Angelica chain

This guide is meant to serve as an aid to the players who are joining for the crossover hoping to play a game with Sho, Agito and Archanfel but don't necessarily know anything about Langrisser. It aims to help start the game with them in a viable way, as well as hint at the place these characters take mechanically and how they fit into the overall Langrisser meta (i.e. 'are they good' etc.) and an idea about how to leverage their strengths both in the short and long term (though without highly technical details that newbies can't leverage like best-in-slot equipment just yet), along with a light game-centric look at their mechanics.
This guide is not a substitute for general progression guides that better teach you how to play the game, but it can help lock in some first decisions to help create viable teams using the crossover characters.
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A few quick bulletins about Langrisser:

• It's a pretty old (It's on SNES/Super Famicom + Sega Genesis/Game Gear) turn-based tactical franchise. Here's an old FMV to give you an idea of how 90s it is.
• The mobile game is very different from the mainline, where heroes can hire a large amount of troops. The mobile game combines heroes and troops into singular units shrinking the scale considerably, making it more similar to something like Fire Emblem.
• You will recognize mechanics like energy or a gacha - yes, these are often abusive mobile game staples. But Langrisser has actually been really, really good at making these things not frustrating and very F2P-friendly. F2Ps are not gated from anything bar a select few types of skins and avatar frames that don't affect power. I myself am an F2P.
• Langrisser is stay2win, lasting long enough to pass the grind wall and obtain control over banner guarantees to mitigate the luck factor is stronger than just throwing money, and you cannot pay to skip some things. For better or worse.
• Langrisser is not a PvP game from the ground up; stronger players are not going to raid you. You have to actively try to rank in the PvP aspects for the veterancy of others to push you down, and even that aspect is entirely limited to the PvP system itself.
• How to get a good entry into PvP can also be learned, and the upper limit of power does exist so that anyone can eventually become competitive, but that is well beyond the scope of this guide.

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How do collabs work?
Collabs tend to have two main portions:
A gacha banner featuring 2 crossover heroes exclusive to the collab. This banner is accessible in the summon menu, which has to be unlocked, but that will likely be within minutes of starting and earning the currency is the actual speed bump. You must use the collab banner for a chance at Sho/Guyver 1 and Archanfel, they cannot be pulled in any other banner or outside of the collab.
A side story event with some collab-exclusive profile rewards, which also features the 'farming' bits for a 3rd free character. While the story bits use loaners (units that don't belong to you, meaning your own power has no bearing on success - this is good for low levels), players need to have discovered the secret realm (it's not so secret and you will be forced into discovering it well before the next condition;) and be level 30-35 to access/be able to beat the lowest farming portions, which is very much feasible for a reasonably active player starting with the collab. Agito/Guyver 3 is earned from this place.
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Reroll Marathon?
Langrisser is unfortunately not as user-friendly for restarting to reroll (Used names persist, long intro, moving parts etc.), but in turn I would say it prefers to be generous in its actual design over bribing you with tons of resources on first login. While this can be good in the long run (most don't consider rerolling a necessary thing to do in Langrisser), players who want to reroll until they get both Sho and Archanfel off the banner right away and then possibly even certain other SSRs (Tiaris for instance) may see a larger time investment if they want to try anyways. Having both is not that mechanically important this time around, but if you are a Guyver fan you might want to reserve some time for repeated restarts.
Relevant information would be that the first SSR you roll has a pity of 40, meaning if you roll 40 Trinity Voucher Summons - NOT friendship summons - the game will force an SSR if your own luck doesn't give you one first (2% chance per pull). The 2nd SSR's pity is at 70, and from that point onward, it becomes 100 and remains there. If you are luckier than your own pity, it will still progress to the next tier.
Also to note, if you started too close to the crossover event or in it, there's a chance you might miss either Sho or Archanfel (though you'll likely be able to nab at least one of either on top of your starters) due to them being in the gacha (Agito is earned if you just play the event, and there should be enough time to get him). In that case, or if you find this thread after the event; though it has become rarer as of late, Langrisser usually reruns collabs, and the time until then can be used for building up the pulls to secure the characters.
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Heroes of Time
Langrisser has a faction mechanic that makes certain team compositions work better, especially with a limited character pool via characters belonging to thematic factions, with 'leaders' that are able to learn a very significant buff on one of their class paths that affects everyone on your team belonging to that faction - just make sure you actually go down the path that has it if you intend to use them that way, same with tanks and healer characters learning the tanking and healing skills necessary!
Heroes of Time is a faction that includes every crossover character, meaning all characters of the Guyver crossover would also be playable together: Angelica is a leader of the Heroes of Time, and a guaranteed character that the player typically unlocks at higher level (and fairly late for the scope of a new player) who can allow them to work together effectively, while the deluxe version comes in form of a character called Awakaned One who has her own special Gacha that comes by roughly bi-annually. Due to how late either of them arrive, it is recommended to focus on a coherent team rather than forcing all three characters together until you manage to unlock them. Note that you will only need them if you insist on combining Sho Fukamachi with either of the others or all 3 together.
Agito and Archanfel are both part of the Yeless Legends faction, making them easier to run together. Sho meanwhile, is in the Protagonists faction, which makes him alone overall more beginner-friendly. Sho and Archanfel do both belong to the Mythical Realm, but that one is highly prohibitive for newbies to build and is not recommended if you just started. Running them all together would require the Heroes of Time. At the end of the day, there are actually many ways to fit them together, but Angelica is a guaranteed character everyone will inevitably get. And while she isn't rated as very powerful, she has great synergy with the collab units this time around; neither the Guyvers nor Archnafel have alternate class options (they uniquely only have 1 class branch) and Angelica can temporarily switch classes around to finesse the Rock-Paper-Scissors nature of the 3 heavy classes. This can be especially helpful to cover the weaknesses of the two Guyver units, but isn't all that necessary.
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Matthew's Class
Matthew is somewhat relevant if you wish to run a Sho Fukamachi-centric team at the start. If you prefer to start with teams centered around Agito and/or Archanfel, this becomes less important.

• You can restart the beginning quiz freely, Matthew's class will only get locked down when you confirm the outcome
• Infantry ("sword") class will always be available, you're just choosing if his other class is Flier, Cavalry, Archer or Assassin
• For the endgame, Strike Master (Cavalry) Matthew is considered the meta ("The best overall")
• For the early game, Dragon Master (Flier) will probably give you the best experience
• You will gain 1 consumable item to change his class selections later in the game
• Regardless of what second class you choose for Matthew, ALWAYS stick to the Hero (Infantry, "Sword") class when first leveling him up. This will make sense, I swear.

Progression:
For those who pull Archanfel, he can team up with Agito (he's the freebie) in the Yeless faction while Sho is an outlier. Agito also has a strong newbie-friendly faction to himself with Strategic Masters This means until Angelica is unlocked, it's best to pick either Agito alone or with Archanfel, or Sho by himself as the main set to first focus on while building the others little by little on the side. It won't seem necessary for the first 35 or so levels, but trust me, doing it this way will save you a lot of headache.
I'll also use this moment to explain that past content level 35, all enemy Cavalry units will cast Ram, which slows you. This is notable because slow disables the game's tanking mechanic if it's applied to a tank. Jessica has an ability called MDEF Support, which allows her to passively immunize tanks against the slow, which is why she is a recommended starting unit in all newbie-lineups. She can be replaced once you have an item known as the Sage Hat (it looks like a white pointy witch hat), which can duplicate the effect and is usually equipped on the healer. To make use of that ability, make the tank to first before Jessica or your hat-bearer, then find a way to end Jessica or your hat-bearer's turn adjacent to the tank and no other allied unit. This should force her to apply MDEF support on your tank, thus immunizing them to stun and slow for that turn.
Sho Fukamachi Starter (Protagonists): Sho is in the Protagonists faction, which is available right from the start because it's lead by Matthew. While usually somewhat bothersome to assemble or get a balanced team out of, having Sho right away greatly helps. He can also run in Mythical Realm, but that one is not recommended for newbies.

• As your Oathsworns, always select Tiaris. The other can be either Elwin or Ledin. Elwin is more useful in the long run IMHO. Ledin meanwhile, will become a tank with no class weaknesses in the mid-game
• When you finish the Fusion Power tutorial (30+), if you have Ledin, use the pack to get Dieharte. If you either pulled Elwin, or missed out on either, get Landius
• Your SR Character packs should be used to get the following characters (if you do not have them yet from pulls) and own their associated character:
  • If you own Elwin, get Hein
  • If you own Ledin, get Chris
  • If you own Dieharte and already have Chris, get Kirikaze
  • If you own none of the above and thus only have Landius, get Egbert
  • If you already own all the SRs I'm telling you to get, just pick ones you don't have to collect them.
• Recommended Team (Elwin/Landius ver.):
  • Leader: Matthew
  • Tank: Landius
  • Healer: Tiaris if you have her, else Almeda
  • Physical: Sho Fukamachi
  • Magical: Jessica / (Once you have Sage Hat) Chris
• Recommended Team (Ledin/Dieharte ver.):
  • Leader: Matthew
  • Tank: Ledin
  • Healer: Tiaris if you have her, else Almeda
  • Physical: Sho Fukamachi
  • Magical: Jessica / (Once you have Sage Hat) Chris
• Note: It is recommended to replace Jessica once you have a Sage Hat upgraded to level 10, as she is not on-faction and will struggle power-wise. Simply equip the hat on your healer and make her stop adjacent to the tank alone after the tank takes their turn, just like you would Jessica.

Agito Makishima Starter (Strategic Masters): This team is for if you want to run Agito Makishima (at least until you can run all 3). This is possibly the strongest starter if you secure Leon in the process, but you're likely focusing on the crossover instead.

• Select Tiaris as your Oathsworn, the other can be either Leon of Luna, I recommend Leon who is stronger, though Luna can support Agito better much later on if you favor focusing on him. Tiaris is the important one, the other is not mandatory, but would be helpful.
• When you finish the Fusion Power tutorial (at level 30+), use the pack to get either Altemuller or Lanford, I prefer Altemuller for overall team power, but Lanford works somewhat better if you want to go all in on Agito.
• Use one of the free SR character packs you earn to get Vargas if you don't have him already
• Use another free SR character pack for Egbert if you didn't pull him already. Alternatively, if you are running Agito selfishly, use Imelda.
• Recommended Team:
  • Leader: Altemuller
  • Tank: Vargas
  • Healer: Tiaris if you have her, else Sophia/Almeda
  • Damage Output: Agito Makishima
  • Damage Output: Leon if you have him, else one of the benched mages
  • Bench: Egbert/Imelda (for when you need a mage)
• Note: You can replace either Damage Output with Jessica as long as you don't have a Sage Hat for slow immune. This is because the slow status will disable tanks, and MDef Support immunizes against it.

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Archanfel + Agito Makishima Starter (Yeless Legends) This is probably one of the most convenient starts for Yeless Legends in general, since usually Yeless Legends' roster is harder to access for newbies. Starting with 1-2 extra units from there solves that instantly.

• As your Oathsworns, always select Tiaris. The other can be Liana. Tiaris is the important one, but Liana is a decent early game assist for both Agito and Archanfel if you manage to nab her on the way.
• When you finish the Fusion Power tutorial (at level 30+), use the pack to get Landius.
• Use the free SR character packs you earn to get Alfred and Serena if you don't have them already. If you do, just use them to collect people you're missing, to shard either, or keep them as souvenirs.
• Recommended Team:
  • LeadeTank: Landius
  • Healer: Tiaris if you have her, else Sophia/Almeda
  • Physical: Agito Makishima
  • Magical: Archanfel if you have him, else fill the gap with Alfred
  • Jessica: Jessica (until you have the Sage Hat)
• Note: If you have a Sage Hat that's at least level 10, Jessica can be replaced by either Alfred (if he's not on the team yet due to Archanfel existing), Serena or any other Yeless Legends unit you may have pulled.

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The Characters themselves: Note that outside of the newbie part, I'm refering to the absolute state of these characters as of this writing, meaning it assumes they have unlimited access to all their classes (though that plural isn't necessary this time around), unlocks and any relevant gear for a framework of what you're getting. As a new player, some things like 3c "ultimates" are very far off and some concepts like PvP are not necessary to enjoy the game. Likewise, if you are a longterm player, a lot of advantages and disadvantages for newbies are completely irrelevant to the state of your account.
Sho Fukamachi (SSR, Obtained through the gacha): Sho is looking up to be the king of PvE units, and also probably a form of punishment from the devs to annoy inattentive players who can't be bothered to look at what buffs or debuffs they're suffering, because keeping tabs on that is needed to make his evolutions permanent (for the battle at hand). His slow start does him no favors in PvP, but for those long, PvE story-mode missions, you couldn't ask for a better unit than one who starts to grow on additional features that make him increasingly potent. Move increase? Range Increase? First Strike? Post-combat regen? This kind of stuff is premium on their own, but Agito can just have all of it... if the mission isn't already over before that and allows for their permanency. Again, this is very common in Story and Time Rift progression, or many a late-game PvE challenge. Some formats can deprive him of the necessary environment to evolve properly, and PvP players probably won't let you in the first place, but once the Guyver fully evolves, near nothing can stand in its way.
Archanfel (SSR, Obtained through the gacha): How do you balance a godlike being such as Archanfel? Well, you do exactly what the show did, force him to not be there for half the battle. For starters, Archanfel is demon class, which in Langrisser is usually associated with high stats but getting hard-countered by holy units... except Archanfel is not countered by holy units, because he chooses not to be weak to them, meaning he has no class weaknesses whatsoever, and also gets away with the HP pool of a frontliner while actually being a mage. Archanfel is an absolute beast whose presence on the field is immediately domineering - but only if he has the energy for it, and has to skip turns in order to regenerate said energy. This funnily enough makes him play a bit the opposite of either Guyver unit, who try to stay in the fight to build power over time. Instead, Archanfel has to either burst things down right away, or arrive at the 11th hour. He can also build in a way to just exist around menacingly to make his recovery turns slightly more bearable. His PvP toolkit is immediately impressive; the mobility to go from one map end to another in one turn, formation scrambles, and even a unique aura that prohibits attacks from beyond 3 tiles away! In Langrisser, range is a pretty big meta and with Archanfel, you will gain one of the only ways to deny it, and it's the only method of its kind right now.
Agito Makishima (SSR, Obtained through the event, you need to be level 30-35, which is achieved fast): Agito is the freebie so to speak. Some freebies are SR, but he's hopping on the SSR freebies trend alongside Excella Noa Aura, Ainz Ooal Gown, Van Arkride, and Parn who makes it into the list due to a technicality (he's SR, but turns SSR at 6 stars as an aesthetic effect). Typically the freebie is decent in PvE, but not ideal in PvP and will likely be ignorable within PvP Meta. Agito fits the bill, because the way he works requires him to farm kills to ramp up, meaning he can only thrive in environments where there's an ample amount of chaff units to farm and achieve his peak form and also maintain it - unlike Sho who can make evolutions permanent, Agito needs to keep getting kills. His best, luckily, is pretty damn good! First with 5 movement instead of the 3 of the average Infantry unit, then possibly 3 post-combat movement... this will sound very familiar to many Langrisser M players since it's what made Leon the often touted best unit in the early days. And to boot, Agito adds the power of a very spammable 3c that lowers its own cooldown on kills so he can blast his enemies at range with great power every other turn. Agito is going to handle like a charm through most PvE missions, especially across the story and time rift where he can ramp up and stay fully powered as long as you can get him those kills. But don't expect him to perform in the wrong environment, such as content that involves only a singular boss entity.
Team Composition:
Working together is kind of a complicated thing in the Guyver universe and it shows, Sho and Agito both just want to go out there and rip and tear and get kills, and while Archanfel has some support built into his kit, he can't take any of the cardinal roles of tank or healer. This makes them hard to run all at once if you really wanted that - and indeed, I actually recommend dedicating teams around them individually. But it can still be pulled off, and as for how to pull it off, that's what this guide is for!
Example teams:
Newbie Teams: This assumes you just got Angelica and care more about having your Guyver characters finally be together over being just that little bit more powerful.
Easy Full Guyver Roster:

• LeadeOff Healer: Angelica (Received through Level 60 + Story + Time Rifts)
• Tank: Grenier (Available from start)
• Mage: Archanfel (Guyver collab banner)
• Physical: Sho Fukamachi (Guyver collab banner)
• Physical: Agito Makishima (Guyver crossover event)

Easy Guyver Suits Roster:

• LeadeTank: Altemuller (Fusion power tutorial)
• Healer: Tiaris (Oathsworn)
• Physical/Leader: Matthew (Available from start)
• Physical: Sho Fukamachi (Guyver collab banner)
• Physical: Agito Makishima (Guyver crossover event)

Deluxe Teams: These teams are examples of thematic or powerful teams to work towards, as well as how they play. A warning for new players however, that there is a character upgrade system called Bonds that cause characters to require you to own other characters in order to fully upgrade them - Crossovers don't do this, and many beginner characters also come with beginner-friendly bonds. This makes the Guyver characters themselves convenient, especially as they don't need Runestones. But while some of these teams might look like they can be rushed, it's not really recommended to do it right away. Players aren't expected to form these teams in any rushed manner - find your feet first with the newbie recommendations, then start solidifying with endgame characters.
Meme squads are just that, don't take them too seriously and only build them for fun after you've gotten your solid cast established.
Deluxe Heroes of Time (Full 'Guyver: The Bioboosted Armor' Roster):

