Deuteronomy – Confident.Faith

Today we commemorate Dorcas (also known as Tabitha), Lydia, and Phoebe, Faithful Women. These three faithful women exemplified what it means to live a Christian life. Tabitha is remembered for her charitable acts in Joppa, particularly for making clothing for the poor. When Tabitha died suddenly, Peter came from nearby Lydda and raised her from the dead. Lydia was a dealer in purple dye, an expensive and in-demand product in the ancient world; converted to Christianity by Paul’s preaching, Lydia became a patron of the church in Philippi. Phoebe was a deaconess in Cenchreae who delivered Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, in which Paul praises her support of the Church.

Today we celebrate the festival of St. James of Jerusalem, Brother of Jesus and Martyr. Also known as “James the Just”, St. James of Jerusalem did not believe in the divinity of Christ until after the Resurrection. After converting, James became a leader in the early Christian community, and, after Peter’s departure from that city, James became bishop of the Church in Jerusalem. According to Josephus, James was stoned to death by the Sadducees in AD 62. James authored the Epistle that bears his name and exhorts Christians to remain in and live out the one true Faith.

Today we celebrate the festival of St. Luke, Evangelist. A traveling companion of St. Paul, St. Luke was a Greek physician, who would author one of the four Gospels and the Book of Acts. It is Luke who gives us details of Christ’s birth and many other events. Taken together, The Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts comprise over a third of the New Testament.

Today we commemorate Ignatius of Antioch, Pastor and Martyr. Serving as bishop of Antioch in the beginning of the second century AD, Ignatius was a proponent of orthodox Christian doctrine. Arrested under Emperor Trajan, Ignatius, like Paul, was taken in chains to Rome, where he was executed by being thrown to wild beasts in the arena. In his letters, written on the way to Rome, Ignatius warned against false teachings, encouraged his fellow pastors, emphasized Christ’s full humanity and full deity, defended the real presence of Christ in the Lord’s Supper, and stressed the unity of the Church (being the first to use the term “catholic” in describing her). Ignatius left behind a lasting legacy for the Church.