I love this pic of Opa…

…with Chance, whom I believe is his 17th great grandchild:

Patristic Quote of the Day

Therefore, appoint for yourselves bishops and deacons worthy of the Lord, men meek, and not lovers of money, and truthful and proven; for they also render to you the service of prophets and teachers.—Didache 15

Luther

For fathers and mother are bound, and for this very purpose they are appointed by God to be father and mother, to teach and guide their children, not according to their own conceit and pious ideas, but according to God’s commandment.—Sermon on Epiphany 2, 1525.

Catechesis: Our Father

Now God’s name is profaned by us either through our words or in our works (For whatever we do upon the earth must be either words or works, speech or act).—LC III:40

Patristic Quote of the Day

The apostle clearly teaches that presbyters are the same as bishops.—St. Jerome 146 Letter to Evangelus

Luther

Wherever I look and see Christian children, I see Christ, if only I could believe it.—Exposition of Matt xxiii, xxiv

Catechesis: Our Father

But where there is true prayer, there must be seriousness. People must feel their distress, and such distress presses them and compels them to call and cry out. Then prayer will be made willingly, as it ought to be.—LC III:26

Patristic Quote of the Day

So then, as I said, both the Presbyters were of old called Bishops and Deacons of Christ, and the Bishops Presbyters; and hence even now many Bishops write, “To my fellow-Presbyter,” and, “To my fellow-Deacon.” But otherwise the specific name is distinctly appropriated to each, the Bishop and the Presbyter. “To the fellow-Bishops,” he says, and Deacons.—St. John Chrysostom, On Philippians 1:1

Luther

What does it help them if they bring themselves to the verge of death through fasting, praying, going on pilgrimage, and doing good works? On the Day of Judgment God will not ask them about such things, but will demand of them [the parents] the children He has given and committed to them.—Sermon on Good Works, 1520

Catechesis: Our Father

You should say, “My prayer is as precious, holy, and pleasing to God as that of St. Paul or the most holy saints. This is the reason: I will gladly grant that Paul is personally more holy, but that’s not because of the commandment. God does not consider prayer because of the person, but because of His Word and obedience to it. For I rest my prayer on the same commandment on which all the saints rest their prayer. Furthermore, I pray for the same thing that they all pray for and always have prayed.—LC III:16

Patristic Quote of the Day

Therefore as the presbyters know that they are subject to the one who has been placed over them by an ecclesiastical custom, the bishops should know that they are greater than the presbyters more through custom than through the verity of an ordinance of the Lord and that they all ought to rule the church in common. —St. Jerome, Commentary on Titus 1:5

Luther

But what does it mean: He was subject unto them? Simply that He walked in those works enjoined in the fourth commandment. Such works are those which father and mother need done in the house, namely, that He fetched water, bread, and meat, that He minded the house and did other things of that kind as He was told to do, like any other child.—Sermon, 1534.

Catechesis: Our Father

Therefore, nothing is more necessary than that we should continually turn towards God’s ear, call upon Him, and pray to Him. We must pray that He would give, preserve, and increase faith in us and the fulfillment of the Ten Commandments.—LC III:1

Patristic Quote of the Day

What he means is somewhat as follows. Pharaoh was a vessel of wrath, that is, a man who by his own hard-heartedness had kindled the wrath of God. For after enjoying much long-suffering, he became no better, but remained unimproved. Wherefore he calls him not only “a vessel of wrath,” but also one “fitted for destruction.” That is, fully fitted indeed, but by his own proper self.—St. John Chrysostom on Romans 9:22

Luther

He [our Lord Jesus] does not wish to be found amongst our friends, or acquaintances, or in anything apart from the ministry of the Word.—Sermon on the First Sunday after Epiphany, 1525.

Catechesis: Creed

Here [in the Creed] we see that God gives Himself to us completely. He gives all that He has and is able to doin order to aid and direct us in keeping the Ten Commandments.—LC II:68.

