BCP - Lent 4 - Laetare

Lambert Lombard, The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes, Rockox House, Antwerp

The Collect

Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that we which for our evil deeds are worthily punished, by the comfort of thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Epistle [Gal. 4

Tell me (ye that desire to be under the law) do ye not hear of the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. Yea, and he which was born of the bondwoman was born after the flesh, but he which was born of the freewoman was born by promise, which things are spoken by an allegory. For these are two testaments, the one from the Mount Sinai, which gendereth [generates] unto bondage, which is Agar. For Mount Sinai is Agar in Arabia, and bordereth upon the city which is now called Jerusalem, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that barest no children; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not; for the desolate have many mo [more] children than she which hath an husband. Brethren, we are after Isaac the children of promise. But as then he that was both after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit, even so is it now. Nevertheless, what saith the Scripture? Put away the bondwoman and her son. For the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the freewoman.

For a sermon by Martin Luther, please go to the link: http://www.lectionarycentral.com/lent4/LutherEpistle.html



The Gospel [John 6

Jesus departed over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias, and a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased. And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. And Easter (Passover), a feast of the Jews, was nigh. When Jesus then lift up his eyes and saw a great company come unto him, he said unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread that these may eat? This he said to prove him, for he himself what he would do. Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth ($40.00) of bread are not sufficient for them, that every man may take a little. One of his disciples, Andrew (Simon Peter's brother), saith unto him, There is a lad which hath five barley loaves and two fishes, but what are they among so many? And Jesus said, Make the people sit down. There was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the break, and when he had given thanks, he gave to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were sat down, and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. When they had eaten enough, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the broken meat which remaineth, that nothing be lost. And they gathered it together and filled twelve baskets with the broken meat of the five barley loaves, which broken meat remained unto them that had eaten. Then those men (when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did) said, This is of a truth the same prophet that shoulde come into the world.

For a sermon by Martin Luther on this text please follow the link: http://www.lectionarycentral.com/lent4/LutherGospel.html