A Saintly Moment - St. Mary the Virgin

Today we remember priests and reformers of the church, John and Charles Wesley.

The short bio on John and Charles is taken from the 2001 edition of the Lesser Feasts and Fasts.

The scripture reading for today comes from Isaiah 49:5-6(NKJV).

The Collect comes from the Lesser Feasts and Fasts.

Life comes with many trials and difficulties, and you find that out the moment you take your first breath on this planet. Most times we may be able to lean on our friends and family to help us get by, but sometimes we’re on our own, or we feel that way. In the moment, we may decide to give up, thinking there’s no end in sight. We may even doubt our beliefs. So, what is the secret to persevering through hard times? The answer can be found in Psalm 11 verse 4, “The Lord is in His holy temple, The Lord’s throne is in heaven.” This is what John witnesses at the beginning of his vision. There John sees, in the words of Daniel, “one like the Son of Man” seated on a throne in the middle of the golden lampstands. This means the one who loves us and died for us has indeed overcome the world, and now reigns in heaven, assuring us of our own victory over this world no matter how difficult our life gets.

Today we remember Anglican priest and poet, George Herbert.

The short bio on George is taken from the 2001 edition of the Lesser Feasts and Fasts.

The scripture reading for today comes from 1 Peter 5:1-4(NKJV).

The Collect comes from the Lesser Feasts and Fasts.

One of the many things to consider when studying the book of Revelation is how Jesus and the Father are presented. John is giving us a glimpse into heaven, a peek behind the veil to encourage us and confirm what we believe regarding the nature of God the Father and God the Son, Jesus Christ. The churches John was writing to were dealing with various issues, and some were enduring persecution. His account of what he witnessed, the revealing of what is truly real, was a sober reminder and warning to those in folly, and a cup of cold water to those faithful souls, wearied and parched. Today, we should draw encouragement from John’s witness, that everything, the entire universe and all that it contains, is held together by Christ, who is the Alpha and the Omega.

Today we celebrate Independence Day.

The short excerpt on the history of the liturgical celebration of Independence Day was taken from the 2001 edition of the Lesser Feasts and Fasts.

The scripture reading for today comes from Hebrews 11:8-16(NASB).

The Collect comes from the Lesser Feasts and Fasts.

Today we remember St. Brigid of Kildare.

The short bio on Brigid's life and ministry was taken from the 2001 edition of the Lesser Feasts and Fasts.

The scripture reading for today comes from 1 Corinthians 1:26-31(NASB).

The Collect comes from the Lesser Feasts and Fasts.

Painting: Alexandra Ogle-Ottinger, 2019

Today we remember the Conversion of St. Paul.

The short bio on Paul's conversion was taken from the 2001 edition of the Lesser Feasts and Fasts.

The scripture reading for today comes from Matthew 10:16-22(ESV).

The Collect comes from the Lesser Feasts and Fasts.

Painting: The Conversion of Saint Paul (or Conversion of Saul), by the Italian painter Caravaggio

Many of us are privileged to own multiple copies of the Bible, especially through our favorite Bible app. The internet grants us access to a wide range of resources in online study guides, videos, and podcasts (like this one). With so many resources at our fingertips, we can fall into the trap of thinking that we can study and understand the Bible all on our own without the Church. If this were the case, then the apostles would’ve written a lot more letters to individual believers instead of churches, but they didn’t. Even the revelation God gave to John was meant for the seven churches, and, as Fr. Ward points out, were meant to be read out loud in those churches. So, while personal study is important, the Church provides us a buffer against heresy and a wealth of wisdom and insight into the scriptures.

The book of Revelation is the only book in the Bible that promises a blessing to those who read, hear, and, most importantly, heed what it says. This shows how important our Lord’s Revelation to John is, whether you’re a Christian in first century Smyrna or twenty-first century America. Now the type of importance the book has depends upon how we view it. Does it just have historical significance, or is there future significance as well? Is it allegory, or reality? As Fr. Ward breaks down for us, there are essentially four main views of Revelation held at different times by different factions in the Church, and while parts of Revelation could point to each of those views, no one view is able to completely interpret a book so profound.

Today we remember the Mother of our Lord, St. Mary the Virgin.

The short bio on Mary was taken from the 2001 edition of the Lesser Feasts and Fasts.

The scripture reading for today comes from Isaiah 61:10-11(NASB).

The Collect comes from the Lesser Feasts and Fasts.