Category: Church Year
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On the Road by the Sea
The Third Sunday after the Epiphany, Year A—January 25, 2026 Isaiah 9:1-4 1 Corinthians 1:10-18 Matthew 4:12-23 Psalm 27:1, 5-13 Today’s Gospel passage starts out dark: Jesus is just hearing that John the Baptist has been arrested. “He withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum…
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This is not the Lamb you think you seek
The Second Sunday after the Epiphany, Year A—January 17, 2026 Isaiah 49:1-7 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 John 1:29-42 Psalm 40:1-12 Today’s Gospel begins in the second day of a three-day sequence in the ministry of John the Baptist: Day 1: In conversation with some Pharisees, John dispenses with the popular suggestions…
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The First Sunday after the Epiphany
The Baptism of ChristYear A—January 11, 2026Readings:Isaiah 42:1-9Acts 10:34-43Matthew 3:13-17Psalm 29 In the West, we call this feast the Baptism of Our Lord, or something similar. In the East, it is the Theophany—manifestation of God—because, for the first time in history, the Holy Trinity is revealed. God the Son is…
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Epiphany
Year A—January 6, 2026 Readings: Isaiah 60:1-6 Ephesians 3:1-12 Matthew 2:1-12 Psalm 72:1-7,10-14 The image above is a very small piece housed at the Met. It’s a mere 5.75 x 4.5 inches (14.6×11.4 cm), though the frame it’s in probably almost doubles the size. That small size seems appropriate: Like…
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The Second Sunday after Christmas
Years A—January 4, 2026 Happy New Year! And Merry Christmas. The readings for this Sunday are: Jeremiah 31:7-14 Ephesians 1:3-6,15-19a Matthew 2:13-15,19-23 or Luke 2:41-52 or Matthew 2:1-12 Psalm 84 or 84:1-8 Since these are the same readings assigned to all three years of the lectionary cycle, I will use the first…
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The First Sunday after Christmas
Year A—December 28, 2025 Isaiah 61:10-62:3 Galatians 3:23-25; 4:4-7 John 1:1-18 Psalm 147 or 147:13-21 I feel for preachers. My instinct is to try to draw something out of each of these texts and weave it all together…but what hasn’t already been said about these passages? Not only does Christmas…
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Christmas Day
Selection I—All Years Isaiah 9:2-7 Titus 2:11-14 Luke 2:1-14(15-20) Psalm 96 Merry Christmas! [There are three different sets of readings for Christmas Day. In my experience—admittedly, only with cathedrals—the first set is used on Christmas Eve, while the second and third are used in services on Christmas Day. Since they…
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The Fourth Sunday of Advent
Year A—December 21, 2025 Isaiah 7:10-16 Romans 1:1-7 Matthew 1:18-25 Psalm 80:1-7, 16-18 We are closing in on Christmas! This week’s readings are compact: they get to the point. Sort of. They hold out familiar words and images, and we can walk right in and take those words and images…
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Advent 3
Year A – December 14, 2025 Lectionary readings:Isaiah 35:1-10James 5:7-10Matthew 11:2-11Psalm 146:4-9or Canticle 15 (the Magnificat, or Song of Mary) This icon type, Theotokos of the Sign, depicts the expectant Mary. Her posture is one of prayer, and while her son is still in her womb, we see him as God, arms…
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The First Sunday of Advent
Year A – November 30, 2025 Note: I am beginning a series of blogging on the Sunday Eucharistic lectionary—the Revised Common Lectionary as used in the Episcopal Church—paired with artwork. This project has its origins in bulletins I used to make for St. Andrew’s Church, Livonia, although I wrote much…
