Quasimodo Geniti 2026

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In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the Apostles to go and tell people about His resurrection and forgiveness. You have something similar at the end of Matthew, where Jesus tells the Apostles to go and make disciples by baptizing and teaching. These are all works of the Holy Spirit. The call for the apostles to go and absolve is preceded by Jesus giving them the Spirit. In Acts 2, when the people are brought to contrition for their sins, Peter announces to them the gift of Baptism, which bestows forgiveness and the Holy Spirit. He even says it is for the children along with their parents. Jesus established means to deliver to us His gifts.

Remember a couple of weeks ago, we saw that the New Testament never calls pastors “priests.” We have other words like bishops, presbyters, pastors, rulers, teachers, and deacons – but never priests. That’s because Jesus is the last and final priest. He is the one mediator between God and man….

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Who Caused the Schism?

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The catholics who presented the Augsburg Confession to Charles V were very troubled by the possibility of further schism in the church. What did the confessors at Augsburg ask? Allow the Gospel to be purely presented, and relax certain onerous traditions:

It is not our intention to take oversight away from the bishops. We ask only this one thing, that they allow the Gospel to be taught purely, and that they relax a few observances that they claim it is sinful to change. If they will not give anything up, it is for them to decide how they will give an account to God for causing schism by their stubbornness. (AC XXVIII.77-78)

We pray someday the schism can be healed.

St. Titus 2024

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We do not worship saints, nor pray to them. These things clearly contradict God’s Word. We do, however, remember the saints and give them honor. The Augsburg Confession says,

Concerning the cult of the saints our people teach that the saints are to be remembered so that we may strengthen our faith when we see how they experienced grace and how they were helped by faith. Moreover, it is taught that each person, according to his or her calling, should take the saints’ good works as an example….

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Trinity 26 (observed), 2023

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Children are “offered,” committed, handed over in Baptism. We hand our children over when we need help, when they need something we can’t do for them ourselves. You ever handed your child over to a surgeon? You hope you get him back, but there are no guarantees. In suffering and trial, God is teaching us to relinquish control, to hand over all our cares to Him….

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The Tenth Sunday after Trinity

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“From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.” Thus the Apostles’ Creed summarizes what God’s Word says about the end of the world, the Day of Judgment.

Be not deceived: The judgment of Jesus is coming. On that day, your thoughts will be revealed. The things done in darkness will be brought to light; there is nothing secret that will not be exposed.

As Jesus approaches Jerusalem in today’s Gospel, He anticipates the coming judgment on that city. In less than four decades, Jerusalem would be burned, her stones toppled, the temple looted and razed, blood running through the streets as water. Jesus’ prophecy came to pass in the year 70 when Titus conquered Jerusalem.

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