Category Archives: Epiphany

Epiphany 3A

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Illuminations on the Lectionary readings for Jan. 15, 2023 (Epiphany 2A)

First Reading: Isaiah 9:1-4

Swirling snow and bitter chill remind us that this is January, the depth of winter for us. Yet Epiphany draws us to the light of hope that calls us to join Jesus in “proclaiming the good news of the kingdom.”

The Calling of Saints Peter and Andrew

The Calling of Saints Peter and Andrew ( 1602-1604), oil painting on canvas by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1573-1610). Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, London. (Click image to enlarge)

Gracious light shines through Sunday’s Lectionary readings. In the first reading, the Prophet Isaiah speaks of hard times as Israel’s northern lands of Zebulon and Naphtali have fallen to the powerful Assyrians. The nation’s fate is in doubt, but the prophet foretells that God’s light will banish the darkness. In words familiar from Handel’s Messiah, he foretells a world of bounty and joy as the people who walked in darkness will have seen a great light.

Psalm: Psalm 27:1, 5-13

God indeed is our light, the Psalmist exults. God is our stronghold and our salvation, so there is nothing to fear. This is not just a happy-clappy song, though. The verses remind us that bad things can happen even in the lives of God’s people. The people face adversaries. They are threatened by armies of enemies. Sometimes it even feels as if their own parents have turned against them. But we pray with them that God will hear us, love us, protect us and keep us safe.

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:10-18

Last week in the opening lines of Paul’s first letter to the people of Corinth in Greece, we heard Paul greeting this beloved community fondly. With that out of the way, he now gets to right to the point: He has heard that this small church is falling into disunity. Its members are quarreling over both doctrinal issues and leadership. Paul counsels them to remember that baptism brings the community together in unity in Christ. The very ideas of God resurrecting a crucified criminal and offering salvation to all through Christ might sound like foolishness to those who haven’t found Christ, he says. But this is what saves us through the power of God.

Gospel: Matthew 4:12-23

The public ministry of Jesus begins. Grieving the murder of his cousin John, Jesus steps up. He leaves his home in Nazareth to go to Capernaum, a larger city on the shore in Galilee (the ancient region of Zebulon and Naphtali that Isaiah invoked in the first reading). Jesus is starting to gather crowds and preach as John had done; he repeats John’s words, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Matthew, who often reaches back to the Old Testament to find texts that can be interpreted to show Jesus fulfilling Messianic prophecy, lifts up the Isaiah passage that we hear in Sunday’s first reading. Then Jesus calls four fishermen to follow him. They eagerly drop their nets and follow as he preaches, teaches, cures and heals, leaving old Zebedee behind to mend his departed sons’ nets and tend the abandoned boat.

Epiphany 2A

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Illuminations on the Lectionary readings for Jan. 15, 2023 (Epiphany 2A)

First Reading: Isaiah 49:1-7

On the second Sunday after the Epiphany, the Gospel appointed for the day offers us another perspective on the baptism of Jesus, a very different approach from the Gospel according to Matthew that we heard last week.

The Calling of Saints Peter and Andrew

The Calling of Saints Peter and Andrew (1607)m , oil painting on canvas by Ludovico Cardi, known as Cigoli (1559-1613). Palatine Gallery, Uffizi Galleries, Florence, Italy. (Click image to enlarge)

Before we get to the Gospel, though, the first three readings present other approaches to the notion of waiting for God with faith and hope. Our first reading gives us another of Isaiah’s four visions of the Suffering Servant, a figure that the prophet understood as God’s savior coming to lead the the people back to Jerusalem from their Babylonian exile. This once despised figure, the prophet foretells, will rise up and extends God’s saving power to all the nations, to the ends of the Earth.

Psalm: Psalm 40:1-12

Like the people in Isaiah’s time who waited in exile for their servant savior, the Psalmist waits with patience and faith for God to act. Although surrounded by too many evils to count and blinded by iniquities until his heart fails, the Psalmist remains firm in the hope that God’s faithful, steadfast love will eventually bring mercy, deliverance and safety. We mustn’t trust in evil spirits or false gods, the Psalmist reminds us, but find our joy in trusting God, against whom none other can be compared. God requires no sacrifices or burnt offerings, but responds to our faith with compassion and love.