• LeadeOff-Healer: Angelica
• Tank: Kazuma Kuwabara
• Zoalord: Archanfel
• Guyver Battlesuit: Sho Fukamachi
• Guyver Battlesuit: Agito Makishima

A rare showing of Angelica being preferred over other leaders. Since you're using 3 slots on damage output, there's only 2 slots left for 3 cardinal roles. Angelica is the only leader who can take 2, plus she can swap the class of the Guyvers who are locked into being Infantry types. Kuwabara also doesn't really need a healer when he holds.
Deluxe General (2 out of 3):

• Leader: Awakened One
• Tank: Lightbringer
• Healer: Rozenciel/Any Holy
• Damage Output: Sho, Agito or Archanfel
• Damage Output: Sho, Agito or Archanfel

If we force ourselves to slim down the Guyver cast by 1, we can make use of the fact that we live in the era of Lightbringer being able to haul a tank + Healer combo into absolutely anything and still be meta. This is also probably the ideal team to play the Guyver suits together, since both Guyver suits have more faction overlap with Archanfel than with each other.
Deluxe Mythical Realm (Mythical Realm, Archanfel and Sho Fukamachi focus)

• Leader: Isolde
• Tank: Lightbringer
• Healer: Rozenciel
• Ultimate Zoalord: Archanfel
• Guyver Gigantic Exceed: Sho Fukamachi

The sane build. Also known as 'Oh look, I grafted two on-faction units to some of the most meta units known to the game, such genius and effort'. If you only like Sho or Archanfel, the other can also be sacrificed in favor of some other Mythical unit like Bozel, Bern, Apotheosis, Jayce or Oboro.
Ultimate Lifeform (Mythical Realm, Archanfel focus)

• LeadeTrue Dragon: Isolde
• Tank/HealeSacred Beast: Jugler
• Transcender: Transcender
• Apotheosis: Apotheosis
• Ultimate Zoalord: Archanfel

A team comprised of beings created to be the ultimate lifeform. Will run into major problems if it has to endure because all healing is tied to Jugler.
Super Robot Wars L(angrisser) (Heroes or Time, Sho Fukamachi or Agito Makishima focus):

• Leader: Angelica
• Tank: Sumire Kanzaki
• Healer: Iris Chateaubriand
• Mashin Hero rep: Wataru Ikusabe/Himiko Shinobibe/Shubaraku Tsurugibe
• Guyver rep: Sho Fukamachi/Agito Makishima

Get on it, Banpresto.
Red Queen (Protagonists, Sho Fukamachi focus)

• Leader: Emperor Lovina
• Tank: Landius
• Healer: Tiaris
• Physical: Sho Fukamachi
• Mage: Lina Inverse

All the running you can do.
Deluxe Strategic Masters (Strategic Masters, Agito Makishima focus)

• Leader: Grenshiel
• Tank: Hilda
• Healer: Florentia
• Physical: Agito Makishima
• Mage: Conqueror of the Ice Abyss (not yet released)

Basically, maximum support for Agito. Every kill renews Grenshiel's fusion and feeds Florentia stratagem points, with which she makes Agito gain extra turns for more kills, or just to mill through the off-turn on his 3c.
Thinking with Portals (Mythical Realm, Meme, Archanfel focus)

• Leader: Isolde
• Mage: Adankelmo
• Mage: Jayce
• Mage: Archnafel
• Mage: Awakened One/Mu

Imagine not being able to teleport to any point on the map at will. For when when you want to play Mythical Realm like Meteor Strike. Space is very relative, taking damage is a skill issue.
Descent of Twilight (Mythical Realm, Archanfel focus)

• Leader: Isolde
• Healer: SP Almeda/Kayura
• Displacer: Archanfel
• Assault: Wehttam
• Assault: Sword of Light and Shadow

Archanfel just has to sleep until he's ready. The goal here is to through any combination of jumps and other positioning Shenanigans, create a chain for Archanfel. Since his Descent spell can be spammed to reach anywhere, he'll show up suddenly and rip any formation to shreds. This also allows Sword of Light and Shadow to just show up unannounced using him as a teleport beacon, and the ensuing result of injury and Despair lets Wehttam also teleport in from nowhere for more fun. There is no tank in this formation unless you count Archanfel using Descent's passive to force someone to protect him, it assumes your positioning shenanigans wins the game in a singular blitz or dies trying, and is slightly saner than the above portal shenanigans since you can actually recover and several units do not immediately 'die when they are killed', or are at least reasonably hard to oneshot.

Chains lay off workers, shave hours ahead of state minimum-wage increase
By Heather Haddon Follow
March 25, 2024 at 7:00 am ET
 Franchisees for Pizza Hut and Round Table Pizza have said they plan to lay off around 1,280 delivery drivers this year. PHOTO: CHRIS DELMAS/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES A California state law is set to raise fast-food workers’ wages in April to $20 an hour. Some restaurants there are already laying off staff and reducing hours for workers as they try to cut costs. California restaurants, particularly pizza joints, have outlined plans to cut hundreds of jobs in the months leading up to the April 1 wage mandate, according to state records. Other operators said they have halted hiring or are scaling back workers’ hours. Michael Ojeda, a Pizza Hut driver for eight years in Ontario, Calif., received notice in December that his last day would be in February, according to a letter from his former employer. Pizza Hut franchisee Southern California Pizza offered $400 in severance if he stayed through February, but Ojeda, who said he made hundreds of dollars a week in wages and tips as a delivery driver, went on unemployment instead.
“Pizza Hut was my career for nearly a decade and with little to no notice it was taken away,” said Ojeda, 29, who previously supported his mother and partner on his Pizza Hut delivery wages. Southern California Pizza didn’t respond to requests for comment. Pizza Hut said it was aware of some of its California franchisees changing their delivery services.
Some pizza-chain operators in California are laying off drivers ahead of the wage law’s start and farming out delivery service to apps. Franchisees for Pizza Hut and Round Table Pizza, a chain of around 400 units founded in Menlo Park, Calif., have said they plan to lay off around 1,280 delivery drivers this year, according to records that major employers must submit to the state before large layoffs. In San Jose, Brian Hom, owner of two Vitality Bowls restaurants, now runs his stores with two employees, versus four workers that he typically used in the past. That means it takes longer to make customers’ açaí bowls and other orders, and Hom said he is also raising prices by around 10% to help cover the increased labor costs. “I’m definitely not going to hire anymore,” he said.
Proponents of the California law setting the new minimum food-worker wage and a state-appointed council overseeing it have said the measures would help improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of local workers. Organized labor groups have said they hope to replicate the law in other states. The coming minimum-wage increase for California fast-food workers at bigger chains represents a 25% increase from the state’s broader $16 minimum wage. McDonald’s, MCD -1.52% decrease; red down pointing triangle Chipotle Mexican Grill CMG 0.80% increase; green up pointing triangle , Jack in the Box JACK -0.45% decrease; red down pointing triangle and other restaurant chains have said they would raise menu prices in California to offset some of the cost. Many California restaurant operators are looking for other ways to cover the cost, like reducing hours, closing during slower parts of the day or serving menu items that take less time to make. “I can’t charge $20 for Happy Meals. I’m leaving no stones unturned,” said Scott Rodrick, owner of 18 McDonald’s restaurants in Northern California. Advertisement
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Other restaurateurs, including Hom of Vitality Bowls, said they are turning down opportunities to open new locations in California and looking at expanding in other states instead. California had 726,600 people working in fast-food and other limited-service eateries in January, down 1.3% from last September, when the state backed a deal for the increased wages. Total private employment in the state declined 0.2% over that period, according to state figures. Economists have long debated minimum-wage increases’ effect on employment. A study by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office last December found that raising the federal minimum wage to $17 an hour from $7.25 by July 2029 could increase wages for more than 18 million people, but also could reduce employment by about 700,000 workers. Higher wages would increase employers’ costs, raise prices for consumers and depress some demand, the CBO found. Some employers would also turn to technology to try to reduce their reliance on low-wage workers. Advertisement
 El Pollo Loco told investors this month it was automating some of its salsa-making. PHOTO: AL SEIB/LOS ANGELES TIMES/GETTY IMAGES Some California restaurant operators are making such moves now. California-based El Pollo Loco LOCO 1.05% increase; green up pointing triangle told investors this month it was automating some of its salsa-making as it grapples with anticipated wage inflation of 12% to 14% this year, largely because of the minimum-wage increase. Jack in the Box is testing fryer robots and automated drink dispensers to reduce the burger chain’s labor needs. Excalibur Pizza, owner of Round Table Pizza locations in California, said in a state filing that it would eliminate 73 driver positions, or 21% of its workforce, by mid-April. A spokeswoman for Fat Brands, Round Table’s California-based owner, said the layoffs were unfortunate, but many operators in the state are shifting to outside delivery services because of rising costs. “This is the reality of today’s restaurants. Operators are doing their best to retain staff and keep doors open,” she said.
Angelica Hernandez, a McDonald’s worker from Monterey Park, Calif., who advocated for the wage law and was selected to sit on the state’s fast-food council, said her store increased her pay to $20 an hour earlier this month, helping her as her family’s rent rises. Hernandez said that in her council role she would fight for fast-food workers’ wages to continue to rise and for the state to protect their hours. “We’re going to have to keep speaking up and striking to make sure we are heard,” she said.  Alexander Johnson, a second-generation owner of 10 California Auntie Anne’s and Cinnabon restaurants. PHOTO: ALEXANDER JOHNSON/PRETZEL POWER Alexander Johnson, a second-generation owner of 10 California Auntie Anne’s and Cinnabon restaurants, said the higher wages would lift his labor costs by around $470,000 annually. He has reduced his staff by about 10, and his 73-year-old parents have returned to working in the business to help shave costs. Johnson said he turned down a recent offer to add a location in a waterfront tourist area in San Francisco because of the projected operating costs. “It pains me to think about shutting down stores or laying people off,” said Johnson, who moved to Nevada this year to open Scooter’s Coffee locations in the state. “I love California, and I’m very sad about what’s going on

DC’s Superman: A Fan-Concept for a Video Game
Sorry I apologize if this isn’t allowed, but I’d love to share my Superman video game idea with everyone! I’m going to give the gist here, and if people wanna hear more, I’d love to share!
Gist: 12 years into Clark being Superman, he’s already married to Lois, is close with Jimmy, has met Kara, and has cared for Krypto, and more importantly, has protected Metropolis for years from the likes of those who want to hurt it. Livewire, Silver Banshee, Parasite, Toyman, Mr. Myxptlk, and of course, Lex Luthor.
The story starts with yet another humiliating defeat of Lex Luthor by Superman, we open on an assault onto Lexcorp, fighting Metallo in a boss fight, and then straight into another with Lex, however, we beat him in just one punch.
Lex is arrested, and a few days later, the Daily Planet crew go to interview him, and he has more confidence than ever, he will unveil Superman for who he truly is, a shell of an organism with no real soul. At that moment, Stryker’s is compromised by a seemingly invisible force, and Lex escapes, along with Livewire, Parasite, and Silver Banshee.
The second act of the game is fighting these three, meanwhile getting closer and closer to Lex, who appears to have mind-controlled these villains, but no matter what, Superman still beats them, finding a way to save everyone. After each boss battle however, the villain dies, and Superman is mocked by Luthor, who seemingly killed them with just a few words as they rise into the air and gold fire spews of their mouths and they collapse to the ground. We were only able to save Silver Banshee by freeing her using an Occult book she felt tied to.
Eventually, Lex beckons us, we find out where he’s been hiding, in an underground, off-the-books Lexcorp laboratory under a club run by Angelica Blaze, we fight through and find Lex Luthor, transformed into an absolute monster.
He is engrained into the wall, literally rooted to it as his skin becomes hard stone, with green Kryptonite protruding from it, Lex is barely alive as he breathes through a tube, heavily breathing, using all his energy. He breaks free from the wall, and we have a boss fight, and despite his appearance and his strength, Lex is still beat in a single punch…
Lex collapses, and Superman hovers towards him, and after all this time, after all this death, he still wants to save everyone, even Lex Luthor. He asks who did this to him. At that moment, a fiery portal opens up behind him. Lady Blaze walks through.
To finally even have a chance to beat Superman and prove himself superior, to prove to everyone he has some ounce of value, Lex sold his soul to the Devil. We prepare to fight Lady Blaze, and have a boss fight, but she is too powerful, fueled by all the contracts and souls from over the years. We are beat in one punch. Lady Blaze leaves, Superman swears to save Lex, and everyone Lady Blaze has enslaved.
We go back home as Lex is arrested, and taken away by A.R.G.U.S., Clark, Lois and Jimmy look over the Occult book to see if they can find a way to Lady Blaze, and they find a way to infiltrate her home, they say the magic words, and Superman enters Hell.
Superman fights through Imps and Hellhounds, all types of monstrosities, and we eventually make it to Lady Blaze, and see what’s become of her slaves, contracts galore, souls enraptured. We finally make it to her throne, and she has a proposition for us. Superman will give his soul, and everyone else, including Lex Luthor will be freed, Superman doesn’t hesitate, and makes a deal with the Devil.
Kal-El’s body is thrown back into the Earthrealm to Lois and Jimmy, vegetative, unresponsive, dead. But Lois and Jimmy refuse to let their friend, a person they love, be taken away from them, from the people who need him. So they use their Daily Planet passes to get to a mostly-healed Lex Luthor, who looks through the Occult book, and he helps them, he wants to save Superman, not because he owes him, not to redeem himself, but because he will prove himself ultimate.
Lex reads an indecipherable article of text, the ground shakes and the sky splits open with fiery portals all over Metropolis as Hell’s creatures, Lady Blaze’s demons wreak havoc among the once protected city. Lois and Jimmy curse Lex, but he assures them, this is the only way to save Metropolis.
Lady Blaze sees her demons be unleashed, and is enjoying the chaos, Superman is forced to watch from chains, forever indentured. We see the people of Metropolis be hurt, we play as random civilians as we are attacked, and all hope is lost… this is the end of Metropolis.
Lois and Jimmy go to the Daily Planet, seeing all the chaos, and know that if Superman isn’t there to save them then the people of Metropolis will have to save themselves.
Lois and Jimmy broadcast to every screen in Metropolis, telling them what happened to Superman, giving the people the truth, it’s what journalists do. And they tell them not only if his death, but if his sacrifice, and that no matter what he wouldn’t want them to stop fighting he would want to inspire hope, because that’s who he was, a man of hope, the people are inspired, and we play as them once again as we beat the demons and save ourselves.
Lady Blaze sees this and is enraged, Clark sees this and is inspired, invigorated. He breaks through the chains with straight willpower, and escapes into the Earth again, he goes to the Daily Planet and it is now used as a refugee center, everyone gathers back there, and Superman goes to fight Lady Blaze, who has taken to home right in the middle of Metropolis, we fight her in a final boss fight as Lex Luthor joins our side, the people of Metropolis then arrive, and read the incantation to send Lady Blaze back to Hell, Superman lost his soul, but now Lady Blaze can’t hurt anyone again, and he realizes something. He can’t save everyone, he couldn’t even save his own soul. But he is more than that, more than what can be bought and sold through a contract. He is Clark Kent, Kal-El of Krytpon, and he is Superman, Savior of Metropolis.
Lemme know what y’all think sorry for the long post lol!

Renaissance Neoplatonism and Archetypal Psychology
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This revolution in experience took place on a grand scale during the Renaissance, and was embodied in the philosophy of Neoplatonism; it was a “panpsychism,” psyche everywhere. There are striking likenesses between the main theme of Neoplatonism and archetypal psychology. Most important, the style of fantasying of the two is similar. In part this similarity is, of course, due to the fact that traditional Neoplatonism has influenced archetypal psychology, and in part because we interpret Neoplatonism in the light of our needs for a traditional background. But mainly the coincidences between Renaissance Neoplatonism and archetypal psychology, and in part because we interpret Neoplatonism in the light of our needs for a traditional background. But mainly the coincidences between Renaissance Neoplatonism and archetypal psychology rest upon a common starting point: soul. Neoplatonism treats “of the nature of man by means of the concept of Soul, conceived as something substantial. . . .”
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Neoplatonism abhorred outwardness, the literalistic and naturalistic fallacies. It sought to see through literal meanings into occult ones, searching for depth in the lost, the hidden, and the buried (texts, words, leftovers from antiquity). It delighted in surprising juxtapositions and reversals of ideas, for it regarded the soul as ever in movement, without definite positions, a borderline concept between spirit and matter. All the while this philosophy remained close to alienation, sadness, and awareness of death, never denying depression or separating melancholy from love and love from intellection. It was often contemptuously negligent of contemporary science and theology, regarding both empirical evidence and scholastic syllogisms as only indirectly bearing on soul. Instead, it recognized the signal place of imagination in human consciousness, considering this to be the primary activity of the soul. Therefore any psychology that would have soul as its aim must speak imaginatively. It referred frequently to Greek and Roman mythical figures - not as allegories, but as modes of reflection.
Renaissance Neoplatonists also evoked ancient thinkers in their personified images. The great men of the past were living realities to them because they personified the soul’s needs for spiritual ancestors, ideal types, internal guides and mentors who can share our lives with us and inspire them beyond our personal narrowness. It was a practice then to engage in imaginative discourse with persons of antiquity. Petrarch wrote long letters to his inner familiars, Livy, Vergil, Seneca, Cicero, Horace, and sent regards to Homer and Hesiod. Erasmus prayed to divine Socrates. Ficino set up an academy similar to the one in Athens and reenacted the Symposium in honor of Plato’s birthday, supposedly November 7. Machiavelli sought solace in the company of ancient heroes, poets, and legendary figures such as Moses, Romulus, and Theseus. He wrote:

• On the coming of evening, I return to my house and enter my study; and at the door I take off the day’s clothing covered with mud and dust. . . . and put on garments regal and courtly; and reclothed appropriately, I enter ancient courts of ancient men where, received by them with affection, I feed on that food which only is mine and which I was born for, where I am not ashamed to speak with them and ask them the reasons for their actions; and in their kindness answer me; and for four hours of time I do not feel boredom, I forget every trouble, I do not fear poverty, I am not so frightened by death; I give myself entirely over to them.

