Anglican Orthodox Church sm
Worldwide Communion
First Sunday after Epiphany
January 11, 2026 – Sunday Report
First Sunday after Epiphany Propers:
The propers are special prayers and readings from the Bible. There is a Collect for the Day; that is a single thought prayer, most written either before the re-founding of the Church of England in the 1540’s or written by Bishop Thomas Cranmer, the first Archbishop of Canterbury after the re-founding.
The Collect for the Day is to be read on Sunday and during Morning and Evening Prayer until the next Sunday. The Epistle is normally a reading from one of the various Epistles, or letters, in the New Testament. The Gospel is a reading from one of the Holy Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The Collect is said by the minister as a prayer, the Epistle can be read by either a designated reader (as we do in our church) or by one of the ministers and the Holy Gospel, which during the service in our church is read by an ordained minister.
The propers are the same each year, except if a Red-Letter Feast, that is one with propers in the prayerbook, falls on a Sunday, then those propers are to be read instead, except in a White Season, where it is put off. Red Letter Feasts, so called because in the Altar Prayerbooks the titles are in red, are special days. Most of the Red-Letter Feasts are dedicated to early saint’s instrumental in the development of the church, others to special events. Some days are particularly special and the Collect for that day is to be used for an octave (eight days) or an entire season, like Advent or Lent. The Propers for today are found in the Book of Common Prayer page 107 -111.
Collect for Epiphany
This collect is to be said daily throughout the Octav
O GOD, who by the leading of a star didst manifest thy only-begotten Son to the Gentiles; Mercifully grant that we, who know thee now by faith, may after this life have the fruition of thy glorious Godhead; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Collect for the First Sunday after Epiphany
O LORD, we beseech thee mercifully to receive the prayers of thy people who call upon thee; and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfil the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Epistle for the Second Sunday after Christmas. Romans xii. 1.
I BESEECH you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
The Gospel for the First Sunday after Epiphany. St. Luke ii. 41.
NOW his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day’s journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business? And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.
Someone asked, where do the quotes come from? The answer is from the people who uttered them. But, how did you find them? Oh, that. Some from Bishop Jerry, others from Rev. Geordie and many from Rev Bryan Dabney and a few from other places. Rev. Geordie Menzies-Grierson – England (above)
Points to Ponder:
As snow is in the summer, and as rain in harvest, so
honour is not seemly for a fool.
Proverbs 26:1
18 Remember
ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. 19 Behold,
I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will
even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
Isaiah 43:18-19
I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be
saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
St. John 10:9
To ignore the Bible is to ignore Christ.
St. Augustine
“Joys are flowing like a river, Since the Comforter has come; He abides with us forever, Makes the trusting heart His home.” Joy has always flowed freely in the heart chambers of those who love the Lord and His impeachable Word. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had that joy; and so did David, Solomon, and Deborah, to mention only a few of the Old Testament witnesses. But the prevailing joy, as a River of Life, came to us as the flowing waters of the Holy Ghost and Comforter after the Ascension of our Lord. The joys of the Old Testament saints was based on an amazing faith in the fulfillment of the promise of God. In the New Testament age, we look, not only in faith, but in the accomplished fact of the coming of the Savior. The Comforter, being a Spirit, is capable of omnipresence that a physical body is incapable of being. The Holy Ghost abides (lives in our hearts) forever in the hearts of the faithful. Those hearts are His home, not a place of occasional repose.
Bishop Jerry Ogles (Joys are Flowing like a River-June 20, 2017)
We are fortunate to get copies of Bishop Jerry’s you tube links, devotions on the Prayer of the Collect and sermon notes.
Bishop Jerry creates videos on various subjects, they last just under ten minutes and this week’s videos are listed below:
Bishop Ogles
Blog:
https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com
Bishop Ogles
You Tube Channel
that is free to subscribe: all of his videos at:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuW3bgXBJFomPB5mZ4Oigxg
Tuesday Bishop’s Chat: The Refiner
Bishop’s Blog: https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com/2026/01/the-refiner.html
You Tube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCZEOw0Yikg&t=1s
Bishop’s Blog: https://anglicanorthodoxchurch.blogspot.com/2026/01/weekly-chat-morning-prayer-commentary.html
You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLOj3-COn58
Sermon for: 1st Sunday after Epiphany
– January 11th
Written by Bishop Jerry Ogles
Epistle Lesson: Romans 12:1 - Gospel Lesson: Luke 2:41
The Collect.
O LORD, we beseech thee mercifully to receive the prayers of thy people who call upon thee; and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfil the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Not only do our righteous actions result from faith granted in Christ, but even our perceptions that are informed by the Word of God, and reinforced by the Holy Ghost. Even our righteous thoughts are not native to our depraved souls, but are sourced in God who is all righteous. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 All our righteous works are by the grace of God and not of our own corrupt wills. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20
Now we come to examine our Epistle from Romans 12. There are particularly cogent demands for the only sufficient sacrifice of the saint that satisfies the demand of our God - it is of self. Not the mind only, nor the flesh only, nor the heart only, but the whole man. “I BESEECH you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” It is the only ‘reasonable’ sacrifice we can make. Anything less is not reasonable, and anything more is not possible.
