Today marks the last Sunday in the Epiphany season this year. It starts to guide our thoughts and studies to the season of Lent. That will conclude with the events in the city of Jerusalem during the Passover feast and the Passion of Christ. The reading our church fathers selected to fill this role is the Transfiguration of our Lord as recorded in the Gospel of the Apostle Matthew. …For more, click on the title above.
Author: kyriss
God’s gift of the crown of righteousness
This morning God has called and gathered us together into His House that He established decades ago in Catalina. He did so that, even today with the real earthly loss we’ve suffered we might hear God’s Word and respond to it in thanks. God planted this congregation to be a light on this hill in Catalina in the Divine Hope that all that takes place here would reflect and shine forth the Light of Christ to us, and through us, to our neighbors near and far. For more, click on the title above.
The Word made manifest
Today is January 18. This congregation and most of the Christian world celebrated the Epiphany of our Lord officially on January 6. But the Epiphany is not just a one-day event; it has a season of its own.
Sunday of last week we remembered the Baptism of Jesus. That’s the first bookend of the Epiphany season. Next Sunday, the 25th, we will celebrate the Transfiguration of our Lord, which is the closing bookend of the Epiphany season.
What does that mean? For more, click on the title above.
The beauty of God’s wisdom about marriage
Rejoice in God’s promises fulfilled
Where can we find Jesus?
In our Gospel text Jesus is 12 years old. Why would this, the only time we hear Jesus speak prior to his Baptism, why would this story be included in the season of Epiphany?
Jesus is in the holy city of Jerusalem for a particular reason–to celebrate the Passover. He did this because he was an obedient Jewish boy. He and his parents had traveled with a group from Nazareth to Jerusalem to the Temple, a distance of about 110 miles which would take several days. They had come to offer sacrifices because that was what was commanded of them according to the Law of Moses. …For more, click on the title above.
Remembering baptism: Christ’s and ours
Each Epiphany Season, the more historic readings series through which we receive God’s gifts, are given to remind you that the work of declaring you right with the Father began at Jesus’ conception, birth, and circumcision. It continue(d) in His baptism. In time, the holy work God did that you, and all sinners, might be declared right with God, neared its fulfillment on a cross. That is when His blood began to cover over sin, to atone for sins. …For more, click on the title above.
Written by the prophet
There are two ways that people learned of and came to visit the infant Savior. The first way is how the shepherds learned of the birth of Christ.
As we heard read during the Christmas Eve Midnight Mass, the shepherds were doing their job, watching over the flock placed in their care through the night when they were greeted by an angel of the Lord. The angel told them where Jesus was and sent them on their way. They were told by a messenger of the Lord where the Light of Man was born….For more, click on the title above.
The Law always accuses, the Gospel always acquits
The following theme flowed forth from today’s readings:
Lex semper accusat…lex non potest eos accusare aut damnare..
Those two Latin phrases ought to be interpreted into the language common to us, English. That is because we desire that we might be found faithful to the teaching of the Scriptures. The first phrase, lex semper accusat… may be correctly interpreted to mean: “The Law always accuses….” The second phrase, lex non potest eos accusare aut damnare is interpreted to reveal that “the Law cannot accuse or condemn them (that is, those who remain in the Jesus of the Scriptures).” Another way to think of that is to hear, reflect, and own this old biblically formed adage: The Law convicts, condemns, and kills… the Gospel acquits, atones, and enlivens. …For more, clickl on the title above.
God’s Word provides consistency and stability
Please hear the following theme text that has been selected for this first day of 2026. As you do so, remember as it is the eighth day of Christmas, it is also the day the Church has continued to celebrate Jesus’ shedding first blood in the war He won against sin, death, and the devil. We recall our response that prepared us to hear of the Circumcision of our Lord, as we declared:
What shall I render to the LORD for all his benefits to me?
I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD… . For more, click on the title above.