| May 04, 2025 - Myrrh-Bearing Women |
Epistle: Acts of Apostles (6: 1 - 7)
In those days, as the number of disciples grew, the ones who spoke Greek complained that their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food, as compared with the widows of those who spoke Hebrew. The Twelve assembled the community of the disciples and said, “It is not right for us to neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables. Look around among your own number, brothers, for seven men acknowledged to be deeply spiritual and prudent, and we shall appoint them to this task. This will permit us to concentrate on prayer and the ministry of the word.” The proposal was unanimously accepted by the community. Following this they selected Stephen, a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit; Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus of Antioch, who had been a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, who first prayed over them and then imposed hands on them. The word of God continued to spread, while at the same time the number of the disciples in Jerusalem enormously increased. There were many priests among those who embraced the faith. |
Gospel: Mark (15:43 - 16:8)
At that time Joseph from Arimathea arrived--a distinguished member of the Sanhedrin. He was another who looked forward to the reign of God. He was bold enough to seek an audience with Pilate and urgently requested the body of Jesus. Pilate was surprised that Jesus should have died so soon. He summoned the centurion and inquired whether Jesus was already dead. Pilate released the corpse to Joseph. Then, having bought a linen shroud, Joseph took him down, wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a tomb which had been cut out of rock. Finally he rolled a stone across the entrance of the tomb. Meanwhile, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses observed where he had been laid. When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought perfumed oils with which they intended to go and anoint Jesus. Very early, just after sunrise, on the first day of the week they came to the tomb. They were saying to one another, “Who will roll back the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” When they looked, they found that the stone had been rolled back (It was a huge one.) On entering the tomb they saw a young man sitting at the right, dressed in a white robe. This frightened them thoroughly, but he reassured them: “You need not be amazed! You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, the one who was crucified. He has been raised up; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. Go now and tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee, where you will see him just as he told you.’ “ They made their way out and fled from the tomb bewildered and trembling: and because of their great fear, they said nothing to anyone. |
|
| May 11, 2025 - Sunday of Paralytic |
EPISTLE: Acts (9: 32 - 42)
In those days Peter was making numerous journeys, he went -- among other places -- to God’s holy people living in Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, a paralytic who had been bedridden for eight years. Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ cures you! Get up and make your bed.’’ The man got up at once. All the inhabitants of Lydda and Sharon, upon seeing him, were converted to the Lord. Now in Joppa there was a certain woman convert named Tabitha (in Greek Dorcas, meaning a gazelle). Her life was marked by constant good deeds and acts of charity. At about that time she fell ill and died. They washed her body and laid it out in an upstairs room. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples who had heard that Peter was there sent two men to him with the urgent request, “Please come over to us without delay.’’ Peter set out with them as they asked. Upon his arrival they took him upstairs to the room. All the widows came to him in tears and showed him the various garments Dorcas had made when she was still with them. Peter first made everyone go outside; then he knelt down and prayed. Turning to the dead body, he said, “Tabitha, stand up.’’ She opened her eyes, then looked at Peter and sat up. He gave her his hand and helped her to her feet. The next thing he did was to call in those who were believers and the widows to show them that she was alive. This became known all over Joppa, and because of it, many came to believe in the Lord.
Gospel: John 5: 1 - 15
At that time Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Pool there is a place with the Hebrew name Bethesda. It’s five porticoes were crowded with sick people lying there blind, lame or disabled, waiting for the movement of the water. For from time to time an angel of the Lord used to come down into the pool; and the water was stirred up, so the first one to get in was healed of whatever sickness he had had. There was one man who had been sick for thirty-eight years. Jesus, who knew he had been sick a long time, said when he saw him lying there, “Do you want to be healed?’’ “Sir,’’ the sick man answered, “I do not have anyone to plunge me into the pool once the water has been stirred up. By the time I get there, someone else has gone in ahead of me.’’ Jesus said to him, “Stand up! Pick up your mat and walk!’’ The man was immediately cured; he picked up his mat and began to walk. The day was a sabbath. Consequently, some of the Jews began telling the man who had been cured, “It is the sabbath, and you are not allowed to carry the mat around.’’ He explained, “It was the man who cured me who
told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’ ‘‘ “This person who told you to pick it up and walk,’’ they asked, “who is he?’’ The man who had been restored to health had no idea who it was. The crowd in that place was so great that Jesus had been able to slip away. Later on, Jesus found him in the temple precincts and said to him: “Remember, now, you have been cured. Give up your sins so that something worse may not overtake you.’’ The man went off and informed the Jews that Jesus was the one who had cured him.
|
|
|
May 18, 2025 - Samaritan Woman Sunday |
Epistle: Acts (11: 19 - 26, 29 - 30 )
Brothers and Sisters!
