Category Archives: Special Days

All Saints B

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(The readings for All Saints Day may be moved to the following Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021.)

First Reading: Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-9

We are an Easter people. All of us go down to the dust; yet even at the grave we make our song: “Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.”

The Raising of Lazarus

The Raising of Lazarus (1304-1306), fresco by Giotto di Bondone (c.1266-1337). Cappella degli Scrovegni nell’Arena, Padua, Italy. (Click image to enlarge.)

On All Saints Day, as when we bury our dead, we dress the altar not in the black of mourning but the white of hope and joy. We remember that we are dust, and to dust we shall return; yet we celebrate the communion of saints, the living and the dead, all bound together in Christ. These ideas all come together in the Lectionary readings for All Saints Day, beginning with Wisdom’s promise that peace, love and joy with God await God’s faithful people.

Alternate First Reading: Isaiah 25:6-9

On All Saints Day we dress our altar not in the black of mourning but the white of hope and joy. We remember that we are dust, and to dust we shall return. On this day we celebrate the communion of all the saints, the living and the dead, all bound together in Christ. These ideas are all knit together in today’s readings, beginning with the Prophet Isaiah’s vision of a banquet table that will welcome all the people of all the nations, a delicious feast of rich food and aged, clear wines for a people united at last in a kingdom where where sorrow and pain are no more, neither sighing, but life everlasting. It is no coincidence that these verses are also often chosen for our burial liturgy.

Psalm: Psalm 24

The psalm designated for All Saints Day, like the first readings, celebrates the rewards for those who live as God would have us live. Originally it was an ancient liturgy, a responsive chant sung by priests and people as they approached the Temple for worship. The priest calls out, “Who can stand in his holy place?” The crowd roars back, “Those who have clean hands and pure hearts!” The priest responds, “Who is the king of glory?” “The Lord of hosts,” the crowd shouts back with joy.

Second Reading: Revelation 21:1-6a

Our second reading is also frequently read at funerals, as one of the readings used in the liturgy for celebration of a life. Continuing the All Saints Day theme of a glorious life after death for those who love God, it describes a holy city coming down out of heaven, a new Jerusalem. This shining city stands in stark contrast to the dark and demonic earthly city of Rome, portrayed in Revelation as Babylon. We hear that death and pain will be no more in this heavenly city, for God will be with us every day, wiping the tears from our eyes.

Gospel: John 11:32-44

Lazarus has died, and Jesus weeps. Jesus knew his friend was dead, so he took his time getting to Bethany, which angered Lazarus’s sisters, Mary and Martha. Maybe he could have done something, if only he had hurried. So often death in the family brings not only sadness but anger and rage. And then, whispering a quiet prayer to God, Jesus calls out and Lazarus answers. Jesus says “No” to the death of Lazarus, just as God will say “No” to death for Jesus and for us all on Easter Day. Death does not have the last word.

Feast of St. Francis

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Thoughts on the readings for the Feast of St. Francis (Oct. 4, 2021)

First Reading: Jeremiah 22:13-16

We hear two important pieces of advice in the readings for the Feast of Francis of Assisi:

The Peaceable Kingdom

The Peaceable Kingdom (c.1833), oil painting on canvas by Edward Hicks (1780-1849), Worcester Art Museum, Worcester, Mass. (Click image to enlarge.)

First, as this short Jeremiah passage tells us, we must not choose to live as the exiled kings of Israel did, wallowing in riches achieved by forcing their neighbors to work without wages; and second, we should try to live as we would later see Francis live: humbly doing justice and caring for the poor and needy.

Psalm: Psalm 148:7-14

In this portion of Psalm 148 we sing praise of God’s creation in words that likely inspired Daniel’s Song of the Three Young Men (Canticle 16): Fire and hail, snow and fog; all the domestic animals and wild animals that Francis loved – even sea monsters praise the Lord! All humanity praises the Lord too: old and young, kings and their subjects, men and women. God’s glory is universal, and God gives us all strength.