Homily for the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord, 2022

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

This past Thursday, people loved by God, we celebrated the Epiphany, which the Germans call Drei Königsfest. Three Kings Feast. Martin Luther once quipped, though, that the true three Kings feast is the one we celebrate today: the Baptism of our Lord. For here the three preeminent Kings, the persons of the Blessed Trinity reveal themselves to sanctify all water to be a blessed flood and lavish washing away of sin, so that we might safely come to have a portion in the divine life and reign that is their eternal joy. Before we work through the Holy Gospel, would you join me in prayer? Lord God, heavenly Father, who together with Your Holy Spirit revealed Yourself in a most gracious manner at the Baptism of Your beloved Son, who bore all our sins, and by Your voice directed us to Him, that through Him we might have forgiveness of sins and all grace; we beseech You, sustain us in such confidence, and inasmuch as, in accordance with the command and example of Your Son, we also are baptized, strengthen our faith by Your Holy Spirit and bring us to eternal life. Amen.

Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. Isn’t it a bit odd how Baptism pops out of seemingly nowhere in the New Testament? But there were hints in the Old Testament that it was coming. Remember the vision of Ezekiel 47 and the waters that issued from the Temple and that carried life with them wherever they went. Remember Ezekiel 36 and the promise of God to give us a new heart via sprinkling with clean water and that He’d put His Spirit in us. Remember how Zechariah saw in the 13th chapter of his prophesy that a fountain would be opened in the house of David for sin and for all uncleanness. So hints are there all along. But then John the Baptist finally appeared and the hints all began to make sense. Now, there is a saying of St. Augustine in the Church “verbum accedat ad elementum et fit sacramentum.” Luther said Augustine never said anything better: that is, the Word comes to the element and it becomes a Sacrament. And THAT, people loved by God, is exactly what you see happening here. The Word, our Lord Jesus, the Eternal Word of the Father, comes to John’s Baptism so that He can transform the element, the water, and make it be by His presence more than John’s Baptism by itself could ever be. Now it will be a life giving water, full of grace. But this causes the Baptist to pucker his brow.

But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? That is, I am a sinner and all these that I baptize are sinners. But You, Jesus, are no sinner. Why would you possibly want to receive a sinner’s baptism? This is a Baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. This is a Baptism for those who are willing to admit they’ve gone astray; turned away from God and His love; tossed His commandments behind their back. So why are YOU here?

And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer [it to be so] now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. I suppose we might render that with: Don’t argue, Cousin! Go along with me here, okay? THIS is how we will fill up all righteousness. Now, what does that mean? There is a two fold action taking place here. First, by standing with us in our sin, Jesus is promising from this moment to head to His cross. He will stand with sinners under the judgment of God and do so that sinners might be sheltered from it. And secondly, He is putting His very own righteousness, His FLAWLESS keeping of the Law, His eternal unbreakable YES to His Father’s will into the water for us, that it might be our very own. So Jesus and John fulfill all righteousness. Jesus promises to bear the very consequences of all our sins and Jesus promises to give to us His shining, flawless righteousness. And all by the Word coming to the Element, by the Son of God stepping down into Jordan’s flood.

And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, Three things immediately transpire when John consents and baptizes Jesus: first, heaven is opened. In Mark’s Gospel it is even more graphic. Heaven is torn open! The home that we lost in Eden, closed by angelic guards barring the way to the tree of life; this home Jesus restores to us in the water. Get in the water with Him and suddenly you have a heavenly home again! And second:

and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: Jesus, of course, didn’t need the gift of the Spirit, for the Spirit eternally proceeds from Him, but WE need this gift. And so not only does Baptism open heaven, but it gives the gift of the Spirit. And just to make sure we don’t think that this is only for Jesus, remember how St. Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost: “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you and to your children.” Acts 2:38, 39 So get in the water with Jesus and heaven is opened to you and the Spirit is given to you. And one gift more:

And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Again, not anything HE needed. He was ever the Father’s beloved Son. But this is what we need. A rebirth that consists of adoption into the Father’s family. Oh, beloved! How amazingly awesome is this? The heavenly Father looks at you when you get in the water with Jesus and proclaims: “This my kid. I love them so. I am tickled pink with them.” That’s how the Father truly sees you because of Baptism.