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Paul sets the tone for his first letter to the church at Corinth in these introductory verses, a friendly greeting that offers insight into all that follows. The congregation in Corinth was a small and troubled community, divided into quarreling factions, each with its own ideas about Christian practice and which leader to follow. Paul begins by reminding them that they are joined with all Christians who call on the name of Jesus as Lord. Through this faith they have already received gifts that have made them strong, Paul says. He urges them to hold on to those gifts and be steadfast as they wait for Christ’s coming, an event that many in those days hoped would happen within their lifetimes.

Gospel: John 1:29-42

Last week in Matthew’s account of the baptism of Jesus, we heard John the Baptist ask why Jesus shouldn’t be baptizing him rather than the other way around. Now in John’s gospel we hear another approach to this sticky question: Why would a sin-free Jesus need to be baptized for the forgiveness of sins at all? The answer comes not from Jesus but from John: He has been baptizing others in hope that the Lamb of God would be revealed. Now he has seen the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove and remaining on Jesus, showing that this is the Son of God. Then the first disciples, seeing all this, recognize Jesus as the Messiah and start to follow him.

Epiphany 1A/Baptism of our Lord

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Illuminations on the Lectionary readings for Jan. 8, 2023 (Epiphany 1A/Baptism of our Lord)

First Reading: Isaiah 42:1-9

The season after Epiphany now begins and will continue until Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent on February 22.

The Baptism of Christ

The Baptism of Christ (1510-1520), oil painting on oak by Joachim Patinir (c.1480-1524). Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria. (Click image to enlarge)

The Gospel stories of the Epiphany season tell us about events that reveal the divinity of Jesus, beginning this Sunday with Matthew’s account of John baptizing Jesus in the Jordan river. In Sunday’s first reading we hear the prophet Isaiah’s call to Israel in exile. The prophet expresses an idea that we will find reflected in the baptism of Jesus: God who created all things will choose a servant to lead them, the “suffering servant” who recurs at several points in Isaiah. God will send the people out as we are sent out in baptism, living out a covenant to be a light to the world and to bring righteousness to all the nations.

Psalm: Psalm 29

Have you ever sat on a porch with a mixture of fear and awe, watching a fierce summer thunderstorm pass by with lightning and thunder, wind and rain, whipping the trees around and whistling through the branches? Even towering oak trees seem to whirl, and large limbs come crashing down. It’s no wonder that the Psalmist chose to portray God’s power and glory as a massive storm that strips the forest bare. And yet, at the end, the people shout “Glory,” hailing God’s power and peace.

Second Reading: Acts 10:34-43

Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, tells the good news of Jesus, starting with his baptism by John when God anointed Jesus with power through the Holy Spirit. Then in quick summary he recounts how Jesus healed and cast out spirits, was executed on the cross and raised again, and finally commanded his disciples to preach and testify that Jesus Christ is Lord, the Messiah. This passage gains context from those that come just before and after: At the invitation of Cornelius, a Roman centurion, Peter has come to his house and for the first time evangelizes to Gentiles. Then, after this speech, Peter and the apostles baptize Cornelius and all his household. They become the first Gentile family welcomed into the new church.

Gospel: Matthew 3:13-17

All four Gospels tell the familiar story of John baptizing Jesus in the Jordan, while the Holy Spirit comes down as a dove to declare Jesus the son of God. Only in Matthew, however, do we hear what seems an obvious question: Why would Jesus need to repent or be baptized? John declares that Jesus should be baptizing him, not the other way around. But Jesus insists, asking John to baptize him “to fulfill all righteousness,” echoing Isaiah’s call to go out in righteousness to be a light to the world and bring justice to all the nations. John complies, and then Jesus comes up from the water to see the Holy Spirit descending like a dove, while a booming voice from Heaven declares that Jesus is God’s beloved son.

Last Epiphany C/Transfiguration

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First Reading: Exodus 34:29-35

Radiant light shines through Sunday’s readings for the Feast of the Transfiguration, and Moses appears in all four of them.

Transfiguration of Christ

Transfiguration of Christ (c.1487), oil painting on panel by Giovanni Bellini (c.1430-1516).
National Museum of Capodimonte, Naples, Italy. (Click image to enlarge.)