Many years ago, I read of a young eleven year old boy on the streets of Pittsburg. He had no father nor mother, no possessions other than the rags on his back. He was destitute of the necessary support for his living and, so. Went about begging and rummaging through the refuse of others for sustenance. Herein we see the importance of parental favor for a child.
This orphan boy was shunned by polite society. He had no worth to anyone. On a certain day, the boy wondered into a church in downtown Pittsburg. He could feel the rejection of the congregants as they searched him with eyes of disgust. Sitting on the back row, the boy sat sheepishly through the sermon preached from our Epistle for the day. He listened intently to the Words from Romans 12:1, “…present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” The boy’s heart was deeply moved by this counsel.
When the offering plate was passed around, the boy was the last to receive it on the back row seat. He took the plate as many watched him suspiciously. He placed the plate on the floor, removed his shoes, and stood in the plate. Disgusting grunts were uttered as many considered this an act of disrespect. Upon being asked by the minister why he did so, the boy remarked. I have no money, nothing to give, besides ME. He gave all that he had to the Lord, and that would have been a fine lesson for those who gave far less.
There is nothing worthy of God in the will of man. The imagination of man’s heart is only evil continually apart from the imparted grace and love of God. Our minds are naturally conformed (formed together with) that of the world and its depravity. But to be transformed, according to Webster, is to “make a thorough and dramatic change in the form, appearance, or character of a person or thing.” It is very near a metamorphosis. The change in mind and spirit does not originate with the individual, but from God. Only He can create in us a new person - a believer who reflects the nature of his Lord in all his living, even if imperfect in its application. We are adopted sons and daughters of God and we must, therefore, bear a strong resemblance to our Father in our conduct as well as our thoughts.
Now, as Paul points out, we are all different in our calling in Christ: some are called as teachers, some as doctors, some as soldiers, some as ministers, and others as evangelists; but, like the intricate complexities of the airplane, each part has a separate and crucial role to play - the engine for power, the propeller for propulsion, the wings for lift, the cabin for pilot and passengers, the instrument gauges to guide just as does the Holy Spirit our minds and hearts. Each believer is a uniquely formed stone in the Wall of New Jerusalem, and only that form of which you are constructed can fill the empty void of a precise part of that Wall. “For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.”
There is no reason for the wings to bear jealous thoughts of the propeller, nor the instrument gauges the engine, for all work together to accomplish the purpose of flight. The same is true of the Church. If the Church is joined together in the spirit of Unity in the Holy Ghost, there can be no room for division. We are called to be of One Mind in Christ and, if we are, how can we be divided over mundane issues in the Church?
IN our Gospel text, we find an example of that fealty a child owes to the parent. We are given a clear example of obedience to the 5th Commandment to Honor thy Father and thy Mother. There is a difference in honor and in obedience in all things. As a child grows into adulthood, he must plot his life’s plans according to the strengths of which he is aware - strengths which the parent may not fully comprehend. So, the adult child may make decision contrary to the advice of the aging parent; however, he must never fail to honor his parents in listening and courteously stating his reasons for making decisions that may not comport with their advice.
Many great men of God have not followed the discouraging counsel of parents by going into the ministry, but the call of God supersedes every other counsel of man.
Joseph and Mary had been to the Feast of the Passover as was their customs, and the boy Jesus went with them. Joseph and Mary served as model parents to us today. They included the youthful Jesus in their worship obligations. There was, presumably, multitudes of travelers on the return to Nazareth and Galilee. The parents supposed Jesus was among the lot and perhaps playing along with other children. However, after a day’s journey, they discovered that Jesus was not with them. Fearful and full of care, they returned to Jerusalem and searched for the child for three days finally finding Him in the Temple discoursing with the doctors.
Naturally, Mary was distraught and upset to find her son so engaged rather than following the parents back to home. “His mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.” Jesus did not answer disrespectfully just as He did not do so when turning the water to wine. Instead, He informed His mother and Joseph of His growing responsibility which He owed to His Father in Heaven - a far greater responsibility than man has ever known. Mary kept these things in her heart but apparently not fully comprehending, or remembering, the great words of the Angel, Gabriel, concerning who this Child was destined to be as Redeemer and Lord.
I can imagine that Mary often regretted the danger that her Son would later bring upon Himself in preaching the true Gospel that always enraged the Jewish leaders and Pharisees. She loved Him as only a mother can love, yet, He was continually provoking the hate of the arrogant rulers with His preaching of undiluted Gospel truth. Even His miracles of healing enraged these scoundrels. Why did He insist upon doing these things? she thought.
The exchange between Mary and Jesus in the Temple brings to light the certainty of Jesus in knowing of His Sonship with God the Father even at such an early age.
One last thought: though Mary did not comprehend the role of her Son in His calling in the Father at the time of the Temple incident, she fully comprehended His role and purpose in His resurrection. She must have had deep thoughts and reflections on these seemingly minor incidents of His life later.
We, too, may not understand why God has called us to do a thing, or perform a servicer, of which we have no desire or understanding; but in time future, the purpose and calling will be made profoundly clear when we obey and follow faithfully His every counsel to us.