Today, Machiavelli’s habits on homecoming might be said to require the services of a psychiatrist; then, Neoplatonic psychology supported him. Not only did Neoplatonism give place to the imagination within man and his psychology, but the Renaissance in general recognized that the imagination must have a place, a realm for envisioning, like Machiavelli’s “ancient courts of ancient men.”
Imagination’s place might be the night sky of Renaissance astronomers or astrologers, or the geographical continents of its explorers. It might also be the gigantic mythological construction of Dante’s worlds, the complex stoves and vessels of alchemists’ laboratories, the memory theater of Guillio Camillo, or the imaginal past of Greek and Roman antiquity. Imagination must have space for differentiated unfolding. This immeasurable depth of soul or endless cavern of images, as Augustine called it, or “black pit” in Hegel’s words, must have a container. If we today would restore imagination to its full significance, we too need some sort of enormous room that can act as its “realistic” vessel.
For us, the Renaissance itself provides one such magnificent theater for their imaginal soul. As we approach it, both as a period of history then and there and as a story about the psyche here and now, we are embracing it in much the same manner as Renaissance men did ancient history. In their study they too were living a metaphor: the myth of classical antiquity. They too were in a then. . . and now, there. . . and here. This myth of classical antiquity in which the imaginal world of the archetypes was placed allowed a “present” life to be built upon archetypal models located in the “past.” It was not history as such that supported their present lives, since their awareness of history and their interest in archeology - in the classical world of Roman civilization among whose actual ruins they lived - were at first negligible. It was a fantasy of history in which were true models of persons, images, and styles. History gave the Renaissance imagination a place to put archetypal structures - gave it a structure within which to fantasize.
The philosophical container of their metaphor, as we have noted, was Neoplatonism, including the belief that their texts were teachings of a God or sage, Hermes, “older” - and therefore prior to and purer - than Plato and perhaps the Bible. By giving a culturally deep and intellectually immense psychology to the psyche’s fantasies, Renaissance Neoplatonism enabled the soul to welcome all its figures and forms, encouraging the individual to participate in the soul’s teeming nature and to express soul in an unsurpassed outburst of cultural activity.
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Marsilio Ficino: Renaissance Patron of Archetypal Psychology
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Historically, this extraordinarily influential method of Ficinian thought and the Ficinian Platonic Academy in Florence are best conceived as a flourishing underground movement. It was developed in a short period of time by a small group of talkers and writers who lived in close geographical proximity, maintaining a tenuous connection with the vicissitudes of political life going on around them. The doctrines of the Church, except for an occasional capitulation, and the indoctrination of education, except for some new texts and translations, were little affected by Ficino’s activities. The official Aristotelian orthodoxies of psychological education continued as before, as do the psychological orthodoxies today, unable to incorporate into academic structures the viewpoint that puts psyche first.
Nonetheless, as Eugenio Garin has written: “After Ficino there is no writing, no thought, in which a direct or indirect trace of his activity may not be found.” His ideas spread throughout Renaissance Europe like a movement. This fifteenth-century movement, nourished by a clique surrounding one man and maintained through talk and letter-writing and fierce hard work in the face of depression and thoughts of death - its revolutionary content and its impact upon the soul of subsequent generations - all compare with twentieth-century psychoanalysis.
Precisely here lies Ficino’s importance: he was a Doctor of Soul, the very term he himself used for Plato and the very vocation announced to him by his patron Cosimo de’ Medici, who supposedly said at their first meeting, when Marsilio was a youth, that as Ficino’s father was a physician of the body, Marsilio would heal the soul. And it is as Doctor of Soul that Ficino is neglected, for his thought in its deepest sense is a depth psychology, both in its construction of a systematic viewpoint for understanding the soul and it its treatment of that soul through relations with archetypal principles personified by the planets of the pagan pantheon. Ficino was writing, not philosophy as has always been supposed, but an archetypal psychology. His basic premise and concern was anima, and so he must be read from within his own perspective, psychologically.
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Renaissance Pathologizing
Perhaps the Renaissance’s most popular figure from myth was Proteus. His ceaselessly changing image that could take on any shape or nature represented the multiple and ambiguous form of the soul. “We have seen,” said Pomponazzi, “the human nature is multiple and ambiguous,” and this nature “comes from the form of the soul itself.” (Pomponazzi himself delighted in ambiguity, having inscribed on his personal medallion a gloria duplex, the double image of eagle and lamb.) “The soul may be shaped into all varieties of forms . . . and the soul profits from everything without distinction. Error and dreams serve it usefully…,” wrote Montaigne. Man’s Protean nature derives from inherent polyvalence of the psyche, which includes the grotesque, the vicious, and the pathological. Inasmuch as a mythical image is a containing presence, a means of giving form and sense to fantasy and behavior, the Protean idea could keep the soul’s many daimones in inherent relation. It was like another favorite image, Fortuna, on whose great wheel were innumerably different directions, which multiplicity was given cohesion by the Goddess. Proteus and Fortuna were exaltations of the principle of the Many.
For the soul’s multiplicities need adequate archetypal containers, or - like fallen angels in a maze- they wander in anarchy. Anarchy begins when we lose the archetype, when we become an-archetypal, having no imaginative figures to contain the absurd, monstrous, and intolerable aspects of our Protean natures and our fortunes. In Proteus and in Fortuna everything has place: no shape or position is inherently inferior or superior, moral or immoral, for the wheel turns and the soul’s ambiguity means that vice and virtue can no more be separate from each other than the eagle and lamb.
Again and again we find historians speaking of Renaissance immorality. In a pathologized image worthy of the art of memory, Voltaire writes: “This courtesy glittered in the midst of crime; it was a robe of gold and silk covered in blood.” A fantasy of decay and degeneracy belongs with the archetype of renovatio: rebirth appears together with rot. The imagination of rebirth, the fantasy that a Renaissance is taking place, begins in the rebirth of imagination for which pathologized images are the strongest agents. Thus it is no surprise to hear from Northrop Frye that “Renaissance writers, when they speak of the imagination, are interested chiefly in its pathology, in hysteria and hallucination…” Statistically favored themes in art were seduction, rape, and drunkenness.
Pathologizing was a root metaphor of the condition of life, providing a passionate existential base for psychology without which, as Nietzsche said, it becomes mere introspection or observation. Nietzsche also noted that we cannot speak of the Renaissance unless we can reimagine the closeness of each individual to the feelings of survival and death. History books always put this pathologized awareness into literal terms: the black plague; perennial malaria; syphilis that suddenly appeared in Naples in 1485; pirates, brigands, and mercenaries; the threat of the Turks in the East. But pathologizing was an essential part of the Renaissance fantasy appearing in all sorts of imaginary forms such as the paranoid concerns with new defense systems which occupied some of the best minds of the age (Albrecht Durer, Leonardo da Vinci) with city walls and artillery. There were the political intrigues, complicated suspicions and actual persecutions, especially the fear of witches and the beginning of the Inquisition (Malleus maleficarum, 1486). Depression, which cannot be blamed upon “hard times” which every age suffers or upon a melancholic character trait which every person carries, seems to have shadowed the lives of such successful and creative Renaissance individuals as Durer, Savonarola, Machiavelli, Ficino, Leonardo, and Michelangelo. Petrarch confesses in his Secretum that depressive acedia could rack him for days and nights, plunging him into infernal darkness and a “hatred and contempt for the human state.” Montaigne writes: “Since my earliest days, there is nothing with which I have occupied my mind more than with images of death.”
To imagine the Renaissance psyche we must enter a fantasy of street-knifings and poisonings, murder at High Mass, selling daughters, incest, torture, revenge, assassination, extortion, usury amid magnificence. Hostility was studied and enemies cultivated as necessary to the complete psychic phenomenology of being human. We find no more evidence of humaneness and humanitarianism than of enmity. Shakespeare set much of his villainy in Italy, perhaps because he was also a social realist, merely a reporter of what was going on: Petrarch’s father was sentenced to have a hand chopped off; Cesare da Castel Durante was knifed to death in St. Peter’s; Antonio Cincinello, whose father and grandfather were imprisoned, was himself hacked to pieces in his house by a mob; Cola di Rienzo was killed by another mob; Peruzzi, the architect, was poisoned by a jealous confrere; Dante was threatened with mutilation and fled into exile and Michelangelo fled Florence in panic for his life; Campanella wa simprisoned for heresy and Torrigiano sentenced to death for blasphemy. Bruno and Savonarola were burned, Cellini twice imprisoned, Galileo menacingly interrogated, and Tasso - mad - incarcerated in a cell. Pope Alexander VI had three cardinals poisoned.
To go beyond Italy: Cervantes lost a hand in war and was sold as a slave by pirates; Camoes lost an eye; Valdes died of the plague. John Hus was burned, as were Servetus, and Vives’ father; Thomas More was executed. Columbus was shipped home in chains, Zwingli cut down in battle, Marlowe stabbed in a brawl. Psychologizing was not a “mere fantasy,” not a method, not a research project, but a matter of survival. One had to see through into the depths of everything and everybody, keeping one’s death and one’s soul before one’s eye. It was a way of living life.
Hades, Persephone, and a Psychology of Death
Within a world of such dark depths, it is not surprising to find Hades playing a significant role in Neoplatonic fantasy. In this fantasy the hidden God (deus absconditus) who rules the underworld of death and shadows all living existence with the question of final consequence, comes also to mean the God of the hidden, the underworld meaning in things, their deeper obscurities. Underworld, secrecy, hiddenness, and death, whether in the chambers of plotters or the psychic interiority of scholars, reflect the invisible God Hades.
It is against this background that we must place also s uch major Renaissance concerns as reputation (fama), nobility, and dignity. They take on further significance when envisioned within a psychology that bears death in mind. To consider fama merely as fame in our romantic sense puts Renaissance psychology into the inflated ego of the very important person or pop star. But when death gives the basic perspective, then magnificence, reputation, and nobility of style are tributes to the soul, part of what can be done for it during the ego’s short hour on the stage. Then fame refers to the lasting worth of soul and psychology can afford to treat of the grand themes: perfection of grace, dignity of man, nobility of princes. With death in the background - and Hades is equally called Pluto, Riches, or Wealth-Giver - Renaissance magnificence celebrates the richness and marvellousness and exotic otherness of the soul and its far-flung imagination. How difficult for us in our northern tradition to consider soul together with fame and splendor! How maidenly pure, how wood-washed and bare has become our notion of soul!
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The Renaissance humanists themselves evidently needed a fantasy of misery and catastrophe in order to contain the renascent energy they were riding. Ficino never ceased complaining of pain and melancholy, yet this “bitter desperation” was the source of his psychology philosophy. Petrarch kept before his mind the “great overarching reality of man’s life: his death.” Yet the more occupied with death, the more these humanists thought, built, wrote, painted, and sang.
This preoccupation with death gives us a clue for understanding why Renaissance humanism had to summon up the figures of Socrates and Plato and to disparage Aristotle. Aristotle’s definition of soul, as the life of the natural body inseparably bound with individual lives, does not allow enough place for life’s other side, death, or for the relationship of psyche with death. Greek poetic tradition from Homer through Plato conceived of psyche primarily in terms of death, that is, in relation with the underworld or the afterlife. When soul is described only in terms of life and that life identified with individuals, there is no way to “dehumanize” soul, no way to approach psyche other than in biological and analytical ways Aristotle preferred. The Aristotelian fantasy rules Western psychology as it did Melanchthon’s outlook; it does so today whenever it insists on empiricism.
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A renaissance comes out of the corner, out of the black plague and its rats, and the shades of death within the shadow. Then even Amor becomes a God of death, as he was in Renaissance imagery. His legs crossed, his touch pointing downward, funerary love was favorite figure, as was Pluto-Hades holding the keys of the kingdom. This indeed is a far cry from the optimistic humanism of our northern psychology, its uplifting love, its peaks and resurrections.
Here Renaissance humanism truly shares the Homeric view of human: brotos, thnetos. What is human is frail, subject to death. To be human is to be reminded of death and have a perspective informed by death. To be human is to be soul-focused, which in turn is death-focused. Or, to put it the other way: to be death-focused is to be soul-focused. This is because Hades’ realm refers to the archetypal perspective that is wholly psychological, where the considerations of human life - the emotions, organic needs, social connections of humanistic psychology - no longer apply. In Hades’ realm, psyche alone exists; all other standpoints are dissolved.
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Each of us enacts Persephone in soul, a maiden in a field of narcissi or poppies, lulled drowsy with innocence and pretty comforts until we are dragged off and pulled down by Hades, our intact natural consciousness violated and opened to the perspective of death. Once this has happened - through a suicidal despair, through a sudden fall from a smooth-rising career, through an invisible depression in whose grip we struggle vainly - then Persephone reigns in the soul and we see life through her darker eye.
It is as if we must go through a death experience in order to let go of our clutch on life and on the viewpoints of the human world and its Aristotelian psychology. It is as if we do not recognize the full reality of anima until attacked by Hades, until invisible forces of the unconscious underworld overpower and make captive our normalcy. Only then, it seems, are we able to discriminate psyche from human, experiencing in the belly of our intimate being that the psyche has connections far removed from human concerns. Then we see human concerns differently, psychologically.
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By refusing the fantastic nature of our lives, ourselves as metaphors and images made by soul, we have each become fastened into a constant forced literalism, ourselves as real, the Gods dead. By refusing the as-if-frailty of our lives and denying that at our essence is an invisibility, like Hades, who is both the only predictable surety and per se indefinable, we locate the Gods within us or we believe we make them up as projections of human needs. We presume human needs to be the literalism of biology, economics, and society, rather than the psyche’s perpetual insistence on imagining.
The refusal to recognize ourselves as “unreal” prevents us from psychologizing ourselves. For should we see through, we would shatter the prime literalism, the humanistic illusion in regard to every sense of reality other than psychic. Instead we cling to the naturalistic and humanistic fallacies - facts, materialism and developmental historicism, empiricism and positivism and personalism - anything to shore up and solidify our frailty.
Humanism’s psychology partly perceives this unreality at the core of our existence. When humanistic psychology speaks so intently of self-realization and self-actualization, it is stating that we are not altogether real or actual, that we are still unmade. But then humanism’s psychology cannot hold onto this shadowed vision of man and rather exhorts him to make himself, to build a reality out of ego or self, countering his frailty. It turns away from the myths that give our unreality a significant context. Ignoring the mythical nature of soul and its eternal urge out of life and toward images, humanism’s psychology builds a strong man of frail soul trembling in the valley of existential dread.
When we fail to recognize our human frailty, Persephone, image of soul, must carry it for us. Then it is she who is frail and unsubstantial. Then soul is a phantom we can never catch, an ever-fleeting daughter desperately distracted, symptomatic, at the fringe of the field of consciousness, never able to descend to her proper enthronement within and below. Then we go into the dark afraid o the dark, without soul of bulk or substance.
Anima in the Renaissance
Renaissance psychology does not end in death - it only begins there. From this position comes the leap into life and the embrace of shadow and soul. The preoccupation with the shadow, the profound sense of evil, misery, and life's short wick was joined in Florentine philosophy with its ruling idea: welfare of soul. What a curious marriage, what extraordinary double truth - inhumanity and soul together! What sharper contrast between human and psyche could there be? Renaissance morality did not divide soul-making from the deep inhumanity and pathologizing processes in the soul itself.
This deeper psychology, in which the pathologized and inhuman shadow were prime movers, worshiped the images of soul with a productive passion we have since come to consider unique in history. Anima reigned in Renaissance Italy. She appears in a superb variety of personifications which both evoke the emotions of soul and present soul embodied to the imaginal eye. The images range from those familiar to us in Renaissance paintings of Mary, especially as the young Virgin, to the Goddess Flora and her counterpart, the Plague Virgin, who spread poison. Boccaccio wrote an instructive compendium of feminism using the biographies of all the legendary women of myth and history as his models. For Petrarch anima appears in Laura, for Dante in Beatrice, and there were those marvelous figures of (pagan) Armida in Tasso and Angelica (who goes off with the pagans) in Ariosto, and the delicious (pagan) divinities whom Botticelli painted "because," as he said, "they were not real"; and the soul passion in Michelangelo's lyrics.
Anima even inspired a mass movement: down the roads of Italy toward Rome came the pilgrim-tourists to see "Julia, daughter of Claudius," the fifteen-year-old wonder uncovered in the spring of 1485 during excavations, who though dead at least a millennium was rumored to be as fresh and fair in lips and hair and eyes as the living, and -because a tangible embodiment of antiquity - far more beautiful than any creature alive.
The reforming pyramidal funeral pyre: the burning of Joan of Arc repeated, but now in the shape of anima emblems. The foundation of this spiritual furnace was masks and carnival disguises. Then he heaped on the manuscripts of poets, and next cosmetics, mirrors, ornaments, and ladies’ false hair, and -rising higher - lutes and harps and playing cards. Crowning the flaming tower were paintings of both mythic and actual female beauties and ancient sculptures of female heads.
The obsessive preoccupation with love and beauty, including the banalities and obscenities in the obsession, the innumerable dialogues on love, and the wide influence of Ficino’s commentary on the Symposium, can be better understood if we regard these events from the perspective of the soul-making that takes place through the intercourse between anima and eros. Then we may not regard these obsessions merely as a rash of frivolous poetizing and dilettante philosophy, or as Renaissance pornography. They are something we each do. They are inherent in the movement of soul, the activity of the anima, which seeks eros. For the corollary reason, for an eros with soul, for a psychological eroticism which has been correctly called platonic, we may turn to these writings and paintings. This style of love-dialogue and obsession with beauty is no longer our fashion. Instead we suffer from the division between eros and psych, a soulless eroticism, and an unloved desexualized soul.
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From Seduction by Jean Baudrillard,
“Ours is a culture of premature ejaculation. Increasingly all seduction, all manner of enticement - which is always a highly ritualized process - is effaced behind a naturalized sexual imperative, behind the immediate and imperative; realization of desire. Our center of gravity has been displaced towards a libidinal economy concerned with only the naturalization of desire, a desire dedicated to drives, or to a machine-like functioning, but above all, to the imaginary of repression and liberation.”
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“Here is your desire, your unconscious: a psychic metaphor of capital in the rubbish heap of political economy. And the sexual jurisdiction is but a fantastic extension of the commonplace ideal of private-property, where everyone is assigned a certain amount of capital to manage: a psychic capital, a libidinal, sexual or unconscious capital, for which each person will have to answer individually, under the sign of his or her own liberation."
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“It is not just that a pure discourse of sexual demand is absurd given the complexity of affective relations; it quite simply does not exist. To believe in sex's reality and in the possibility of speaking sex without mediation is a delusion - the delusion of every discourse that believes in transparency; it is also that of functional, scientific, and all other discourses with claims to the truth. Fortunately, the latter is continually undermined, dissipated, destroyed, or rather, circumvented, diverted, and seduced. Surreptitiously they are turned against themselves; surreptitiously they dissolve into a different game, a different set of stakes.”
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Because “the one fundamental human science of the Renaissance was the knowledge of soul,” it is understandable that Renaissance thought has been long ignored as philosophy, actually held in contempt for being scattered, unsystematic, rhetorical. Its thought is not philosophy but psychology, rooted not in intellect but in imagination. It is anima-thinking - thought that reflects the anima. Its aim was soul-making; hence its concentration upon the realm of anima: treatise on love, on beauty, on myth, on political machinations, on life-style and manners and aesthetic expression, and later on music, as well as works such as Ficino’s philosophy specifically concerning soul. Its concern with visual perspective, and perhaps with polyphony in music, can also be related to its psychology of ambiguity, which arose from gloria duplex - having more than one standpoint, seeing behind, seeing through, and hearing the many voices of the soul.

