The Fifth Sunday After Easter in the historic liturgical calendar of the Western Church focuses on prayer. It is the Sunday before Ascension Day, which is observed on the 40th day after Easter (see Acts 1:3). The Latin name of this Sunday is Rogate, which in English means, "pray!" The traditional gospel reading is John 16:23-30, which focuses on answered prayer to the Father in Christ's name. In 1537--after his return to Wittenberg from the meeting of Protestant princes at Sm

Praying for Good Government as Part of Our Daily Bread In 1 Timothy 2:1-2, the apostle Paul calls on the Church to pray and give thanks for all people, especially "for kings and all who are in authority," so that the Christians "may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence." In his Small Catechism--based on texts like 1 Timothy 2--Luther teaches that "good government," along with "pious and faithful magistrates," is part of our daily bread for which we p

The Holocaust and Luther On April 13/14, 2026, the state of Israel observes " Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day " to remember the death and heroic resistance during the 1930s and 1940s when over six million Jews were murdered by Germans and their allies. Eighty-one years after the end of the Second World War, we now live in an age when the Holocaust is denied or distorted in various way. Especially social media help spread this unjustified attack on a historical reality.