And one last thing to note: Baptism did not merely GIVE these gifts to you once upon a time. As our Small Catechism makes so beautifully clear: it GIVES them still. “It WORKS forgiveness of sins, DELIVERS from death and the devil, and GIVES salvation to all who believe this as the Words and promises of God declare!” All present tense. The gifts Christ plants in that holy water by His presence and Word and promise there hold fast for you all the days of Your pilgrimage. No need to pour the water on you again, that water that was poured once embraces your entire life. And if you’ve wandered from it into the byways and sin and unbelief, you need only return to it again in repentance. Said another way, the absolution is wet! It dumps you right back into the initial water of Your Baptism.

So yes, indeed, the Baptism of our Lord is the true Three Kings feast. The Son stands in the water to sanctify it and open heaven’s door, the Spirit descends to testify to our rebirth, and the Father speaks in tender love proclaiming us as His very own beloved. All that, your Jesus dumps into the water. The Word comes to the element and it becomes a sacrament indeed, and for that all glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Patristic Quote of the Day

Of the Jews, shepherds were the first-fruits; the Magi became the first-fruits of the Gentiles. The former were brought to the manger from near by, the latter from afar off.—St. Fulgentius, Homily for Epiphany

Luther

Therefore, if we desire happiness and want a pure and happy conscience, we must forgo King Herod’s manner of living and following another king, which is Christ; and that means, that we must not be so bold as to seek justification through works, nor place our hopes therein, but that we must blazon on our hearts the image of Christ alone, the gracious Lord, who comes without any show.—Sermon, 1521

Catechesis: The Creed

But God’s Spirit alone is called the Holy Spirit, that is, He who has sanctified and still sanctifies us.—LC II:36.

Patristic Quote of the Day

As from the their treasury they gave mystical gifts to the Lord, so let us also from the treasury of our hearts offer gifts that are worthy of God.—Pope St. Leo the Great, Epiphany Homily

Luther

But the saintly men are not misled… Heedless of the poverty and wretchedness, they fall down before this Babe and worship  Him, and open their treasures and present them to Him.—Epiphany, 1544.

Catechesis: The Creed

Let this, then, be the sum of this article: the little word Lord means simply the same as redeemer. It means the One who has brought us from Satan to God, from death to life, from sin to righteousness, and who preserves us in the same.—LC II:31

Well, it’s been 42 years…

…since my father’s death on this very day in 1980. Now I’m two years older than he ever lived to be. It makes me sad that he and mom didn’t really get to know my children, let alone grandchildren. I trust that that will be remedied in the glories of the Kingdom. Till the day of resurrection, rest in peace, Daddy! 

Patristic Quote of the Day

From now on we enter our eternal heritage; and the truth which the Jews in the blindness of their hearts did not receive, casts its light on all nations. Let us fittingly honor this most sacred day on which the Author of our salvation appeared. He whom the Magi worshipped as an infant in the crib, we will adore as the omnipotent King of heaven.—Pope St. Leo the Great, Epiphany Homily

Luther

But further, we are priests, which is more than kings, for priesthood makes us worthy to stand before God and to pray for others. For it behoves none but priests to stand before God. Thus Christ gained this privilege for us, so that we might stand and intercede for one another in spirit, as a priest stands before his people in the flesh making intercession.—On the Freedom of a Christian, 1520.

Catechesis: The Creed

Now, all that we have, and whatever else is in heaven and upon earth, is daily given, preserved, and kept for us by God. Therefore, it is clearly suggested and concluded that it is our duty to love, praise, and thank Him for these things without ceasing.—LC II:19

Patristic Quote of the Day

Let us acknowledge, beloved brethren, in the adoration of the Magi the first sign of our calling and of our faith: and let us celebrate with glad hearts the beginnings of our blessed hope.—Pope St. Leo the Great, Epiphany Homily

Luther

For I have often said, it is the heart’s trust and faith alone that makes both, God and idols.—The Larger Catechism 

Catechesis: The Creed

For if we could by our own power keep the Ten Commandments as they should be kept, we would need nothing further, neither the Creed nor the Lord’s Prayer.—LC II:3

Patristic Quote of the Day

The Word made flesh so ordained His manifestation that as a new-born Infant He would be known to believers, but hidden from persecutors. Already on Christmas the heavens were resplendent with the glory of God and the sound of His truth went forth to all the earth, when an array of angels appeared to the shepherds as messengers of the new-born Saviour and the guiding light began leading the Magi to adore Him.—Pope St. Leo the Great, Epiphany Homily