Second Reading: Galatians 6:14-18

Throughout his letter to the Galatians, Paul proclaims that the message of Christ is universal, addressing all humankind, thus standing against opponents who argued for a more limited way. In these verses that conclude the letter, Paul repeats this conclusion: Jew and Gentile, man and woman, slave and free, none of this matters in God’s new creation, which is everything. Those who follow this way will live in God’s peace and mercy.

Gospel: Matthew 11:25-30

In the verses just before this passage, Jesus spoke with seeming frustration and anger about people who didn’t understand what he was doing. Now in these verses Jesus takes a breath, pauses, and gives thanks. Suddenly his hope for the coming generation of children and infants turns gentle. Listen for am echo of the Beatitudes in this. Imagine, too, how this passage might have inspired Francis with their promise of God’s Kingdom coming to the poor, the meek, the hungry and thirsty, to all who bear burdens and who labor under a heavy yoke.

Pentecost 17B

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Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Sept. 19, 2021

First Reading (Track One): Proverbs 31:10-31

This reading, our third and last in a brief series from the Book of Proverbs, seems to express an ancient, patriarchal view of woman’s subsidiary role in the household.

Christ Blessing the Little Children

Christ Blessing the Little Children (1839), oil painting on canvas by Charles Lock Eastlake (1793-1865). Manchester Art Gallery, England. (Click image to enlarge.)

Needless to say, we should understand the patriarchal language in both testaments as a signal of ancient time and culture, not as guidance for the modern world. Pay attention to these verses, though, and you’ll discover that this capable wife is no shrinking, helpless figure. She has her husband’s trust; she supervises the household servants as she buys goods and food for the family and even purchases farm and vineyard fields. She is strong, brave, wise and kind. Her husband and her children praise her. “Let her works praise her in the city gates,” indeed!

First Reading (Track Two): Wisdom of Solomon 1:16-2:1, 12-22

Both good behavior and bad behavior have consequences. Righteousness is pleasing to God; evil deeds lead to death. We hear this theme in Sunday’s readings. First up is this passage from the book of Wisdom, which is traditionally attributed to King Solomon but was actually written in Greek in the last centuries before Christ. These verses present the ungodly, arguing why they choose to persecute the righteous people who look down on them. They are wrong, of course, as the verses at the beginning and end of the passage make clear: They don’t understand God’s purpose, nor do they recognize the rewards of a blameless life.

Alternate First Reading (Track Two): Jeremiah 11:18-20

Jeremiah is often called “the Weeping Prophet” for his loud lamentations. He shouts out to warn the leaders of Jerusalem and Judah that their failure of righteousness and justice is going to bring down God’s wrath in the form of defeat, destruction and exile. In this brief passage, though, his weeping becomes more personal: He has learned that those leaders, angered by his prophecies, are scheming to kill him. He feels like a gentle lamb led to slaughter, he laments; but even in the face of enemies he remains committed to God.

Psalm (Track One): Psalm 1

We sang Psalm 1, the first of the 150 Psalms, not long after Easter. Now we return to it again as summer turns to autumn. In its verses we celebrate those who follow in the way of God, who delight in God’s teaching and meditate on it. These faithful souls will be happy, the Psalmist tells us. They will become as firmly rooted in faith as are trees deeply rooted by running water, gaining strength and bearing fruit. The wicked, in contrast, can count on no such happy end. Those who do not follow in God’s way will be blown away like chaff in the wind.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 54

This Psalm, attributed by tradition to King David, recalls a time when the young David had to flee in terror from an angry Saul who sought to kill him. This narrative resonates with the reading from Wisdom: When insolent and ruthless enemies seek our lives, God’s laws will not hold them back. This is a time to pray, the Psalmist says. Now is the time to call on God, who delivers us from trouble and upholds our lives.

