David, December 29th

David

David, the greatest of Israel’s kings, ruled from about 1010 to 970 B.C. The events of his life are found in 1 Samuel 16 through 1 Kings 2 and in 1 Chronicles 10-29. David was also gifted musically. He was skilled in playing the lyre and the author of no less than 73 psalms, including the beloved Psalm 23. His public and private character displayed a mixture of good (for example, his defeat of the giant Goliath, 1 Samuel 17) and evil (as in his adultery with Uriah’s wife, followed by his murder of Uriah, 2 Samuel 11). David’s greatness lay in his fierce loyalty to God as Israel’s military and political leader, coupled with his willingness to acknowledge his sins and ask for God’s forgiveness (2 Samuel 12; see also Psalm 51). It was under David’s leadership that the people of Israel were united into a single nation with Jerusalem as its capital city.

Source: www.LCMS.org Commemorations Biographies

Slaughter of the Innocents, December 28th

1st Reading: Jeremiah 31:15-17 Epistle: Revelation 14:1-5 Gospel: Matthew 2:13-18

Color: Red

Hymn of the Day: 969 Sweet flowerets of the martyr band 764 When aimless violence takes those we love

Holy Innocents, Martyrs

King Herod ordered the execution of all young male children, “from two years old and under” (Matthew 2:16-18), in the village of Bethlehem, so as to avoid the loss of his throne to a newborn King of the Jews whose birth had been announced to him by the Magi.

These infants’ deaths were regarded by the early church as the first Christian martyrs.

“Then was fulfilled that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet, saying, A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children.” (Matthew 2:17-18a)

St. John, December 28th

1st Reading: Revelation 1:1-6
Epistle: 1 John 1:1-2:2
Gospel: John 21:20-25

Color: White

Hymn of the Day: 523 O Word of God incarnate

St. John, Apostle and Evangelist

John was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He was the son of Zebedee and Salome and brother of Saint James the Greater, another of the Twelve Apostles.

He is also known as St. John the Apostle and St. John the Evangelist. John is widely believed to be the author of the fourth gospel and the three New Testament epistles of John. He is also identified with Saint John the Divine, the author of the Book of Revelation.

John and his brother James the Greater were originally fishermen who, together with their father, fished in the Lake of Genesareth. John was first a disciple of John the Baptist and later one of the twelve apostles of Jesus.

Peter, James and John were the only witnesses of the raising of Jairus’ daughter (Mark 5:37) of the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1) and of the Agony in Gethsemane. (Matthew 26:37) Only he and Peter were sent into the city to make the preparation for the final Passover meal (the Last Supper) (Luke 22:8). At the meal itself, his place was next to Jesus on whose chest he leaned (John 13:23-25). John alone remained near Jesus at the foot of the cross on Calvary with Jesus’ mother, Mary, and the pious women and took Mary into his care.

After the Resurrection, John and Peter were the first of the disciples to run towards the tomb and John was the first of the apostles to believe that Jesus had truly risen. (John 20:2-10)

After Jesus’ Ascension and the descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, John, together with Peter, took a prominent part in the early church. He is with Peter at the healing of the lame man in the Temple (Acts 3:1ff). With Peter he is also thrown into prison (Acts 4:3). He is also with Peter visiting the newly converted in Samaria (Acts 8:14).

Paul refers to John along with Peter and James the Just as “pillars of the church.” (Gal. 2:9)

Tradition says John out lived all the other apostles and the only apostle not to meet with martyrdom, dying at about 100 A.D.