Luther

Therefore should we praise Him and thank Him, that He alone may be our son. So shall we truly be blessed in Him. It follows, that this Lord is Jesus Christ, true God, eternally born of the Father, and also true Man born of Mary, in the fullness of time, because He is here praised as our strength and power, our psalm and Saviour.—Comment on Psalm cxviii.14

Catechesis: Conclusion of Commandments

So this word, “You shall have no other gods before Me”, in its simplest meaning, states nothing other than this demand: You shall fear, love, and trust in Me as your only true God. For where there is a heart set this way before God, that heart has fulfilled this commandment and all the other commandments.—LC I:324.

December Workout Stats

I really dropped this down a bit in December, and then missed a few days with illness. I’ve switched workout routine to doing 250+ pushups on Monday-Wednesday-Friday, together with 24 45-lb kettle bell swings and 24 pull ups. But then on Tuesday and Thursday, I do my high intensity interval training (only for ten minutes; thank you, Apple Fitness!). So totals: 2301 pushups; 240 kettle bell; 240 pull ups; and six HIIT workouts. I think, getting older and all, the body appreciates that day off between the body weight workouts, and (of course!) the two days off on the weekends. 

P.S. And have zero idea how accurate the bathroom scale is, but it reports that on Dec. 31, body fat percentage was at 12.2. 

142

In the first pic, Chancellor Barbour Weedon (my grandfather) is holding William Chancellor Weedon’s hand; in the second pic, William Chancellor Weedon is holding grandson Chancellor James Herberts. 

Chancellor Barbour - born in 1879.

William Chancellor - born in 1960.

Chancellor James - born in 2021.

142 years between the birth of Chancellor my grandfather and Chancellor my grandson. 

Thanks to the Amazing Fossil Photography

 (Link here) which means Dean’s sister, Jessica, for these lovely pics of our beloved Herberts grandchildren.

Today

A dear friend wrote that he’d been blessed to celebrate the commendation of the dying with his father, and to commune both his father and mother. God is so good, in the midst of all the sorrows of the valley of shadow of death, to grant such sweet solace…to the parents and to the son. Glory to God for all things!

Gaudete from Christmas Day Mass

Click here.

Our Final Hymn

Both yesterday and today was “Let Our Gladness Have No End.” Here it is in Slovak (or Czech?), and they are having entirely too much fun with it! Click here.

Patristic Quote of the Day

Yesterday our King, clothed in a robe of flesh, came forth from a virginal womb and deigned to visit the earth; today a soldier, leaving the tabernacle of the body, departs as a conqueror for heaven.—St. Fulgenius

And our beloved Ibishes and younger Weedon crew:

…

Oh, and a very merry Christmas to one and all…

…from the Weedons! 

We do not want to abolish…

…the elevation, but retain it because…[it] signifies that Christ has commanded us to remember Him. For just as the sacrament is bodily elevated and yet Christ’s body and blood are not seen in it, so He is also remembered and elevated by the word of the sermon and is confessed and adored in the reception of the sacrament. In each case He is apprehended only by faith; for we cannot see how Christ gives His body and blood for us and even now daily shows and offers it before God to obtain grace for us.—Martin Luther, The German Mass (AE 53:82).

Christmas Day 2021

 

A most frustrating Christmas…

…when God gives you the gift of your voice tanking, so you can squeak, but cannot sing, the liturgy and Christmas hymns and the choir music you’ve been delighting in. Sigh. It happens. So very, very hard to sit back and listen and participate by ear and not by mouth (well, impossible, I squeaked through some anyway). And choir really did do some of the most beautiful pieces this year: Gaudete; Verbum caro factum est; To Us Is Born Emmanuel (Praetorius). Le sigh. 

NEVERTHELESS…was blessed by the incredible diversity of music last evening. Thank you, Kantor Muth!!! Thank you to Pr. Daenzer for his wonderful work on recorder and for holding up the bass section singlehandedly. The children and Kantor gave us strings, we had Zach on his trumpet, we had the beautiful Quempas carol with procession around the four corners (and a dad’s chorus for the Nunc Angelorum). There was sax (way to go Michaela!), the children’s own singing of Verbum Caro, and David’s O Holy Night. Such overflowing joy in the astounding fact that God deigned to become man to make us children of men into children of God. Glory to God in the highest!