Take a closer look, and find a consistent emphasis on God’s covenant with the people to follow God’s commandments to love God and our neighbors. In the first reading, we see Moses bringing the commandments down the mountain, his face transfigured in light by his encounter with the Holy One.

Psalm: Psalm 99

This mighty ancient hymn envisions God as a powerful king receiving loud chants of praise. In the temple in Jerusalem, images of two cherubim – scary angels depicted as lions with wings and human faces – were placed atop the Ark of the Covenant to serve as God’s throne. The Psalmist understands God as no petty tyrant but a mighty ruler who demands justice, holding the people to their covenant call to love their neighbors and care for the widow, the orphan and the stranger in our midst.

Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2

In his second known letter to his congregation at Corinth, Paul recalls the Exodus story about Moses coming down the mountain with his face shining. Invoking the the image of the veil that Moses used to conceal his transcendent glow, Paul turns it around to express the idea that Jesus “unveils” God’s covenant in all its shining glory. For those who believer in Christ, Paul says, the veil is removed and they can see the image of God as if reflected in a mirror by the Holy Spirit. Be truthful, Paul urges the believers in Corinth. Do not hide behind a veil, but be steadfast and bold.

Gospel: Luke 9:28-36, [37-43a]

Jesus and his apostles Peter, John and James go up on the mountain to pray. Suddenly Elijah and Moses join him, and Jesus’ face and clothing shine in dazzling light. The three, the Gospel says, were talking about Jesus’ departure (or exodus in the perhaps significant Greek original), which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Then a cloud forms around them and God’s voice is heard, repeating the words that God spoke from a cloud at Jesus’ baptism in the Gospel for the first Sunday of Epiphany: “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!” Jesus and the terrified apostles come down from mountain, and life returns to what is normal for Jesus: He astounds the crowd by casting out a child’s angry demon.

Epiphany 7C

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Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Feb. 20, 2022 (Epiphany 7C)


First Reading: Genesis 45:3-11, 15

Love without boundaries and live as God would have us live. Love your enemies. Turn your other cheek. Do not judge. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

St. Luke writing. Ancient Byzantine icon.

St. Luke writing. Ancient Byzantine icon. (Click image to enlarge.)

Throughout Sunday’s readings, culminating in another passage from Luke’s Sermon on the Plain, we are called to listen for God’s desire that we forgive even those who have hurt us. In Sunday’s first reading, we learn that Joseph, even after having been sold into slavery by his brothers, has risen from that challenge to become a chief advisor to Pharaoh. Now Joseph’s brothers, fleeing famine back home, arrive in Egypt, where they find Joseph in his new, powerful position. The brothers are terrified, fearing revenge But Joseph forgives them, just as God forgave the wrongs of their ancestors Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Psalm: Psalm 37:1-12, 41-42

Trust in God and do good, we hear the Psalmist sing. Don’t worry about evildoers. Don’t be jealous of those who do wrong. Those evildoers will wither like grass, but those who follow God’s ways will receive their heart’s desire. Throughout this portion of Psalm 37 we hear parallels with Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Plain: Be patient. Don’t strike out in anger. These things only lead to evil. Trust in God, rather, knowing that the meek shall inherit the land. Wait for God with patience and confident trust. Follow God’s ways and be rewarded.

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:35-38,42-50

Paul moves toward the conclusion of his extended reflection on resurrection and how it works. In a typical Pauline form, he sets up an opposing question about what kind of body the resurrected will have, then shouts “Fool!” at this imagined debate opponent. Using metaphors of seeds and sowing, he points out that seeds of grain cannot come to life as plants unless they first die by being buried in the earth. Just as God then gives each kind of seed its own body, so it is with resurrection: Our physical bodies perish, but what is raised cannot perish. Adam, the first human, came from dust, but Christ, like a second Adam, came from heaven. In resurrection we will bear his image.

Gospel: Luke 6:27-38

Luke’s account of the Sermon on the Plain becomes even more challenging as the teaching of Jesus reverses our expectations. Last week we heard the blessings that will come to those who suffer, and the woes that await those who revel in riches. Now Jesus poses the difficult, counter-intuitive challenge that we must love our enemies and do good to those who hate and hurt us. We are to do to others not as they do to us but as we would want them to do to us. Then Jesus emphasizes that this Golden Rule is not to be followed with any hope of reward: “If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same,” he says. “But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return.”

