Archive for the ‘Violence’ Tag
Above: Cedars of Lebanon
Image Source = Library of Congress
Reproduction Number = LC-USZ62-75016
Eschatological Ethics
DECEMBER 4, 2022
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According to the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship (ILCW) Lectionary (1973), as contained in the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) and Lutheran Worship (1982)
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Isaiah 11:1-10
Psalm 72:1-14 (15-19)
Romans 15:4-13
Matthew 3:1-12
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Stir up in our hearts, O Lord, to prepare the way for your only Son.
By his coming give us strength in our conflicts
and shed light on our path through the darkness of the world;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 13
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Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to make ready the way of your only-begotten Son
that at his second coming we may worship him in purity;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 11
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For improved comprehension of Isaiah 11:1-10, O reader, back up to 10:32b-34. There we read that God will destroy the Neo-Assyrian Empire, built on militarism, cruelty, and exploitation. Isaiah 10:34 likens that empire to majestic cedars of Lebanon, cut down by God. Then Isaiah 11 opens with the image of the Messiah, depicted as a twig sprouting from a tree stump.
The Messiah–the ruler of the fully-realized Kingdom of God in Isaiah 11–has much in common with the ideal king in Psalm 72. Both monarchs govern justly. They come to the aid of the oppressed and punish the oppressors. Judgment and mercy remain in balance.
The ethics of the Kingdom of God–whether partially-realized or fully-realized–contradict the conventional wisdom of “the world” and its great powers. The Roman Empire, built on militarism, cruelty, and exploitation, continues as a metaphor to apply to oppressive powers–not only governments–in our time. Spiritual complacency remains a problem. And how we mere mortals treat each other continues to interest God.
Real life is frequently messy and replete with shades of gray. Sometimes one must choose the least bad option, for no good options exist. Whatever one does, somebody may suffer or perhaps die, for example. We live in an imperfect world. But we can, by grace, make the best decisions possible then act accordingly. We can, by grace, love one another selflessly and self-sacrificially. We can, by grace, act based on mutuality and the Golden Rule. We can, by grace, welcome those whom God welcomes. We can, by grace, confront those whom God confronts. We can, by grace, make the most good from an imperfect situation.
May we do so.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 6, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
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Link to the corresponding post at BLOGA THEOLOGICA
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Above: The Transfiguration
Image in the Public Domain
Judgment and Mercy
FEBRUARY 14, 2021
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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Malachi 3:19-24/4:1-6
Psalm 99
2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2
Luke 9:18-36
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How well can we understand the judgment and mercy of God? Christianity dwells on divine mercy yet the New Testament contains plenty of judgment. Need I remind anyone of Revelation? Furthermore, anger and fantasies of violence recur throughout the Psalms. We read of the Day of the LORD in Malachi. In that passage we read, according to TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985), that the faithful will
trample the wicked to a pulp.
Who do we say God is? Who do we say Jesus is? We cannot escape all spiritual veils, for we know in part and carry cultural blinders. Yet we can, by grace, recognize Jesus sufficiently to follow him to Jerusalem, so to speak.
God will tend to judgment and mercy.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 22, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT, YEAR A
THE FEAST OF SAINT DEOGRATIAS, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF CARTHAGE
THE FEAST OF EMMANUEL MOURNIER, PERSONALIST PHILOSOPHER
THE FEAST OF JAMES DE KOVEN, EPISCOPAL PRIEST
THE FEAST OF THOMAS HUGHES, BRITISH SOCIAL REFORMER AND MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM EDWARD HICKSON, ENGLISH MUSIC EDUCATOR AND SOCIAL REFORMER
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2020/03/22/judgment-and-mercy-part-xvi/
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Above: Christ Pantocrator
Scan by Kenneth Randolph Taylor
Faithful Servants of God, Part VII
FEBRUARY 24, 2019
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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Ecclesiastes 7:1-4, 11-18 or Ezekiel 34:1-10
Psalm 9:1-10
Galatians 4:1-16
Matthew 5:38-48
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As Koheleth and Jesus tell us, the way of the world is that righteous people suffer, both the righteous and the wicked prosper, and God is in control. The combination of those three statements might seem incongruous. Throughout the Book of Psalms righteous people cry out to God for deliverance from oppression. Often they are understandably angry, but Christ tells us to pray for our persecutors and to love our enemies. Interestingly, nowhere does the Hebrew Bible command anyone to love one’s enemies, and, as we have read previously in this series of posts, God prospers that the wicked change their ways and find mercy. Yet many of the wicked refuse to repent, so the divine deliverance of the oppressed becomes bad news for oppressors.