Our Beautiful Herberts Grandchildren (plus dad and mom!)

 

Patristic Quote of the Day

All men have an equal part in the great reason why we are joyful, for our Lord, who is the destroyer of sin and death, finding that all are bound under condemnation, is come to make all free!—Pope St. Leo the Great

Luther, for Christmas Day

See, then, that thou make this birth thine own and dost change with Him, that thou mayest be rid of thy birth, and mayest take over His, which comes to pass if thou believest. Thus dost thou surely sit in the Virgin Mary’s lap, and art her darling child. But thou must learn to have such faith and to exercise it throughout thine earthly life, for it can never be strong enough.—Sermon upon Christmas Day, 1522

Joys of Christmas Eve

 

THE Question

And is it true,
This most tremendous tale of all,
Seen in a stained-glass window's hue,
A Baby in an ox's stall ?
The Maker of the stars and sea
Become a Child on earth for me ?

And is it true ? For if it is,
No loving fingers tying strings
Around those tissued fripperies,
The sweet and silly Christmas things,
Bath salts and inexpensive scent
And hideous tie so kindly meant,

No love that in a family dwells,
No carolling in frosty air,
Nor all the steeple-shaking bells
Can with this single Truth compare -
That God was man in Palestine
And lives today in Bread and Wine.

—the end of the poem Christmas by John Betjeman

Patristic Quote of the Day

Dearly beloved brethren: Unto us is born this day a Savior. Let us rejoice. It would be unlawful to be sad today, for today is Life’s birthday; the birthday of that Life, which for us mortal creatures takes away the sing of death and brings the bright promise of an eternal hereafter.—Pope St. Leo the Great

Luther

Who, then, but men should receive this child? The angels do not need Him. The devils do not want Him. But we need Him, and for our sake was He made Man. Thus it behooves us to receive Him joyfully as here the angels say: “Unto you is born a Saviour.”—Sermon upon Christmas Day, 1544

Catechesis: The Sixth Commandment

In general and in all conditions it is solemnly commanded by God that men and women, who were created for marriage, shall be found in this estate. Yet there are some exceptions (although few) that God has especially set apart. They are not fit for the married estate. Or there are individuals whom He has released by some high, supernatural gift so that they can maintain chastity without this estate.—LC I:211

Meet Chancellor James Herberts…

…born a child of man on Dec. 22nd; reborn a child of God on Dec. 23rd. Our eleventh grandchild!

Patristic Quote of the Day

Be conscious, O Christian, of your dignity! You have been made partaker of the divine nature; do not fall again by a corrupt manner of life into the beggarly elements above which you are lifted.—Pope St. Leo the Great

Luther

And if thou canst believe this this voice of John is a harbinger of truth, and follow the direction of his finger, and behold the Lamb of God bearing thy sin, thou hast won the victory, thou art become a Christian, a master over sin and death, and hell, and all things.—Sermon for Rorate Coeli, 1522.

Catechesis: Sixth Commandment

Therefore, this commandment is directed against all kinds of unchastity, whatever it may be called. Not only is the outward act of adultery forbidden, but also every kind of cause, motive, and means of adultery. Then the heart, the lips, and the whole body may be chaste and offer no opportunity, help, or persuasion toward inchastity.—LC I:202, 203

Patristic Quote of the Day

Let us then put off the old man with his deeds and having obtained a share in the sonship of Christ, let us renounce the deeds of the flesh.—Pope St. Leo the Great

Luther

Behold, He comes to you full of grace, that He may help you out of all your need and make you just and blessed. If ye receive Him, all will be well with you; if not, He will soon finish with you.—Sermons, 1540.