Second Reading: James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a

Picking up where last week’s reading from James left off, the author expands on the theme of using our tongues – tiny yet powerful instruments that they are – to praise and bless, not to poison. These verses contrast the wisdom that comes from above against the envy and ambition in our hearts. The writer calls us to show our gentle, wise works in the form of good lives, rather than engaging in earthly, unspiritual ambition and boasting. Resist evil, we are told. Draw near to God, and God will draw near to us.

Gospel: Mark 9:30-37

Sometimes the Apostles seem almost ridiculous in their cluelessness. Today Jesus tells them for a second time that he must suffer, be rejected, killed and then rise again. Not only do they still not get it, but they are afraid to ask. Did they think long and hard about this? Apparently not. Rather, they got off to themselves and argued about which of them was the greatest. Jesus, who must have been thoroughly exasperated, showed them a small child. Following Jesus is not about greatness and power, he said. It is about welcoming the smallest and weakest among us.

Feast of St. Matthew

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Illuminations on the readings for the Feast of St. Matthew

First Reading: Proverbs 3:1-6

The feast of a church’s patron may be transferred from its usual date to the closest Sunday, so we celebrate the Feast of St. Matthew, which normally falls on September 21, this Sunday in place of the 17th Sunday of Pentecost.

St. Matthew and the Angel

St. Matthew and the Angel (1661), oil painting on canvas by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-1669). Louvre-Lens, Pas-de-Calais, France. (Click image to enlarge.)

The readings chosen for this day reflect the tradition of Matthew as a tax collector elevated to apostle and evangelist. In our first reading, the Book of Proverbs advises us to keep God’s commandments and use them to guide our lives, If we do so, Proverbs assures us, we will be amply rewarded with a good life and good reputation.

Psalm: Psalm 119:33-40

The Psalmist’s message, a brief snippet drawn from the longest of all the psalms, echoes the Proverbs reading: Learn God’s laws and commandments and follow them faithfully. God’s way turns us away from what is worthless, we sing: God’s way gives life.

Second Reading: 2 Timothy 3:14-17

The second letter of Timothy, one of several short pastoral epistles written by later followers in Paul’s name, offers guidance to a growing church. It mirrors the Psalmist’s call for unity in tradition, guided by Scripture. As you read or hear it, though, bear in mind that when it was written in the late first century or early second, the New Testament was not yet assembled into a book, and the Gospels had only recently been written down. “Scripture” meant the Old Testament, summarized in Torah’s command to love God, love our neighbor, and care for the poor and the alien.

Gospel: Matthew 9:9-19

Matthew’s Gospel portrays him as a tax collector, a position that would have made him roundly despised in ancient Israel. The tax collector preyed on his neighbors on behalf of the hated Roman empire. Nevertheless, when Jesus called him, Matthew followed … and then they sat down to dinner in Matthew’s house. Having mercy and calling sinners is Jesus’s way, not self-righteously looking down on those we consider beneath us.

Feast of St. Francis

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Thoughts on the Lessons for the Feast of St. Francis, Oct. 4, 2019

First Reading: Jeremiah 22:13-16

In the readings for the Feast of Francis of Assisi, we hear two key themes:

The Peaceable Kingdom

The Peaceable Kingdom (c.1833), oil painting on canvas by Edward Hicks (1780-1849), Worcester Art Museum, Worcester, Mass. (Click image to enlarge.)

First, as we hear in this short Jeremiah passage, a reminder to live not as the exiled kings of Israel did, wallowing in riches achieved by forcing their neighbors to work without wages; and second, to live as we would later see in Francis, humbly doing justice and caring for the poor and needy.

Psalm: Psalm 148:7-14

In this Psalm portion we sing out in praise of God’s creation. Fire and hail, snow and fog; all the domestic animals and wild animals that Francis loved – even sea monsters praise the Lord! All humanity, too, praises the Lord, old and young, kings and their subjects, men and women: God’s glory is universal, and God gives us all strength.

