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St. Philip and St. James, Apostles
St. Philip and St. James, Apostles
May 1, 2026
1st Reading: Isaiah 30:18-21
Epistle: Ephesians 2:19-22
Gospel: John 14:1-14
Color: Red
Hymn of the Day: 861 Christ be my leader by night as by day
St. Philip and St. James, Apostles
Of the four Gospels, St. Philip figures most prominently in the Gospel of John. Philip came from Bethsaida, and answered Jesus' call ("Follow me"), and was instrumental in the call of St. Nathanael (probably St. Bartholomew the Apostle), whom he brought to Jesus (John 1:43-51).
His two most notable appearances in the narrative are as a link to the Greek-speaking Jewish community: Philip introduces members of this community to Jesus (John 12:20-36) and, during the Last Supper when he asked Jesus to reveal the Father, receiving the answer, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father." (John 14:8-9)
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org "Philip the Apostle"
http://www.britannica.com "Saint Philip the Apostle"
Saint James is one of the Twelve Apostles, called St. James the Less or St. James the Little.
James is mentioned only in connection with his mother Mary of Clopas (Mark 15:40, Mark 16:1, Matthew 27:56). In Mark 15:40 and Matthew 27:56 he is accompanied by a brother called Joses or Joseph.
James is the brother of Christ. Mark 15:40 associates James with his mother Mary and brother Joses. And, in Mark 6:3, when referring to Jesus, the people asked if He was not the son of Mary and brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon.
Source:
http://www.encyclopedia.com "Saint James"
http://en.wikipedia.org "James the Less"
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Athanasius of Alexandria, Pastor and Confessor
Athanasius of Alexandria, Pastor and Confessor
May 2, 2026
Athanasius of Alexandria
Athanasius was born in Alexandria in Egypt in A.D. 295. He served as a church leader in a time of great controversy and ecclesiastical disagreements. At the Council of Nicaea in 325, he defended Christian orthodoxy against the proponents of the Arian heresy, which denied the full divinity of Jesus Christ. During his 45-year tenure as bishop of Alexandria, Athanasius wrote numerous works that defended the orthodox teaching. His enemies had him exiled five times; on two occasions he was almost murdered. Yet Athanasius remained steadfast and ended his days restored fully to his church responsibilities. The Athanasian Creed, though not composed by Athanasius, is named in his honor because it confesses the doctrinal orthodoxy he championed throughout his life.
Source: www.LCMS.org Commemorations Biographies
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Fifth Sunday of Easter
Fifth Sunday of Easter
May 3, 2026
1st Reading: Acts 6:1-9; 7:2a, 51-60
Epistle: 1 Peter 2:2-10
Gospel: John 14:1-14
Psalm 146
Color: White
Hymn of the Day: 633 At the Lamb's high feast we sing
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Friedrich Wyneken, Pastor and Missionary
Friedrich Wyneken, Pastor and Missionary
May 4, 2026
Friedrich Wyneken, Pastor and Missionary
Friedrich Wyneken is one of the founding fathers of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, along with C.F.W. Walther and Wilhelm Sihler. Born in 1810 in Germany, he came to Baltimore in 1838 and shortly thereafter accepted a call to be the pastor of congregations in Friedheim and Fort Wayne, Indiana. Supported by Wilhelm Loehe's mission society, Wyneken served as an itinerant missionary in Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan, particularly among Native Americans. Together with Loehe and Sihler, he founded Concordia Theological Seminary in 1846 in Fort Wayne, Ind. He later served as the second president of the LCMS during a period of significant growth (1850-64). His leadership strongly influenced the confessional character of the LCMS and its commitment to an authentic Lutheran witness.
Source: www.LCMS.org Commemorations Biographies
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Frederick the Wise, Christian Ruler
Frederick the Wise, Christian Ruler
May 5, 2026
Frederick the Wise
Frederick the Wise, elector of Saxony from 1486 to 1525, was Martin Luther's sovereign in the early years of the Reformation. Were it not for Frederick, there might not have been a Lutheran Reformation. Born in Torgau in 1463, he became so well known for his skill in political diplomacy and his sense of justice and fairness that he was called "the Wise" by his subjects. Though he never met Luther, Frederick repeatedly protected and provided for him. In all likelihood he saved the reformer from a martyr's fate. Frederick refused the pope's demand to extradite Luther to Rome for a heresy trial in 1518. When Emperor Charles V declared Luther an outlaw in 1521 at the Diet of Worms, Frederick provided sanctuary for Luther at the Wartburg castle. On his deathbed, Frederick received the Lord's Supper in both kinds--a clear confession of the evangelical faith.
Source: www.LCMS.org Commemorations Biographies
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C. F. W. Walther, Theologian
C. F. W. Walther, Theologian
May 7, 2026
C.F.W. Walther
Carl Ferdinand Wilhelm Walther (1811 - 1887), the father of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, served as its first president from 1847 to 1850 and then again from 1864 to 1878. In 1839 he emigrated from Saxony, Germany, with other Lutherans, who settled in Missouri. He served as pastor of several congregations in St. Louis, founded Concordia Seminary, and in 1847 was instrumental in the formation of the LCMS (then called the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States). Walther worked tirelessly to promote confessional Lutheran teaching and doctrinal agreement among all Lutherans in the United States. He was a prolific writer and speaker. Among his most influential works are Church and Ministry and The Proper Distinction between Law and Gospel.
Source: www.LCMS.org Commemorations Biographies
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Job
Job
May 9, 2026
Job, Patriarch
Job was a blameless and upright man who came from Uz (Job 1:1), a land northeast of Canaan. The Book of Job examines the depths of his faith, which was severely tested through the sufferings God permitted. Despite the sudden death of his ten children and the loss of all his wealth and his health, Job refused to curse God: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord" (1:21). Still, in the midst of his tribulations Job questioned the meaning and purpose of suffering to the point of asserting his own righteousness (34:5-6). Finally, the Lord revealed that a man cannot know the mysteries of God (chapters 38-41). Job's faith in his Redeemer and the resurrection prevailed (19:25-27). In the end the Lord restored his wealth and blessed him with another seven sons and three daughters.
