Festival of St. Mark, Evangelist
Posted on April 25, 2024 by under
Scripture: 1 Peter 3:1-12 (NKJV)
3:1 Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, 2 when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. 3 Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel—4 rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. 5 For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.
7 Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.
8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; 9 not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. 10 For
“He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit.
11 “Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it.
12 “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
Devotion
Anything that God creates, the devil wants to tear down. From the beginning God made man and woman to be different—not just biologically—and to have different vocations according to their nature. Even before the fall into sin, Adam was the head and master of Eve, and Eve was the helper and support of Adam. Scripture shows this because Adam was created first (1 Tim. 2:13), and because God rebukes Adam since he “heeded the voice of [his] wife” (Gen. 3:17) instead of protecting her from sin, as was his duty. The differences between man and woman exist by nature, so that, even outside of marriage, a man and a woman are not interchangeable. One is not “greater” than the other, but they are different and complementary, because God created them as two parts of the same human kind. But the devil teaches the world that men and women are interchangeable, for he knows that this lie will lead to the destruction of human lives.
The bigger issue is this: the distinction between the sexes is a symbol of Christ and the Church. These are not interchangeable. Christ serves the Church as her head, and the Church is taught to serve according to her proper calling. This is why the apostles and evangelists are all men: they are symbols of the Christ, who serves His Church through them.
Collect: O Almighty God, Who hast instructed Thy holy Church with the heavenly doctrine of Thy Evangelists: Give us grace, that being not like children carried away with every blast of vain doctrine, we may be established in the Truth of Thy holy Gospel; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Collect for Jubilate Sunday
Almighty God, Who showest to them that be in error the light of Thy truth, to the intent that they may return into the way of righteousness: Grant unto all them that are admitted into the fellowship of Christ’s Religion that they may eschew those things that are contrary to their profession, and follow all such things as are agreeable to the same; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
