Collects
for Epiphany: Lord God, on this day you revealed your Son to the nations
by the leading of a star. Lead us now by faith to know your presence in our
lives and bring us at last to the full vision of your glory.
Father,
You revealed Your Son to the nations by the guidance of a star. Lead us to Your
glory in heaven by the light of faith. We ask this through our Lord Jesus
Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God,
forever and ever.
Father,
You make known the salvation of humankind at the birth of Your Son. Make us
strong in faith and bring us to the glory You promise. We ask this through our
Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives, and reigns with You and the Holy
Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
Collects
for Epiphany 5: O Lord, keep Your Church continually in the true faith that,
relying on the hope of Your heavenly grace, we may be ever defended by Your
mighty power.
O God, you know that we cannot withstand the
dangers, which surround us. Strengthen us in body and spirit so that with your
help, we may be able to overcome the weakness that our sins have brought upon
us.
Collect for Psalm 112: Lord Jesus You are the light shining
in darkness for the upright. Teach us to love one another as Yu love us, that
we might bring peace and joy to the world and find the happiness of Your home where
You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and
forever. Amen
The Purification of Mary and the Presentation of Our Lord: (Febuary 2) Almighty and ever-living God, as Your only-begotten Son was this day presented in the temple in the substance of our flesh, grant that we may be presented ti You with pure and clean hearts through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever. Amen
An
Excellent Way of Life
The life of a
Christian is the primary subject of this Sunday. It is a way of life that is
better than living by the letter of the Law. According to Isaiah, true fasting
results in meeting the social needs of people. In the Epistle gives the source
of Christian living – a gospel of power and not the wisdom of man. Christ is
the Word of life. We ask that we may see and hear Him as the Life.
Light is the dominant theme of Epiphany. A candle is a
symbol of the season. Christ is the light of God whose glory is manifested
throughout the season. Epiphany 5 continues the theme of life but with a
different twist. Now Christians are the light of the world because they are in
Christ. In the Gospel, Jesus tells His followers, “You are the light of the
world,” Isiah in the Old Testament says the light shines out of those who
properly fast. In the Epistle lesson, the source of the light is in the
crucified Christ proclaimed by Paul.
Monday,
30 January, 2017—Psalm
119:1-6; antiphon, Psalm 112:12—In
the Introit for Sunday, we pray, Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me Your
statutes! . This Psalm is an acrostic based on the Hebrew letter
Aleph. We meditate on the Word of our Lord and we walk blameless as we are
directed by Him who speaks to us in and through that same word.
Tuesday,
31 January 2017—Psalm
15 — This psalm gives instruction to those who wish to have access to God
at His temple. Thomas Jefferson called this psalm
the picture of “a true gentleman.” This is a testimonial of the man of God.
What does God require of the individual who seeks his company? He expects right
conduct, right speaking (verses 2-3a), right relationships with others (verses
3b-4), and a right use of wealth (verse 5) See Psalm 24. Who swears… (Verse 4) i.e. who keeps his word whatever the cost;
Verse 5, one of the Jewish laws, see Leviticus 25:36-37. It was not a total ban
on lending at interest, but applied to fellow Israelites.
Wednesday, 1 February 2017—Isaiah 58:3-9a— The godly life is expressed in service. Among most
Christians today, fasting is scarcely practiced. If Isaiah were living today,
he probably would not have used it. Though fasting is not generally practiced,
the principle still applies. Religiosity in terms of cultic practices, without
practical helpfulness to the neighbor, does not bring God’s blessings. When we
put our religious devotions into sharing with the less fortunate, we open
ourselves to God’s presence and blessings.
Thursday, 2 February 2017—1
Corinthians2:1-12— The Christian life results from a
gospel of power. Paul decided to know nothing except Christ. Is that smart?
Paul knew more than most. He knew how to make a living by making tents; the
Bible thoroughly, for he was a student of the great Gamaliel; the philosophies
of the day, for he was a university student. When it came to making a living,
we need to know much. When it comes to making a life, knowledge and wisdom are
useless. It is enough to know Christ, for He is the truth about God and life.
Weakness can be strength. This
was the case with Paul He felt that his ability to speak oratorically in great
wisdom, as was the custom of his day, was inferior.
With fear and trembling, he
perhaps stuttered and stammered the words of the gospel. In spite of his halting
speech, people came to accept Christ as Savior. What did this prove? The Word
of the cross is the power to win people to Christ.
Friday, 3
February 2017—Matthew
5:13-20—The Christian life exceeds living by the Law. Followers of Jesus, Disciples of Christ are the light of the
world. Since Jesus said He was the light of the world, this may seem to be a
contradiction. Christians are light. You do not become light by good works. You
are light because, and only because you are in Christ, the Light. The light you
have is not produced by your own. You are only the reflection of the light of
Christ who dwells in you by faith. If you are not seen as light in the dark
world, it indicates you are not in Christ. If the light is in you, it will be
seen by your good works, which result as naturally as a candle sheds its light
as a natural part of its essence.
The word “righteousness” has a twofold meaning. Its ethical
meaning embraces virtue, goodness, and uprightness. The religious meaning means
being rightly related to God and neighbor. The righteousness of God is God’s
rightly relating us to Himself. The righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees
was an ethical righteousness, which involved a strict keeping of the letter of
the law. The Christian has a righteousness that exceeds the ethical. It is a
right relationship with God and with people. Anger is a symptom of a broken
relationship. Forgiveness renews the relationship.
Saturday, 4 February 2017—1 John 3:16-19;
Hebrews 13:16; Matthew 25:40—Sunday’s
Hymn of the Day is "Thy Strong Word"
(LSB #578). This wonderful hymn tells the story of salvation as the Lord
speaks to us in and through His Word. All three persons of the Trinity are
mentioned in the last stanza. God the Father, light-creator, Jesus is the one eternal
God begotten from the Father light of light. The Holy Spirit is the
light-revealer. Together with angels in heaven, we praise the Triune God
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Prayers from Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House
Lectionary Preaching Workbook Series A by John Brokhoff © 1980 CSS Publishing Lima OH
For All the Saints A Prayer Book for and By the Church Vol. II © 1995 by the American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi , NY
Luther’s Seal © Ed Riojas, Higher Things