Confident.Faith

Readings Psalm 75 Psalm 104 Zechariah 12:1—13:9 Titus 1:1—2:6 Smalcald Articles, Preface:1–7 Feast Today we celebrate the Feast of the Purification of Mary and the Presentation of Our Lord. Thirty-two days after Jesus was circumcised, He comes to the Temple to fulfill the requirements of the OT law. In offering the alternative sacrifice (two turtledoves or two pigeons instead of a lamb), Joseph and Mary reveal their humble circumstances. In his Nunc Dimmitis, Simeon announces the inauguration of God’s consolation and redemption in and through Christ, and also prophesies concerning the destiny of Jesus.

Readings Psalm 28 Psalm 48 Zechariah 11:4–17 2 Timothy 4:1–18 Large Catechism V:75–87

Readings Psalm 135 Psalm 68 Zechariah 10:1—11:3 2 Timothy 3:1–17 Large Catechism V:58–74

Readings Psalm 33 Zechariah 9:1–17 2 Timothy 2:1–26 Large Catechism V:42–57

Readings Psalm 107 Zechariah 8:1–23 2 Timothy 1:1–18 Large Catechism V:31–41

Readings Psalm 12 Psalm 133 Zechariah 6:1—7:14 Romans 16:17–27 Large Catechism V:15–30

Readings Psalm 1 Psalm 109 Zechariah 4:1—5:11 Romans 15:14–33 Large Catechism V:1–14 Commemoration Today we commemorate John Chrysostom, Preacher. Born around AD 347, St. John was instructed in the Christian faith by his mother, Anthusa. After holding a number of lesser offices, John became patriarch of Constantinople in AD 398. John was given the added name “Chrysostom”, which means ‘golden-mouthed’ in Greek, for his simple, but direct, messages that were beloved by all who heard them. Eventually exiled from Constantinople, after coming into conflict with the local authorities due to his determination to reform the church, the court, and the city, John continued to preach and write right up until his death in AD 407. His reported last words were “Glory be to God for all things! Amen.”

Readings Psalm 18 Psalm 134 Zechariah 2:1—3:10 Romans 15:1–13 Large Catechism IV:68–86 Commemoration Today we celebrate the Festival of St. Titus, Pastor and Confessor. Like Timothy, St. Titus was a friend and coworker of St. Paul. Whereas it is not known if Titus accompanied Paul on his first and second missionary journeys, it is known that Titus accompanied Paul on his third missionary journey, along with Barnabas, to Jerusalem to bring aid during a famine. Likely after the trip to Jerusalem, Paul and Titus parted ways, with Titus staying in Crete and eventually working in Dalmatia and then, according to tradition, serving as bishop in Crete until his death in about AD 96.

Readings Psalm 6 Psalm 67 Zechariah 1:1–21 Romans 14:1–23 Large Catechism IV:56–67 Festival Today we celebrate the Festival of the Conversion of St. Paul. Originally a zealous persecutor of the Church, St. Paul (then Saul of Tarsus) met Christ on the road to Damascus. Blinded by a bright light, Saul heard the words “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” to which Saul replied “Who are You, Lord?” to which Christ replied “I am Jesus, Whom you are persecuting.” Upon arriving in Damascus, Saul was sought by a disciple named Ananias, who had been sent by the Lord to heal Saul. Upon receiving his sight, Saul was baptized and went on to become the Apostle Paul, a man whom God called ‘a chosen instrument … to carry [Christ’s] name before the nations’.

Readings Psalm 131 Psalm 84 Joel 3:1–21 Romans 12:14—13:14 Large Catechism IV:47–55 Commemoration Today we celebrate the Festival of St. Timothy, Pastor and Confessor. Best remembered as a companion of St. Paul, St. Timothy grew up in a Christian household. After meeting Paul on his (Paul’s) second missionary journey, Timothy accompanied Paul on further missionary journeys and was with Paul in Rome. According to tradition, Timothy was martyred in Ephesus around AD 97, where he served as bishop after Paul’s martyrdom in Rome.

