The Rev. Dr. Amy C. Schifrin writes, "So he bids us to come to his wedding supper today, to eat this body that was broken when his hour had come, to drink this mercy that flowed from the cross and covered the whole world. He bids us come. At Cana in Galilee his mother said to the servants, 'Do whatever he tells you.' Today he is telling you, 'Do this in remembrance of me.' Do this and live. Do this…
Dr. Nicholas Perrin writes, "Not only was John’s baptism of repentance and conversion (a provocative gesture in its own right), but it was also a baptism 'for the forgiveness of sins,' that is, for the sought-for result of forgiveness. John was claiming, in other words, to dispense that which up until that point was only procured in the temple: forgiveness. When you go around offering a baptism for the forgiveness of sins, you are implicitly saying, 'Whatever you are used…
Epiphany is traditionally celebrated on January 6 but is often moved to a Sunday; this year, January 6 happens to be a Sunday so for Catholics the feast is not shifted. Epiphany is the celebration of God in Jesus Christ made manifest to the world, represented by the Magi. The Gospel text for Epiphany, Matthew 2:1-12, is suggestive, presaging in subtle ways things good, bad, and ugly, showing that Jesus is a cause of division, encountering resistance from the beginning…
Pastor Russell E. Saltzman writes, "I am glad, even encouraged, to find out that Jesus was a normal kid, perfectly normal, pretty much like my kids were growing up; maybe like your kids growing up now. He wasn’t some goodie-goodie who didn’t know anything about people, about you, about me. Instead, as the Letter to the Hebrews points out, 'he was made like his brothers in every respect. . . .' (Heb 2:17). And this story tells me that even…
Dr. Joshua Genig writes, "So, take heart this day. In fact, have some fun today. The angels who spoke to the shepherds, speak to you as well. It’s as though you can hear them crying out this morning: 'This will be a sign for you. You will find a baby, wrapped in the swaddling clothes of bread and wine and lying on the altar, waiting to be placed upon the manger of your tongue.' The marked one, marked by what…