The call to radical love thunders off the pages of the Sermon on the Mount. We are to trust in God, not ourselves, and be so loving as to seem foolish to many. Such love breaks the cycle of anger, resentment, revenge, and violence. We, as inheritors, by grace, and adopted members of the household of God, are free to do that, if we dare.
May we dare accordingly. Then we, by grace, will be suited for our purpose, or, as Matthew 5:48 puts it, perfect.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 21, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH, CARL PHILIPP EMANUEL BACH, AND JOHANN CHRISTIAN BACH, COMPOSERS
THE FEAST OF SAINT NICHOLAS OF FLÜE AND HIS GRANDSON, SAINT CONRAD SCHEUBER, SWISS HERMITS
THE FEAST OF SAINT SERAPION OF THMUIS, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM EDWARD HICKSON, ENGLISH MUSIC EDUCATOR AND SOCIAL REFORMER
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2018/03/21/faithful-servants-of-god-part-ix/
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2018/07/12/devotion-for-proper-5-year-a-humes/
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Above: New Jerusalem
Image in the Public Domain
Interim Times
JANUARY 1, 2024
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Koheleth advises us to eat, drink, and find happiness in work, for doing all of the above is a divine gift. And what is that work? Regardless of the particulars of vocations and avocations, that work, when it is what it should be, entails meeting the needs of people, to whom God has granted inherent dignity. The divine commandment of hospitality, as in Matthew 25:31-46, is part of Judeo-Christian ethics. Only God can save the world, but we can–and must–leave it better than we found it.
The end of Revelation (no “s” at the end of that word, despite Biblically illiterate additions of that letter) describes the aftermath of God’s creative destruction. By this point in the Apocalypse of John God has destroyed the old, corrupt, violent, and exploitative world order built on ego, might, and artificial scarcity. Then John sees a new heaven and a new earth. Then the Kingdom of Heaven described in the Gospel of Matthew becomes reality.
That event remains in the future tense. Until then we have work to do, for the glory of God and the benefit of our fellow human beings. May we go about it faithfully and find happiness in it.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 17, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT PATRICK, APOSTLE OF IRELAND
THE FEAST OF EBENEZER ELLIOTT, “THE CORN LAW RHYMER”
THE FEAST OF ELIZA SIBBALD ALDERSON, POET AND HYMN WRITER; AND JOHN BACCHUS DYKES, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF HENRY SCOTT HOLLAND, ANGLICAN HYMN WRITER AND PRIEST
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Eternal God, you have placed us in a world of space and time,
and through the events of our lives you bless us with your love.
Grant that in the new year we may know your presence,
see your love at work,
and live in the light of the event that gives us joy forever
–the coming of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 63
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Ecclesiastes 3:1-13
Psalm 8
Revelation 21:1-6a
Matthew 25:31-46
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2018/03/17/interim-times/
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Above: Icon of the Life of Christ
Image in the Public Domain
Divine Judgment and Mercy
DECEMBER 31, 2023
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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Isaiah 63:7-9
Psalm 148
Philippians 2:12-18
Luke 2:21-40 or Matthew 2:13-23
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Judgment and mercy exist in balance in the Bible. An act of mercy for the Hebrews (as in Isaiah 63) is judgment upon the Edomites (as in Isaiah 63:1-6). Divine mercy exists not because of imagined human fidelity among a given population (such as the Hebrews), but as pure grace. So, as Psalm 148 reminds us, all of creation should praise God.
Divine graciousness creates the obligation of faithful response–manifested in devotion, not the impossible standard of moral perfection. We cannot be morally perfect, but we can do better, by grace–and as faithful response. Many will respond favorably to divine graciousness. Many others, however, will be indifferent. Still others will be violently hostile, for their own perfidious reasons.
