Monday, July 27, 2015

Luther's Notes on the Sunday Gospel: Trinity 9-Stewardship

Luke 16:1-9
The Wise Steward
16 He also said to His disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. So he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’
“Then the steward said within himself, ‘What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg. I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.’
“So he called every one of his master’s debtors to him, and said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ And he said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ So he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ So he said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.
“And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home.


 Luther's Explanatory Notes

Parable of the unjust steward. This gospel is a discourse about good works, and especially about avarice, that we should not abuse the use of money and goods, but help poor and needy people. Such teaching the Lord illustrates in a parable, and says we are to accommodate ourselves like this unjust steward; because he was deposed from his office, he saw that he had need of other people's assistance; hence he makes use of his office, while he still has it in hand. We take this parable in its simple meaning without seeking any substitutes, as Jerome did. 

Monday, July 20, 2015

Luther's Notes on the Sunday Gospel: Trinity 8- Beware of False Prophets

Matthew 7:15-23
New King James Version

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Luther's Explanatory Notes:

 15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but in wardly they are ravening wolves. 
Beware of false prophets. The connection is this: I have given you my word and have taught you faith fully, what ye shall do, and how ye shall properly

Friday, July 17, 2015

Brumalia--Ancient Latin Sources: post 46 BC Julian Calendar Reforms

Empire: Julian Calendar Reforms

This is a work in progress.
See previous Articles:
--  -- Brumalia in the Roman Republic - Pre-Julian Latin Sources

--  Older documents with Brumalia research
--  -- resources
--  -- Ancient Sources: Statistics and Concordance

-- --  Ancient Sources: Pre 46 BC, Republican Calendar

 In this document I have to include the Julian, Augustan and later Fasti and also have just over 2 dozen authors to finish.


Varro, Marcus Terentius ( 116 BC – 27 BC)

The Varronian Chronology http://www.livius.org/cg-cm/chronology/varro.html

Varro's De Lingua Latina (On the Latin Language) originally consisted of 25 books. Of these books 5-10 survive, though partly mutilated.
De Lingua Latina 6.8.1, 6.8.2, 6.8.4, 6.8.6
alter motus solis est, [alter caeli] quod movetur a bruma ad
solstitium. dicta bruma, quod brevissimus tunc dies est; solstitium,
quod sol eo die sistere videbatur aut quod ad nos versum †proximum
est solstitium; cum venit in medium spatium inter brumam et solsti-
tium, quod dies aequus fit ac nox, aequinoctium dictum. tempus a
bruma ad brumam dum sol redit, vocatur annus, quod ut parvi circuli
anuli, sic magni dicebantur circites ani, unde annus.

Thursday, July 16, 2015

Luther's Notes on the Gospels: St. Mary Magdalene

July 22

Luke 7:36-50

36 Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. 37 And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, 38 and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”
40 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”
So he said, “Teacher, say it.”
41 “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?”
43 Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.”
And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” 44 Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. 45 You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. 46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. 47 Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”
48 Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50 Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

 Luther's Explanatory Notes

37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, 

Monday, July 13, 2015

Luther's Notes on the Sunday Gospel: Trinity 7-Providence

Providence
Mark 8:1-9
New King James Version
Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand

8 In those days, the multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said to them, 2 “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. 3 And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar.”

4 Then His disciples answered Him, “How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?”

5 He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?”

And they said, “Seven.”

6 So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude. 7 They also had a few small fish; and having blessed them, He said to set them also before them. 8 So they ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets of leftover fragments. 9 Now those who had eaten were about four thousand. And He sent them away,

Luther's Explanatory Notes:

The second miracle of the loaves and fishes. This is the second time our dear Lord Jesus performed this miracle. For on the Sunday Laetare we heard that he fed five thousand men, besides women and children, with five loaves and two

Monday, July 06, 2015

Luther's Notes on the Sunday Gospel: Trinity 6-Sin and Righteousness

Matthew 5:20-26
New King James Version

20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. 23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26 Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.

Luther's Explanatory Notes:

 20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. 
Righteousness of scribes and Pharisees. These were the best, most learned and pious among the Jews ; yet he calls them directly by name, and accuses not some