Epiphany 6C

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Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Feb. 13, 2022 (Epiphany 6C)


First Reading: Jeremiah 17:5-10

Easter is late this year, April 17, so Ash Wednesday doesn’t come until March 2. The extra weeks that this leaves after Epiphany offer readings that we only occasionally hear.

Poverty and Wealth

Poverty and Wealth (1888), oil painting on canvas by William Powell Frith (1819-1909). Private collection. (Click image to enlarge.)

This week we’ll hear Luke’s version of the Beatitudes, which is a little more edgy than Matthew’s familiar Sermon on the Mount. The rest of Sunday’s readings also offer nutritious food for thought. For our first reading, in a division that might remind us of Luke’s blessings and woes, Jeremiah separates the cursed – who turn from God to trust in mortals and must wither and die – from the blessed, who trust in God and will be deeply rooted and nourished like plants near

Psalm: Psalm 1

The Psalmist, too, seems to divide all humankind into two parts in this, the first of the 150 Psalms. Echoing the covenant that God gave to Moses and the people at Mount Sinai, they sing praise for righteousness and its rewards while warning about the dangers of following the ways of the wicked. Using metaphors that echo the thoughts of Jeremiah in the first reading, the Psalmist promises delight for the righteous, who will thrive and bear fruit like trees planted near water. Not so for the wicked, the verses continue. They will be doomed like chaff that the wind blows away.

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:12-20

In the closing chapters of First Corinthians, Paul continues working out his theology of salvation through Christ’s resurrection. Writing at least a generation before Mark (the first of the Gospels), Paul’s words offer us a glimpse at the ideas evolving in an infant Christian community whose oral tradition went back to the adult ministry of Jesus less than 20 years earlier. Paul challenges those who doubt that Christ’s resurrection means that we, too, are freed from the fear of death. If Christ was not raised, Paul says, then our faith has been in vain and our sins have not been forgiven. But in fact, Paul insists, Christ was raised from the dead; he is the first fruit of all who die and will now live again.

Gpspel: Luke 6:17-26

We read this version of the Beatitudes from Luke’s Sermon on the Plain three years ago when Easter also fell late, but before that it hadn’t come up since 2007. It’s unfortunate that we hear it so seldom, as its contrasts with Matthew’s version of the Beatitudes from his Sermon on the Mount give us plenty to think about. Having spent the night on a mountain in silent prayer, Jesus comes down to a level place and talks to his just-chosen disciples and a huge crowd of followers. His series of beatitudes take a more edgy tone as he follows a series of blessings with a series of woes. Blessed are the poor – the actual poor, in contrast with Matthew’s “poor in spirit” – the hungry, those who weep and those who are reviled. Luke shows Jesus also declaring woe to the rich, those who are full of food and wealth, those who laugh as they receive constant praise. Listen for this liberating preference for the poor and downtrodden throughout this year of Luke.

Epiphany 5C

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Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Feb. 6, 2022 (Epiphany 5C)


First Reading: Isaiah 6:1-8

It is difficult for prophets to resist the power of God’s call to serve. We hear this through Sunday’s readings in God’s call to the Prophet Isaiah; the Psalmist’s conversation with a faithful God; Paul’s call as an apostle of Christ, and Jesus calling his apostles at the Sea of Galilee.

The Miraculous Draft of Fishes

The Miraculous Draft of Fishes (1515), drawing in preparation for a tapestry by Raphael (1483-1520). The Royal Collection, Victoria and Albert Museum, London. (Click image to enlarge.)

In the first reading, Isaiah is granted a terrifying vision of a gigantic God on a throne surrounded by six-winged seraphim. This appearance is so majestic, so startling, that the prophet fears for his life, shouting that he is but an unworthy creature with unclean lips. But God sends a seraph carrying a hot coal to touch Isaiah’s lips and thus blot out his sin. Then Isaiah eagerly accepts God’s call, responding faithfully, “Here I am! Send me!”

Psalm: Psalm 138

Echoing the hope for return from exile and eventual salvation that we heard in the Isaiah reading, Psalm 138 thanks and praises God’s love and faithfulness. When we called, the Psalmist sings, God answered us and gave us strength. The litany of praise goes on: Although God is high, God cares for the lowly; God keeps us safe when we walk in the midst of trouble. The love of the Lord endures forever, the Psalmist sings. God will not abandon the works of God’s hands.