So I just started 3 weeks ago and I went in with a "screw it, I'll learn the meta later if I like the game" mindset. That was a mistake. Turns out I did like the game and although I did check a quick tierlist from some sites, those gave me tons of misinformation and really bad suggestions. So I ended up wasting 2x 5-star recruit scrolls for characters I'm actually not using (and have no need at the moment). With some other minor mistakes I made with a week of playthrough, I could've just made a new account to reroll, but I got lucky getting several EX UR gears from single pulls for my 5-star DPS characters so I made the decision to just stick with it.
I have 2x 5-star recruit scrolls right now and considering the amount of time of wait to eventually get more from events may take quite some time, I was wondering who should I prioritize getting?

• I have Code Name O Elise so I was thinking it could be good to have Lovely Lady Elise as well (her PDEF and MRES Debuff seems great and it seems to have nice dps with upgraded potential)
• I've read some more reliable guides and they suggested getting Angelica and Celia. I don't have any other Buffers for Magic DPS yet except for Diana and +5 Kind Student Samay. I've read characters with multiple hit counts are great for chain attack but I'm not sure if Celia can contribute much and if her field ability is worth it.
• Standard Olstein seems actually interesting since he has a 3x3 AoE skill that's an Energy Battery + SP drain + Silence which could be really useful for the harder content I'm trying to push through
• I read Eleaneer is a top-tier DPS but I don't see her replacing any of my current team DPS anytime soon unless I get her EX UR or get her B-rank Idol costume as well
• Standard Eclipse seems great with her upgraded Costume Potential (damage seems really good, has sp drain, and has heal)

I do have Sage of the Cloud Olstein so I won't need the standard Olstein for the dispatch skill. I also got Diana and Liatris from Pub.

Warning: a really long character evaluation of one of the most controversial characters that has been and counties to be much debated.
Throughout the story we see a number of key figures relation to political power. Ferdinand is the figure we first see fundamentally change in position. We see from Elvira that right before RM adoption was the peak of Veronica’s tyranny. Ferdinand after excelling in every possible way was condemned to live as a blue priest- within their society something you only become if you essentially fail as a noble. (Before RMs robe clad rampage including the Zent) As Oswald comments after Wilfried’s confusion about RM not being able to meet Charlotte, Ferdinand despite being occasionally treated in private as a member of the AD family because of his assistance with paperwork and such that wasn’t really considered the case, his entrance into the temple essentially was a sort of “death”. Sylvester echoes this when he said before he entered noble society again Wilfried was above him, but not anymore. His successful relationship he formed with RM becomes the indirect cause of his “ascent”. Because of he education he provides Sylvester is willing to adopt her, and their testimony dooms Veronica, bindewald and Bezewanst. As such he and RM effectively seize control of the temple, successfully rid it (over time) of hostile elements, reward competence, and she pushes him to train successors. Ferdinand through his life has been effectively chained by political isolation, unable to function to his full potential because of Veronica. This is observed by dunkefelger who watched his brilliant strategy but difficulty internally. He didn’t always win ditter- but he always caused chaos. As a result his principle skills didn’t account for broader long term relationships (as evidenced by Magdalena’s view of him as heartless which was wrong but revealing, and Karstedt observing how harsh he was to women) . He’s very good at eliminating enemies and manipulating factions as Magdalena notes but he doesn’t easily develop the same long term bonds that are mutually beneficial until RM. she consistently pushes him to become more interconnected, to his family, to training more blue priests, to her retainers, etc. ties that also benefit him. And he does this successfully, he becomes actively involved in Melchiors, Charlottes and Wilfried’s education, changes the entire temple and develops deeper interpersonal relationships.
A large part of this is RMs support, her usage of positive reinforcement, both verbally, in terms of food, care and concern don’t only make the temple safer, it makes it a home. Her successful relationships in the temple become the foundation of the printing industry, Fran, Zahm, Fritz, Gil, Wilma, Rosina, and Wilma are often formed in ways others would have never achieved carefully considering personal circumstances, offering chances to improve, change and compassion. Not to mention Benno Lutz and Mark. She successfully gets them to be true Allies, they are all in. Ferdinand effectively manages the noble side of much of it for her, allowing her to focus on what others cannot do. When she returns from the academy with all her retainers she drags them into helping Ferdinand, compensating for the fact he only has one scholar ( who’s actually an attendant) Damuel sets the precedent, and all follow. He not only utilizes them effectively, but motivated hartmut do take on even more work. They all come to respect and trust him while also benefiting from his education. Fran finds it heartwarming that Ferdinand when he has the leeway gave RM one of his grey priest attendants skilled at paperwork, and she in turn does the same with her noble retainers. RM group of retainers are unorthodox, but exceptionally competent. She has far fewer than her siblings but they vastly outcompete them, many of those she has she attracted based on her personal character. She kept Cornelius who wasn’t going to remain at first, which in turn attracted Leonore, Judith who followed after Angelica, Liesletta because she saved her sister, Philline because they share a love of books, and Brunhilde because of her trends, and hartmut… well I’m not going there. Theodore received an arrangement accommodating his desires, and granting her another guard knight. Regardless this demonstrates the Necessity of mutually beneficial relationships be it merchants, commoners or nobles. She convinced him to train other blue priests rather than just do his “I can do it alone” thing, and he becomes more of a teacher. She somewhat pulls him out of his grouchy turtle shell to invest in the temple as a whole, and he doesn’t just beat them into submission (which he does) but they also shift many of the blue priests to their side.
This serves as a backdrop or “manual” of sorts of overcoming stains on one’s reputation (temple) and succeeding regardless. RM faces prejudice due to her involvement in the temple, and she doesn’t back down in the face of it eventually effectively silencing critics.
Wilfried initial relationship with Rozemyne is antagonistic, and only comes to have a moderately congenial relationship after she corrects his education and she rescues him from the white tower. We learn a few things, he’s quick to be deceived by others and blame others but also quick to course correct. If it’s a natural open mindedness or gullibility based on majority isn’t clear. He believes the words of those around him uncritically.
The Georgine incident and high bishop day shows he held a latent prejudice against Ferdinand, which eventually resolved itself after the white tower incident (maybe? He still seemed pretty cold during the detlinde incident, and resented RM for worrying about him when he was in enemy territory)
Sylvester and Ferdinand push Rozemyne to enter the academy with Wilfried to prop him up as the next archduke, they imagine if he forms a solid cooperative relationship with her he will pave the way to take the seat given she has no political ambition, is primarily obsessed with the library and hates socializing. Hair pins, plant paper, Rinsham, printing, pound cake, sweets, etc though they may be her inventions he can be a fruitful avenue for them. Unfortunately he fails immediately. Upon entering the academy she sets up the teams to compete, properly incentives them with her own recipes, breaks down faction barrier and he has the arrogance to then suggest she is abandoning her duty as an archduke candidate when she wants to go to the library baiting her into a rampage. He still hasn’t done anything notably. She then compiles all the study guides alone, tutors all the first years. He is the one who caused an incident that caused the music professors to invite her to a teaparty, which led to her interaction with the second prince which then unfolded into disaster.
Following her return to Ehrenfest he manages to anger all her retainers pushing them to have no desire to help him, pushed all his work on them because his retainers haven’t finished classes ( they have classes too but he doesn’t care) and utterly failed to be a fruitful avenue for any of her trends which he had a prime opportunity to. This is very clearly noticed and exposes that they all come from her, and he doesn’t even know about them. That wouldn’t be a fatal flaw if he had managed to gain her retainers assistance but his attitude throughly repelled them, and after they do all the work he continues to call them uncooperative.
When she does finally return, he loads all the responsibility on her. He doesn’t try to learn about any of her trends but demands she come back to deal with it herself. She manages to squeeze some benefit from the chaos in the form of free advertising from Eglantine, rinsham and a budding friendship with Hannelore. His friendship with Ortwin is entirely one sided in benefit, and it indirectly causes Drewanchel to target her and Charlotte the next year. Her scholars manage to utilize her connections to gain valuable intelligence and Charlotte immediately notices this. As a result she very deliberately capitalizes on these connections, socializes with her sister, and becomes a fruitful avenue of the trends both understanding and spreading them unlike Wilfried. She continues the book trade started by RM and even when she returns to Ehrenfest successfully works with her retainers, and they all seem to like her tremendously. She’s careful not to be arrogant, fully uses the benefits RM provides and finds ways to support her with skills she doesn’t have. She carved out a strong niche, and effectively covers RMs weaknesses.
“Brunhilde’s assistance had allowed me to smoothly interact with top-ranking duchies when I was still only a first-year. Ehrenfest had socialized only as a bottom-ranking duchy before then, but she had advised me on how to act and guided me through the unknown. I could no longer count how many times Rozemyne’s retainers had saved me, be it through their experience attending tea parties with top-ranking duchies or their knack for providing tea and sweets to the tastes of our guests.” - Charlotte
Her retainers had no issue helping, they just didn’t like being treated poorly and exploited. Charlotte likely spent more time with RMs retainers in the academy than RM herself did.
This continues into third year where she participates with joint research when Wilfried had to be strong armed into it, and accompanies her sister to meetings with Dunkefelger. Throughout this Wilfried continually treats RM as nothing more than a burden, and by third year her retainers are openly furious with him, and his sister is continually annoyed by how oblivious he is. His incompetence leads to dunkefelger pushing them into ditter because of how vast the gap between them is, and just when you think he’s figured out the issues they return home and he starts blaming her again for all his problems.
AD retainers serve as a foundation of support among the nobility, that branches out from there. Despite his fathers continual support toward being the next AD, he fosters internal divide and conflict he lacks critical self reflection. He isolates his former faction for tricking him at their parents instruction, when he himself committed a crime. In contrast RMs unbiased approach to all with promise ( a little hirschur dare I say) stops an ambush, offers the compression method and gains loyalty. She takes Roderick as a retainer which leads to Laurenze and Mathias once again revealing everything and offering their names to her. In contrast Wilfried’s lack of decisive will and direction leaves him vulnerable to manipulation and betrayal. Rozemyne clear will and direction effectively weeds out traugott, and handles his dismissal with minimal impact to her or anyone else.
He accepts the engagement after his first year because he realizes it will fix his political position, and he wants her to be nicer to him, without ever doing anything to create a positive relationship. He knows how this will affect Charlotte, and never seeks to repair their relationship. He says in their tea party, “it will change his position” while glancing at her. That must have stung for her. He promises to make his retainers good enough to attend the next AD conference with no outcome. He never works to become worthy of the seat himself and when he faces the first significant opposition gives up. Compare this to Charlotte who when dismissed as a potential AD fights to stand shoulder to shoulder with RM, even when she faces nasty rumors within the nobility. She capitalized on the benefits RM provides and assists her where she is strongest. She demonstrates sharp instincts, social acumen and wisdom. She develops in her second year a strong spine in the face of Sylvester and Florencia very reminiscent of RM and proposes an alternative plan that supports Florencia and helps RM. Not only does Wilfried isolate RM and her retinue, he isolated several members of his own retinue. Notably Lamphrect and Alexis, both of whom if he is going to survive needs their support. Both Ferdinand and Giebe Kirnberger didn’t think it would be impossible for him to take the seat, it would just take hard work and a thick skin. Neither of which he has. He wanted Rozemyne to also be soft on him, not a relationship of equals who stand beside each other but one of one sided patronage. It is my understanding in Japanese culture the position of an older sibling has far more gravity than it does in much of the rest of the west, and implies both a responsibility and deference owed. Certainly not an appropriate romantic dynamic. That’s not to say she isn’t concerned for him, she repeatedly rescued him, gave him the chance to participate in research pertaining to their primary industry and oversaw it herself while not taking any credit. in his third year he starts strong arming Charlotte, complaining to Brunhilde and overall being a pain in everyone’s side.
“it was fairly exasperating when he told me that our sharing a mother obligates me to obey him...” “My brother, the next archduke, would complain to you about an engagement decided by the aub, for the sake of the duchy...” Unbelievable. I cannot express how sorry I am.” “It really is worrisome that the supposed next aub is the most concerning factor in all this” quotes from Charlotte
There are many explanations for his behavior, he ended up with some bad apples ( Oswald and Bartold) and didn’t have the skill to figure out they were holding him back, he wasn’t entirely aware that his methods came across as Veronican in nature, and his parents were less than stellar. They were too distant to be able to truly be effective. Contrast that to Ferdinand who was extremely engaged in RM education investing himself fully. Ferdinand was…. Harsh to be charitable but he was supportive, and Charlotte even actively pursued in later years also being included in ADC lessons which caused Wilfried and Melchior to join.
Furthermore she gained an ally in Brunhilde, someone who in many families would be considered a threat or enemy, if Wilfried had worked toward mutually beneficial ends he also could have accomplished this but failed.
In the shadow of the purge he became openly hostile, blamed RM for not containing the Liesgangs and then started to believe she was trying to take the seat despite she consistently publicly shooting down such notions.
His hostilities became known among the nobility, as evidenced by Giebe Kirnberger. Eventually it galvanized into giving up entirely. If he had even attempted to work with RM, understanding her motivations and priorities rather than scorn and alternatively ignore he could have been in a very strong position with the support of her retainers, been a fruitful avenue for her trends, and been able to be a powerful support. As has been shown, those who align with her generally end up having enormous boons as a result. Charlotte gained fruitful connections to greater duchies, spread their trends ( with no fainting!) was tutored by RM, guided her socially in turn, asked and gave accurate and helpful advice, and gained a massive amount of divine protections by taking her advice. Melchior was most personally educated by her, will likely serve as her successor in connections to the lower city and orphanage as well as have a truly insane amount of divine protections when the time comes. He inherited a temple that was the ground zero for reforms happening across the entire country. Brunhilde developed astute economic sense and development, how to work with merchants to create trends, and was at the center of developing Ehrenfest. She’s the likely most skilled at socializing with top ranking duchy’s to boot. Judith honed a specialized skill with harmuts support, Philline became exceptional at paperwork, Lenore at RM guidance became a feybeast expert and skilled strategist, Angelica didn’t fail and got stenluke, Cornelius was mentored by Damuel ( with great success) and became an honor student and likely her strongest knight. Brigitte married and helped Illgner and All got her compression method. Damuels spring is coming, ( go philline!)
Wilfried was alternatively terribly initially neglected, then misguided and betrayed. But Charlotte faced many of these issues as well, Sylvester pretty much ignored her and she grew up being treated fairly harshly by the FVF. The difference lay in how they responded. His inability to understand the feelings of those around him is much like Sylvester, who never recognized charlottes ambitions. If is very likely a result of a lack of accurate feedback in early childhood from Veronica that led to stunted emotional development. Being “spoiled” is a kind of emotional neglect. His critical downfall was his own lack of resolve, a common theme in the story, lack of direction, self awareness and inability to work well with those around him. Geibe Haldenzel most astutely observed if he could “embrace her unusual nature he could succeed” the issue was he could not, and never really tried.
His lack of even Nominal care and concern for RM when she was so sick she could hardly breathe causes her to be understandably disengaged from his emotional turmoil on the advice of her retainers. We see a similar form of neglect in Deitlinde, raised to be a pawn, deceived by her retainers. She too is easy to deceive, and control. But notably she is malicious. Wilfried, by and large is not. ( with a notable exception for his rant about RM “abandoning” Ehrenfest when he knew she had no choice, and faulted her for being more concerned for Ferdinand who was in enemy territory And his own insecurity but that was more of a misdirected tantrum) she is the absolute worst iterations of some of Wilfried’s faults. It is her contrast that allows us see that Wilfried’s flaws are given his environment quite minor comparatively. He’s an exceptionally well written character, and an easy one to pity, but would not be a good AD. I think the fault for that lies with Sylvester for handing him over to his mother.
One of the best parts of his character is he’s not a satisfying “enemy”, despite causing RM and Charlotte a fair amount of problems, and only being nice to her once he knows she’s leaving, and “wouldn’t lord her status over them once she leaves”. He is as RM has always seen him, an unfortunate kid who was stuck in a terrible position, lacked proper parental guidance and failed to have a goal; he has many good inclinations but fails to properly realize them. While he certainly has much space to grow it is unlikely he will ever have the deep trusting relationship the other children have formed, which is a shame. He plays out the impact of a society that allowed tyranny to rot it from within and takes time to clear, he being an unfortunate victim. He’s neither entirely blameless, or fully at fault. He happens to be a somewhat oblivious kid in an extremely brutal society.