Catechesis: Fifth Commandment

Second, a person who does evil to his neighbor is not the only one guilty under this commandment. It also applies to anyone who can do his neighbor good, prevent or resist evil, defend, and save his neighbor so that no bodily harm or hurt happens to him—yet does not do this.—LC I:189

Patristic Quote of the Day

Let us give thanks to God the Father through His Son in the Holy Spirit, who for His great love wherewith He loves us has had mercy on us and has quickened us together with Christ even when we were dead in sins, that in Him we might be a new creature and a new handiwork.—Pope St. Leo the Great

Luther

This, then, is the way made straight for Christ, and this is the true ministry of John, that he shall humble men and tell them that they are all sinners, lost and condemned, poor, miserable creatures, and that there is no life, nor work, nor standing so holy, great, and good, that it is not under condemnation, unless Christ dwell, and work, and walk therein; and both is and does all things through His faith. And they all need Christ Jesus and should earnestly desire to partake of His grace.—Sermon for Rorate Coeli, 1522

Catechesis: Fifth Commandment

Now this commandment is easy enough and has often been presented, because we hear it each year in the Gospel of St. Matthew 5:20-26 [Trinity 6], where Christ Himself explains and sums it up. He says we must not kill, neither with hand, heart, mouth, signs, gestures, help, nor counsel.—LC I:182

Patristic Quote of the Day

For when the fullness of time was come, the Son of God took upon Himself the nature of man so that He might reconcile that nature to Him who made it; hence the devil, the inventor of death, is met and conquered in that very flesh which had been the field of his victory.—Pope St. Leo the Great

Luther

[St. John the Baptist’s] ministry is greater and nobler even than that of all the prophets, for he not only prophesies about the coming of the Lord, that He will come sooner or later; the rather he points to Him at this moment with his finger: Lo, this is He!—Exposition, John 1

Catechesis: Fourth Commandment

For if we wish to have excellent and able persons for both civil and Church leadership, we must spare no diligence, time, or cost in teaching and educating our children, so that they may serve God and the world. —LC I:172

Rorate Coeli

I was privileged to preach and celebrate the Holy Eucharist on this final Sunday of Advent 2021. Cindi snapped a few pics:

Patristic Quote of the Day

You are a soldier of Christ, beloved; take up arms, not cosmetics. You are a noble athlete; act like a man, not a fashion statement. In this way let us imitate these saints, in this way let us honor the warriors, the crowned victors, the friends of God, and by walking the same road as them, we shall attain the same crowns as them.—St. John Chrysostom, On Saint Barlaam par. 12.

Luther

The truly humble never think of the result of their humility, but with a simple heart they look at what is lowly, live gladly with it, and are never aware of their own humility.—Sermons from 1523

Catechesis: The Fourth Commandment

Therefore, this is a true and good saying of old and wise people: “To God, to parents, and to teachers we can never offer enough thanks and compensation.” The person who thinks about and considers this will give all honor to his parents without force and bear them up on his hands as those through whom God has done him all good.—LC I:130

Patristic Quote of the Day

For the martyrs’ tomb is a soldier’s tent. And if you open wide the eyes of faith, you will see the breastplate of righteousness lying there, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the greaves of the Gospel, the sword of the Spirit, hurling the very head of the devil to the ground.—St. John Chrysostom, On Saint Barlaam par. 10.

Luther

God’s nature is too high and incomprehensible for us. Therefore for our good He submitted Himself to the nature which is best known to us, that is, our own. There He waits for us, and there He may be found, and nowhere else.—Sermons from 1526.

Catechesis: Fourth Commandment

I would be very glad—I say it again—if people would open their eyes and ears and take this to heart, lest someday we should again be led astray from God’s pure Word to the devil’s lying vanities. If people would take it to heart, all would be well. For parents would have more joy, love, friendship, and unity in their houses. The children could captivate their parents’ hearts.—LC I:121.

My sister posted

This pic of my dad on FB. He had less than a month left to live. If you notice the little beagle dog on the table beside him, that’s what I gave him that Christmas. What do you give a man who is dying? Cindi and I both were taken aback at how much I resemble him these days:

Happy 101, Daddy!

Well, today my father would turn 101. Hard to fathom. I’m already two years older than he was when he died. This is a pic of him, Stuart Maupin Weedon, with his younger brother, Edgar Jackson Weedon. He was an extraordinarily silent man, by and large. He, mom and I could ride in the car together for a long time and he’d never utter a word. I thank God for his faithful provision for his family, all his hard work and without nary a word of complaint. And I will always thank God especially for the wondrous day daddy took me to select a piano and arranged for lessons. I remember him sitting in the car, smoking his cigars, during while Mrs. Edlow taught me (lessons he paid for without the first grumbling). I don’t think I ever heard him even try to sing and I’m not sure how much he ever really loved music, but he enabled me to love it and for that I’ll be grateful to him all my days.