Readings Psalm 139 Psalm 81 Joel 2:18–32 Romans 11:25—12:13 Large Catechism IV:32–46

Readings Psalm 69 Psalm 121 Joel 2:1–17 Romans 11:1–24 Large Catechism IV:17–31

Readings Psalm 20 Psalm 13 Joel 1:1–20 Romans 10:1–21 Large Catechism IV:1–16

Readings Psalm 117 Psalm 97 Ezekiel 47:1–23 Romans 9:19–33 Large Catechism III:112–124 Commemoration Today we commemorate Sarah. Wife (and half-sister) of the patriarch Abraham, Sarah followed Abraham from Ur of the Chaldeans on his journey to Canaan. Childless until old age, Sarah was eventually blessed with a son — Isaac — who would become the second of the three major patriarchs of OT Israel, and carry on the line of the promised Messiah. Sarah is remembered for her faithfulness and her hospitality. She was buried in the Cave of Machpelah, the same cave where Abraham would also later be buried.

Readings Psalm 15 Psalm 126 Ezekiel 44:1–29 Romans 9:1–18 Large Catechism III:99–111

Readings Psalm 44 Psalm 124 Ezekiel 40:1–4; 41:1–12 Romans 8:18–39 Large Catechism III:85–98 Festival Today we celebrate the Festival of The Confession of St. Peter. In response to Christ’s challenge: “But who do you say that I am?”, Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” This — Peter’s confession — is the rock upon which the Church is built. As Christ makes clear, it is not “flesh and blood [that] [reveals]” this truth, but “[the] Father Who is in Heaven”. Here in Matthew, and elsewhere in the NT, Christ makes clear that He gives the Keys to the entire Church, not to Peter alone, and with the Keys the power to bind and to loose: “whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven.” As the Smalcald Articles state: The Keys are an office and power given by Christ to the Church for binding and loosing sin. This applies not only to gross and well-known sins, but also the subtle, hidden sins that are known only to God. As it is written, “Who can discern his errors?” (Psalm 19:12). It is truly this confession of Peter — that Christ is the Son of the living God — upon which the Church is founded, with Christ as cornerstone.

Readings Psalm 76 Psalm 137 Ezekiel 39:1–29 Romans 7:21—8:17 Large Catechism III:71–84

Readings Psalm 36 Psalm 54 Ezekiel 38:1–23 Romans 7:1–20 Large Catechism III:59–70

Readings Psalm 29 Ezekiel 37:15–28 Romans 6:1–23 Large Catechism III:49–58

Readings Psalm 104 Psalm 79 Ezekiel 36:33—37:14 Romans 5:1–21 Large Catechism III:35–48

Readings Psalm 32 Psalm 51 Ezekiel 36:13–28 Romans 4:1–25 Large Catechism III:25–34

Readings Psalm 63 Psalm 59 Ezekiel 34:1–24 Romans 3:19–31 Large Catechism III:14–24

Readings Psalm 7 Psalm 14 Ezekiel 33:1–20 Romans 3:1–18 Large Catechism III:1–13 Festival Today we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord. As recounted in the third chapter of the Gospel of Matthew (and in parallel passages in Mark, Luke, and John), Christ was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. Although John initially hesitated when asked to baptize Christ, because Christ was without sin and John knew he was in the presence of One greater than he, Christ spoke His first words in Matthew so that John would agree: “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” On Christ’s Baptism, Luther said: “[Christ] accepted it from John for the reason that He was entering into our stead, indeed, our person, that is, becoming a sinner for us, taking upon Himself the sins which He had not committed, and wiping them out and drowning them in His Holy Baptism.” This Baptism in the Jordan River marked the beginning of Christ’s ministry.

Readings Psalm 85 Psalm 58 Ezekiel 18:1–32 Romans 2:17–29 Large Catechism II:63–70 Commemoration Today we commemorate Basil the Great of Caesarea, Gregory of Nazianzus, and Gregory of Nyssa, Pastors and Confessors. Collectively known as the Cappadocian Fathers, Basil and the two Gregorys were leaders of the Christian Church in Asia Minor (modern Turkey) in the fourth century. Basil and Gregory of Nyssa were brothers, and Gregory of Nazianzus was their friend. All three men were influential in shaping the theology ratified by the Council of Constantinople, which would later be enshrined in the Nicene Creed.