someone who began to play yugioh for about a month when master duel released. im starting to play again through dueling nexus and i really liked how infernobles played in master duel, so im building a list based off of some of the lists ive seen from various content creators. i just want to know if someone more versed in yugioh has any thoughts about it.
Main Deck: 1x Immortal Phoenix Gearfried 3x Diabellstar the Black Witch 2x Kashtira Fenrir 1x Fighting Flame Swordsman 1x Infernoble Knight Ogier 1x Infernoble Knight Maugis 1x Infernoble Knight Turpin 1x Infernoble Knight Oliver 3x Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring 1x Salamandra, the Flying Flame Dragon 1x Infernoble Knight - Renaud 1x Infernoble Knight Ricciardetto 3x Droll & Lock Bird 1x Reinforcement of the Army 3x Heritage of the Chalice 1x Original Sinful Spoils - Snake-Eye 3x Fighting Flame Sword 3x WANTED: Seeker of Sinful Spoils 1x Flame Swordsrealm 1x Salamandra Fusion 2x "Infernoble Arms - Durendal" 1x "Infernoble Arms - Almace" 3x Noble Arms Museum 1x Salamandra with Chain Extra Deck: 1x Ultimate Flame Swordsman 1x Flame Swordsman 1x Fighting Flame Dragon 1x Baronne de Fleur 1x Infernoble Knight Emperor Charles 1x Infernoble Knight Captain Roland 1x Angelica, Princess of Noble Arms 1x Apollousa, Bow of the Goddess 1x Promethean Princess, Bestower of Flames 1x S:P Little Knight 1x I:P Masquerena 1x Cross-Sheep 2x Emperor Charles the Great 1x Link Spider Side Deck: 3x Nibiru, the Primal Being 1x Infernoble Knight - Roland 3x Triple Tactics Talent 1x Called by the Grave 1x Angelica's Angelic Ring 3x Infinite Impermanence 3x Evenly Matched
the main thing im worried about is whether 6 hand traps is enough. it feels like if you cant interrupt an opponent while they go first then you just lose. im also not 100% sold on ultimate flame swordsman. it can be a more or less one card otk through fighting flame swordsman, but otherwise it doesnt seem like an amazing boss monster? just not sure if its worth running over, say, a second angelica and 3rd fenrir

The Collect
Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Readings:
Psalm 37:1–18 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/search=Psalm+37%3A1%E2%80%9318&version=KJV
Habakkuk 3:1-10
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hab+3%3A1-10%2C16-18&version=KJV
Gospel: John 17:1–8
1These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: 2as thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. 3And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 4I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. 5And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. 6I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. 7Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. 8For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.
Commentary:
The setting for our study today, is at the end of the Passover meal, the Lord’s Supper; the benediction Jesus gave that night, sometimes referred to as the High Priestly Prayer. In his commentary on the Whole bible, Matthew Henry the seventeenth century theologian wrote:
The time when he prayed this prayer; when he had spoken these words, had given the foregoing farewell to his disciples, he prayed this prayer in their hearing; so that. It was a prayer after a sermon; when he had spoken from God to them, he turned to speak to God for them. Note, Those we preach to we must pray for. He that was to prophesy upon the dry bones was also to pray, Come, O breath, and breathe upon them. And the word preached should be prayed over, for God gives the increase. It was a prayer after sacrament; after Christ and his disciples had eaten the passover and the Lord's supper together, and he had given them a suitable exhortation, he closed the solemnity with this prayer, that God would preserve the good impressions of the ordinance upon them.
This prayer is often likened to Moses’ farewell address (Deuteronomy 31:30ff), which concluded with Moses’ final blessing on Israel (Deuteronomy 33). The tone of that address was positive, very much like Jesus’ prayer. Moses was preparing to die, but he said, “You are happy, Israel. Who is like you, a people saved by Yahweh” (Deuteronomy 33:29). Jesus is preparing to die, but he prays, “Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee” (17:1).
“These words spake Jesus” (v. 1a). Most of chapters 13-16 are dedicated to a lengthy discourse (teaching) in which Jesus spoke to his disciples about:
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• His upcoming betrayal (13:21-30);
• The new commandment (13:31-35);
• Peter’s upcoming denial (13:36-38);
• His “Do not let your hearts be troubled” discourse (14:1-14);
• The promise of the Holy Spirit (14:15-31);
• Jesus as the true vine (15:1-17);
• The world’s hatred (15:18-27).

The phrase “These words spake Jesus” (v. 1a) takes in this entire body of teaching addressed to the disciples. Now Jesus turns his eyes and his voice to the Father. Presumably the disciples overhear the prayer, but Jesus is no longer addressing them. “Jesus now turns from holding communion with his disciples to hold communion with his Father on their behalf” (Bruce, 328).
“and lifted up his eyes to heaven” (v. 1b)—the accepted posture for prayer.
“Father, the hour is come” (v. 1c). Jesus begins by addressing God as “Father.” In the Synoptics, Jesus teaches disciples to pray, “Our Father,” (Matthew 6:9), but not in this Gospel. In this Gospel, Jesus speaks of “my Father” or “the Father”—establishing his unique relationship with the Father. When he speaks of “your father,” he is speaking to his opponents, telling them that their father is the devil (8:41, 44).
The phrase, “the hour,” refers to Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension. Earlier, there were references to the fact that Jesus’ hour had not yet come (2:4; 7:6, 8, 30; 8:20). More recently, there were references to his hour having come (12:23; 13:1). All of his life Jesus has been moving toward the cross. This was his purpose in coming to earth. Immediately following this prayer, he will be arrested and set on his path to the cross (18:1 ff.).
“glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee” (v. 1d). In the Prologue, the Evangelist said, “And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth” (1:14). The glory of the Son, in this Gospel, finds its culmination in the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. Jesus must be lifted up so that he might draw all people to himself (12:32). It is in this Gospel that Jesus declares at his death, “It is finished.” It is his work—his glorification—that will be finished at that point. He will have done what he came to do. The resurrection and ascension will lie ahead yet, but it is the cross that will draw people to Jesus.
Jesus doesn’t pray, “let this cup pass away from me,” as in the Synoptics (Matthew 26:39; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42). His focus in this Gospel is his own glorification (death, resurrection, ascension) as a means of glorifying the Father.
“as thou hast given him power” (v. 2a). In the Prologue, we heard, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (1:1). It seems natural, then, that the Word (the Son) would have Godly authority, and that is true. However, it is true only because the Father has granted the Son authority. The Father “gave him authority to execute judgment, because he is a son of man. Don’t marvel at this, for the hour comes, in which all that are in the tombs will hear his voice, and will come out; those who have done good, to the resurrection of life; and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment” (5:27-29). Jesus said, “I can of myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is righteous; because I don’t seek my own will, but the will of my Father who sent me” (5:30).
“over all flesh” (pases sarkos—all flesh) (v. 2b). “All flesh” is a phrase that appears frequently in both Old and New Testaments, often in ways that evoke the temporary nature of our fleshly existence. That contrasts with the permanent nature of the eternal life that Jesus has come to offer “to all whom (the Father has) given him” (v. 2d).
“that he should give eternal life” (v. 2c). Jesus came to this earth because of the Father’s love of the kosmos—“that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (3:16). As we will learn in the next verse, the eternal life that Jesus gives is defined as relationship to the Father, so for those who know the Father, eternal life has already begun.
“to as many as thou hast given him” (v. 2d). The purpose of the Son’s authority is to give eternal life to those whom the Father has given him. Earlier, the emphasis was on the role of belief in the process of salvation (“so that whoever believes in him should not perish”) ­­—or on the role of the Spirit as the giver of life (“It is the spirit who gives life” (6:63—see also 7:37-39). Now the emphasis is on the role of the Father as the giver of life.
Throughout this Gospel, there is a tension between God’s love of the world and his condemnation of those who refuse to believe in the Son. On the one hand, “God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son” (3:16), but “He who doesn’t believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God” (3:18). Jesus’ words, “whom you have given him” raises the issue of divine election, a subject that is raised several times in this Gospel (6:37, 39, 44; 15:16, 19; 17:6, 9) and often throughout the New Testament.
This divine election, should not be confused with that ideology found in Calvinism, but refers to the Christina doctrine which holds that chooses (or elects) to do everything that He does in whatever way He sees fit. When He acts, He does so only because He willfully and independently chooses to act. According to His own nature, predetermined plan, and good pleasure, He decides to do whatever He desires, without pressure or constraint from any outside influence.
In the Old Testament, He chose a nation for Himself. Out of all the nations in the world, He selected Israel (Deut. 7:6; 14:2; Pss. 105:43; 135:4). He chose the Israelites not because they were better or more desirable than any other people, but simply because He decided to choose them.
When Jesus told His disciples, “‘You did not choose me, but I chose you’” (John 15:16), He was underscoring this truth. And the New Testament reiterates it in passage after passage. Acts 13:48b describes salvation in these words: “As many as were appointed to eternal life believed.” Ephesians 1:4–6 notes that God “chose us in [Christ] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. God chose us, but we have the free will to accept him or to reject, he does not force anyone to believe in him.
“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (v. 3). This is one of the great verses of the New Testament, forcing us to a new understanding of the word eternal. The dictionary defines eternal as “without beginning or end; existing through all time; everlasting,” so we think of eternal life as life without end. Jesus, however, defines eternal life as knowing God and Jesus Christ. Eternal life begins during our earthly life and continues into the life that we will experience after death. Eternal life is, therefore, a kind of life without end, but its essential character has more to do with its quality (relationship with God) than with its quantity (endlessness).
“that they might know thee ” (v. 3b). We should examine the verb “to know” (v. 3b). In the Old Testament, it is used for sexual intimacy—”Adam knew Eve, his wife; and she conceived” (Genesis 4:1). However, physical intimacy as God intends it is rooted in spiritual intimacy, and it is spiritual intimacy to which Jesus refers in verse 3. Spiritual intimacy with the Father will result in obedience to the Father’s will and loving fellowship with other Christians (Beasley-Murray, 297).
Gnosticism was a problem in the early church, one of its key tenets being access to privileged knowledge. Some people have concluded that verse 3 is Gnostic in its emphasis on knowing God and Jesus Christ. There are three reasons why that cannot be true:
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• First, Gnosticism was dualistic, calling for withdrawal from this world, which is very different from the discipleship that Jesus describes in this prayer (see v. 11, 15).
• Second, Christian knowledge of God is rooted in history, the Incarnation and the cross—while Gnosticism was detached from history.
• Third, Christ offers disciples eternal life that begins here and now in the world that Gnostics regarded with such disdain (Brown, 752).

“and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent t” (v. 3c). The Father sent the Son into the kosmos so that we might catch a glimpse of the Father’s glory—and as the bringer of grace and truth (1:14). The Son came into the kosmos “that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (3:16). By coming into the kosmos, the Son was doing the Father’s bidding—and carrying out his mission as assigned by the Father. While the Father and Son are one (17:11, 21-22), the Son’s Incarnation is a Father-directed mission.
“I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do” (v. 4). Jesus glorified God by his obedience—by his public honoring of the Father—by his work in the name of the Father. The Son has done all that he could to this point. Soon will follow the absolute completion of his work with the cross (see 19:30), resurrection, and ascension.
“And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was” (v. 5). There is a kinship here with Philippians 2:6-11, which speaks of Christ Jesus as having “emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness” (see also John 1:1:14). But this Gospel emphasizes the incarnation (taking on flesh and living among us) rather than the sacrifice involved in doing so (Malcolm, 576).
Jesus is obviously looking forward to being restored to the glory that he enjoyed with the Father prior to his Incarnation.
“I have manifested thy name” (v. 6a). From the beginning, Jesus’ mission has been revelation. He is the Logos, the Word, the one sent to reveal God to us (1:1). He has made the Father’s name known.
The Jewish people have always been sensitive about God’s name, because they consider God’s name to be synonymous with God’s true nature or character. At the burning bush, Moses asked God’s name, and God replied, “I AM WHO I AM” (Hebrew: YHWH or Yahweh) and commanded Moses to tell the people, “I AM has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:14). In John’s Gospel, Jesus frequently uses this “I AM” formula (Greek: ego eimi) to identify himself (“I AM the bread of life”—”I AM the light of the world”—”I AM the gate for the sheep”—”I AM the good shepherd”).
For much of their history, Jewish people considered God’s name, YHWH, too sacred to pronounce, so they substituted the word adonai. Now Jesus makes God’s name known “to the people whom you have given me out of the world” (v. 6)—and the name is Father. Jesus makes God accessible—makes it possible for us to address God as Father.
“unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me” (v. 6b). The disciples about whom Jesus speaks are not outstanding in any way. Jesus could easily complain about their mediocrity, but instead speaks of them respectfully, as if they were a treasure that the Father has placed into his hands. As events will prove, once they are filled with the Spirit, they will become worthy witnesses—powerful advocates for the kingdom.
“and they have kept thy word” (logos) (v. 6c). It is surprising that Jesus would say that the disciples have kept the Father’s word. Their performance thus far has been mixed at best—but see below on verse 8a.
“Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee” (v. 7). The disciples do not yet understand Jesus’ teachings about his death and resurrection, but they have placed their faith in Jesus as God’s prophet—as one who speaks God’s word.
“For I have given unto them the words (rhemata) which thou gavest me; and they have received them” (v. 8a). Note the difference between “word” singular (logos) in verse 6 and “words” plural (rhemata) in verse 8. Logos (singular) and rhemata (plural) are two different words with significantly different meanings.
​

• Logos is important in this Gospel. Jesus is Logos—Word—the revelation of God. “In the beginning was the Word (logos), and the Word (logos) was with God, and the Word (logos) was God” (1:1).
• Rhemata is a different word. Earlier we heard, “In the beginning was the Word” (logos) (1:1). Jesus is the Word of God––the one who embodies all that the Father intended to communicate to humankind. The word used in this verse, rhemata, has to do with spoken words. These rhemata (words) are Christ’s teachings, which he has embedded in his disciples’ hearts.