Divine graciousness certainly has the power to offend. That fact makes a negative point about those who find such graciousness offensive. Taking offense wrongly is one error; becoming violent about it is a related and subsequent one. How we respond individually to divine graciousness is our responsibility. If we get this wrong, we will harm others as well as ourselves.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 17, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT PATRICK, APOSTLE OF IRELAND
THE FEAST OF EBENEZER ELLIOTT, “THE CORN LAW RHYMER”
THE FEAST OF ELIZA SIBBALD ALDERSON, POET AND HYMN WRITER; AND JOHN BACCHUS DYKES, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF HENRY SCOTT HOLLAND, ANGLICAN HYMN WRITER AND PRIEST
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2018/03/17/divine-judgment-and-mercy-part-iii/
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Above: Massacre of the Innocents, by Pieter Brueghel the Younger
Image in the Public Domain
The Unfortunate Cheapness of Human Life
DECEMBER 28, 2023
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Jeremiah 31:15-17
Psalm 124
Revelation 2:13-18
Matthew 2:13-18
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Christmas is supposed to be a happy season, right? Yet darkness exists within it. Consider, O reader, the sequence of three great feasts: St. Stephen (December 26), St. John the Evangelist (December 27), and the Holy Innocents (December 28).
The kingdom of the Earth has yet to become the Kingdom of God in its fullness. Thus we read of exiles in Jeremiah 31. Then we read the plausible story of the Holy Innocents in Matthew 2. Herod the Great, we know from both Biblical and extra-Biblical sources, was a disturbed and violent man who had members of his family killed. One need not stretch credibility to imagine him ordering the murder of strangers, even young children. Reading the story from Matthew 2 then turning to Psalm 124 creates a sense of jarring irony; one is correct to wonder why God did not spare the Holy Innocents also.
On another note, the account of the Holy Innocents provides evidence for the Magi arriving when Jesus was about two years old. According to the Western calendar, as it has come down to us, Herod the Great died in 4 B.C.E., placing the birth of Jesus circa 6 B.C.E. I prefer to use the term “Before the Common Era” for the simple reason that speaking and writing of the birth of Jesus as having occurred “Before Christ”–six years, perhaps–strikes me as being ridiculous.
Back to our main point, while admitting the existence of morally ambiguous and difficult scenarios with only bad choices, and in which doing our best cannot help but lead to unfortunate results….
Human life is frequently cheap. From abortions to wars, from gangland violence to accidental shootings and crimes of passion, from genocidal governments to merely misguided policies, human life is frequently cheap. The innocent and the vulnerable suffer. People who are simply in the wrong place at the wrong time suffer. May God have mercy on us all, for each of us is partially responsible, for merely being part of the social, economic, and political systems that facilitate such suffering.
The kingdom of the Earth has yet to become the Kingdom of God in its fullness. Only God can make that happen. We mere mortals can and must, however, leave the world better than we found it. We can and must do this, by grace.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 17, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT PATRICK, APOSTLE OF IRELAND
THE FEAST OF EBENEZER ELLIOTT, “THE CORN LAW RHYMER”
THE FEAST OF ELIZA SIBBALD ALDERSON, POET AND HYMN WRITER; AND JOHN BACCHUS DYKES, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF HENRY SCOTT HOLLAND, ANGLICAN HYMN WRITER AND PRIEST
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We remember today, O God, the slaughter of the holy innocents of Bethlehem by King Herod.
Receive, we pray, into the arms of your mercy all innocent victims;
and by your great might frustrate the designs of evil tyrants and
establish your rule of justice, love, and peace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with
you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Jeremiah 31:15-17
Psalm 124
Revelation 21:1-7
Matthew 2:13-18
—Holy Women, Holy Men: Celebrating the Saints (2010), page 143
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https://neatnik2009.wordpress.com/2018/03/17/feast-of-the-holy-innocents-december-28/
https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2018/03/17/the-unfortunate-cheapness-of-human-life/
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Above: Live Coals
Image in the Public Domain
Grace, Demanding Faithful Responses, Part II
JANUARY 17, 2022
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The Collect:
Lord God, source of every blessing,
you showed forth your glory and led many to faith by the works of your Son,
who brought gladness and salvation to his people.
Transform us by the Spirit of his love,
that we may find our life together in him,
Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
—Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 22
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The Assigned Readings:
Isaiah 54:1-8
Psalm 145
Romans 12:9-21
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That sentiment fits well within the contexts of the previous post and this one. In readings for both God takes a people back–idolatrous Hebrews in Jeremiah and Hebrew exiles (soon to return to their ancestral homeland) in Isaiah.
Such generosity calls for faithful responses to God. One category of such responses covers how we treat each other. The excellent advice in Romans 12:9-21 fits neatly under the heading of the Golden Rule. St. Paul the Apostle’s counsel acknowledges total human dependence on God, human dependence on other people, and responsibility to and for others in society. It also contains a corrective measure against vengeance, one of the most powerful emotions.