Instead of kicking against the pricks, why not follow in love and obedience to the One who knows us best and offers the only true reward?
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
† Jerry Ogles
Jack Arnold
Bishop of
the Diocese of the West – AOC USA
Education and Training Anglican Orthodox Church Worldwide
Church of the Faithful Centurion
Today’s sermon brought the Collect, Epistle and Gospel together because as is always the case there is a unifying message in the Scripture for this Sunday.
Good morning! I hope you are all doing well. In today’s sermon we will be looking at the unifying message of the Collect, Epistle and Gospel and examine how they share a common message as we at the arrival of the Wise Men for Epiphany. Let us start by reading today’s collect:
The First Sunday after Epiphany.
The Collect.
O LORD, we beseech thee mercifully to receive the prayers of thy people who call upon thee; and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfil the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Consider these words from the Collect:
…grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfil the same…
As imperfect creatures with free will, we will never figure out what we should be doing, let alone do it, on our own. We are confused beings that left to our own devices will get into tremendous amounts of trouble. That is why we need the guidance of the Holy Ghost to enter into our hearts, souls and minds that we might be able to get back on course. Through our lives, we will make mistakes, some bigger than others, but as long as we listen to the Holy Ghost and His Guidance, all will be well with our souls. He will give us the knowledge to perceive and know what we ought to do, but only if we will open our ears. Once we open our ears we need to translate it into actions and not just diction.
We need to not just understand The Word spoken to us through Jesus and the Scriptures, but to understand what we should do; hence the prayer to figure out what we need to do, then give us the power or strength to do what we are supposed to do. The Holy Spirit will give us the guidance we need to perform actions for Him. We just have to open our hearts and be ready to listen and act upon His Guidance.
To live the Word requires action and self-improvement each and every day of our lives. It also requires that we listen to His Guidance and then act upon His Guidance. This is a constant struggle that will be continuous for the rest of our earthly lives. We need to ask ourselves at the end of each day, what did I do to act for God and what I did right today and what did I not do right? And figure out with the help of the Holy Ghost how to correct our wrongs and go on to the next day and do our best to do better.
I would say that self improvement and action are the chief mechanisms of the Christian Faith. Pretty much to use the Japanese term it is an ongoing process of kaizen. Like being a good pilot, living a Christian life requires us to look at our actions each and every day and review them and evaluate what we could have done better then apply that to the next day.
This is a continuous process that will occur for the rest of our earthly lives. Jesus set the ultimate example for us in action, by His Death and Resurrection. His Ministry revolved around action and helping others. We must do the best to do likewise and act. It is by our actions that our faith in Him is shown to others. I would say that faith without action is not a true faith at all but a false one. We must avoid this by doing actions for Him. The Holy Spirit will help us in this, we just have to listen and then act upon His Guidance.
What we need to do next is we need to turn ourselves outward. Normally we are very self centered and prideful beings. To truly follow Christ, we need to allow the Holy Ghost to guide us and let go of our prideful and arrogant ways, humble ourselves and become more like the publican and less like the Pharisee.
To quote President Reagan, “There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit.”
Paul tells us not to concentrate on our status, position or grandeur, but to see what we can do to help. It is all too easy to focus on comparing ourselves to others, but what we really need to do is compare our selves to the standard that God sets in Holy Scripture. We need to focus on what we can do to help our other team members in the Church. Just like our body would not function if all parts were brains, neither will Christ’s Team function if everyone is concerned about their position.
When we look at the Gospel today, aside from the historical function telling us that Jesus was in the temple bringing the light of the gospel to the rabbis, there are other lessons. We do not want to micromanage your life, but it is a good idea keep your friends and family informed of what you are doing and where you are going. Jesus’ earthly parents risked life and limb going back up the road to Jerusalem at night. But, that was their duty as parents. A duty must be done, no matter the cost. The lesson here is to keep your family and friends well informed of what you are doing, rather than going off on your own, figuring you can handle it.
Duty means to do what you are supposed to do, then count the cost. There is no sense of duty if you are merely doing what is easiest for you at the time. While doing your duty will in the end be the right thing, thus the easiest thing, it may not seem so at the time. Doing one’s duty can result in one’s temporal death, the end of their time here on earth. Not an easy way on the surface. But, recall that what seems like that easy downhill path leads to The Pit, it does not lead to the summit. Our country is where it is today because of those who preceded us, those who did their duty. It will not keep going up if, as a country, we stroll down that wide smooth downhill boulevard. We must struggle to stay on the narrow path, which leads to the summit.
Look back at those who stepped forward when the country called, Concord, Veracruz, Gettysburg, San Juan Hill, Chateau Thierry, Pearl Harbor, Normandy, Peleliu, Bastogne, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Chosin Reservoir, Ia Drang Valley, Khe Sanh, Hanoi, Laos, Cambodia, Basra, Kabul, Bagdad and countless unfamiliar and unpronounceable names in Southwest Asia. In them, you find a unifying theme of Duty, doing what you have to do, no matter what it takes, then count the cost. Those who fought for our country did it out of duty to their country and God and to protect their family. We must emulate their purpose and serve God dutifully. Christ is the ultimate example of this, the only begotten Son of God, yet doing His duty to die for us, which is what God needed Him to do, to save us from eternal hellfire. So, it was His Duty and He did it with honor.
