that the ungrateful will not benefit from his hospitality.

Of course, the parable of the ungrateful guests is about redemption and the kingdom of heaven. Throughout history, and especially in our time, many people have rejected the offer of divine grace. They make all sorts of excuses, great and small. They always seem to have extenuating circumstances for every avoidance or rejection of God's invitation to fellowship with Him. However, by their excuses, they really harm themselves, not the divine host. 

God is the gracious host who takes the initiative. He invites us into fellowship with Him. If we refuse His grace, we may offend Him, but He can always find other guests who will be grateful. Every day and every week, God invites us to spend time with Him. He asks us to read and hear His Word and pray, both privately and publicly. He also invites us to the Lord's Supper. God wants us to accept His hospitality and fellowship with other guests, but we human beings are often ungrateful. We look for excuses to refuse divine grace and deprive ourselves of great blessings. So, let us examine ourselves and re-order our priorities while there is time. Let us accept the grace that God offers and respond in gratitude.

Trinity I- Luke 16:31

 This Sunday's Gospel from Luke 16:19-31 contains the Parable of the Rich Man and the Beggar Lazarus.  (The rich man is sometimes called "Dives" from the Latin for "rich.") This passage brings us several themes, including the importance of compassion and the nature of the afterlife. In rereading the passage this week, another theme was noticeable. In Luke 16:31, the Gospel concludes, "And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." 

This statement highlights the basic human spiritual and moral problem. God has created human beings to be spiritually and morally responsible. He expects them to love Him and their neighbors. In His mercy, God has provided and still provides revelations of His expectations. In nature, in the Mosaic Law, and in the prophets, the divine expectations are clear for those willing to see and hear. In the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God has revealed His expectations even more clearly. Moreover, He has revealed the possibility of repentance, faith, pardon, and renewal after human failure. God offers redeeming grace. 

Unfortunately, human beings are often like the rich man in the parable. They ignore both divine expectations and divine grace. They persist in hardness of heart. They continue in their selfish sinfulness. Not only are they immoral, but they are also unspiritual. Their attitude is the central problem. They are not open to divine holiness, love, or grace. They have no transcendent faith. Their confidence is in themselves and their earthly status or possessions. And such hardened attitudes have eternal consequences.

Fortunately, such a sad state can be remedied. Sinful and selfish human beings are offered grace. In His mercy, God can change them and soften hardened hearts. With God, all things are possible. People can turn from sin, and faith can arise in unexpected ways. All humans (even a poor Lazarus) are sinners who can develop humble and faithful attitudes through the divine grace revealed in Jesus Christ. May we have eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to believe this good news!

Sunday next before Advent- Jeremiah 23:5-8; John 6:14- Endings and Beginnings

This Sunday is the last Sunday of the church year, and there have been various ways of dealing with it. Sometimes it has not received special attention. Since the 1970s, some modern calendars have inserted new observances such as the feast of Christ the King. Certainly, we should always be aware that Christ is our King, but the 1928 Book of Common Prayer followed a different approach to include this theme. The 1928 revisers looked back to the Sarum tradition for the name of the day and for the collect and lessons.  

The collect and epistle point to the need for a new beginning. In the liturgical epistle, which is actually a selection from the prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah 23:5-8 looks to the day when the Lord God will raise up a Branch from the Davidic line. This new king will lead His people in justice and righteousness. His acts of redemption will overshadow the Exodus from Egypt, God's great act of redemption from the past.

The Gospel also points to a new beginning and makes a similar point. The crowd is impressed by the miracle of the loaves and fish. Despite their lack of true appreciation, in John 6:14, they call Jesus "that prophet who should come into the world." They are referring to Moses' prophecy in Deuteronomy 18:15-19. In his prediction, Moses implied that a new prophet, like Moses but greater, would come to speak more directly from God. Christians see this prophecy fulfilled in Jesus (see Hebrews 3:1-6).