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

In the second-to-last chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul begins summing up. He turns to the good news of Christ’s resurrection, declaring its central place in Christian theology. Christ died for our sins, was buried, was raised on the third day, and was then seen by the Apostles and by hundreds of followers. Acknowledging his unfitness to serve Christ as one who persecuted the church, Paul declares himself the least of the apostles. He was the last to see Christ, he writes, but now he has been forgiven in spite of his sins and chosen to serve, not through his own merits but through God’s saving grace.

Gospel: Luke 5:1-11

Jesus has left behind his angry neighbors who wanted to throw him off a cliff following his challenging remarks in his home synagogue in Nazareth. He moves on, followed by crowds, and now, in Luke’s account, he calls his first apostles. Jesus, teaching a huge crowd near the lake of Gennesaret (Galilee), got into Simon’s boat to address the people. Then he told Simon to head for deep water and put out his fishing nets. Simon was doubtful, since they had fished all night without success. But he trusted Jesus, and caught more fish than the nets could hold. Peter, in a response that might remind us of Isaiah’s fearful plea to God, dropped to his knees and told Jesus to leave him, a sinful man. But Jesus, told him not to be afraid. Jesus called them, and Simon, James and John eagerly dropped everything and followed him.

Epiphany 4C

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Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Jan. 30, 2022 (Epiphany 4C)


First Reading: Jeremiah 1:4-10

If not us, then who? If not now, when? We hear this familiar call to mission echoed through Sunday’s readings, beginning with Jeremiah, one of the great prophets of the Hebrew Bible.

Jesus ejected from the synagogue.

Jesus ejected from the synagogue. Ancient French painting, Koninklijke Bibliotheek, The Hague. (Click image to enlarge.)

Jeremiah foresaw destruction and exile for Jerusalem because the people had forgotten their covenant to follow God’s way. But like most of the prophets, Jeremiah was not eager for his role. Jeremiah thought he was too young for such a chore. “I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy,” Jeremiah said in response to God’s call. But God, reminding Jeremiah that God had consecrated him as a prophet before he was born, gave strength to Jeremiah’s spirit and sent him out with the words and the authority to warn his people.

Psalm: Psalm 71:1-6

The Psalmist sings in harmony with God’s message to Jeremiah: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.” In the Psalm, too, we sing gratitude to God who sustains us and who has been our strength since before we were born, since we were carried in our mother’s womb. We sing only the first seven of the entire Psalm’s 24 verses on Sunday, but the message of this Psalm is consistent throughout: God is our rock and refuge. We sing thanksgiving for God’s presence and protection. Our trust in God’s strength gives us hope.

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Now we hear Paul’s beloved celebration of love, a passage that the Book of Common Prayer suggests for use in weddings. Paul is not speaking of romantic love here, of course; the Greek word “agape” represents a gentle but powerful selfless love. Agape binds us all as worshipers in Christian community. Agape gives us the strength to carry out God’s work together. These words complete the readings that came before it in the previous two Sundays, in which Paul spoke of the way that God gives us all different gifts and calls us to different duties. We all work together like the parts of the body; each is important and all are necessary. Now we learn that love is the glue that holds the community together: Faith, hope and love abide, but love is the most important of all.

Gospel: Luke 4:21-30

Last Sunday we heard Jesus impressing his neighbors in the synagogue at Nazareth, declaring that he had come to fulfill Isaiah’s call to bring good news to the poor. Today, in Luke’s account, Jesus pushes them a little too far. First, he predicts that they will reject him because they knew him when he was a child: “No prophet is accepted in the prophet’s home town.” Then he indicates that his good news might be for all the poor, not just the poor who are our friends and neighbors and part of our community: He reminds them of two Hebrew Bible stories in which God’s grace was given to Gentiles. At this they rise up, drive him out of town and threaten to throw him off a cliff. But Jesus slips away from his captors and goes back to Capernaum in Galilee to continue his work.

Epiphany 3C

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Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Jan. 23, 2022 (Epiphany 3C)

First Reading: Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10

Torah – The body of God’s teaching, so holy and beloved that it is understood as law – informs our Sunday readings.