Through duty, we too might have a noble death and welcoming in heaven. We must do our duty to God, to Honor, to Country and Family. Sometimes we will fall short, for we are imperfect creatures with that darn free will. Thus, at times we choose the wrong path or our strength falls short or we just cannot do what is needed of us. Then, we need to reset and restart towards the goal God has set for us.
But, back to the Gospel and the parents’ arrival at the temple, where lo, they found him. He was among the learned men “both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.” His parents were amazed and confounded. He asked them why they worried and why they did not understand that he was about his Father’s business[1]. It is noteworthy to see Jesus at twelve was able to “hold his own” with the learned scholars of Judah. He was able to out reason those who lived to dissect the Law. “A little child shall lead them,” (Isaiah 11:1-10)
He comes!
Heaven is at the end of an uphill trail. The easy downhill trail does not lead to the summit.
The time is
now, not tomorrow. The time has come,
indeed. How will you ACT?
It is by our actions we are known.
Be of God - Live of God - Act of God +Bishop Jack Arnold
Jose Rios, Bishop of Colombia, Cartegena - Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide
Jose began writing daily devotions in his native language on Christmas. If you would like to receive them by email, we would be happy to send them to you. Email aocworldwide@gmail.com.
La paz del Dios soberano y la manifestación de su Hijo”
Devoción para la Segunda Domínica después de Epifanía
Oración inicial:
Dios omnipotente y eterno, fuente de toda luz y paz verdadera, que en esta estación de Epifanía nos concedes contemplar la manifestación gloriosa de tu Hijo Jesucristo, dispón nuestros corazones por tu Espíritu para recibir tu Palabra con reverencia, fe y obediencia. Que al meditar en tus santos misterios seamos conformados a la imagen de Cristo y conducidos a la paz que procede de tu gobierno soberano; por Jesucristo nuestro Señor. Amén.
La Colecta del día:
OMNIPOTENTE y Eterno Dios, que gobiernas todas las cosas en el cielo y en la tierra; Oye misericordiosamente las súplicas de tu pueblo, y concédenos tu paz todos los días de nuestra vida; mediante Jesucristo nuestro Señor. Amén.
Meditación:
La Colecta de esta Segunda Domínica después de Epifanía nos sitúa ante una confesión fundamental de la fe bíblica que la tradición anglicana recibe y custodia con fidelidad: Dios gobierna soberanamente todas las cosas, tanto en el cielo como en la tierra. Esta verdad, firmemente arraigada en el Antiguo Testamento —«Jehová estableció en los cielos su trono, y su reino domina sobre todos» (Salmo 103:19)— no es una afirmación abstracta ni una simple especulación doctrinal, sino el cimiento vivo de la oración confiada del pueblo de Dios. Porque Él reina, podemos suplicar; porque Él gobierna, podemos descansar. La paz que imploramos brota de este señorío divino y se identifica con el shalom veterotestamentario: no mera ausencia de guerra o de conflicto exterior, sino plenitud de vida, orden restaurado, comunión reconciliada y bienestar integral bajo el pacto de Dios (cf. Números 6:24–26; Isaías 32:17). Este shalom, quebrantado por el pecado y la rebelión humana, encuentra su cumplimiento pleno y definitivo en la obra redentora de Cristo, quien, como anuncia Isaías, es el Príncipe de Paz (Isaías 9:6). En Él, Dios reconcilia consigo al mundo, «haciendo la paz mediante la sangre de su cruz» (Colosenses 1:20), y restablece la comunión rota entre el cielo y la tierra. Así, la paz que pedimos en la Colecta no es un sentimiento pasajero ni una seguridad circunstancial, sino el fruto objetivo de la justificación y de la reconciliación con el Padre por medio del Hijo, conforme a la enseñanza apostólica: «Justificados, pues, por la fe, tenemos paz para con Dios por medio de nuestro Señor Jesucristo» (Romanos 5:1). El Artículo I de los Treinta y Nueve Artículos confiesa a este Dios vivo, eterno y todopoderoso cuya providencia sostiene todas las cosas; y en Cristo, esa providencia se revela como gracia salvadora que concede a su pueblo el shalom verdadero, una paz que gobierna el corazón, ordena la vida y anticipa la plenitud del Reino venidero.