The world would be a better place if more people were to seek common ground, respect others, and forgo repaying evil for evil. What we humans do matters. Often, when we think we are behaving righteously, our sinful deeds and attitudes belie that illusion. One might, for example, commit a violent act against a person whom one thinks has wronged one. That other person might indeed be in the wrong, but so is the perpetrator of the violence if the motive is revenge. Two wrongs do not make a right.
May we hold fast to the good, by grace.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
SEPTEMBER 27, 2015 COMMON ERA
PROPER 21: THE EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, YEAR B
THE FEAST OF SAINT LEOBA, ROMAN CATHOLIC NUN AND MISSIONARY
THE FEAST OF THE INAUGURATION OF THE CHURCH OF SOUTH INDIA, 1947
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2015/09/27/grace-demanding-faithful-responses-part-ii/
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Above: Herbert Spencer (1820-1903)
Image in the Public Domain
Wisdom, Folly, and Maliciousness
JANUARY 2, 2022
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The Collect:
Almighty God, you gave us your only Son
to take on our human nature and to illumine the world with your light.
By your grace adopt us as your children and enlighten us with your Spirit,
through Jesus Christ, our Redeemer and Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 20
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The Assigned Readings:
Proverbs 1:-17
Psalm 147:12-20
James 3:13-18
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Great is our God and mighty in power;
his wisdom is beyond all telling.
The Lord lifts up the poor,
but casts down the wicked to the ground.
–Psalm 147:5-6, The Book of Common Prayer (2004)
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The two main pericopes for this day contrast divine wisdom and human contrast divine wisdom and human folly and maliciousness. Divine wisdom builds up communities and societies. It is
first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full to mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.
–James 3:17, The New Revised Standard Version (1989)
The alleged wisdom of the world, however, is actually folly and maliciousness. It builds up those who practice it, but at the expense of others. And it harms those who practice it, for whatever we do to others, we do to ourselves. “No man is an island,” as John Donne wrote.
I have noticed for years the dismaying practice of engaging in Social Darwinism that would make Herbert Spencer blush and dressing it up as godly. This has been especially egregious in U.S. politics. Often being mean-spirited is better for one’s poll numbers than being compassionate and gentle. Sadly, the condemnations of human folly and maliciousness in Proverbs 1 and James 3 remain relevant, for speaking favorably of programs of social uplift can lead to unjustified allegations from mean-spirited people, many of whom claim allegiance to Jesus.
This is a devotion for the second day of the year. May the new year be a time for increased levels of compassion and gentleness, of love for one’s neighbors (we are all neighbors, according to Jesus), and respect for the inherent dignity of our fellow human beings during all stages of life. Being compassionate and gentle builds up communities and societies. It is good for individuals, none of whom are proverbial islands. It is strength, not weakness, and virtue, not something to mock.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
AUGUST 24, 2015 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT BARTHOLOMEW, APOSTLE AND MARTYR
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2015/08/24/wisdom-folly-and-maliciousness/
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Above: The Murder of Zechariah, by William Brassey Hole
Image in the Public Domain
Two Stonings
DECEMBER 26, 2021
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The Collect:
Almighty God, you gave us your only Son
to take on our human nature and to illumine the world with your light.
By your grace adopt us as your children and enlighten us with your Spirit,
through Jesus Christ, our Redeemer and Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 20
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The Assigned Readings:
2 Chronicles 4:17-24
Psalm 148
Acts 6:1-7; 7:51-60
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Psalm 148 is a song of praise to God, especially in nature. The text begins with references to the created order then moves along to people in social and political contexts. Finally we read:
[The LORD] has exalted his people in the pride of power
and crowned with praise his loyal servants,
Israel, a people close to him.
Praise the LORD.
–Verse 15, The Revised English Bible (1989)
In the context of this day’s pericopes Psalm 148 functions as a counterpoint to the other readings. In them holy men of God died for the sake of righteousness. Zechariah, a priest and the son of Jehoida, also a priest, died because of his condemnation of idolatry. Zechariah said:
Thus God said: Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD when you cannot succeed? Since you have forsaken the LORD, He has forsaken you.
–2 Chronicles 24:20b, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
His punishment was execution by stoning at the Temple in Jerusalem.