“and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee” (v. 8b). Jesus does not say that the disciples have kept his rhemata—his words—his teachings—but only that they have received them. It would be stretching things to say that the disciples have been faithful to Jesus’ teachings, which they have thus far understood only dimly. Prior to the resurrection, they are more clueless than faithful.
However, they have been faithful to the Father’s logos—to the Father’s revelation of himself through the Son, who is the Logos. The disciples have hung in there with Jesus through good times and bad, because, “You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (6:68-69). It is the disciples’ faithfulness to himself to which Jesus refers when he says, “they have kept thy word” (v. 6).
“and they have believed that thou didst send me” (v. 8c). Jesus establishes the chain of custody by which God’s words are transmitted. The words came from the Father, who gave them to the Son, who in turn gave them to the disciples. These disciples have not rejected these words, but have “received” them (v. 8b). They are receptive to the words that Jesus gives them, because they believe that Jesus was sent by the Father. If Jesus is truly sent by the Father, it follows that his words are trustworthy.
Here we see Jesus (1) praying for himself, that the Father might support him so that he may bring glory to the Father; and (2) we see Jesus praying for those God has chosen, and given to him. The question then arises, have you—as one of the chosen—accepted him?
[source: Sermon Writer]
Benediction
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Thought for the Day:
We did not happen to be--we were chosen by God to exist.
Mother Angelica

The Collect
Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Readings:
Psalm 37:1–18 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/search=Psalm+37%3A1%E2%80%9318&version=KJV
Habakkuk 3:1-10
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hab+3%3A1-10%2C16-18&version=KJV
Gospel: John 17:1–8
1These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: 2as thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. 3And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 4I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. 5And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. 6I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. 7Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. 8For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.
Commentary:
The setting for our study today, is at the end of the Passover meal, the Lord’s Supper; the benediction Jesus gave that night, sometimes referred to as the High Priestly Prayer. In his commentary on the Whole bible, Matthew Henry the seventeenth century theologian wrote:
The time when he prayed this prayer; when he had spoken these words, had given the foregoing farewell to his disciples, he prayed this prayer in their hearing; so that. It was a prayer after a sermon; when he had spoken from God to them, he turned to speak to God for them. Note, Those we preach to we must pray for. He that was to prophesy upon the dry bones was also to pray, Come, O breath, and breathe upon them. And the word preached should be prayed over, for God gives the increase. It was a prayer after sacrament; after Christ and his disciples had eaten the passover and the Lord's supper together, and he had given them a suitable exhortation, he closed the solemnity with this prayer, that God would preserve the good impressions of the ordinance upon them.
This prayer is often likened to Moses’ farewell address (Deuteronomy 31:30ff), which concluded with Moses’ final blessing on Israel (Deuteronomy 33). The tone of that address was positive, very much like Jesus’ prayer. Moses was preparing to die, but he said, “You are happy, Israel. Who is like you, a people saved by Yahweh” (Deuteronomy 33:29). Jesus is preparing to die, but he prays, “Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee” (17:1).
“These words spake Jesus” (v. 1a). Most of chapters 13-16 are dedicated to a lengthy discourse (teaching) in which Jesus spoke to his disciples about:
​

• His upcoming betrayal (13:21-30);
• The new commandment (13:31-35);
• Peter’s upcoming denial (13:36-38);
• His “Do not let your hearts be troubled” discourse (14:1-14);
• The promise of the Holy Spirit (14:15-31);
• Jesus as the true vine (15:1-17);
• The world’s hatred (15:18-27).

The phrase “These words spake Jesus” (v. 1a) takes in this entire body of teaching addressed to the disciples. Now Jesus turns his eyes and his voice to the Father. Presumably the disciples overhear the prayer, but Jesus is no longer addressing them. “Jesus now turns from holding communion with his disciples to hold communion with his Father on their behalf” (Bruce, 328).
“and lifted up his eyes to heaven” (v. 1b)—the accepted posture for prayer.
“Father, the hour is come” (v. 1c). Jesus begins by addressing God as “Father.” In the Synoptics, Jesus teaches disciples to pray, “Our Father,” (Matthew 6:9), but not in this Gospel. In this Gospel, Jesus speaks of “my Father” or “the Father”—establishing his unique relationship with the Father. When he speaks of “your father,” he is speaking to his opponents, telling them that their father is the devil (8:41, 44).
The phrase, “the hour,” refers to Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension. Earlier, there were references to the fact that Jesus’ hour had not yet come (2:4; 7:6, 8, 30; 8:20). More recently, there were references to his hour having come (12:23; 13:1). All of his life Jesus has been moving toward the cross. This was his purpose in coming to earth. Immediately following this prayer, he will be arrested and set on his path to the cross (18:1 ff.).
“glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee” (v. 1d). In the Prologue, the Evangelist said, “And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth” (1:14). The glory of the Son, in this Gospel, finds its culmination in the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. Jesus must be lifted up so that he might draw all people to himself (12:32). It is in this Gospel that Jesus declares at his death, “It is finished.” It is his work—his glorification—that will be finished at that point. He will have done what he came to do. The resurrection and ascension will lie ahead yet, but it is the cross that will draw people to Jesus.
Jesus doesn’t pray, “let this cup pass away from me,” as in the Synoptics (Matthew 26:39; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42). His focus in this Gospel is his own glorification (death, resurrection, ascension) as a means of glorifying the Father.
“as thou hast given him power” (v. 2a). In the Prologue, we heard, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (1:1). It seems natural, then, that the Word (the Son) would have Godly authority, and that is true. However, it is true only because the Father has granted the Son authority. The Father “gave him authority to execute judgment, because he is a son of man. Don’t marvel at this, for the hour comes, in which all that are in the tombs will hear his voice, and will come out; those who have done good, to the resurrection of life; and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment” (5:27-29). Jesus said, “I can of myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is righteous; because I don’t seek my own will, but the will of my Father who sent me” (5:30).
“over all flesh” (pases sarkos—all flesh) (v. 2b). “All flesh” is a phrase that appears frequently in both Old and New Testaments, often in ways that evoke the temporary nature of our fleshly existence. That contrasts with the permanent nature of the eternal life that Jesus has come to offer “to all whom (the Father has) given him” (v. 2d).
“that he should give eternal life” (v. 2c). Jesus came to this earth because of the Father’s love of the kosmos—“that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (3:16). As we will learn in the next verse, the eternal life that Jesus gives is defined as relationship to the Father, so for those who know the Father, eternal life has already begun.
“to as many as thou hast given him” (v. 2d). The purpose of the Son’s authority is to give eternal life to those whom the Father has given him. Earlier, the emphasis was on the role of belief in the process of salvation (“so that whoever believes in him should not perish”) ­­—or on the role of the Spirit as the giver of life (“It is the spirit who gives life” (6:63—see also 7:37-39). Now the emphasis is on the role of the Father as the giver of life.
Throughout this Gospel, there is a tension between God’s love of the world and his condemnation of those who refuse to believe in the Son. On the one hand, “God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son” (3:16), but “He who doesn’t believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God” (3:18). Jesus’ words, “whom you have given him” raises the issue of divine election, a subject that is raised several times in this Gospel (6:37, 39, 44; 15:16, 19; 17:6, 9) and often throughout the New Testament.
This divine election, should not be confused with that ideology found in Calvinism, but refers to the Christina doctrine which holds that chooses (or elects) to do everything that He does in whatever way He sees fit. When He acts, He does so only because He willfully and independently chooses to act. According to His own nature, predetermined plan, and good pleasure, He decides to do whatever He desires, without pressure or constraint from any outside influence.
In the Old Testament, He chose a nation for Himself. Out of all the nations in the world, He selected Israel (Deut. 7:6; 14:2; Pss. 105:43; 135:4). He chose the Israelites not because they were better or more desirable than any other people, but simply because He decided to choose them.
When Jesus told His disciples, “‘You did not choose me, but I chose you’” (John 15:16), He was underscoring this truth. And the New Testament reiterates it in passage after passage. Acts 13:48b describes salvation in these words: “As many as were appointed to eternal life believed.” Ephesians 1:4–6 notes that God “chose us in [Christ] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. God chose us, but we have the free will to accept him or to reject, he does not force anyone to believe in him.
“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (v. 3). This is one of the great verses of the New Testament, forcing us to a new understanding of the word eternal. The dictionary defines eternal as “without beginning or end; existing through all time; everlasting,” so we think of eternal life as life without end. Jesus, however, defines eternal life as knowing God and Jesus Christ. Eternal life begins during our earthly life and continues into the life that we will experience after death. Eternal life is, therefore, a kind of life without end, but its essential character has more to do with its quality (relationship with God) than with its quantity (endlessness).
“that they might know thee ” (v. 3b). We should examine the verb “to know” (v. 3b). In the Old Testament, it is used for sexual intimacy—”Adam knew Eve, his wife; and she conceived” (Genesis 4:1). However, physical intimacy as God intends it is rooted in spiritual intimacy, and it is spiritual intimacy to which Jesus refers in verse 3. Spiritual intimacy with the Father will result in obedience to the Father’s will and loving fellowship with other Christians (Beasley-Murray, 297).
Gnosticism was a problem in the early church, one of its key tenets being access to privileged knowledge. Some people have concluded that verse 3 is Gnostic in its emphasis on knowing God and Jesus Christ. There are three reasons why that cannot be true:
​

• First, Gnosticism was dualistic, calling for withdrawal from this world, which is very different from the discipleship that Jesus describes in this prayer (see v. 11, 15).
• Second, Christian knowledge of God is rooted in history, the Incarnation and the cross—while Gnosticism was detached from history.
• Third, Christ offers disciples eternal life that begins here and now in the world that Gnostics regarded with such disdain (Brown, 752).

“and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent t” (v. 3c). The Father sent the Son into the kosmos so that we might catch a glimpse of the Father’s glory—and as the bringer of grace and truth (1:14). The Son came into the kosmos “that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (3:16). By coming into the kosmos, the Son was doing the Father’s bidding—and carrying out his mission as assigned by the Father. While the Father and Son are one (17:11, 21-22), the Son’s Incarnation is a Father-directed mission.
“I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do” (v. 4). Jesus glorified God by his obedience—by his public honoring of the Father—by his work in the name of the Father. The Son has done all that he could to this point. Soon will follow the absolute completion of his work with the cross (see 19:30), resurrection, and ascension.
“And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was” (v. 5). There is a kinship here with Philippians 2:6-11, which speaks of Christ Jesus as having “emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness” (see also John 1:1:14). But this Gospel emphasizes the incarnation (taking on flesh and living among us) rather than the sacrifice involved in doing so (Malcolm, 576).
Jesus is obviously looking forward to being restored to the glory that he enjoyed with the Father prior to his Incarnation.
“I have manifested thy name” (v. 6a). From the beginning, Jesus’ mission has been revelation. He is the Logos, the Word, the one sent to reveal God to us (1:1). He has made the Father’s name known.
The Jewish people have always been sensitive about God’s name, because they consider God’s name to be synonymous with God’s true nature or character. At the burning bush, Moses asked God’s name, and God replied, “I AM WHO I AM” (Hebrew: YHWH or Yahweh) and commanded Moses to tell the people, “I AM has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:14). In John’s Gospel, Jesus frequently uses this “I AM” formula (Greek: ego eimi) to identify himself (“I AM the bread of life”—”I AM the light of the world”—”I AM the gate for the sheep”—”I AM the good shepherd”).
For much of their history, Jewish people considered God’s name, YHWH, too sacred to pronounce, so they substituted the word adonai. Now Jesus makes God’s name known “to the people whom you have given me out of the world” (v. 6)—and the name is Father. Jesus makes God accessible—makes it possible for us to address God as Father.
“unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me” (v. 6b). The disciples about whom Jesus speaks are not outstanding in any way. Jesus could easily complain about their mediocrity, but instead speaks of them respectfully, as if they were a treasure that the Father has placed into his hands. As events will prove, once they are filled with the Spirit, they will become worthy witnesses—powerful advocates for the kingdom.
“and they have kept thy word” (logos) (v. 6c). It is surprising that Jesus would say that the disciples have kept the Father’s word. Their performance thus far has been mixed at best—but see below on verse 8a.
“Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee” (v. 7). The disciples do not yet understand Jesus’ teachings about his death and resurrection, but they have placed their faith in Jesus as God’s prophet—as one who speaks God’s word.
“For I have given unto them the words (rhemata) which thou gavest me; and they have received them” (v. 8a). Note the difference between “word” singular (logos) in verse 6 and “words” plural (rhemata) in verse 8. Logos (singular) and rhemata (plural) are two different words with significantly different meanings.
​

• Logos is important in this Gospel. Jesus is Logos—Word—the revelation of God. “In the beginning was the Word (logos), and the Word (logos) was with God, and the Word (logos) was God” (1:1).
• Rhemata is a different word. Earlier we heard, “In the beginning was the Word” (logos) (1:1). Jesus is the Word of God––the one who embodies all that the Father intended to communicate to humankind. The word used in this verse, rhemata, has to do with spoken words. These rhemata (words) are Christ’s teachings, which he has embedded in his disciples’ hearts.

“and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee” (v. 8b). Jesus does not say that the disciples have kept his rhemata—his words—his teachings—but only that they have received them. It would be stretching things to say that the disciples have been faithful to Jesus’ teachings, which they have thus far understood only dimly. Prior to the resurrection, they are more clueless than faithful.
However, they have been faithful to the Father’s logos—to the Father’s revelation of himself through the Son, who is the Logos. The disciples have hung in there with Jesus through good times and bad, because, “You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (6:68-69). It is the disciples’ faithfulness to himself to which Jesus refers when he says, “they have kept thy word” (v. 6).
“and they have believed that thou didst send me” (v. 8c). Jesus establishes the chain of custody by which God’s words are transmitted. The words came from the Father, who gave them to the Son, who in turn gave them to the disciples. These disciples have not rejected these words, but have “received” them (v. 8b). They are receptive to the words that Jesus gives them, because they believe that Jesus was sent by the Father. If Jesus is truly sent by the Father, it follows that his words are trustworthy.
Here we see Jesus (1) praying for himself, that the Father might support him so that he may bring glory to the Father; and (2) we see Jesus praying for those God has chosen, and given to him. The question then arises, have you—as one of the chosen—accepted him?
[source: Sermon Writer]
Benediction
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Thought for the Day:
We did not happen to be--we were chosen by God to exist.
Mother Angelica

The Collect
Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Readings:
Psalm 37:1–18 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/search=Psalm+37%3A1%E2%80%9318&version=KJV
Habakkuk 3:1-10
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hab+3%3A1-10%2C16-18&version=KJV
Gospel: John 17:1–8
1These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: 2as thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. 3And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 4I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. 5And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. 6I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. 7Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. 8For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.
Commentary:
The setting for our study today, is at the end of the Passover meal, the Lord’s Supper; the benediction Jesus gave that night, sometimes referred to as the High Priestly Prayer. In his commentary on the Whole bible, Matthew Henry the seventeenth century theologian wrote:
The time when he prayed this prayer; when he had spoken these words, had given the foregoing farewell to his disciples, he prayed this prayer in their hearing; so that. It was a prayer after a sermon; when he had spoken from God to them, he turned to speak to God for them. Note, Those we preach to we must pray for. He that was to prophesy upon the dry bones was also to pray, Come, O breath, and breathe upon them. And the word preached should be prayed over, for God gives the increase. It was a prayer after sacrament; after Christ and his disciples had eaten the passover and the Lord's supper together, and he had given them a suitable exhortation, he closed the solemnity with this prayer, that God would preserve the good impressions of the ordinance upon them.
This prayer is often likened to Moses’ farewell address (Deuteronomy 31:30ff), which concluded with Moses’ final blessing on Israel (Deuteronomy 33). The tone of that address was positive, very much like Jesus’ prayer. Moses was preparing to die, but he said, “You are happy, Israel. Who is like you, a people saved by Yahweh” (Deuteronomy 33:29). Jesus is preparing to die, but he prays, “Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee” (17:1).
“These words spake Jesus” (v. 1a). Most of chapters 13-16 are dedicated to a lengthy discourse (teaching) in which Jesus spoke to his disciples about:
​

• His upcoming betrayal (13:21-30);
• The new commandment (13:31-35);
• Peter’s upcoming denial (13:36-38);
• His “Do not let your hearts be troubled” discourse (14:1-14);
• The promise of the Holy Spirit (14:15-31);
• Jesus as the true vine (15:1-17);
• The world’s hatred (15:18-27).