Esta paz, soberanamente otorgada por el Padre en Cristo e implantada en los corazones por la obra del Espíritu Santo, se hace visible y concreta en la vida de la Iglesia, tal como lo expone la exhortación apostólica de Romanos 12:6–16b. San Pablo, después de haber proclamado la misericordia redentora de Dios, describe una comunidad transformada interiormente, donde la diversidad de dones no genera rivalidad ni división, sino que, ordenada por la gracia, se convierte en servicio mutuo para la edificación del cuerpo. La paz recibida en la reconciliación con Dios se despliega ahora en relaciones marcadas por la humildad, el amor no fingido, la paciencia y la concordia, de modo que la vida comunitaria se convierte en un reflejo visible del gobierno de Cristo. El Primer Libro de Homilías, en la Homilía sobre la Caridad, enseña que el amor cristiano no es un mero afecto natural, sino el fruto necesario de una fe viva y operante, y afirma que allí donde reina la caridad verdadera se manifiesta la presencia misma de Dios. Así, la Iglesia, habitada por la paz de Cristo, llega a ser como una sinfonía espiritual: muchos miembros, diversas funciones, una sola armonía, en la que cada acto de servicio y cada relación restaurada contribuyen a la alabanza de Dios. Esta paz no se impone desde fuera, sino que es cultivada por el Espíritu en un cuerpo que vive bajo el señorío del Padre, de modo que la comunión fraterna se convierte en testimonio vivo del Reino y en ofrenda agradable para la gloria de aquel que nos reconcilió consigo mismo por medio de su Hijo.
El Evangelio según san Marcos (1:1–11) nos conduce al origen y al fundamento último de la paz implorada en la Colecta: la manifestación pública de Jesucristo como el Hijo amado del Padre, en quien descansa plenamente su complacencia. En el bautismo del Señor, el cielo se abre, el Espíritu desciende como paloma y la voz del Padre declara: «Tú eres mi Hijo amado; en ti tengo complacencia». El agrado del Padre no es arbitrario ni meramente afectivo, sino profundamente teológico: el Padre se complace en el Hijo porque Él es el obediente perfecto que cumple toda justicia, el Siervo anunciado por Isaías sobre quien reposa el Espíritu (Isaías 42:1), y el Cordero sin mancha que se ofrece voluntariamente para llevar el pecado del mundo. En Cristo, el Padre contempla una humanidad plenamente conforme a su voluntad, una obediencia sin fractura, un amor sin mezcla y una comunión ininterrumpida. Por ello, el título mesiánico de Isaías 9:6 —“Príncipe de paz”— halla aquí su manifestación inaugural: el gobierno soberano de Dios se ejerce ahora mediante el Hijo que reconcilia, restaura y ordena todas las cosas. Como enseña san Ireneo, en Cristo Dios recapitula la creación entera para reconciliar el cielo y la tierra, sanando por su obediencia lo que fue herido por la desobediencia. Esta Epifanía no sólo revela quién es Cristo en sí mismo, sino también quiénes somos nosotros en Él: por la unión mística con Cristo, obrada por el Espíritu Santo, los creyentes participamos de la filiación del Hijo y somos hechos agradables al Padre en Él. Así, la paz que brota del Jordán no se limita a la persona de Jesús, sino que se extiende a todos los que, incorporados a Cristo por la fe y el bautismo, reciben el Espíritu de adopción y entran en la comunión del amor trinitario. De este modo, la Epifanía proclama que la paz que imploramos en la Colecta nace de nuestra unión viva con el Hijo amado, en quien el Padre se complace y por quien su paz reina ahora en los corazones de su pueblo.
Lectura orante de la Palabra:
Señor soberano, al escuchar la exhortación apostólica reconocemos que los dones que has dado a tu Iglesia proceden de tu gracia y están destinados a edificar el cuerpo de Cristo. Enséñanos a ejercerlos con humildad, conforme a la medida de la fe, para que reine entre nosotros la paz que tú otorgas. Líbranos del orgullo y de la discordia, y concédenos un mismo sentir en Cristo Jesús, como el pueblo reunido ante ti en el Sinaí (Éxodo 19), llamado a vivir bajo tu santa voluntad.
Al contemplar a tu Hijo en las aguas del Jordán, confesamos que Él es el Ungido sobre quien reposa el Espíritu prometido (Isaías 42:1). En su bautismo vemos el inicio de un reino que no se impone por la fuerza, sino que se manifiesta en obediencia, humildad y comunión con el Padre. Haz que, unidos a Él, vivamos como hijos reconciliados, portadores de tu paz en medio de un mundo dividido. Amén.
Preguntas para reflexionar:
1. Desde la Colecta:
¿Confío verdaderamente en el gobierno soberano de Dios como fundamento de la paz en mi vida diaria?
2. Desde la Epístola (Romanos 12:6–16b):
¿Cómo estoy usando los dones que Dios me ha concedido para edificar la paz y la unidad del cuerpo de Cristo?
3. Desde el Evangelio (Marcos 1:1–11):
¿Reconozco y confieso a Jesús como el Hijo amado en quien Dios establece su reino de paz?
Aplicaciones prácticas:
1. Desde la Colecta:
Vivir cada día con una confianza renovada en la providencia de Dios, entregándole nuestras ansiedades y recibiendo su paz como don continuo.
2. Desde la Epístola:
Practicar activamente la humildad, el servicio y la concordia en la comunidad cristiana, ejerciendo nuestros dones para el bien común y no para la autoexaltación.
3. Desde el Evangelio:
Renovar nuestra identidad bautismal, recordando que hemos sido incorporados a Cristo y llamados a vivir como hijos amados que reflejan la paz del Padre.