Christ in the Synagogue at Nazareth

Christ in the Synagogue at Nazareth (1658), oil painting on canvas by Gerbrand van den Eeckhout (1621-1674). National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin. (Click image to enlarge.)

We begin with a reading from the minor prophet Nehemiah, who tells of the scribe Ezra reading the Torah to the people of Jerusalem, now settled back at home after the exile and regaining familiarity with the written tradition. It is clearly a holy moment when Ezra opens the Torah scroll and spends the entire morning reading and interpreting the text. The people, understanding the text perhaps for the first time, weep with joy at the revelation.

Psalm: Psalm 19

Today’s Psalm sings the praises of Torah, not as harsh legislation but nurturing teaching that inspires us. A hymn of worship and praise, this Psalm first celebrates God’s glory and creation, then rejoices in the Torah. God’s teaching revives our souls, turns our innocence into wisdom, makes our hearts leap up and our eyes sparkle, the Psalmist sings. We gain enlightenment from God’s teaching; in following its precepts there is great reward.

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a

Last Sunday, in the verses just before these, we heard Paul declare that each member of the church receives different spiritual gifts. Now Paul continues this theme with a striking metaphor: He likens the church to Christ’s body in the world. Every member of the church – like every bodily part – plays a different but important role. The foot, the ear, the hand, the eye: Each has its job, each is critical to the body’s operation, and all are important. Just as this is true for the body, Paul says, so it is for the church.

Gospel: Luke 4:14-21

Returning home from his baptism in the Jordan and his time in the desert, Jesus begins his public ministry according to Luke in the synagogue in his childhood home in Nazareth. Unrolling the Torah scroll of the Prophet Isaiah, Jesus reads verses that will define his mission, ideas that echo his mother’s song and God’s covenant with the people at Sinai. This scripture is fulfilled in him, he declares. He claims as his own the duty to bring good news to the poor and the oppressed and to declare the year of Jubilee in which slaves are freed and debts are forgiven.

Epiphany 2C

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Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Jan. 16, 2022 (Epiphany 2C)

First Reading: Isaiah 62:1-5

In Sunday’s first reading, the people have returned from exile to Jerusalem, site of Mount Zion where the temple had stood. Now the joyous celebration of return is over now, and the people recognize that a long, hard time of rebuilding lies ahead.

The Marriage at Cana

Detail from The Marriage at Cana (1571-1572), oil painting on canvas by Paolo Veronese (1528-1588). Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden, Germany. (Click image to enlarge.)

“I will not keep silent … I will not rest,” pledges the prophet, promising to continue calling on God’s help until the temple and the city are rebuilt. God delights in the people and the land, the prophet says. like a bridegroom and will bring the people joy. Then, in Sunday’s Gospel we will hear another story of God blessing a new marriage – in a wedding feast at Cana.

Psalm: Psalm 36:5-10

We drop into the middle of Psalm 36 to hear the Psalmist celebrating God’s love. These trusting verses compare God’s faithful righteousness to the lasting, immovable strength of the mountains and the deep seas. God’s love is so broad that it extends to all humanity and to all animal life, we sing. God gives us shelter, abundant food and drink. God’s priceless love shows us a perfect model that can serve us well as we, in our small, imperfect ways, seek to build good relationships in our lives.

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

The Christian community at Corinth, in Greece, probably consisted of fewer than 100 people, about the size of an average Episcopal church; but it had plenty of issues with differences of opinion, arguments and even cliques that called for Paul’s pastoral touch in this letter sent to them from far away. Through the rest of the Sundays after Epiphany we will read from three particularly beautiful chapters in this letter. This Sunday and next week we’ll hear Paul’s poetic thoughts about the people of God as Christ’s body, with each member of the church enjoying certain gifts and being responsible for particular duties, much as each part of our bodies has its own function.

Gospel: John 2:1-11


The miracle of water turned into wine at the wedding feast at Cana is surely one of the most beloved of the Gospel stories. But why do we hear it during Epiphany? As we go through the season, we will hear a series of “epiphanies” in which Jesus is revealed to the people of the world. Here, called on to sustain the joy of the wedding party by providing new wine, Jesus objects at first that it is not yet “his time.” But his mother won’t take no for an answer, and his newly gathered disciples are amazed at his glory and believe in him.