In those days those in the community who had been dispersed by the persecution that arose because of Stephen went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, making the message known to none but Jews. However, some men of Cyprus and Cyrene among them who had come to Antioch began to talk even to the Greeks, announcing the good news of the Lord Jesus to them. The hand of the Lord was with them and a great number of them believed and were converted to the Lord. News of this eventually reached the ears of the church in Jerusalem, resulting in Barnabas’ being sent to Antioch. On his arrival he rejoiced to see the evidence of God’s favour. He encouraged them all to remain firm in their commitment to the Lord, since he himself was a good man filled with the Holy Spirit and faith. Thereby large numbers were added to the Lord. Then Barnabas went off to Tarsus to look for Saul; once he had found him, he brought him back to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and instructed great numbers. It was in Antioch that the disciples were called Christians for the first time. This made the disciples determine to set something aside, each according to his means, and send it to the relief of brothers who lived in Judea. They did this, dispatching it to the presbyters in the care of Barnabas and Saul. |
Gospel: John 4: 5 - 42
At that time Jesus came to a Samaritan town named Shechem near the plot of land which Jacob had given to his son Joseph. This was the site of Jacob’s well. Jesus, tired from his journey, sat down at the well. The hour was about noon. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.’’ (His disciples had gone off to the town to buy provisions.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew. How can you ask me, a Samaritan and a woman, for a drink?’’ (Recall that Jews have nothing to do with Samaritans.) Jesus replied: “If only you recognized God’s gift, and who it is that is asking you for a drink, you would have asked him instead, and he would have given you living water.’’ “Sir,’’ she challenged him, “you do not have a bucket and this well is deep. Where do you expect to get this flowing water? Surely you do not pretend to be greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well and drank from it with his sons and his flocks?’’ Jesus replied: “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks the water I give him will never be thirsty; no, the water I give shall become a fountain within him, leaping up to provide eternal life.’’ The woman said to him, “Give me this water, sir, so that I shall not grow thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.’’ He said to her, “Go, call your husband, and then come back here.’’ “I have no husband,’’ replied the woman. “You are right in saying you have no husband!’’ Jesus exclaimed. “The fact is, you have had five, and the man you are living with now is not your husband. What you said is true.’’ “Sir,’’ answered the woman, “I can see you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshipped on this mountain, but you people claim that Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship God.’’ Jesus told her: “Believe me, woman, an hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You people worship what you do not understand, while we understand what we worship; after all, salvation is from the Jews. Yet an hour is coming, and is already here, when authentic worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth. Indeed, it is just such worshipers the Father seeks. God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and truth.’’ The woman said to him: “I know there is a Messiah coming. (This term means Anointed.) When he comes, he will tell us everything.’’ Jesus replied, “I who speak to you am he.’’ His disciples returning at this point, were surprised that Jesus was speaking with a woman. No one put a question, however, such as “What do you want of him?’’ or “Why are you talking with her?’’ The woman left her water jar and went off into the town. She said to the people: “Come and see someone who told me everything I ever did! Could this not be the Messiah?’’ At that they set out from the town to meet him. Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, “Rabbi, eat something.’’ But he told them: “I have food to eat of which you do not know.’’ At this the disciples said to one another, “Do you suppose that someone has brought him something to eat?’’ Jesus explained to them: “Doing the will of him who sent me and bringing his work to completion is my food. Do you not have a saying: ‘Four months more and it will be harvest!’? Listen to what I say: Open your eyes and see! The fields are shining for harvest! The reaper already collects his wages and gathers a yield for eternal life, that sower and reaper may rejoice together. Here we have the saying verified: ‘One man sows; another reaps.’ I sent you to reap what you had not worked for. Others have done the labour, and you have come into their gain.” Many Samaritans from that town believed in him on the strength of the woman’s word of testimony: “He told me everything I ever did.’’ The result was that, when these Samaritans came to him, they begged him to stay with them awhile. So he stayed there two days, and through his own spoken word many more came to faith. As they told the woman: “No longer does our faith depend on your story. We have heard for ourselves, and we know that this really is the Saviour of the world.’’ |
|
TBA, 2025 - TBA |
EPISTLE: TBA
Gospel: TBA
|