Oración final:
Omnipotente y eterno Dios, que gobiernas con sabiduría y amor todas las cosas, concede que, contemplando la manifestación de tu Hijo en el poder del Espíritu, vivamos como un pueblo reconciliado bajo tu señorío. Derrama sobre nosotros la paz que el mundo no puede dar, ordena nuestras vidas conforme a tu voluntad y haznos instrumentos de tu concordia en la Iglesia y en el mundo. Todo esto te lo pedimos por Jesucristo nuestro Señor, a quien contigo y el Espíritu Santo sea toda gloria y honor, ahora y por los siglos de los siglos.
Amén.
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We are fortunate to have Bryan’s Sunday Sermon. If you want people to come to The Truth, you have to speak the truth, espouse the truth and live the truth. This is really a good piece and I commend it to your careful reading.
First Sunday Sunday after Epiphany
In our Old Testament lesson for today (I Samuel 1:21-28), we were presented with a mother who had vowed to the LORD that if he would give her a son she would give him over to his service all the days of his life. How often do people make vows to God and fail to keep them? We are admonished in Scripture to fulfil our promises to the LORD. Hannah did as she had vowed, and because of her faith in the LORD, she received five other children that she had not asked for (I Samuel 2:18-21). Indeed, we are taught by the scriptures to trust in the LORD as he knows what we need and what is in accord with his purposeful will for us.
So then, how did the LORD make use of this child who had been lent to his service? Samuel was trained by Eli the chief priest of the tabernacle to minister before God. For it was in that capacity that God came and spoke to Samuel concerning the nature of the chief priest’s sons as well as Eli’s failure to deal with them (I Samuel 3:8-18). Eventually the LORD permitted the ark of the covenant—over which Eli and his sons were charged with the care of— to be captured in battle by the Philistines which also included the deaths of Eli’s sons (I Samuel 4:11). Eli himself died after hearing the news that the ark had been captured and his sons slain (I Samuel 4:18). It wasn’t long after they had captured it that the Philistines returned the ark to the land of Israel. The LORD put upon them a terrible plague and he humiliated their god, Dagon, whose image was found dismembered and face down before the ark in their temple at Ashdod (I Samuel 5:1-12).
The return of the ark to the Israelites, though initially a joyous occasion, turned to tragedy when some of the men took it upon themselves to open the ark which resulted in the LORD’s judgment upon that whole region of Beth-shemesh (I Samuel 6:14-21). Afterwards, the ark was carried to Kirjath-jearim and the house of Eleazar who kept it safe for twenty years (I Samuel 7:1-2). It was at the end of this period of safe-keeping that Samuel again is mentioned, but this time not only as a priest but as a judge also (I Samuel 7:3-17). He encouraged the people to come back to the LORD their God and to put away from them their false gods which they did in response to Samuel’s preaching (vv.3-4). The Philistines sought to take advantage of the Israelites at that time, but God stood up for them and discomfited the Philistines so that the Israelites were able to chase them off and, as the Bible tells us, the Philistines came no more into the coast of Israel: and the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. The Israelites even got back territories which the Philistines had seized in times past when they were in rebellion against God (vv. 10-14). Even Israel’s arch-enemy the Amorites were at peace with them during the administration of Samuel. That last point is affirmed by Proverbs 16:7 which states that, When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.
Samuel served as a judge over Israel until near the end of his life when the representatives of the people came to him with their request for a king. They told him that he was old and that his sons were unjust so they wanted a king to rule over them (I Samuel 8:1-5). Samuel was unhappy with their request but he nevertheless took it to the LORD (v.6). The message which he received of God made plain that the people were not rejecting Samuel so much as they were rejecting the LORD himself. Consider God’s reply to Samuel: Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them (v.7).
The LORD then instructed Samuel to tell them in no uncertain terms just what having a king would mean. Often people are deluded into believing that government is a great house of good and that one need only have the right doorkeeper and then all of its benefits will flow out and down to them. What such persons do not understand is that the great house of government is a store or hold for those that administer it, and with the right amount of power they can fill and keep it full even to the detriment of the people under them. God’s omniscience foresaw this, and through Samuel he tried to warn the people of their folly. Unfortunately, the vast majority of people before and since have rejected God’s counsel.
From an historical perspective, governments tend to be rapacious, grasping and dictatorial and such is made plain within the pages of Scripture. God laid out in very clear language just what a king would do TO the people (vv. 9-17). He then closed his warning with these words, And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day (v.18). In spite of his warning, the people called out for a king over them which the LORD then approved (vv. 19-22). If we could look beyond the mere cries of the people, we would see the specter of evil whispering in their ears. Samuel then went on to anoint the LORD’s first choice for a king: Saul of Benjamin (I Samuel 10:1). Later, Samuel appeared before all Israel gathered at Gilgal and sacrificed on their behalf (I Samuel 11:15) and afterwards presented to them their king with a very telling sermon (I Samuel 12:1-25). He reminded them that he had done what their elders had asked of him in seeking of the LORD for a king to rule over them, and that he had done them no harm, and that he and the king were witnesses of their agreement of such (vv. 1-5). He then proceeded to recount for the people the mighty acts of God on their behalf from the time of Moses and Aaron and the several judges which had served Israel so well even unto that very day (vv. 6-11).