The phrase “These words spake Jesus” (v. 1a) takes in this entire body of teaching addressed to the disciples. Now Jesus turns his eyes and his voice to the Father. Presumably the disciples overhear the prayer, but Jesus is no longer addressing them. “Jesus now turns from holding communion with his disciples to hold communion with his Father on their behalf” (Bruce, 328).
“and lifted up his eyes to heaven” (v. 1b)—the accepted posture for prayer.
“Father, the hour is come” (v. 1c). Jesus begins by addressing God as “Father.” In the Synoptics, Jesus teaches disciples to pray, “Our Father,” (Matthew 6:9), but not in this Gospel. In this Gospel, Jesus speaks of “my Father” or “the Father”—establishing his unique relationship with the Father. When he speaks of “your father,” he is speaking to his opponents, telling them that their father is the devil (8:41, 44).
The phrase, “the hour,” refers to Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension. Earlier, there were references to the fact that Jesus’ hour had not yet come (2:4; 7:6, 8, 30; 8:20). More recently, there were references to his hour having come (12:23; 13:1). All of his life Jesus has been moving toward the cross. This was his purpose in coming to earth. Immediately following this prayer, he will be arrested and set on his path to the cross (18:1 ff.).
“glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee” (v. 1d). In the Prologue, the Evangelist said, “And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth” (1:14). The glory of the Son, in this Gospel, finds its culmination in the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. Jesus must be lifted up so that he might draw all people to himself (12:32). It is in this Gospel that Jesus declares at his death, “It is finished.” It is his work—his glorification—that will be finished at that point. He will have done what he came to do. The resurrection and ascension will lie ahead yet, but it is the cross that will draw people to Jesus.
Jesus doesn’t pray, “let this cup pass away from me,” as in the Synoptics (Matthew 26:39; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42). His focus in this Gospel is his own glorification (death, resurrection, ascension) as a means of glorifying the Father.
“as thou hast given him power” (v. 2a). In the Prologue, we heard, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (1:1). It seems natural, then, that the Word (the Son) would have Godly authority, and that is true. However, it is true only because the Father has granted the Son authority. The Father “gave him authority to execute judgment, because he is a son of man. Don’t marvel at this, for the hour comes, in which all that are in the tombs will hear his voice, and will come out; those who have done good, to the resurrection of life; and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment” (5:27-29). Jesus said, “I can of myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is righteous; because I don’t seek my own will, but the will of my Father who sent me” (5:30).
“over all flesh” (pases sarkos—all flesh) (v. 2b). “All flesh” is a phrase that appears frequently in both Old and New Testaments, often in ways that evoke the temporary nature of our fleshly existence. That contrasts with the permanent nature of the eternal life that Jesus has come to offer “to all whom (the Father has) given him” (v. 2d).
“that he should give eternal life” (v. 2c). Jesus came to this earth because of the Father’s love of the kosmos—“that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (3:16). As we will learn in the next verse, the eternal life that Jesus gives is defined as relationship to the Father, so for those who know the Father, eternal life has already begun.
“to as many as thou hast given him” (v. 2d). The purpose of the Son’s authority is to give eternal life to those whom the Father has given him. Earlier, the emphasis was on the role of belief in the process of salvation (“so that whoever believes in him should not perish”) ­­—or on the role of the Spirit as the giver of life (“It is the spirit who gives life” (6:63—see also 7:37-39). Now the emphasis is on the role of the Father as the giver of life.
Throughout this Gospel, there is a tension between God’s love of the world and his condemnation of those who refuse to believe in the Son. On the one hand, “God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son” (3:16), but “He who doesn’t believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God” (3:18). Jesus’ words, “whom you have given him” raises the issue of divine election, a subject that is raised several times in this Gospel (6:37, 39, 44; 15:16, 19; 17:6, 9) and often throughout the New Testament.
This divine election, should not be confused with that ideology found in Calvinism, but refers to the Christina doctrine which holds that chooses (or elects) to do everything that He does in whatever way He sees fit. When He acts, He does so only because He willfully and independently chooses to act. According to His own nature, predetermined plan, and good pleasure, He decides to do whatever He desires, without pressure or constraint from any outside influence.
In the Old Testament, He chose a nation for Himself. Out of all the nations in the world, He selected Israel (Deut. 7:6; 14:2; Pss. 105:43; 135:4). He chose the Israelites not because they were better or more desirable than any other people, but simply because He decided to choose them.
When Jesus told His disciples, “‘You did not choose me, but I chose you’” (John 15:16), He was underscoring this truth. And the New Testament reiterates it in passage after passage. Acts 13:48b describes salvation in these words: “As many as were appointed to eternal life believed.” Ephesians 1:4–6 notes that God “chose us in [Christ] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. God chose us, but we have the free will to accept him or to reject, he does not force anyone to believe in him.
“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (v. 3). This is one of the great verses of the New Testament, forcing us to a new understanding of the word eternal. The dictionary defines eternal as “without beginning or end; existing through all time; everlasting,” so we think of eternal life as life without end. Jesus, however, defines eternal life as knowing God and Jesus Christ. Eternal life begins during our earthly life and continues into the life that we will experience after death. Eternal life is, therefore, a kind of life without end, but its essential character has more to do with its quality (relationship with God) than with its quantity (endlessness).
“that they might know thee ” (v. 3b). We should examine the verb “to know” (v. 3b). In the Old Testament, it is used for sexual intimacy—”Adam knew Eve, his wife; and she conceived” (Genesis 4:1). However, physical intimacy as God intends it is rooted in spiritual intimacy, and it is spiritual intimacy to which Jesus refers in verse 3. Spiritual intimacy with the Father will result in obedience to the Father’s will and loving fellowship with other Christians (Beasley-Murray, 297).
Gnosticism was a problem in the early church, one of its key tenets being access to privileged knowledge. Some people have concluded that verse 3 is Gnostic in its emphasis on knowing God and Jesus Christ. There are three reasons why that cannot be true:
​

• First, Gnosticism was dualistic, calling for withdrawal from this world, which is very different from the discipleship that Jesus describes in this prayer (see v. 11, 15).
• Second, Christian knowledge of God is rooted in history, the Incarnation and the cross—while Gnosticism was detached from history.
• Third, Christ offers disciples eternal life that begins here and now in the world that Gnostics regarded with such disdain (Brown, 752).

“and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent t” (v. 3c). The Father sent the Son into the kosmos so that we might catch a glimpse of the Father’s glory—and as the bringer of grace and truth (1:14). The Son came into the kosmos “that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (3:16). By coming into the kosmos, the Son was doing the Father’s bidding—and carrying out his mission as assigned by the Father. While the Father and Son are one (17:11, 21-22), the Son’s Incarnation is a Father-directed mission.
“I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do” (v. 4). Jesus glorified God by his obedience—by his public honoring of the Father—by his work in the name of the Father. The Son has done all that he could to this point. Soon will follow the absolute completion of his work with the cross (see 19:30), resurrection, and ascension.
“And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was” (v. 5). There is a kinship here with Philippians 2:6-11, which speaks of Christ Jesus as having “emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness” (see also John 1:1:14). But this Gospel emphasizes the incarnation (taking on flesh and living among us) rather than the sacrifice involved in doing so (Malcolm, 576).
Jesus is obviously looking forward to being restored to the glory that he enjoyed with the Father prior to his Incarnation.
“I have manifested thy name” (v. 6a). From the beginning, Jesus’ mission has been revelation. He is the Logos, the Word, the one sent to reveal God to us (1:1). He has made the Father’s name known.
The Jewish people have always been sensitive about God’s name, because they consider God’s name to be synonymous with God’s true nature or character. At the burning bush, Moses asked God’s name, and God replied, “I AM WHO I AM” (Hebrew: YHWH or Yahweh) and commanded Moses to tell the people, “I AM has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:14). In John’s Gospel, Jesus frequently uses this “I AM” formula (Greek: ego eimi) to identify himself (“I AM the bread of life”—”I AM the light of the world”—”I AM the gate for the sheep”—”I AM the good shepherd”).
For much of their history, Jewish people considered God’s name, YHWH, too sacred to pronounce, so they substituted the word adonai. Now Jesus makes God’s name known “to the people whom you have given me out of the world” (v. 6)—and the name is Father. Jesus makes God accessible—makes it possible for us to address God as Father.
“unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me” (v. 6b). The disciples about whom Jesus speaks are not outstanding in any way. Jesus could easily complain about their mediocrity, but instead speaks of them respectfully, as if they were a treasure that the Father has placed into his hands. As events will prove, once they are filled with the Spirit, they will become worthy witnesses—powerful advocates for the kingdom.
“and they have kept thy word” (logos) (v. 6c). It is surprising that Jesus would say that the disciples have kept the Father’s word. Their performance thus far has been mixed at best—but see below on verse 8a.
“Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee” (v. 7). The disciples do not yet understand Jesus’ teachings about his death and resurrection, but they have placed their faith in Jesus as God’s prophet—as one who speaks God’s word.
“For I have given unto them the words (rhemata) which thou gavest me; and they have received them” (v. 8a). Note the difference between “word” singular (logos) in verse 6 and “words” plural (rhemata) in verse 8. Logos (singular) and rhemata (plural) are two different words with significantly different meanings.
​

• Logos is important in this Gospel. Jesus is Logos—Word—the revelation of God. “In the beginning was the Word (logos), and the Word (logos) was with God, and the Word (logos) was God” (1:1).
• Rhemata is a different word. Earlier we heard, “In the beginning was the Word” (logos) (1:1). Jesus is the Word of God––the one who embodies all that the Father intended to communicate to humankind. The word used in this verse, rhemata, has to do with spoken words. These rhemata (words) are Christ’s teachings, which he has embedded in his disciples’ hearts.

“and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee” (v. 8b). Jesus does not say that the disciples have kept his rhemata—his words—his teachings—but only that they have received them. It would be stretching things to say that the disciples have been faithful to Jesus’ teachings, which they have thus far understood only dimly. Prior to the resurrection, they are more clueless than faithful.
However, they have been faithful to the Father’s logos—to the Father’s revelation of himself through the Son, who is the Logos. The disciples have hung in there with Jesus through good times and bad, because, “You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (6:68-69). It is the disciples’ faithfulness to himself to which Jesus refers when he says, “they have kept thy word” (v. 6).
“and they have believed that thou didst send me” (v. 8c). Jesus establishes the chain of custody by which God’s words are transmitted. The words came from the Father, who gave them to the Son, who in turn gave them to the disciples. These disciples have not rejected these words, but have “received” them (v. 8b). They are receptive to the words that Jesus gives them, because they believe that Jesus was sent by the Father. If Jesus is truly sent by the Father, it follows that his words are trustworthy.
Here we see Jesus (1) praying for himself, that the Father might support him so that he may bring glory to the Father; and (2) we see Jesus praying for those God has chosen, and given to him. The question then arises, have you—as one of the chosen—accepted him?
[source: Sermon Writer]
Benediction
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Thought for the Day:
We did not happen to be--we were chosen by God to exist.
Mother Angelica

The Collect
Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Readings:
Psalm 37:1–18 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/search=Psalm+37%3A1%E2%80%9318&version=KJV
Habakkuk 3:1-10
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hab+3%3A1-10%2C16-18&version=KJV
Gospel: John 17:1–8
1These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: 2as thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. 3And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 4I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. 5And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. 6I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. 7Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. 8For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.
Commentary:
The setting for our study today, is at the end of the Passover meal, the Lord’s Supper; the benediction Jesus gave that night, sometimes referred to as the High Priestly Prayer. In his commentary on the Whole bible, Matthew Henry the seventeenth century theologian wrote:
The time when he prayed this prayer; when he had spoken these words, had given the foregoing farewell to his disciples, he prayed this prayer in their hearing; so that. It was a prayer after a sermon; when he had spoken from God to them, he turned to speak to God for them. Note, Those we preach to we must pray for. He that was to prophesy upon the dry bones was also to pray, Come, O breath, and breathe upon them. And the word preached should be prayed over, for God gives the increase. It was a prayer after sacrament; after Christ and his disciples had eaten the passover and the Lord's supper together, and he had given them a suitable exhortation, he closed the solemnity with this prayer, that God would preserve the good impressions of the ordinance upon them.
This prayer is often likened to Moses’ farewell address (Deuteronomy 31:30ff), which concluded with Moses’ final blessing on Israel (Deuteronomy 33). The tone of that address was positive, very much like Jesus’ prayer. Moses was preparing to die, but he said, “You are happy, Israel. Who is like you, a people saved by Yahweh” (Deuteronomy 33:29). Jesus is preparing to die, but he prays, “Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee” (17:1).
“These words spake Jesus” (v. 1a). Most of chapters 13-16 are dedicated to a lengthy discourse (teaching) in which Jesus spoke to his disciples about:
​

• His upcoming betrayal (13:21-30);
• The new commandment (13:31-35);
• Peter’s upcoming denial (13:36-38);
• His “Do not let your hearts be troubled” discourse (14:1-14);
• The promise of the Holy Spirit (14:15-31);
• Jesus as the true vine (15:1-17);
• The world’s hatred (15:18-27).

The phrase “These words spake Jesus” (v. 1a) takes in this entire body of teaching addressed to the disciples. Now Jesus turns his eyes and his voice to the Father. Presumably the disciples overhear the prayer, but Jesus is no longer addressing them. “Jesus now turns from holding communion with his disciples to hold communion with his Father on their behalf” (Bruce, 328).
“and lifted up his eyes to heaven” (v. 1b)—the accepted posture for prayer.
“Father, the hour is come” (v. 1c). Jesus begins by addressing God as “Father.” In the Synoptics, Jesus teaches disciples to pray, “Our Father,” (Matthew 6:9), but not in this Gospel. In this Gospel, Jesus speaks of “my Father” or “the Father”—establishing his unique relationship with the Father. When he speaks of “your father,” he is speaking to his opponents, telling them that their father is the devil (8:41, 44).
The phrase, “the hour,” refers to Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension. Earlier, there were references to the fact that Jesus’ hour had not yet come (2:4; 7:6, 8, 30; 8:20). More recently, there were references to his hour having come (12:23; 13:1). All of his life Jesus has been moving toward the cross. This was his purpose in coming to earth. Immediately following this prayer, he will be arrested and set on his path to the cross (18:1 ff.).
“glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee” (v. 1d). In the Prologue, the Evangelist said, “And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth” (1:14). The glory of the Son, in this Gospel, finds its culmination in the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. Jesus must be lifted up so that he might draw all people to himself (12:32). It is in this Gospel that Jesus declares at his death, “It is finished.” It is his work—his glorification—that will be finished at that point. He will have done what he came to do. The resurrection and ascension will lie ahead yet, but it is the cross that will draw people to Jesus.
Jesus doesn’t pray, “let this cup pass away from me,” as in the Synoptics (Matthew 26:39; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42). His focus in this Gospel is his own glorification (death, resurrection, ascension) as a means of glorifying the Father.
“as thou hast given him power” (v. 2a). In the Prologue, we heard, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (1:1). It seems natural, then, that the Word (the Son) would have Godly authority, and that is true. However, it is true only because the Father has granted the Son authority. The Father “gave him authority to execute judgment, because he is a son of man. Don’t marvel at this, for the hour comes, in which all that are in the tombs will hear his voice, and will come out; those who have done good, to the resurrection of life; and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment” (5:27-29). Jesus said, “I can of myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is righteous; because I don’t seek my own will, but the will of my Father who sent me” (5:30).
“over all flesh” (pases sarkos—all flesh) (v. 2b). “All flesh” is a phrase that appears frequently in both Old and New Testaments, often in ways that evoke the temporary nature of our fleshly existence. That contrasts with the permanent nature of the eternal life that Jesus has come to offer “to all whom (the Father has) given him” (v. 2d).
“that he should give eternal life” (v. 2c). Jesus came to this earth because of the Father’s love of the kosmos—“that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (3:16). As we will learn in the next verse, the eternal life that Jesus gives is defined as relationship to the Father, so for those who know the Father, eternal life has already begun.
“to as many as thou hast given him” (v. 2d). The purpose of the Son’s authority is to give eternal life to those whom the Father has given him. Earlier, the emphasis was on the role of belief in the process of salvation (“so that whoever believes in him should not perish”) ­­—or on the role of the Spirit as the giver of life (“It is the spirit who gives life” (6:63—see also 7:37-39). Now the emphasis is on the role of the Father as the giver of life.
Throughout this Gospel, there is a tension between God’s love of the world and his condemnation of those who refuse to believe in the Son. On the one hand, “God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son” (3:16), but “He who doesn’t believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God” (3:18). Jesus’ words, “whom you have given him” raises the issue of divine election, a subject that is raised several times in this Gospel (6:37, 39, 44; 15:16, 19; 17:6, 9) and often throughout the New Testament.
This divine election, should not be confused with that ideology found in Calvinism, but refers to the Christina doctrine which holds that chooses (or elects) to do everything that He does in whatever way He sees fit. When He acts, He does so only because He willfully and independently chooses to act. According to His own nature, predetermined plan, and good pleasure, He decides to do whatever He desires, without pressure or constraint from any outside influence.
In the Old Testament, He chose a nation for Himself. Out of all the nations in the world, He selected Israel (Deut. 7:6; 14:2; Pss. 105:43; 135:4). He chose the Israelites not because they were better or more desirable than any other people, but simply because He decided to choose them.
When Jesus told His disciples, “‘You did not choose me, but I chose you’” (John 15:16), He was underscoring this truth. And the New Testament reiterates it in passage after passage. Acts 13:48b describes salvation in these words: “As many as were appointed to eternal life believed.” Ephesians 1:4–6 notes that God “chose us in [Christ] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. God chose us, but we have the free will to accept him or to reject, he does not force anyone to believe in him.
“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (v. 3). This is one of the great verses of the New Testament, forcing us to a new understanding of the word eternal. The dictionary defines eternal as “without beginning or end; existing through all time; everlasting,” so we think of eternal life as life without end. Jesus, however, defines eternal life as knowing God and Jesus Christ. Eternal life begins during our earthly life and continues into the life that we will experience after death. Eternal life is, therefore, a kind of life without end, but its essential character has more to do with its quality (relationship with God) than with its quantity (endlessness).
“that they might know thee ” (v. 3b). We should examine the verb “to know” (v. 3b). In the Old Testament, it is used for sexual intimacy—”Adam knew Eve, his wife; and she conceived” (Genesis 4:1). However, physical intimacy as God intends it is rooted in spiritual intimacy, and it is spiritual intimacy to which Jesus refers in verse 3. Spiritual intimacy with the Father will result in obedience to the Father’s will and loving fellowship with other Christians (Beasley-Murray, 297).
Gnosticism was a problem in the early church, one of its key tenets being access to privileged knowledge. Some people have concluded that verse 3 is Gnostic in its emphasis on knowing God and Jesus Christ. There are three reasons why that cannot be true:
​

• First, Gnosticism was dualistic, calling for withdrawal from this world, which is very different from the discipleship that Jesus describes in this prayer (see v. 11, 15).
• Second, Christian knowledge of God is rooted in history, the Incarnation and the cross—while Gnosticism was detached from history.
• Third, Christ offers disciples eternal life that begins here and now in the world that Gnostics regarded with such disdain (Brown, 752).