Second Reading: Galatians 6:14-18

Throughout his letter to the Galatians, Paul has declared Christ’s message is universal for all humankind, standing up against opponents who fought for a more exclusive way. In these concluding verses Paul reiterates his conclusion: Jew and Gentile, man and woman, slave and free, none of this matters in God’s new creation, which is everything. Those who follow this way will live in God’s peace and mercy.

Gospel: Matthew 11:25-30

In the verses just preceding this passage, Jesus seemed frustrated and angry about people who didn’t understand what he was doing. But now in these verses he takes a breath, pauses, and thanks God. Suddenly his hope for Israel’s children and infants turns gentle. We can sense a foretaste of the Beatitudes in this, and imagine how these verses might have inspired Francis with their promise of God’s Kingdom coming to the poor, the meek, the hungry and thirsty, and all who bear burdens and labor under a heavy yoke.

Would you like to browse through more of our Illuminations?
Click this link to browse more than two full three-year cycles of these weekly Lectionary reflections, online in our Illuminations archive.

Feast of St. Matthew

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Thoughts on the Lessons for the Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist, Sept. 22, 2019. (The feast of the patron or title of a church may be observed on or transferred to a Sunday, except in the seasons of Advent, Lent, and Easter.)

Saint Matthew and the Angel (

Saint Matthew and the Angel (1602), oil painting on canvas by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610). Gemäldegalerie, Berlin. (Click image to enlarge.)

First Reading: Proverbs 3:1-6

We celebrate the Feast of St. Matthew with readings chosen to reflect the tradition of the tax collector turned apostle and evangelist. In our first reading, the Book of Proverbs advises us to keep God’s commandments and use them to guide our lives, If we do so, Proverbs assures us, we will be amply rewarded with a good life and good reputation. This message, perhaps reminding us of Matthew’s conversion from hated tool of empire to faithful follower and recorder of Christ, is echoed in the day’s psalm and second reading.

Psalm: Psalm 119:33-40

The Psalmist’s message, drawn briefly from the longest of all the psalms, is similar and simple: Learn God’s laws and commandments and follow them faithfully. God’s way turns us away from what is worthless. God’s way gives life.

Second Reading: 2 Timothy 3:14-17

The second letter of Timothy, one of the short pastoral epistles written in Paul’s name, offers guidance to a growing church. It mirrors the Psalmist’s call for unity in tradition guided by Scripture. But when you hear it, remember that in this early time, the New Testament was not yet assembled into a book, and the four Gospels were only then being written down. “Scripture” meant the Old Testament, with Torah’s command to love God, love our neighbor, and care for the poor and the alien. This is good advice in any age.

Gospel: Matthew 9:9-19

Matthew was a tax collector, a position that would have made him roundly despised in ancient Israel: The tax collector preyed on his neighbors on behalf of the hated Roman empire. But when Jesus called him, Matthew followed … and then they sat down to dinner in Matthew’s house. Having mercy and calling sinners is Jesus’s way, not self-righteously looking down on those we consider beneath us.

Feast of St Matthew

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Thoughts on the Lessons for the Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist, Sept. 21, 2018. (The feast of the patron or title of a church may be observed on or transferred to a Sunday, except in the seasons of Advent, Lent, and Easter.)

St. Matthew and the angel

St. Matthew and the angel (1661). Oil painting on canvas by
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-1669). Louvre-Lens, Pas-de-Calais, France. (Click image to enlarge.)

First Reading: Proverbs 3:1-6

Keep God’s commandments and use them to guide your life, and you will be amply rewarded with a good life and good reputation. We’ll hear this message from Proverbs echoed in the following readings. Follow these rules well, the Proverbs passage urges us – “wear them round your neck” – and God and your neighbors alike will think highly of you.

Psalm: Psalm 119:33-40

The longest of all the Psalms, Psalm 119 devotes its 176 verses to an extended celebration of love for God’s teaching, the Torah. The Psalmist calls us to be humble and generous, turning from selfish gain and“vanities” to follow God’s ways through life-giving righteousness. God teaches us to be just in our dealings with God and our neighbors, a simple rule that stands as a continuing theme through both testaments.