Source: www.LCMS.org Commemorations Biographies
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Sixth Sunday of Easter
Sixth Sunday of Easter
May 10, 2026
1st Reading: Acts 17:16-31
Epistle: 1 Peter 3:13-22
Gospel: John 14:15-21
Psalm 66:8-20
Color: White
Hymn of the Day: 556 Dear Christians, one and all, rejoice
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Cyril and Methodius, Missionaries to the Slavs
Cyril and Methodius, Missionaries to the Slavs
May 11, 2026
Cyril and Methodius, Missionaries to the Slavs
Cyril (826 - 869) and Methodius (c. 815 - 885) were brothers who came from a Greek family in Thessalonica. The younger brother took the name "Cyril" when he became a monk in 868. After ordination, Cyril became librarian at the church of Holy Wisdom (Hagia Sophia) in Constantinople. In 862 the brothers were sent by the emperor as missionaries to what is now the Czech republic, where they taught in the native Slavic tongue. Cyril invented the alphabet known today as "Cyrillic," which provided a written language for the liturgy and Scriptures for the Slavic peoples. This use of the vernacular established an important principle for evangelical missions.
Source: www.LCMS.org Commemorations Biographies
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The Ascension of Our Lord
The Ascension of Our Lord
May 14, 2026
1st Reading: Acts 1:1-11
Epistle: Ephesians 1:15-23
Gospel: Luke 24:44-53
Psalm 47
Color: White
Hymn of the Day: 491 Up through endless ranks of angels
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Seventh Sunday of Easter
Seventh Sunday of Easter
May 17, 2026
1st Reading: Acts 1:12-26
Epistle: 1 Peter 4:12-19; 5:6-11
Gospel: John 17:1-11
Psalm 68:1-10
Color: White
Hymn of the Day: 539 Christ is the world's Redeemer
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Emperor Constantine, Christian Ruler and Helen, Mother of Constantine
Emperor Constantine, Christian Ruler and Helen, Mother of Constantine
May 21, 2026
Constantine, Emperor, and Helena, his mother
Constantine I served as Roman Emperor from A.D. 306 to 337. During his reign the persecution of Christians was forbidden by the Edict of Milan in 312, and ultimately the faith gained full imperial support. Constantine took an active interest in the life and teachings of the church and called the Council of Nicaea in 325 at which orthodox Christianity was defined and defended. His mother, Helena (ca. 255-329), strongly influenced Constantine. Her great interest in locating the holy sites of the Christian faith led her to become one of the first Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land. Her research led to the identification of Biblical locations in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and beyond, which are still maintained as places of worship today.
Source: www.LCMS.org Commemorations Biographies
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Esther
Esther
May 24, 2026
Esther
Esther is the heroine of the biblical book that bears her name. Her Jewish name was Hadassah, which means "myrtle." Her beauty, charm, and courage served her well as queen to King Ahasuerus. In that role she was able to save her people from the mass extermination that Haman, the king's chief advisor, had planned (2:19 - 4:17). Esther's efforts to uncover the plot resulted in the hanging of Haman on the very same gallows that he had built for Mordecai, her uncle and guardian. Then the king named Mordecai minister of state in Haman's place. This story is an example of how God intervenes on behalf of his people to deliver them from evil, as here through Esther he preserved the Old Testament people through whom the Messiah would come.
Source: www.LCMS.org Commemorations Biographies
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The Day of Pentecost
The Day of Pentecost
May 24, 2026
1st Reading: Numbers 11:24-30
Epistle: Acts 2:1-21
Gospel: John 7:37-39
Psalm 25:1-15
Color: Red
Hymn of the Day: 497 Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord
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Bede the Venerable, Theologian
Bede the Venerable, Theologian
May 25, 2026
The Venerable Bede
Bede (673 - 735) was the last of the early church fathers and the first to compile the history of the English church. Born in Northumbria, Bede was given by his parents to a monastery in Northern England at the age of seven. The most learned man of his time, he was a prolific writer of history, whose careful use of sources provided a model for historians in the Middle Ages. Known best for his book, The Ecclesiastical History of the English People, he was also a profound interpreter of Scripture; his commentaries are still fresh today. His most famous disciple, Cuthbert, reported that Bede was working on a translation of John's Gospel into English when death came, and that he died with the words of the Gloria Patri on his lips. He received the title "Venerable" within two generations of his death and is buried in Durham Cathedral as one of England's greatest saints.
Source: www.LCMS.org Commemorations Biographies
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The Holy Trinity
The Holy Trinity
May 31, 2026
1st Reading: Genesis 1:1-2:4a
Epistle: Acts 2:14a,22-36
Gospel: Matthew 28:16-20
Psalm 8
Color: White
Hymn of the Day: 498 499 Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest
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The Visitation
The Visitation
May 31, 2026
1st Reading: Isaiah 11:1-5
Epistle: Romans 12:9-16
Gospel: Luke 1:39-45 (46-56)
Color: White
Hymn of the Day: 385 From east to west
The Visitation
The Virgin Mary, pregnant with the infant Jesus, having heard at the Annunciation that her cousin Elizabeth was six months pregnant, left her home to visit her. At the sound of Mary's greeting, Elizabeth felt the infant St. John the Baptist leap in her womb. Mary then said the Magnificat (Luke 1:39-56).
Source:
http://www.britannica.com "Visitation"
http://en.wikipedia.org "Visitation (Christianity)"
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