St. James the Apostle- 25 July- Matthew 4:21; Acts 12:2

  St. James the Apostle was the elder brother of the Apostle John and is sometimes called James the Greater. (The name James is a British form of the common biblical name Jacob or "Iakobos.") James was among the first followers of Jesus (Matthew 4:21); he was also part of the inner group of disciples near Christ at certain key moments (see Matthew 17:1 and Matthew 26:37). 

Later, James was one of the Eleven Apostles who encountered the risen Christ. He was also in the group present after the Ascension (Acts 1:13). During Christ's earthly ministry, James hoped for earthly honors (Matthew 20:20-23), but he learned to put aside such worldly ambitions and became the first of the Twelve to suffer martyrdom for the Gospel (Acts 12:2). Let us remember and honor the example of James and learn to follow him in humility and faithfulness.

St. Matthew the Apostle/Trinity XIV- Matthew 9:9-13

This year the Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity falls on 21 September which is the Feast of St. Matthew. The Gospel is from St. Matthew 9: 9-13 and gives the account of Matthew's call to follow Christ: Matthew also seems to have been called Levi (Mark 2:14). According to ancient tradition, Matthew may have collected Aramaic sayings of Jesus which formed the basis for Matthew's Gospel. He may have also been a missionary in the Jewish Diaspora and a martyr. In first century Palestine, tax collectors were despised as traitors, extortioners, and generally immoral scoundrels. Yet,  Jesus associated with such people. He called tax-collectors as well as all others to repentance and service for the kingdom of God. 

So on this day, we remember and give thanks that our Lord called people such as Matthew. God's grace extended to Matthew and allowed him to be a witness to the Gospel. Likewise, our Lord calls other sinners including us. He offers us His divine grace, and He can empower us, just as He did Matthew, to witness in word and deed to the good news of Jesus Christ.

All Saints- Hebrews 12:1; Jude 3

 All Saints Day is one of the great celebrations of the Church. This feast reflects a long development from the early years of Christian history through the centuries. In the New Testament, there was already a strong sense of community, communion, and continuity among believers. Christians shared with one another, interceded for one another, gave thanks for one another, and honored the witness and example of the faithful who had gone before. They had the sense of being surrounded by a great "cloud of witnesses" (Hebrews 12:1); they also knew that they must continue to "contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints" (Jude 3).

Thus, All Saints Day is a celebration of the Christian faith from Biblical times to the present and beyond. Let us rejoice in the heritage of the saints, and by divine grace, let us seek to be saints who pass the Christian faith on to others!

Easter I- Shalom- John 20:19-23

The Gospel for the First Sunday after Easter is John 20:19-23. In these few verses,  the risen Christ comes to where the timid and fearful disciples are hiding. He greets them in the common Jewish manner, saying “Peace be with you.”  This greeting is an implied prayer for God’s peace that acquires a special meaning in light of Christ’s resurrection. The greeting is now a blessing from the risen Lord. Jesus is the personification of God’s peace, and He has established a new relationship with the heavenly Father for all who truly believe in Him.

The fearful disciples need to hear these reassuring words, but Jesus does not stop there. Jesus wishes them peace a second time, and this time, He adds something. He gives them a mission. As the heavenly Father has sent Him, likewise Christ sends the apostles and through them, all His Church. Jesus shares His resurrection victory over sin and spiritual death with His disciples. He shares His Good News of peace with God, and He asks His followers to share that spiritual peace with others.

Christians still need to hear and believe this two-fold message of peace with God through the crucified risen Christ. First, despite our failings, Jesus Christ still offers us true, deep, and lasting peace. He brings us renewal, reconciliation, and hope. He simply asks us to accept Him and His message in faith. Secondly, as people who have received such peace from Him, He asks us to share this good news with others who need to receive the same divine blessing. These two points are the perennial message of Easter for us and for all people.

Trinity XII- Mark 7: 31-37

On the Twelfth Sunday after Trinity, the Gospel from St. Mark 7:31-37 raises several points about Jesus and about the Christian mission. Every New Testament miracle is a general proclamation of the heavenly kingdom of God at work in the world. In addition, three key points struck me about the healing of the deaf mute.

Those three points are: 1) The location of this miracle is in the Decapolis, a mixed Jewish and Hellenistic area, and this points to the universal goals of Christ’s redeeming work for all peoples; 2) The miracle proclaims Jesus as God’s anointed Savior who fulfills Messianic prophecies; and 3) Christ shows mercy and grace to the afflicted, and He calls His followers to participate in His continuing labor in the world.

St. Mary Magdalene- 22 July

Although not in the 1928 American Book of Common Prayer, the commemoration of St. Mary Magdalene has been included in several Books of Common Prayer. It is also a "Black Letter Day" in the 1662 BCP. 

St. Mary Magdalene is a biblical saint who has sometimes been neglected while at other times she has been the subject of extravagant and even heretical legends and secular literature. The New Testament evidence about her is simple but important. She was one of several women named Mary (Maria, Maryam, or Miriam). Christ healed her from demonic afflictions (St. Luke 8:2), she became a loyal disciple and supporter (St. Luke 8:2-3), and she was present at the Crucifixion (St. Mark 15:40). She was also one of the first witnesses at the empty tomb (St. Mark 16:1; St. Matthew 28:1; St. John 20:1-2), and she was the first witness who encountered the risen Lord (St. John 20:11-18).