Similar in tone and content is the story of St. Stephen, one of the first seven Christian deacons and the first Christian martyr. The diaconate came to exist because it was necessary. Apostles perceived the need to divide labor:
It is not right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables.
–Acts 6:2b, The New Revised Standard Version (1989)
So the deacons fed the hungry widows. St. Stephen died by stoning not because of his participation in an ancient Means on Wheels program but because of his preaching. He, like Zechariah son of Jehoida, accused his audience of having abandoned God.
These two stories end differently, though. The dying words of Zechariah son of Jehoida were:
May the LORD see this and exact the penalty.
–2 Chronicles 24:22b, The Revised English Bible (1989)
The interpretation of subsequent events in that book is that God avenged the priest (24:24). King Jehoash/Joash of Israel (reigned 836-798 B.C.E.) died after becoming wounded in a devastating Aramean invasion. His servants murdered him on his bed.
In contrast, St. Stephen prayed for his killers:
Lord, do not hold this sin against them.
–Acts 7:60b, The New Revised Standard Version (1989)
The text does not indicate what effects, if any, that had on any of his executioners. We do know, however, that Saul of Tarsus, who approved of the execution, went on to become St. Paul the Apostle. One need not stray from the proverbial path of reasonableness to say that St. Paul, pondering his past and God’s grace, to say that he regretted having ever approved of St. Stephen’s death.
The use of violence to rid oneself of an inconvenient person is sinful. To commit violence for this purpose in the name of God, presumably to affirm one’s righteousness in the process, is ironic, for that violence belies the claim of righteousness. Furthermore, there are only victims in violent acts. The person who commits violence harms himself or herself, at least spiritually, if in no other way. Violence might be necessary or preferable to any alternative sometimes, but nobody should ever celebrate it or turn to it as a first resort.
Whatever we do to others, we do to ourselves. May we pursue peace, forgiveness, and reconciliation, not revenge.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
AUGUST 22, 2015 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF JOHN DRYDEN, ENGLISH PURITAN THEN ANGLICAN THEN ROMAN CATHOLIC POET, PLAYWRIGHT, AND TRANSLATOR
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2015/08/22/two-stonings/
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Above: Reconstruction of Jerusalem and the Temple of Herod, by James Tissot
Image in the Public Domain
Honoring God and Respecting Persons
FEBRUARY 13 AND 14, 2012
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The Collect:
Everlasting God, you give strength to the weak and power to the faint.
Make us agents of your healing and wholeness,
that your good may be made known to the ends your creation,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 24
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The Assigned Readings:
2 Chronicles 26:1-21 (Monday)
2 Kings 7:3-10 (Tuesday)
Psalm 6 (Both Days)
Acts 3:1-10 (Monday)
1 Corinthians 10:14-11:1 (Tuesday)
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O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger,
or discipline me in your wrath.
Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am languishing;
O LORD, heal me, for my bones are shaking with terror.
–Psalm 6:1-2, The New Revised Standard Version (1989)
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My comments for the post I wrote prior to this one apply here also, I refer you, O reader, to them and pursue a different line of thought arising from assigned readings.
We ought to glorify God. We cannot do this while committing idolatry, acting to harm another human being (physically or spiritually) other than in self-defense or the defense of another person, or being oblivious to God, who has done much over time and continues to act. Likewise, when we act out of respect for others, we honor the image of God in them.
If you love me, keep my commandments,
Jesus said. He ordered people to love one another and honor God. He also provided an example to emulate. That example points out how dangerous loving one’s neighbors can be. Yet if we are truly to be Christians, we will follow him.
Often we humans designate some of our neighbors as people to look down upon, shun, discriminate against, murder, destroy culturally, et cetera. This is wrong, for all people bear the image of God and therefore possess inherent dignity. We might not get along with many of them, but we ought never to question their humanity or equality with us. The Golden Rule stands.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 2, 2014 COMMON ERA
THE THIRD DAY OF ADVENT, YEAR B
THE FEAST OF SAINT BRIOC, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT; AND SAINT TUDWAL, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT AND BISHOP
THE FEAST OF CHANNING MOORE WILLIAMS, EPISCOPAL BISHOP IN CHINA AND JAPAN
THE FEAST OF JOHN BROWN, ABOLITIONIST
THE FEAST OF SAINT OSMUND OF SALISBURY, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2014/12/06/honoring-god-and-respecting-persons/
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ADVENT, CHRISTMAS, AND EPIPHANY DEVOTIONS 
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