He further presented the reality behind their request for a king. And, as we all should know, the reality of a request can turn out to be a bit more than we might have imagined. As Charles Stanley once said, “God knows both sides of our requests.” That is why John Chrysostom’s prayer with which we close Morning and Evening Prayer is apropos: “Fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants, as may be most expedient for them...” When we pray that prayer, we are putting our requests in God’s hands to grant, or not to grant to us those things as he sees fit. This did not happen in the case of the Israelites regarding their desire for a king as they were rejecting him who was their true king, even the LORD their God (v.12). To confirm these things, Samuel prayed to the LORD and he sent thunder and rain upon the land at an uncommon time for such as it was the harvest season (vv. 16-18).
Samuel then closed his message to the people with words of encouragement that if they would serve the LORD and turn from their wicked ways that he would not forsake them and would be pleased with them (vv. 20-22). He said that he would continue to pray for them and teach them the right way to go to which he added one final caveat: Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you. But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king (vv.23-25). Samuel’s closing message holds true even today. God will judge a people for not only their personal misdeeds and sins, but corporately on account of their rulers.
From Genesis on, there are accounts where the LORD brought his righteous judgments upon wickedness of every sort. The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, Nineveh, Babylon, and Jerusalem on two occasions (along with many others for which little may be noted in history but who were well known to God) are perfect examples of God’s judgment falling on those who would continue in sin and think that he does not see nor care. Samuel’s witness is one that every living soul ought to read and heed before thinking that human government, administered by imperfect souls such as themselves, will solve their problems apart from divine Providence. Needless to say, the books of Kings and Chronicles illustrates that last point plain enough.
Consider the words of II Chronicles 36:15-16 wherein it was written, And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place; but they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy. No remedy? None! Those who survived Nebuchadnezzar’s assault and conquest of Jerusalem were carted away in captivity with only the poorest of souls left to tend the fields and farms about the land. If God would do that to those he called his people will he do any less to those who are openly and aggressively acting against his will and purpose? Samuel has already supplied us the answer if you will hear it— No, God will not! Samuel was used of God to take the throne away from Saul for his disobedience and willfulness (I Samuel 15:1- 35). Samuel was called of God to anoint David the son of Jesse to be king over Israel (I Samuel 16:11-14). Some years later, on account of Saul’s final act of disobedience at Endor, Samuel was permitted to rise from his rest in Paradise to communicate God’s judgment on Saul which resulted in not only his death and the deaths of his sons at the Battle of Mount Gilboa, but the defeat of the Israelite army by the Philistines (I Samuel 28:1-19; 31:1-7).
So when we consider the life of Samuel, we learned that he was a priest, a prophet and a judge over Israel. He was a godly child whose mother had prayed for a son whom she promised to lend to the LORD all the days of his life. He sought to do God’s will even in difficult times. He had heard the voice of God as a youth and ever after as an adult. Even in death, the prophet was permitted to do something not recorded before or since in the Bible— to return from the lower world as a spirit— and his place of rest— to the land of the living and speak directly with those of the living. Samuel’s testimony to us is one that we as Christians should read and heed. Every word of Scripture is inspired and acceptable for our use and instruction (II St. Timothy 4:16-17), so then let us live as people inspired of God to seek his will for as the young prophet said to God when he called to him, Speak; for thy servant hearth (I Samuel 3:10).
Let us pray,
Father, we pray for wisdom: that we might be wise to evils of this world and avoid them; we also pray for knowledge: that we might come to know thee better and what you would have us to do in thy service; and we pray for understanding: that whereas the scriptures are a sealed book to those who are in unbelief, that we who are of the faith may come to know the truth contained within thy word and so conform our lives to that knowledge for our eternal good and thy greater glory; all of which we pray in the name of thine only begotten Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Have a Blessed Week,
Bryan+
Saint Paul's Anglican Church - Diocese of the Midwest Anglican Orthodox Church
Suffragan Bishop of the AOC
The First Sunday after Epiphany
Morning Prayer
Psalm 97; First lesson: Proverbs 8:22-35; Second lesson: Colossians 1:9-29
O LORD, we beseech thee mercifully to receive the prayers of thy people who call upon thee; and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfil the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
hymns # 563, 578, 464
Are we alone?
Do you sometimes feel as if the Lord has abandoned you? Do you sometimes think that living a Christ-like life doesn’t seem to work? What is going on when these thoughts invade your mind?
