Events

Color: Red\r\rOld Testament: Proverbs 3:1–8\rPsalm: Psalm 121; antiphon: v. 8\rEpistle: 2 Corinthians 4:7–10\rGospel: Luke 22:24–30\rGospel: John 1:43–51\rIntroit: Psalm 89:1, 5, 15–16; antiphon: Psalm 119:46\rGradual: Romans 10:15b, 18b; Isaiah 52:7b, alt.\rVerse: Luke 22:26b, 27d\r\rSt. Bartholomew, Apostle\r \rSkinned alive! That, according to tradition, is how Bartholomew (called Nathanael in John) was martyred. Christ’s preachers are not to be great lords, but servants who faithfully stay with Christ in His trials (Luke 22:24–30). They are “jars of clay”; the Savior they preach is the “surpassing power” (2 Cor. 4:7). Christ’s servants are “afflicted in every way,” “always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested” there (2 Cor. 4:8–10). On the foundation of their prophetic and apostolic confession, the Church is built, “joined together” by Christ, “the cornerstone” (Eph. 2:20–21). As an apostle (Luke 6:13–14), Bartholomew manifested “the Son of God” in his preaching and his death. Christ is the “Son of Man” — the King who opens heaven to us by His wounds (John 1:49–51). We bear sufferings not leaning “on [our] own understanding,” but trusting in the Lord (Prov. 3:5–7). Life will be manifested in our bodies, too, when the Lord brings “healing to [our] flesh and refreshment to [our] bones” in the resurrection (Prov. 3:8). For this reason, Bartholomew is often depicted holding his flayed skin. He will have need of it on the Last Day — at least for sizing.\r\rLectionary summary © 2021 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Used by permission. http://lcms.org/worship

Color: Red\r\rFirst Reading: Revelation 6:9–11\rPsalm: Psalm 71:1–8; antiphon: v. 23\rEpistle: Romans 6:1–5\rGospel: Mark 6:14–29\rIntroit: Psalm 31:1, 3, 5; antiphon: Revelation 7:14b\rGradual: Psalm 34:9, 19, alt.\rVerse: Psalm 116:15\r\rThe Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist\r \r“Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means!” (Rom. 6:1–2). John preached the Law boldly against Herod’s adultery with Herodias. Choosing human honor over honesty, Herod served up John’s head on a platter to pacify Herodias’ conscience without the contrition and repentance of Baptism (Mark 6:17–28). So John was “slain for the word of God and for the witness [he] had borne” (Rev. 6:9). John is Christ’s forerunner also in death; other fellow servants and brothers continue to be martyrs (witnesses) of Christ to this day (Rev. 6:11). Their deaths are “precious in the sight of the Lord” (Ps. 116:15) and so also to us, who celebrate even a beheading. Such is the confidence of the baptized! “Buried therefore with him by baptism into death,” we believe “we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his” also (Rom. 6:4–5). United to Christ, the Church’s Head, John can be confident that He will be reunited to His own at the Last Day. Even John isn’t really the forerunner, because Jesus has gone before us all: out of the tomb alive, the firstborn of those who sleep.\r\rLectionary summary © 2021 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Used by permission. http://lcms.org/worship

Color: Green\r\rOld Testament: 2 Chronicles 28:8–15\rPsalm: Psalm 32; antiphon: v. 2\rEpistle: Galatians 3:15–22\rGospel: Luke 10:23–37\rIntroit: Psalm 74:1–2, 19b, 21b; antiphon: vv. 20a, 21a, 22a, 23a\rGradual: Psalm 77:14–15\rVerse: Psalm 88:1\r\rJesus Is Our Good Samaritan\r \rThe Law cannot help us or give us life. Rather, it confines everyone under sin as wounded and naked before God (Gal. 3:15–22). So it is that two figures of the Law, the priest and the Levite, passed by the injured man on the side of the road (Luke 10:23–37). Only the promised Seed of Abraham can rescue us and make us righteous before God. Only the Samaritan, our Lord Jesus, had compassion, as did the Samaritans of old (2 Chronicles 28:8–15). He came down to us in our lost and dying condition, pouring on the oil and wine of the Sacraments. He placed us on His own animal, bearing our sin and brokenness in His body on the cross to restore us. Jesus brought us to the inn, that is, the Church, and gave the innkeeper two denarii, that His double forgiveness might continue to be ministered to us. In this way the Lord, by whose Law we are torn and stricken, heals us and revives us by His Gospel and raises us up with Himself.\r\rLectionary summary © 2021 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Used by permission. http://lcms.org/worship

Color: Green\r\rOld Testament: Proverbs 4:10–23\rPsalm: Psalm 119:9–16; antiphon: v. 12\rEpistle: Galatians 5:16–24\rGospel: Luke 17:11–19\rIntroit: Psalm 84:1–2a, 4, 10b, 11b; antiphon: vv. 9–10a\rGradual: Psalm 92:1–2\rVerse: Psalm 65:1\r\rThe Cry of Faith: Lord, Have Mercy\r \rThe ten lepers cried out from a distance, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” (Luke 17:11–19). Their condition cut them off from God and others. So also do the works of the flesh cut us off from God and others. “Those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal. 5:16–24). Thus we cry out with the lepers, “Lord, have mercy; Christ, have mercy; Lord, have mercy,” eagerly seeking His good gifts. Jesus said to the lepers, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. So too, we walk by faith and not by sight, being confident of Jesus’ help before we see any evidence of it, trusting that Jesus’ cleansing words of forgiveness will restore us to wholeness in the resurrection. Let us be as the one leper who returned to the true High Priest to give Him thanks and glory. For Jesus bore our infirmities in His sacrifice at Calvary. His words are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh (Prov. 4:10–23).\r\rLectionary summary © 2021 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Used by permission. http://lcms.org/worship

