Ambrose of Milan, Pastor and Hymnwriter

Commemoration of Ambrose of Milan, Pastor and Hymnwriter
December 7, 2009

The Lord be with you

On the liturgical calendar used in the LCMS, today is set aside to commemorate Ambrose of Milan. He was born in Trier in 340 AD, and is one of the four great Latin Doctors of the Church (with Augustine, Jerome, and Gregory the Great). He was a prolific author of hymns, the most common of which is Veni, Redemptor Gentium ("Savior of the Nations, Come"). His name is also associated with Ambrosian Chant, a style of chanting the ancient liturgy that took hold in the province of Milan. While serving as a civil governor, Ambrose sought to bring peace among Christians in Milan who were divided into quarreling factions. When a new bishop was to be elected in 374 AD, Ambrose addressed the crowd, and someone cried out, "Ambrose, bishop!" The entire gathering gave their support. This acclaim of Ambrose, a thirty-four-year-old catechumen, led to his Baptism on December 7, after which he was consecrated bishop of Milan. A strong defender of the faith, Ambrose convinced the Roman emperor Gratian in 379 AD to forbid the Arian heresy in the West. At Ambrose's urging, Gratian's successor, Theodosius, also publicly opposed Arianism. Ambrose died on Good Friday, April 4, 397. As a courageous doctor and musician, he upheld the truth of God's Word.

Blessings in Christ this Advent Season
Pastor John Rickert

Commemoration of Nicholas of Myra, Pastor

Saturday after Advent 1

December 5, 2009

The Lord be with you

On the Church Calendar used in the LCMS, tomorrow (December 6) is the commemoration of St. Nicholas of Myra, Pastor. As I tend to be busy on Sundays, I thought that I'd post something about him today.

Of the many saints commemorated by the Christian Church, Nicholas (d. 342 AD) is one of the best known. Very little is known historically of him, though there was a church of Saint Nicholas in Constantinople as early as the sixth century. Research has affirmed that there was a bishop by the name of Nicholas in the city of Myra in Lycia (part of modern Turkey) in the fourth century. From that coastal location, legends about Nicholas have traveled throughout time and space. He is associated with charitable giving in many countries around the world and is portrayed as the rescuer of sailors, the protector of children, and the friend of people in distress or need. In commemoration of Sinte Klaas (Dutch for "Saint Nicholas," in English "Santa Claus"), December 6 is a day for giving and receiving gifts in many parts of Europe.

Blessings in Christ this Advent Season,
Pastor John Rickert

Commemoration of John of Damascus

Commemoration of John of Damascus, Theologian and Hymnwriter
December 4, 2009

The Lord be with you

Today on the Church Calendar used in the LCMS we commemorate John of Damascus (ca. 675-749 AD). He is known as the great compiler and summarizer of the orthodox faith and the last great Greek theologian. Born in Damascus, John gave up an influential position in the Islamic court to devote himself to the Christian faith. Around 716 AD, he entered a monastery outside of Jerusalem and was ordained a priest. When the Byzantine emperor Leo the Isaurian in 726 AD issued a decree forbidding images (icons), John forcefully resisted. In his Apostolic Discourses, he argued for the legitimacy of the veneration of images, which earned him the condemnation of the Iconoclast Council in 754 AD. John also wrote defenses of the orthodox faith against contemporary heresies. In addition, he was a gifted hymnwriter ("Come, You Faithful, Raise the Strain") and contributed to the liturgy of the Byzantine churches. His greatest work was the Fount of Wisdom, which was a massive compendium of truth from previous Christian theologians, covering practically every conceivable doctrinal topic. John’s summary of the orthodox faith left a lasting stamp on both the Eastern and Western Churches.

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert

St. Andrew

Commemoration of St. Andrew, Apostle
November 30, 2009

The Lord be with you

St. Andrew is commemorated on November 30. The brother of Simon Peter, he was born in the Galilean village of Bethsaida. Originally a disciple of St. John the Baptist, Andrew then became the first of Jesus’ disciples (John 1:35-40). His name regularly appears in the Gospels near the top of the lists of the Twelve. It was he who first introduced his brother Simon to Jesus (John 1:41-42). He was, in a real sense, the first home missionary, as well as the first foreign missionary (John 12:20-22). Tradition says Andrew was martyred by crucifixion on a cross in the form of an X. In 357 AD, his body is said to have been taken to the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople and later removed to the cathedral of Amalfi in Italy. Centuries later, Andrew became the patron saint of Scotland. St. Andrew’s Day determines the beginning of the Western Church Year, since the First Sunday in Advent is always the Sunday nearest to St. Andrew’s Day.

Blessings in Christ

Clement of Rome, Pastor

Commemoration of Clement of Rome, Pastor
November 23, 2009

The Lord be with you

November 23 is set aside for the commemoration of Clement of Rome on the Church Calendar used in the LCMS. Clement (ca. 35-100 AD) is remembered for having established the pattern of apostolic authority that governed the Christian Church during the first and second centuries. He also insisted on keeping Christ at the center of the Church’s worship and outreach. In a letter to the Christians at Corinth, he emphasized the centrality of Jesus’ death and resurrection: “Let us fix our eyes on the blood of Christ, realizing how precious it is to His Father, since it was poured out for our salvation and brought the grace of repentance to the whole world” (1 Clement 6:31). Prior to suffering a martyr’s death by drowning, Clement displayed a steadfast, Christ-like love for God’s redeemed people, serving as an inspiration to the future generations to continue to build the Church on the foundation of the prophets and apostles, with Christ as the one and only cornerstone.

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert