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Readings Psalm 12 Psalm 9 Deuteronomy 28:1–68 Matthew 18:1–20 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXIII:50–59 Commemoration Today we commemorate Philipp Nicolai, Johann Heermann, and Paul Gerhardt, Hymnwriters. Philipp Nicolai was a German pastor who lived through the Great Plague, which took the lives of thirteen hundred members of his parish. Despite hardships, he contributed hymns which the Church uses to this day — among them, “Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying” and “O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright”. Johann Heermann was a German pastor who lived through the Thirty Years’ War, and contributed a number of hymns to the corpus. Paul Gerhardt was a German pastor who also lived through the Thirty Years’ War, lost his pastoral position for refusing to compromise his beliefs, and wrote over one hundred hymns; he is regarded as one of Lutheranism’s finest hymnwriters.

Readings Psalm 93 Psalm 87 Deuteronomy 27:1–26 Matthew 17:14–27 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXIII:40–49 Commemoration Today we commemorate Dorcas (also known as Tabitha), Lydia, and Phoebe, Faithful Women. These three faithful women exemplified what it means to live a Christian life. Tabitha is remembered for her charitable acts in Joppa, particularly for making clothing for the poor. When Tabitha died suddenly, Peter came from nearby Lydda and raised her from the dead. Lydia was a dealer in purple dye, an expensive and in-demand product in the ancient world; converted to Christianity by Paul’s preaching, Lydia became a patron of the church in Philippi. Phoebe was a servant of the church in Cenchreae who delivered Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, in which Paul praises her support of the Church.

Readings Psalm 99 Psalm 97 Deuteronomy 25:17—26:19 Matthew 17:1–13 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXIII:28–39

Readings Psalm 107 Deuteronomy 24:10—25:10 Matthew 16:13–28 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXIII:18–27 Festival Today we celebrate the Festival of St. James of Jerusalem, Brother of Jesus and Martyr. Also known as “James the Just”, St. James of Jerusalem did not believe in the divinity of Christ until after the Resurrection. After converting, James became a leader in the early Christian community, and, after Peter’s departure from that city, James became bishop of the Church in Jerusalem. According to Josephus, James was stoned to death by the Sadducees in AD 62. James authored the Epistle that bears his name and exhorts Christians to remain in and live out the one true Faith.

Readings Psalm 62 Psalm 119:137–144 Deuteronomy 21:1–23 Matthew 16:1–12 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXIII:7–17

Readings Psalm 142 Psalm 91 Deuteronomy 20:1–20 Matthew 15:21–39 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXIII:1–6

Readings Psalm 138 Psalm 140 Deuteronomy 19:1–21 Matthew 15:1–20 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXII:9–17

Readings Psalm 80 Deuteronomy 18:1–22 Matthew 14:22–36 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXII:1–8

Readings Psalm 75 Psalm 77 Deuteronomy 17:1–20 Matthew 14:1–21 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXI:38–44 Festival Today we celebrate the Festival of St. Luke, Evangelist. A traveling companion of St. Paul, St. Luke was a Greek physician, who would author one of the four Gospels and the Book of Acts. It is Luke who gives us details of Christ’s birth and many other events. Taken together, The Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts comprise over a third of the New Testament.

Readings Psalm 39 Psalm 38 Deuteronomy 15:19—16:22 Matthew 13:44–58 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXI:31–37 Commemoration Today we commemorate Ignatius of Antioch, Pastor and Martyr. Serving as bishop of Antioch in the beginning of the second century AD, Ignatius was a proponent of orthodox Christian doctrine. Arrested under Emperor Trajan, Ignatius, like Paul, was taken in chains to Rome, where he was executed by being thrown to wild beasts in the arena. In his letters, written on the way to Rome, Ignatius warned against false teachings, encouraged his fellow pastors, emphasized Christ’s full humanity and full deity, defended the real presence of Christ in the Lord’s Supper, and stressed the unity of the Church (being the first to use the term “catholic” in describing her). Ignatius left behind a lasting legacy for the Church.

Readings Psalm 37 Deuteronomy 14:1—15:15 Matthew 13:24–43 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXI:21–30

Readings Psalm 119:33–40 Psalm 34 Deuteronomy 13:1–18 Matthew 13:1–23 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXI:14–20

Readings Psalm 114 Psalm 124 Deuteronomy 12:13–32 Matthew 12:38–50 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XXI:1–13

Readings Psalm 111 Psalm 115 Deuteronomy 11:26—12:12 Matthew 12:22–37 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XX:86–92

Readings Psalm 119:97–104 Psalm 146 Deuteronomy 11:1–25 Matthew 12:1–21 Apology of the Augsburg Confession XX:78–85