Second Reading: 2 Timothy 3:14-17

In this passage we read an early Christian opinion similar to what we heard in the first two readings: Scripture, the sacred writings that we learn from childhood, provides a solid core for us to learn to live in righteousness. But here’s a twist: In Timothy’s time, the New Testament was not yet assembled into a book, and the four Gospels were only then being written down. “Scripture” meant the Old Testament, with its strong Torah command to love God, love our neighbor, and care for the poor and the alien.

Gospel: Matthew 9:9-19

Jesus had a bad reputation for hanging out with sinners, outcasts and people the authorities considered mighty suspicious: Prostitutes, drunks and lepers; women, foreigners, and maybe worst of all, tax collectors, those despised collaborators who extracted the Roman empire’s taxes from their neighbors. People like Matthew, who despite his outcast status as tax collecter hurried to follow Jesus … and invited him home for dinner. Jesus shows us how to love our neighbors – all of our neighbors – not just the ones who look and think like us.

Feast of the Transfiguration

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Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons forAug. 6, 2017

Transfiguration of Christ

Transfiguration of Christ (c.1480), oil on panel by Giovanni Bellini (c.1430-1516). Museo di Capodimonte, Naples.

First Reading: Exodus 34:29-35

We take a break from the long season of Sundays after Pentecost because the Feast of the Transfiguration, traditionally celebrated on August 6, falls on a Sunday this year and takes precedence. Our first reading, with Moses coming down from Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments, his face glowing like the sun, will reflect back to us in Sunday’s Gospel when we see the transfigured Jesus standing with Moses and Elijah, shining in dazzling white, revealed as the Messiah.

Psalm: Psalm 99

This mighty ancient hymn of praise envisions God as a powerful king at whose appearance the people tremble and the earth shakes. Yet, just as Moses and Aaron received God’s law and teaching with loud chants of praise, the Psalmist understands God as no petty tyrant but a mighty ruler. God demands justice and righteousness, but God is also forgiving and kind. God reveals to the people both distant might and present love.

Second Reading: 2 Peter 1:13-21

One of the latest letters in the New Testament, this was probably written by a church leader in Peter’s name more than a century after the Crucifixion. Addressing Second Century Christians who may have been worried that Jesus had not yet returned, the letter urges them to trust in God and wait for the dawn and the morning star, reminding them in Peter’s voice that he had been an eyewitness to the Transfiguration.

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

Peter, John and James go with Jesus to a mountain to pray, and suddenly their mouths drop open in awe as Moses and Elijah appear and Jesus’ face and clothing are transfigured in holy light. The apostles become sleepy, but too intrigued to sleep; then they are terrified as a cloud forms around them. Then God’s mighty voice is heard, booming out the same words that God had spoken from a cloud at Jesus’ baptism by John: “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!”

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If you’d like to keep up with the lectionary narratives from Genesis, the Psalms, Romans and Matthew that are replaced by the Transfiguration readings this week, they are:
First Reading (Track One): Genesis 32:22-31
First Reading (Track Two): Isaiah 55:1-5
Psalm (Track One): Psalm 17:1-7, 15
Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 145:8-9, 14-21
Second Reading: Romans 9:1-5
Gospel: Matthew 14:13-21

The Holy Name

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Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Jan. 1, 2017

Moses directing Aaron

Moses directing Aaron. Sixteenth century Flemish tapestry attributed to Pieter Coecke. DeYoung Legion of Honor Fine Arts Museums, San Francisco.

First Reading: Numbers 6:22-27

What’s in a name? What’s in the name of God? Today’s readings consider this thought-provoking question. In our short first reading, the Israelites have been camped at the foot of Mount Sinai for some time, but now they are ready to move on toward the Promised Land. God speaks through Moses, uttering a blessing so gracious that it is often used to this day. It also shows a turn in God’s relationship with the people. No longer is the sight of God’s face so fearsome that no one can look upon it and live. Now, having God’s face shine upon us is a blessing; and as an ultimate gift to the people, they are given God’s name as their own, creating an intimate connection with the divine.