Readings Psalm 62 Psalm 32 Ezekiel 3:12–27 Romans 2:1–16 Large Catechism II:55–62

Readings Psalm 19 Psalm 100 Ezekiel 2:1—3:11 Romans 1:18–32 Large Catechism II:47–54

Readings Psalm 46 Psalm 45 Ezekiel 1:1–28 Romans 1:1–17 Large Catechism II:34–46

Readings Psalm 45 Psalm 72 Isaiah 66:1–20 Luke 3:21–38 Large Catechism II:25–33 Festival Today we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord. Although the feast of Epiphany commemorates no particular, concrete event, it is one of the most important days in the liturgical calendar — one of the principal feasts. On Epiphany, we remember that the God who became man in Bethlehem — that the Babe in the manger — needed present no proof that He was true man, but that He did indeed need to prove that He was true God. He did this superabundantly with the manifestations of the Trinity and the signs, wonders, and miracles that dot the pages of the New Testament record. In the Western Church tradition, Epiphany has become associated with the visit of the Magi, and this is fitting, for the Magi represent all the nations that were brought into the New Covenant through Christ — the true epiphany being the revelation of Christ as Lord, God, Savior, and King.

Readings Psalm 37 Psalm 10 Isaiah 65:8–25 Luke 3:1–20 Large Catechism II:9–24

Readings Psalm 40 Psalm 65 Isaiah 63:15—65:7 Luke 2:41–52 Large Catechism II:1–8

Readings Psalm 108 Psalm 110 Isaiah 63:1–14 Luke 2:21–40 Large Catechism I:324–333

Readings Psalm 62 Psalm 98 Isaiah 62:1–12 Luke 2:1–20 Large Catechism I:311–323 Commemoration Today we commemorate J. K. Wilhelm Löhe, Pastor. Johann Konrad Wilhelm Löhe served as the pastor of Neuendettelsau in the Bavarian Alps in the 1800s. Although he never left Germany, Löhe had a significant impact on Lutheranism in North America. Recognizing the need for Church workers, Löhe assisted in the training of missionary pastors to be sent to the New World and Australia. A number of the men sent by Löhe would become founders of what is today the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (the LCMS). It was also due in part to Löhe’s financial backing that a theological school in Fort Wayne, IN, and a teachers’ institute in Saginaw, MI, were established. Löhe is widely recognized and fondly remembered for his confessional integrity and his dedication to Christian charity.

Readings Psalm 113 Psalm 21 Isaiah 61:1–11 Luke 1:57–80 Large Catechism I:303–310 Festival Today we celebrate the Feast of the Circumcision and Name of Jesus. Per tradition, Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day and given the name “Jesus” as the angel had proclaimed. Under the Old Covenant, circumcision brought the benefits of forgiveness of sins, justification, and incorporation into the people of God. Under the New Covenant, circumcision is no longer necessary or effective; it has been replaced by Baptism, which is called, by St. Paul, a “circumcision made without hands” and “the circumcision of Christ”.

Readings Psalm 111 Psalm 8 Isaiah 60:1–22 Luke 1:39–56 Large Catechism I:292–302

Readings Psalm 89 Psalm 132 Isaiah 58:1—59:21 Luke 1:26–38 Large Catechism I:276–291

Readings Psalm 78 Psalm 93 Isaiah 55:1–13 Luke 1:1–25 Large Catechism I:263–275 Commemoration Today we commemorate David. David was the greatest of the kings of OT Israel, and ruled from about 1010 to 970 BC. Although David’s private conduct showed a mixture of good and bad, it was his fierce loyalty to God that defined his life and his reign. Under David, God fulfilled many of the promises to OT Israel, notably uniting Israel into a single nation with its capital at Jerusalem. Of course, God’s greatest promise would be fulfilled through the promised King — Christ, our Lord.

Readings Psalm 9 Psalm 31 Isaiah 52:13—54:10 Matthew 2:13–23 Large Catechism I:254–262 Festival Today we celebrate the Festival of The Holy Innocents, Martyrs. Threatened by the prophecies concerning a “King of the Jews”, King Herod plotted to find and kill Jesus using the Wise Men, but was thwarted in that plan when the Wise Men went back to their lands by another route. Angered and still plotting to thwart the prophecy, Herod had all male children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or younger murdered. We commemorate these innocents as a reminder of the depravity, brutality, and evil that can take residence in the human heart and of the persecution Jesus suffered even before His earthly ministry had begun. By the hand of God, Jesus was spared from being numbered amongst the slain, for His path led to a different death — on a cross at Golgotha, to pay the price for our sins.