Some commentators, ancient and modern, have speculated that she was the same woman who anointed Jesus' feet in St. Luke 7:37-50, but this identification is not certain. There are many later stories about her that are doubtful, but the Eastern Orthodox tradition that Mary Magdalene eventually accompanied the Apostle John and the Virgin Mary to Ephesus is plausible.

Mary Magdalene exemplifies a number of Gospel themes. She is a notable example of the healing and redeeming power of Jesus Christ in human life, and she also shows a penitent, loving, and faithful response to His grace. May her example inspire us. May we likewise be open and responsive witnesses to Christ's power and grace!

St. Thomas the Apostle- 21 December

It may seem strange that the Feast of the Apostle Thomas occurs so closely before Christmas. The exact reason for the date is buried in ancient Christian history. It may be related to an event such as date of martyrdom, moving of relics, or dedication of a church in his name. Whatever the historical detail, there is also a theological point. Thomas points us to the importance and meaning of Christ's Incarnation, 

Of course, on the Sunday of the Resurrection. Thomas did not see the risen Christ, and he was doubtful. A week later, Thomas did see Jesus when He came to the disciples. Then the doubting apostle made a very strong confession of faith; he affirmed Jesus the Christ as "My Lord and my God" (St. John 20:28).

Thomas is an example that Christ can overcome doubt and use former doubters as faithful witnesses. Thomas is an especially strong witness to the Incarnation when he exclaims that Jesus is Lord and God. As another Advent draws to a close, may we think about these words and their meaning for us. We are not celebrating the birth of just any baby. The Christ Child is unique. Christians share Thomas' affirmation that Jesus is our Lord and God come in human flesh!

William Tyndale, priest and translator- 6 October

On a few Anglican calendars, October 6 commemorates William Tyndale (c. 1494-1536). He was from Gloucestershire and studied at Oxford and Cambridge. After unsuccessful attempts to gain official support for a translation of the Bible into English, he seems to have left England for the Continent in 1524. He is known to have resided in Hamburg and Antwerp and may have spent time in Wittenberg and other German cities. 

Like many during the period, his theology was in flux. Influences seem to have included English Lollardy and Renaissance Christian humanism as well as Lutheran and Reformed theologies. Of course, Tyndale's greatest work was translating the Bible from ancient languages into 16th-century English. The New Testament was published in 1526, and the Old Testament remained incomplete at his death. In 1535, he was arrested by Hapsburg officials at Antwerp in modern Belgium (possibly betrayed by agents of English bishops). In  October 1536, he was strangled at the stake and his body burned. Supposedly, Tyndale's last words were, "Lord, open the eyes of the King of England."

Tyndale's great legacy is in all subsequent English Bible translations. (He also influenced the development of the English language possibly more than Cranmer or Shakespeare.) Ironically, despite his early rejection by English officials, Tyndale's work became the basis of works by Miles Coverdale, John Rogers, and several "official" translations during the reigns of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. Tyndale's work also influenced the Roman Catholic Douay-Rheims Bible of 1582 and 1609-10. The great majority of words in the Authorized or King James Version of 1611 reflect Tyndale, and later revisions such as the Revised Standard Version and the English Standard Version continue the English translation tradition started by Tyndale.

Thus, all English-speaking Christians are indebted to the efforts of William Tyndale. He loved the Bible more than his own life, and he left a legacy for people with diverse theologies. May the Lord open all our eyes to the truths of Holy Scripture!

Trinity III- Seeking the Lost

The Gospel for this Sunday is Luke 15:1-10 and contains two brief parables- the lost sheep and the lost coin. The context makes it clear that our Lord is talking about sinners lost to God. Some extreme approaches to this theme have left a bad aftertaste among both believers and non-believers. Because of this aftertaste, some sincere Christians hesitate to speak of people lost in sin. Yet, Scripture is not hesitant to speak of the lost and the condition of lostness. Indeed, all human beings have been lost, and apart from divine grace, remain lost. As the general confession in the Prayer Book Daily Office says, "we have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep" (based on Isaiah 53:6 and 1 Peter 2:25). So all human beings participate in being lost and in needing to be found by Christ and His Church.

Seeking the lost has two important applications in our lives. First, each Christian should acknowledge that in differing ways and at different times we have all been lost and that we have tendencies to get lost repeatedly. As an old hymn says, we are "prone to wander," and we all depend upon divine mercy, grace, and persistence in seeking us out in the past and in each new day. God uses many means to seek us such as subtle promptings of the Spirit, life events, readings, or contacts with others, but chiefly He seeks us through Word and Sacrament. Thus, we should be aware that God is always seeking us, and we need to be open to being found by Him.

Secondly, as members of the Body of Christ, we are called to participate in the Lord's work of seeking and finding the lost. We are not to approach this calling with the wrong attitude. We are not to pretend to be some perfect paragons of virtue. Rather, we are to be humble. As sinners ourselves, we have benefited from the mercy and grace of God. We rejoice in divine mercy and grace, and we want to share that good news with others. We want each lost person to be found and to know the joy of returning to God. May each of us be found and do our small part to help others be found by God!

Christmas

The Feast of Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ commemorates an event and also proclaims a key theological concept- the Incarnation. "And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us" (St. John 1:14). Of course, we celebrate the birth of a great person in human history, but as Christians, we celebrate much more; we celebrate the transcendent and eternal God coming in human flesh. If we can focus on that reality, then we will raise the level of our own observances beyond a simple birthday party. We will move into the realm of mystery, awe, and thanksgiving. And if we really appreciate the mystery of the Incarnation,  maybe we will become better witnesses to a world in desperate need of God in Christ.