Color: Green\r\rOld Testament: 1 Kings 17:8–16\rPsalm: Psalm 146; antiphon: v. 9a\rEpistle: Galatians 5:25—6:10\rGospel: Matthew 6:24–34\rIntroit: Psalm 86:4, 6, 15a, 16; antiphon: vv. 1a, 2b, 3\rGradual: Psalm 118:8–9\rVerse: Psalm 95:1\r\rAnxious Bondage vs. Confident Trust\r \r“You cannot serve God and money” (Matt. 6:24–34), for they require two contrary forms of service. Worry is the worship given to the false god of mammon, an unbelieving anxiousness and focus on the things of this world. Faith is the worship of the true God, a confident trust that He is a loving Father who will care for all of our needs in both body and soul. The widow of Zarephath served God— that is, she believed the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah that the bin of flour would not be used up nor would the jar of oil run dry (1 Kings 17:8–16). He who feeds the birds and clothes the flowers will certainly provide for our daily needs. For He has already provided for our eternal needs, clothing us with Christ’s righteousness in Baptism and feeding us His body and blood for our forgiveness. With such confidence we are liberated from worry and freed to do good with our material resources, especially to those who are of the household of faith (Gal. 5:25–6:10).\r\rLectionary summary © 2021 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Used by permission. http://lcms.org/worship

Color: Red\r\rOld Testament: Numbers 21:4–9\rPsalm: Psalm 40:1–11; antiphon: v. 13\rEpistle: 1 Corinthians 1:18–25\rGospel: John 12:20–33\rIntroit: Psalm 98:1, 4, 6; antiphon: v. 2\rGradual: Isaiah 49:22a; John 3:14b–15\rVerse: Galatians 6:14\r\rHoly Cross Day\r \r“Sir, we wish to see Jesus” (John 12:21). Then look to His holy cross. For just as Moses lifted up the bronze serpent in the wilderness, so Jesus, when He is “lifted up from the earth, will draw all people” to Himself (John 12:32). “He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” to save us (Phil. 2:8). “Everyone who is bitten” by the ancient serpent’s venom of sin, “when he sees” Christ “shall live” (Num. 21:8). The true holy cross is lost to history, and we cannot return to Calvary to find our salvation. So, Christ brings the New Testament in His blood to us. “We preach Christ crucified …. the power of God and the wisdom of God,” though foolishness to the unbelieving world (1 Cor. 1:23–24). It pleases God, “through the folly” of the cross we preach, “to save those who believe” (1 Cor. 1:21). We find the fruit and benefit of this holy cross poured out in Holy Baptism, spoken in the preaching of Holy Absolution, and delivered in the body and blood given and shed there for us. Thus are we strengthened to take up our crosses, sanctified by His (John 12:25–26).\r\rLectionary summary © 2021 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Used by permission. http://lcms.org/worship

Color: Green\r\rOld Testament: 1 Kings 17:17–24\rPsalm: Psalm 30; antiphon: v. 5b\rEpistle: Ephesians 3:13–21\rGospel: Luke 7:11–17\rIntroit: Psalm 86:1, 7, 12–13; antiphon: vv. 3, 5\rGradual: Psalm 102:15–16\rVerse: Psalm 115:11\r\rJesus Calls forth Life from Death\r \rA large funeral procession carrying the only son of a widow is confronted by another large procession, Jesus and His followers. Death and Life meet face to face at the gate of the city (Luke 7:11–17). Filled with compassion, Jesus comes into direct contact with our mortality in order to overcome it. He touches the coffin and speaks His creative words of life, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” Jesus does what is neither expected nor requested. For through Christ, God the Father “is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think” (Eph. 3:14–21). Jesus bore our death in His body that we may share in His resurrection. Even as Elijah stretched himself out three times over the Zarephath woman’s son (1 Kings 17:17–24), God stretched Himself out over us in the threefold application of His name in the baptismal water, breathing new and everlasting life into us. “To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”\r\rLectionary summary © 2021 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Used by permission. http://lcms.org/worship

Color: Red\r\rOld Testament: Ezekiel 2:8—3:11\rPsalm: Psalm 119:33–40; antiphon: v. 35\rEpistle: Ephesians 4:7–16\rGospel: Matthew 9:9–13\rIntroit: Psalm 92:1–5; antiphon: Matthew 9:13b, c\rGradual: Psalm 119:105, 103; 45:1a, c\rVerse: Matthew 28:19a, 20b\r\rSt. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist\r \rOur ascended Lord gives “gifts” to His Church. In particular, He gave apostles and evangelists like St. Matthew, prophets like Ezekiel, and still gives pastors and teachers (Eph. 4:8, 11). All are “for the common good … empowered by one and the same Spirit” (1 Cor. 12:7, 11). They speak Christ’s “truth in love” to wind- and wave-tossed children so that the saints may be equipped, served and built up as the Body of Christ (Eph. 4:12–15). Christ is not only the head of this body, He is her Good Physician (Matt. 9:9–13). He has come not for the well but for the sick, not for “the righteous, but sinners” (Matt. 9:13) — even notorious tax collectors like Matthew. Christ’s team of spiritual physicians must serve faithfully. Their instrument is “thus says the Lord God,” to be spoken “whether they hear or refuse to hear” (Ezek. 3:11). To those stubborn, rebellious patients who believe they need no physician, the word “of lamentation and mourning and woe” must be fearlessly spoken: God’s Law calls to repentance (Ezek. 2:10). To those who recognize their trouble and sickness, the salve of the Gospel is to be applied. So Christ works to save us, as Matthew’s Gospel records.\r\rLectionary summary © 2021 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Used by permission. http://lcms.org/worship