Readings Psalm 72 Psalm 92 Isaiah 51:17—52:12 Matthew 2:1–12 Large Catechism I:245–253 Festival Today we celebrate the Festival of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist. St. John, son of Zebedee and brother of James the Elder, was among the first disciples to be called by Jesus, and became known as “the disciple whom Jesus loved”. During Christ’s ministry, John witnessed many of Christ’s miracles, was present for the Transfiguration, went with Peter to reserve the upper room for the Last Supper, and, alone among the Disciples, did not forsake Christ during His Passion, remaining near Christ through the crucifixion. From the cross, Jesus made John guardian of Mary, His mother. John would go on to be a founding father of the Early Church. From John, we have the fourth Gospel, three Epistles, and the Book of Revelation, which was revealed to him while he was banished to Patmos by Emperor Domitian. John outlived all of the other Apostles, dying in Ephesus at around age one hundred.

Readings Psalm 34 Psalm 60 Isaiah 49:22—51:16 Matthew 1:18–25 Large Catechism I:234–244 Commemoration Today we celebrate the Festival of St. Stephen, Martyr. St. Stephen was one of the first seven deacons of the Church, appointed to distribute food and other necessities to the poor of the growing Christian community. In addition to such duties, the deacons also taught and preached. When some of his colleagues became jealous, they brought him before the Sanhedrin on false charges of blasphemy. Before the Sanhedrin, Stephen confessed his faith in Christ and rebuked members of the Sanhedrin for rejecting the Christ. Infuriated, the Sanhedrin had Stephen dragged outside the city and stoned. Honored as the first martyr of the New Testament Church, Stephen is remembered for his dying words: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” and “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”

Readings Psalm 96 Psalm 150 Isaiah 49:1–18 Matthew 1:1–17 Large Catechism I:222–233

Readings Psalm 98 Psalm 2 Isaiah 44:21—45:25 Revelation 12:1–17 Large Catechism I:211–221

Readings Psalm 39 Psalm 144 Isaiah 43:25—44:20 Revelation 11:1–19 Large Catechism I:199–210

Readings Psalm 115 Psalm 125 Isaiah 43:1–24 Revelation 9:13—10:11 Large Catechism I:189–198

Readings Psalm 102 Isaiah 42:1–25 Revelation 9:1–12 Large Catechism I:179–188

Readings Psalm 119:25–32 Psalm 141 Isaiah 40:18—41:10 Revelation 8:1–13 Large Catechism I:167–178 Commemoration Today we commemorate Katharina Luther, née von Bora. Born in 1499, Katharina von Bora was placed into a convent when she was still a child and became a nun in 1515. In April of 1523, Katharina, along with eight other nuns, was rescued from the convent and brought to Wittenberg. In Wittenberg, Martin Luther helped the rescued nuns return to their families or start families of their own. Although initially hesitant to marry — as he feared assassination or execution by Rome — Luther believed that he must place his faith in God and practice what he preached. Katharina and Luther were married on 13 June 1525. God blessed the Luthers’ marriage with six children, and Katharina skillfully managed the Luther household. Although she suffered financial difficulties after Luther’s death in 1546, Katharina remained steadfast in her faith and her care for her children and others. Amongst her last recorded words, Katharina, on her deathbed, said that she would ‘stick to Christ as a burr to cloth.’

Readings Psalm 103 Psalm 19 Isaiah 40:1–17 Revelation 7:1–17 Large Catechism I:158–166 Commemoration Today we commemorate Adam and Eve. Father and mother to us all, Adam and Eve were the first two human beings created by God’s own hands. Adam, formed from the dust, was created first and Eve, formed from one of Adam’s ribs to be his companion, was created second. Failing to obey God and listening to the Serpent’s temptation, Eve ate of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, which God had forbidden, and Adam, forsaking his role as head, joined her in rebellion. For their disobedience, they were driven from the Garden; by their disobedience, death entered the world. Nevertheless, in the midst of the tragedy of the Fall, God promised that the woman’s Seed — Christ, the Savior — would crush the Serpent’s head. In His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead, Christ defeated sin, death, and the devil — fulfilling the promise of Genesis 3:15. As Luther commented: ‘God arranged to remove through Christ whatever the devil brought in through Adam.’

Readings Psalm 119:81–88 Psalm 145 Isaiah 34:1—35:10 Revelation 6:1–17 Large Catechism I:150–157

Readings Psalm 40 Psalm 20 Isaiah 33:1–24 Revelation 5:1–14 Large Catechism I:141–149

Readings Psalm 149 Psalm 61 Isaiah 32:1–20 Revelation 4:1–11 Large Catechism I:129–140

Readings Psalm 146 Psalm 80 Isaiah 30:27—31:9 Revelation 3:1–22 Large Catechism I:120–128