Judica

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In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Beloved in the Lord, on this day in which you began the Divine Service by praying, “Judge me, O God,” you do well to pay attention to what you hear and learn in this holy place, whether it be pondering upon certain words of God for the first time or as reminder for a countless number of times now. The Lord has commanded that you offer your bodies as living sacrifices of thanksgiving as you come here physically, but also that you offer up your heart and soulRead More →

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✠ Psalmody: Psalm 18:48a; 1–2a; Psalm 30:1, 2–3; Psalm 103:10; 79:8–9; Psalm 59:1; Psalm 26:6–7 ✠ Lection: Leviticus 19:1-2a, 10b-19a, 25b ; John 10:22-38 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Blessed be the Lord God, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all days, and of all seasons! Blessed be His holy Name that He has seen fit to bring winter to us a week into April and illumine our Gospel tonight by what we have looked through the window to see over the past three days. For, in John 10, it was the Feast ofRead More →

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✠ Psalmody: Psalm 43:1–2a; 3a; Psalm 143:9a, 10a; 18:48; Psalm 129:1–4; Psalm 9:1a; 119:17, 25b; 1 Corinthians 11:24b, 25b ✠ Lection: Genesis 22:1–19; Hebrews 9:11–15; John 8:46–59a In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Psalm 45 speaks of Christ in saying, Thou art fairer than the children of men: Grace is poured into thy lips: Therefore God hath blessed thee for ever. Indeed, our Blessed Savior has come meek and lowly, mounted even on a donkey in a triumphal ride to bloody victory, His mouth full of grace, gentleness, and truth. A Jesus Who is kind, compassionate,Read More →

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(printed on bulletin insert on Judica, April 6, 2025) The final stage in our symbolic journey toward Easter is Passiontide. Passiontide (the time of the Passion) begins with Judica, the fifth Sunday in Lent. The crucifixes are covered at the conclusion of the Holy Gospel and the Gloria Patri disappears for a while. A common question may be, “Why do we drape and veil the crucifixes as we get closer to Good Friday, as our attention upon the last hours and the sufferings of Our Lord increases?” We do this because we do not deserve to look upon them. We are not worthy of theRead More →