As long as this world endures, human beings will always undergo endings and new beginnings. Christ is our King and the greatest Prophet. He is also our great high Priest (Hebrews 4:14-15). In all our beginnings and endings, especially in spiritual, devotional, and moral matters, we depend on Him to lead us into greater righteousness. We need His grace to renew us through all the changing times and circumstances of life.

Trinity XXII- Matthew 18:21-35- Forgiveness

The Gospel for the Twenty-Second Sunday after Trinity is from Matthew 18:21-35. This passage consists of two sections on forgiveness. In the first brief part (18:21-22), St. Peter wants to know the limits of his responsibility to forgive. According to one Jewish tradition, forgiving someone three times was sufficient. So when Peter suggests that forgiving seven times might be enough, he is being generous. Jesus, however, tells Peter that it should be "seventy times seven." Of course, keeping a mental count of 490 incidents would be impractical and unlikely. Thus, in other words, our Lord is telling Peter and us that we are not to keep count of how often we forgive. We should be gracious as God is gracious.

The second part of today's Gospel (St. Matthew 18:23-35) has been called the parable of the unjust or unmerciful servant. In this parable, a servant owes his king an enormous debt, a billionaire's debt. He and his family are about to be sold into slavery. The man begs for an extended payment plan, and the king writes off the whole debt. Rather than being humble, grateful, and kind, the servant goes out and ruthlessly tries to get every penny from a fellow servant who owes him a comparatively minuscule debt. When the king hears of this lack of mercy, he revokes his previous decision and punishes the unjust servant to the full extent of the law. Then our Lord adds the key conclusion in Matthew 18:35, "So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also to you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every man his brother their trespasses."

All the debts that we human beings owe each other are minuscule in comparison to what we owe our heavenly King. We can never repay God for what He has given us and forgiven us. Our trespasses are enormous offences against divine goodness, and we are completely dependent upon divine mercy. So we too must show mercy by forgiving others. As we pray repeatedly, "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."

Trinity XXI- John 4:46-54

 The Gospel for the Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity is from John 4:46-54 and is the second Galilean miracle in St. John's account. A "nobleman" or "official" wants Jesus to come and heal his critically ill son. Our Lord does not agree to come. Instead, He comments on the popular desire for outward signs and assures the man that his son will live. 

This account serves as an important comment on God's healing power at work in Jesus Christ. All too often, the human mind likes to say that God always works in certain ways. Of course, certain divine characteristics remain constant. God is always loving, holy, powerful, and merciful. Yet, God's redeeming and healing power and grace work through Jesus Christ in a variety of ways. Sometimes, Jesus heals a person in His immediate presence; sometimes, He heals a person at some distance. Jesus may or may not have a conversation with the person. On occasion, Jesus utters a declaration of forgiveness of sin. He may touch the person who is healed, or, as in this story, there may be a simple word from Jesus indicating that the prayer is answered. This variety of approaches is a reminder that God in Christ can use diverse means to express His power and grace. Thus, we need a faith that trusts in Christ to work in the way He chooses for our healing and redemption!

Trinity XVIII- Matthew 22:34-46

The traditional Gospel for the Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity is from St. Matthew 22: 34-46, This selection consists of two brief dialogues between Jesus and the Pharisees. In the first part, Jesus shows affirms His continuity with the Old Testament. With many other teachers, He asserts the primacy of two great commandments: to love God above all and to love one's neighbor. These two commandments summarize the principles of the Hebrew Scriptures, and Jesus' public ministry is about applying these principles in different situations. 

In the second part of today's Gospel selection, Jesus points to His unique identity. Applying rabbinic methods of interpretation to Psalm 110, Jesus implies that He is the Messiah (or the Christ). He points out that the Christ is far greater than His ancestor David. Indeed, the implication is that Christ shares divine majesty. This powerful claim will continue to be developed in the rest of Christ's earthly ministry and throughout the New Testament. Jesus is both a great teacher and King David's greatest descendent, but He is much more. He is God the Son incarnate, the unique mediator and redeemer!