Patristic Quote of the Day

Do you see how terrifying death is? So then, let’s marvel at our Master in that he made what was terrifying to the prophets (1 Kings 19:2,3) contemptible to women. Elijah fled death; women fled toward death.—St. John Chrysostom, On Sts. Bernike, Prosdoke, and Domnina, par. 7.

Luther

Thus all Holy Writ points from the beginning to the end to Christ alone, and directs our minds to Him, and makes in this matter no mention of other saints, in whom we might seek and find grace and truth.—Exposition of Jn 1.

Catechesis: Fourth Commandment

For God’s sake, let us learn this at last: placing all other things out of sight, let our youths look first to this commandment if they wish to serve God with truly good works. Then they may do what is pleasing to their fathers and mothers, or to those to whom they may be subject instead of parents.—LC I:115

Patristic Quote of the Day

For giving birth is not the defining characteristic of a mother, for that is a matter of nature; instead, a mother’s defining feature is raising her child, for that is a matter of choice.—St. John Chrysostom, Homily 1 on the Maccabees (par. 8)

Luther

But with a man who belongs to an everlasting kingdom, all is well, and it is fitting that he should dance through life forevermore.—Sermons, 1544.

Catechesis: Fourth Commandment

To the position of fatherhood and motherhood God has given special distinction above all positions that are beneath it: He does not simply command us to love our parents, but to honor them.—LC I:105

Patristic Quote of the Day

What did he mean? He here indicates baptism and forgiveness through grace. This happened not under the law, but under the new covenant. For under the law there was punishment and torture and penalty punishing those who transgressed its edicts. Under the new covenant, grace and forgiveness of wrongdoings and absolution.—St. John Chrysostom, On Eleazar and the Seven Boys (par. 13).

Luther

This is the good and happy news, that Christ has paid for our sin, and through His suffering has redeemed us from eternal death. It is His kingdom and His ministry, to preach the Gospel to the poor; that is His purpose. For to the great and holy He cannot come. They do not wish to be counted sinners, and therefore do not need His Gospel.—Sermon for Gaudete, 1544.

Catechesis: The Third Commandment

Know, therefore, that you must be concerned not only about hearing, but also about learning and retaining God’s Word in memory. Do not think this is optional for you and of no great important. Think that it is God’s commandment, who will require an account from you about how you have heard, learned, and honored His Word.—LC I:98

A few more pics from Gaudete…

 

I love this…

Oliver was sick (Meaghan stayed home with him) and Aunt Bekah and Uncle Andy hadn’t arrived yet for the service with Kloe and Lydia, so Henry sat with his great grandpa, Opa:

I think we just had TOO much fun!

Chris and I romp through the Scriptures, joying in Jesus:

Jesus in the OT

Catechesis: Third Commandment

Second, and most especially, on this day of rest (since we can get no other chance), we have the freedom and time to attend the divine service. We come together to hear and use God’s Word, and then to praise God, to sing and to pray.—LC I:84

Patristic Quote of the Day

Now here on earth the good things aren’t unmixed with sorrows; instead, everywhere there is a great deal of mixing up of everything.—St. John Chrysostom, Homily on All Martyrs

Luther

Thus is slain the spiteful fiend by the breath which cometh forth from the mouth of God, which is the Word preached by His ministers. This, I say, is going forth now and forevermore until the blessed hour of our final redemption for which we wait.—Sermon, 1537

Patristic Quote of the Day

My point is that such has been God’s custom right from the start, to turn whatever plots the Devil contrives against us back onto that demon’s head and to set things in place for our salvation. Consider! He (the devil) expelled humankind from Paradise, and God opened up heaven to them. He drove them from governing on earth, and God gave them the kingdom of heaven, and set our nature firmly on the royal throne. In this way He always give more abundant blessings than the devil attempts to strip away.—St. John of Damascus, Homily on St. Romanus