If you think about it, the Prince of the power of the air, Satan, has the ability to cloud or redirect our minds from the heavenly direction we should strive for, it’s in his DNA. We can be so distracted by the everyday whirling of this world, the constant din of busyness and activity, that we can totally lose sight of the Light that was revealed to us by the Gospel. Can we remedy this ever present issue in our lives? YES
Let us focus on St. Paul’s letter to the Colossians, where we read of encouragement, prayers of strength, and thanksgiving for salvation; all the tenets of the Christian faith. This seems to be following a pattern, Paul is showing that believers do have problems with their faith and yet should not give up, instead, they should seek the Lord; being filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding…. 21And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled. 22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: 23If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
It wasn’t that Paul was writing in circles, he was pointing to the variable in everyday Christian life. One day you seem to be following the Lord, the next day you question or doubt the very foundations of your faith. This is not really that hard to understand. Here is a fact: if you were Satan’s, if you were without faith, if you had no hope in the Resurrection, then you would not doubt, you would not wonder if you were saved. Does that make sense? ‘A house divided against itself cannot stand’. If you are in Satan’s camp, why in the world would he get you to doubt your salvation. He’d leave well enough alone, he doesn’t want you wondering about the afterlife. He wants you to think all is well, there is no need for salvation, after all you aren’t that bad...right ? He does this to keep the lost blinded to the fact that dying without Christ is eternal damnation.
Notice what Paul writes, ‘...sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works....yet now hath he reconciled.’ We can be turned about by our own thoughts, we can be led away from Christ by wicked enemies in your mind, or wicked works in your mind, but in the work of Christ death, he reconciles us, he presents us holy, unblameable and unreproveable in his sight.
We can take comfort in the following verses from Paul’s letter to the church at Colossi: 27To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: 28Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: 29Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.
Now let us focus on the laser-beam declaration of Christ our Redeemer as written in the first lesson set aside for today from the book of the Proverbs. The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old: 23I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. 24When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. 25Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: 26While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. 27When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: 28When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: 29When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth.
These verses are some of the clearest description of the Trinity, the concept of eternity, the concept of creation, the concept that the only begotten Son of God was with God the Father from eternity. He was going to be Immanuel, God with us: v v 30-25.
30Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; 31Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men. 32Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways. 33Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. 34Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. 35For whoso findeth me findeth life,* and shall obtain favour of the LORD.
* Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24) We have such strong proof of the truth and promises of God, especially the gift of salvation through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, we should not let the chaos of this world sway us. Look to Jesus for sustaining strength and peace, He is the ever continuing reason for our hope.
Instead of wasting time worrying about things that are surmountable by faith in Christ, let us look at the job we are to do. We are to show the world, by our example, by the hope of glory, by the very fiber of our being, that there is a reason for the hope that we have. As St. Peter wrote in 1Peter 3:15, “...But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear...”
No matter who we are in Christ, we are constantly showing the Gospel in our lives. We don’t have to be ordained ministers, church leaders or workers per se, we just have to live our lives in such a manner that they become the Gospel.
Let us go and do likewise.
Let us pray:
HEAVENLY Father, we beseech Thee to help us in the personal influence, both conscious and. unconscious, which we exert from day to day, May we be a hindrance to no one either by word or example, but by the purity, gentleness and unselfishness of our lives. may' we lead many to serve their fellow-men and glorify Thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.
O LORD Jesus Christ, who has said, "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work"; Grant us, we beseech Thee, such zeal in Thy service, that we may never be weary in well doing, but may labor steadfastly unto the end; through Thy mercy, O our God, who art blessed, and livest and reignest for ever and ever. AMEN.
+ Bishop Roy Morales-Kuhn
AOC Worldwide Prayer List –
I have received updates from a few and those will be the first added to the list. Please send all prayer requests and updates to aocworldwide@gmail.com for future reports. If you would like to be removed from list just respond with remove in the subject line.
Prayer Needed:
Randy Fultz - Covid
John Crawford – out of the hospital and recovering from Pancreatitis
David – Hip Bursitis
Perry Willliams Family – mourning loss of Perry
Alice Gamumnitz Family – mourning loss of Alice
Bobby Bryan – cancer and cardiac issues
Sandy – broken Femur
Ophelia – crippling arthritis pain
Dennis Potrikus - fall with bad knees – recovering his rehab
Paul Meier – throat cancer- radiation treatment successful
Richard Bailey – Brain Cancer
Donna – ongoing radiation and Chemotherapy. Pray for successful remission
Roy – Bulging disc – upcoming surgery
Michelle – metastasized lung cancer – treatment ongoing
Extended Issues need continued prayer;
Laurie with long Covid Symptoms - Extreme exhaustion, heart palpitations, breathing problems and unstable blood pressures are constant worries causing depression to settle in.
Malcom Allred – Cancer Treatment
Keep Praying for the following:
Shamu-health issues, Jan Jessup-neuro dementia, AOC USA, AOC Missions - Myanmar,
Harper-IBS , Jim Sevier- God’s
Peace, Linda –
multiple myeloma, pneumonia, Marianne, Donna-chemotherapy, Alicia-caregiver Sophie, Colin and Lori Beall –
cancer,
Toni – cancer, Donna - cancer, Malou –
cancer, Archie- CHF, Eloise, Janice, Dakota,
Katie, Finley, Mike & Gayle,
[1] Note also the tremendous advantage that God has over the Devil. Not only did God make both man and the Devil, but He has actually been a man, the Devil only read about men and thought about men and contemplated men. In Jesus, God has been a man. Note - in this instance, He learned about the compassion, worry and duty of parents towards their Son! The Devil, not so much.