“and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent t” (v. 3c). The Father sent the Son into the kosmos so that we might catch a glimpse of the Father’s glory—and as the bringer of grace and truth (1:14). The Son came into the kosmos “that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (3:16). By coming into the kosmos, the Son was doing the Father’s bidding—and carrying out his mission as assigned by the Father. While the Father and Son are one (17:11, 21-22), the Son’s Incarnation is a Father-directed mission.
“I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do” (v. 4). Jesus glorified God by his obedience—by his public honoring of the Father—by his work in the name of the Father. The Son has done all that he could to this point. Soon will follow the absolute completion of his work with the cross (see 19:30), resurrection, and ascension.
“And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was” (v. 5). There is a kinship here with Philippians 2:6-11, which speaks of Christ Jesus as having “emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness” (see also John 1:1:14). But this Gospel emphasizes the incarnation (taking on flesh and living among us) rather than the sacrifice involved in doing so (Malcolm, 576).
Jesus is obviously looking forward to being restored to the glory that he enjoyed with the Father prior to his Incarnation.
“I have manifested thy name” (v. 6a). From the beginning, Jesus’ mission has been revelation. He is the Logos, the Word, the one sent to reveal God to us (1:1). He has made the Father’s name known.
The Jewish people have always been sensitive about God’s name, because they consider God’s name to be synonymous with God’s true nature or character. At the burning bush, Moses asked God’s name, and God replied, “I AM WHO I AM” (Hebrew: YHWH or Yahweh) and commanded Moses to tell the people, “I AM has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:14). In John’s Gospel, Jesus frequently uses this “I AM” formula (Greek: ego eimi) to identify himself (“I AM the bread of life”—”I AM the light of the world”—”I AM the gate for the sheep”—”I AM the good shepherd”).
For much of their history, Jewish people considered God’s name, YHWH, too sacred to pronounce, so they substituted the word adonai. Now Jesus makes God’s name known “to the people whom you have given me out of the world” (v. 6)—and the name is Father. Jesus makes God accessible—makes it possible for us to address God as Father.
“unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me” (v. 6b). The disciples about whom Jesus speaks are not outstanding in any way. Jesus could easily complain about their mediocrity, but instead speaks of them respectfully, as if they were a treasure that the Father has placed into his hands. As events will prove, once they are filled with the Spirit, they will become worthy witnesses—powerful advocates for the kingdom.
“and they have kept thy word” (logos) (v. 6c). It is surprising that Jesus would say that the disciples have kept the Father’s word. Their performance thus far has been mixed at best—but see below on verse 8a.
“Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee” (v. 7). The disciples do not yet understand Jesus’ teachings about his death and resurrection, but they have placed their faith in Jesus as God’s prophet—as one who speaks God’s word.
“For I have given unto them the words (rhemata) which thou gavest me; and they have received them” (v. 8a). Note the difference between “word” singular (logos) in verse 6 and “words” plural (rhemata) in verse 8. Logos (singular) and rhemata (plural) are two different words with significantly different meanings.
​

• Logos is important in this Gospel. Jesus is Logos—Word—the revelation of God. “In the beginning was the Word (logos), and the Word (logos) was with God, and the Word (logos) was God” (1:1).
• Rhemata is a different word. Earlier we heard, “In the beginning was the Word” (logos) (1:1). Jesus is the Word of God––the one who embodies all that the Father intended to communicate to humankind. The word used in this verse, rhemata, has to do with spoken words. These rhemata (words) are Christ’s teachings, which he has embedded in his disciples’ hearts.

“and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee” (v. 8b). Jesus does not say that the disciples have kept his rhemata—his words—his teachings—but only that they have received them. It would be stretching things to say that the disciples have been faithful to Jesus’ teachings, which they have thus far understood only dimly. Prior to the resurrection, they are more clueless than faithful.
However, they have been faithful to the Father’s logos—to the Father’s revelation of himself through the Son, who is the Logos. The disciples have hung in there with Jesus through good times and bad, because, “You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (6:68-69). It is the disciples’ faithfulness to himself to which Jesus refers when he says, “they have kept thy word” (v. 6).
“and they have believed that thou didst send me” (v. 8c). Jesus establishes the chain of custody by which God’s words are transmitted. The words came from the Father, who gave them to the Son, who in turn gave them to the disciples. These disciples have not rejected these words, but have “received” them (v. 8b). They are receptive to the words that Jesus gives them, because they believe that Jesus was sent by the Father. If Jesus is truly sent by the Father, it follows that his words are trustworthy.
Here we see Jesus (1) praying for himself, that the Father might support him so that he may bring glory to the Father; and (2) we see Jesus praying for those God has chosen, and given to him. The question then arises, have you—as one of the chosen—accepted him?
[source: Sermon Writer]
Benediction
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Thought for the Day:
We did not happen to be--we were chosen by God to exist.
Mother Angelica

I've got one bag (closet cleanout!) left to sell:
LV Giant Monogram Jungle double zipper Pochette - Special Collection
Auth / My Pics
Price: $175 shipped via USPS Priority Mail
Payment: PPFF or PPGS (included in price)
Source: Factory unknown, purchased from a FB Group trusted seller, Angelica.
Quality: 1:1/Mirror (can't remember which). Please do your own QC.
Size
Base length: 8.5 in
Height: 5.25 in
Width: 1 in
Drop: 21.5 in
​
I've used this bag once- it's in brand new condition. Comes with box, dustbag, chain, paperwork. Selling because I don't use it and would rather see it go to a good home. :-)
I have sold/purchased a few times on RepladiesBST and just sold 3 bags over the last couple of days. Wtg on feedback for those...
​

Next on the list of niche character concepts is Massimo Volpe, main antagonist of Purple Haze Feedback. Volpe is a member of Passione's Narcotics Team, the drug manufacturers of the mafia. Although the leader of this group is Vladimir Kocaqi, Volpe is the muscle behind the operation thanks to his Stand Manic Depression. This Stand has the power to transform table salt into powerful drugs that revert after two weeks, enabling the cheap manufacture of narcotics and making it impossible for rivals to stockpile them. However, the main power of Manic Depression is the manipulation of the body, both Massimo's and others'. Through it, Volpe can induce nightmarish body horror on his victims and push his own physical capacities beyond those of a normal human. In All-Star Battle R, Volpe switches between a tricky debuffing playstyle and a powerful rushdown character at the press of a button. Again, credit to IrregardlessIrreden and Volcanix for the format of this concept.
Style: Stand - Pressing the Style button lets Volpe switch between Depressed and Manic Mode. In Depressed Mode Volpe fights alongside his Stand, afflicting enemies with status effects and wearing them down with obnoxious attacks. In Manic mode Manic Depression rides Volpe's back piggyback style, turning him into an offensive character that fights with brute strength. However, Volpe's body can't sustain this mode for a long time, so he's forced to use it sparingly; a gauge on the left corner of the screen measures how long Volpe can stay in Manic Mode.
• Hypodermic Embrace: In both modes, pressing 22+S will cause Volpe to cradle Manic Depression as it embraces his chest, filling it with needles. If this animation isn't interrupted, Volpe heals 100 health. Costs 0.5 Heat Gauge.
Depressed Mode
Normals:
• 5L: Volpe jabs with his hand.
• 5M: Volpe punches forward.
• 5H: Volpe delivers a roundhouse kick.
• 2L: Manic Depression stabs forward with its hand.
• 2M: Manic Depression slaps the enemy.
• 2H: Manic Depression slices upward.
• j.L: Volpe knees forward.
• j.M: Volpe kicks downward.
• j.H: Manic Depression slices below itself.
Specials:
•“Ushyaaa!” (236+L/M/H): Manic Depression barrages forward, raking the opponent with its filthy claws several times. The button inputted influences how far the Stand travels. If the attacks connect, the opponent is poisoned and loses some health over time.
•“Sickly and malnourished.” (214+L/M/H): Manic Depression vomits on the ground, leaving a lingering puddle of corrosive fluid; if the opponent steps on it, they'll crumple and dissolve, losing health over time. The inputted button affects how far away Manic Depression leaves the puddle; you can only have one puddle at a time. This attack can hit downed opponents for reduced damage.
•“My Stand can control your vitals.” (623+L/M/H/S): Manic Depression lunges at the opponent, trying to stab them with its needles. This move's effects vary depending on the inputted button:
-If Light is inputted, the Stand hits low and swells up the victim's legs, disabling the jump button for a few seconds.
-If Middle is inputted, Manic Depression stabs the opponent's stomach; this causes them to double over and vomit, crumpling to the ground.
-If Heavy is inputted, Volpe tosses his Stand upward in an overhead attack, making the opponent suffer a splitting headache and be unable to guard for a few seconds.
-If the Style button is inputted, Manic Depression tries to latch onto the opponent in a hitgrab. In case of hitting the Stand shifts onto their back, where it stabs them in the spine; this takes over the opponent’s nervous system, disabling the Style and attack buttons for a short while. As a tradeoff, Volpe can't use any moves pertaining to his Stand due to it being lodged on the opponent’s back. Costs 0.5 Heat Gauge.
Manic Mode
• Inhuman Metabolism: While in Manic Mode, Volpe's physical capabilities are beyond any human's. Volpe can sprint forward or backward by holding 44/66 or perform a super jump by inputting 1/2/3 followed by 7/8/9. He can transition into a super jump from his normals or “A body freed from physical limits.”, giving him unparalleled mobility; he also benefits from Aerial Chain Beat, being able to chain his jumping attacks together.
Normals:
• 5L: Volpe punches forward.
• 5M: Volpe slams both fists together.
• 5H: Volpe chops violently sideways.
• 2L: Volpe extends his hand in a jab.
• 2M: Volpe kicks forward.
• 2H: Volpe rises in an uppercut.
• j.L: Volpe kicks downward.
• j.M: Volpe spins in the air.
• j.H: Volpe slices in a downward arc with his hands.
Specials:
•“A body freed from physical limits.” (236+L/M/H): Volpe dashes forward and bodyslams the opponent, with the distance travelled depending on the input. Volpe has hyperarmor for the duration of the dash. This move has three possible follow-ups:
-“Raaargh!” (6L/M/H): Volpe unleashes a flurry of blows in front of himself, ending in a mighty blow that sends the opponent flying.
-“Coming straight at me, you fool?” (4L/M/H): Volpe dodges backward with a backflip, kicking the opponent if they come close.
-“We’re not done.” (2L/M/H): Volpe punches the opponent in the gut, sending them flying vertically.
•“Die like a dog!” (214+L/M/H): Volpe charges a brutal kick that sends the opponent flying; holding the button charges said kick to deal more damage, and a fully charged kick can break a full Guard Gauge. Damage, distance travelled and recovery depend on the input. Additionally, this move can send a downed opponent back into the air for more juggling once per combo.
Both Modes:
•Grab - “Out of my way!”: Volpe grabs the opponent by the neck and tosses them like a ragdoll.
•HHA - Nightbird Flying: Angelica’s Stand comes soaring from offscreen, bearing Manic Depression's drug in a radius around it. If the opponent doesn't block while on said radius, they fall under the effects of Nightbird Flying, inhibiting their movement. For 9 seconds, the opponent cannot dash, jump or Stylish Evade, and their movement is slowed; attacks also have a longer wind-up and recovery. Nightbird Flying travels the whole stage in a straight line, swooping away if the HHA doesn't take effect.
“I didn't come alone. Nightbird Flying!” “Behold Angelica's power!”
•GHA - “Your last hope just crumbled.”: Volpe transitions into Manic Mode if he wasn't already and lunges forward, traveling a long distance and attempting to grab the opponent. If the GHA connects, Volpe holds the opponent by the neck and lifts them off the ground. Manic Depression walks on Volpe's grasping arm and comes face to face with the opponent before stabbing them in the face with its needles. This strains their bodily functions as their organs are overworked by Manic Depression's power, ending in the opponent's heart bursting (non-lethally of course). Completing the GHA also refills the Manic Gauge fully.
“Don't try and fight me; Manic Depression can control you completely. You no longer have free will. Now burst!”
Taunts:
• Volpe cracks his knuckles menacingly.
• Volpe crouches and rests his hand on top of Manic Depression's head.
• Volpe and Manic Depression point at the opponent.
• Volpe stands with his back to the opponent while Manic Depression dances and jeers.
• Volpe folds his arms haughtily.
Victory Poses:
• Volpe does his artwork pose.
• Volpe lunges toward the camera in Manic Mode.
• Volpe roars toward the sky.
• Volpe walks away with Manic Depression perched on his shoulder.
• Volpe holds a Stone Mask in front of his face.
And that's the concept! Thanks for reading this far and I hope you enjoyed it. I might do more of these in the future, but it seems unlikely seeing how there are already concepts about all but the most niche of characters. Regardless, if you have any characters you'd like to see adapted let me know in the comments and I'll try my best to write a cohesive moveset. With that said, thanks for your attention and have a wonderful day.

I have read spoilers that Leon will be made king and even up to the LN(10) I have read it's the obvious conclusion of his promotion since he is a Duke now.
Now into my main topic,Leon would make a horrible king for several reasons.
First I will address the practical reasons
1-He doesn't have the abilities or education to rule a realm
Leon never studied or tried hard to improve his(mediocre) abilities after obtaining Luxion,which made him complacent and reliant on the overwhelming advantage that having a cheat iteam like Luxion gives,without Luxion Leon simply have mediocre abilities,a guy that completely relies on cheats to win every time(by rigging the game in Leon favour)
Also,per example Nicks doesn't have the habilities to rule and it's making efforts to learn how to rule and admistrate from his wife and dad but Leon that didn't get the education of how to rule,because he wasn't expected to inherit the fief and himself simply didnt bothered to learn,but now that he is a duke(although a landless one), it's expected he should at least try to educate himself how to navigate the elite world and try to integrate himself,like Luxion and Angelica tried to make Leon do,which of course Leon didn't bothered since he is mere "Mob" in his eyes,although Leon himself already fucked up everything with his stunts and of course leaves the burden to Angelica,which almost destroyed their relationship until of course Luxion had to rescue Leon to save his relationship.
To finish also Leon clearly lacks the Educational and Social skills necessary to be King,instead seems to really into Luxion or Angelica in this regards.
2-He doesn't have any vision or project or values or ambitions to the kingdom
Leon it's a individual whose dream was to leave a life of dissolution in the countryside with a kind big breasted wife,can much be hoped by a individual whose desires are that?
While I personally don't think it's that bad of a dream,it isn't good for a King to not have any vision of what to do with the Kingdom,Leon severely lacks any of the points of point and he will probably just relegate the work to Angelica or Luxion,since he himself isn't hardworking and lacks any sort of vision or ambition for the realm to work towards,even when he got pissed at something(like the whole matriachal supermacy thing),he never shows any ambition towards social reform or changing society,simply said Leon isn't even neither a idealist or a real politik,which traits can work towards goals.
3-He is a horrible strategist and a mediocre tactician
Leon never plays the long game and seems unbothered by the consequences of his acts,which he leaves others to clean(Angie daddy,Louise dad and Roland),I keep getting baffled into how Leon even got alive of Alzer,considering he during the Pierre affair he made Luxion go rouge into Alzer territory,violent intreference in internal politics,he attacked several high level persons,forced Alzer into a humiliating treaty,stole a sappling of the sacred tree and produced the whole chain of events that lead to Ideal and Serge affairs that put Alzer to his knees,would be more than enough to declare Leon persona non grata in Alzer or even a execution order to punish Leon for his crimes,but thanks for Leon cleaning his own mess(partially,he left the hard job he left to the Alzerians),everything was sweeped under the rug by the Raults.
The fact that Leon plays with his food(Leon loves to corner and humiliate his opponent to the point breaking his opponents)and doesn't finish comes to bite him into the ass in Serge case, besides his humilation routine seems to be thoroughly ineffective into actually taking people into the right direction,the Idiot brigade and Loic only started getting better due to other events(Marie throwing them out and Noelle talking to Loic),instead it tends to fuel Leon enemies either into more hatred or breaking his opponent so throghly that they lose their will to fight.
4-The whole Leon polygamy it's bad news.
Apparently Leon in LN gets married to Angelica,Olivia,Noelle,Mylene,Hertrude,Louise,Clarice and Deirdre!(I just read in spoilers,correct me if I'm wrong),and Leon will probably be forced to have at least 1 kid with all of them for political reasons(except Olivia,because she is a commoner and thus of little importance),if Leon produces too many kids with too many women,it will probably spark a civil war when Leon dies over his throne,considering tons of powerful families that are at odds at each other (Redgraves,Fanoss,Atlee,Roseblade) and even foreigners(Mylene kingdom and Alzer)will fight over the chance at putting one of them on the throne.
Leon will be probably a weak king due to his personality and laziness and he has weak will,so he is also easily swayed by others,it will make factionalism proliferate fighting over influence,which Leon will probably be able to keep under control through Luxion and Angelica(which I believe will be his main wife and the one that actually governs the realm).