Psalm 8

The Name of God, given to the Israelites at Sinai, is exalted in today’s psalm of praise. We look with awe on the majesty of God’s creation, the moon and stars; the world and all that is in it, and all humankind, just a little lower than the angels. We give praise and thanksgiving for all this, remembering that we are charged with dominion over God’s earthly creation. This dominion calls us not to pillage but to preserve and protect the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea. Over it all we exalt the Name of God, our Creator who made it all.

Second Reading: Galatians 4:4-7

God sent his own son, born of a woman in full humanity, born under the Torah, to redeem those under Jewish law and tradition. But that is not the end of the story. Continuing an argument that he pursues throughout Galatians, Paul assures the Gentile members of this young church in Galatia in Asia Minor – what is now Turkey – that they are adopted as children of God. God sends the Spirit into their heart through Jesus so that they are no longer slaves but children and thus heirs. The way of Jesus is open to all who follow him.

Second Reading (Alternate): Philippians 2:5-11

Can you hear the gentle beat of poetry in these beautiful words from Paul to the Philippians in Greece? Scholars believe that Paul may be quoting here an ancient hymn of the early church. Its theology is deep and continues relevant, too: Although Jesus was truly God as well as truly human, he chose to “empty himself,” taking on the full weight of his suffering without divine foreknowledge; accepting the pain of crucifixion with human fragility and weakness. In taking on the full weight of all that suffering, Jesus showed us the true exaltation of God’s love, calling us only to respond with love for God and our neighbor.

Gospel: Luke 2:15-21

We return briefly to Bethlehem and the manger, where the shepherds have come down to find Mary and Joseph and the child and to tell them the amazing things that they had heard from the angels. Mary “treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart,” surely wondering where all these remarkable things might lead. And then, eight days later, they prepare to take Jesus to be circumcised, one of the most important requirements of Jewish law; and Mary names the child Jesus, just as the Angel Gabriel had told her.

Feast of St Matthew

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Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Sept. 21, 2014

The Calling of St. Matthew, Andrea Orcagna di Cione, c.1367-70. From the Altarpiece of St. Matthew and Scenes from his Life, San Gimignano, Collegiata.

The Calling of St. Matthew, from the Altarpiece of St. Matthew and Scenes from his Life, c.1367-70

First Reading: Proverbs 3:1-6

Consistent with the messages in the Psalm excerpt and Second Reading that follow, this little gem of wisdom literature gently encourages God’s people to follow God’s teaching and commandments. Follow these rules well – “wear them round your neck” – and God and your neighbors alike will think highly of you.

Psalm: Psalm 119:33-40

This, the longest of all the Psalms, devotes its 176 verses to an extended celebration of love for God’s teaching, the Torah. The Psalmist calls us to be humble and generous, turning from selfish gain and“vanities” to follow God’s ways through life-giving righteousness. God teaches us to be just in our dealings with God and our neighbors. This simple rule stands at the center of both testaments.

Second Reading: 2 Timothy 3:14-17

One of the short “pastoral epistles” written in Paul’s name by a later follower, offers an early Christian view of the same idea that we hear addressed in the first two readings: Scripture, the sacred writings that we learn from childhood, provides a solid core for us to learn to live in righteousness.

Gospel: Matthew 9:9-19

Jesus had a bad reputation for hanging out with sinners, outcasts and people the authorities considered mighty suspicious: Prostitutes, drunks and lepers; women, foreigners, and maybe worst of all, tax collectors, those despised collaborators who extracted the Roman empire’s taxes from their neighbors. People like Matthew, who despite his outcast status as tax collecter hurried to follow Jesus … and invited him home for dinner. Jesus shows us how to love our neighbors – all of our neighbors – not just the ones who look and think like us.