|
Today is September 14th, Trinity 17
First Reading: Genesis 50.15-21
Realizing that their father was dead,
Joseph's brothers said, 'What if Joseph still bears a grudge against us and
pays us back in full for all the wrong that we did to him?' So they approached Joseph, saying, 'Your
father gave this instruction before he died,
"Say to Joseph: I beg you, forgive the crime of your brothers and the wrong
they did in harming you." Now therefore please forgive the crime of the servants
of the God of your father.' Joseph wept when they spoke to him. Then his brothers also wept, fell down
before him, and said, 'We are here as your slaves.' But Joseph said to them, 'Do not be afraid!
Am I in the place of God? Even though
you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a
numerous people, as he is doing today.
So have no fear; I myself will provide for you and your little ones.' In
this way he reassured them, speaking kindly to them.
Psalm 103.8-13
The Lord is full of com/passion and / mercy: slow to anger / and of / great /
kindness.
He will not / always ac/cuse us: neither will he / keep his / anger for /
ever.
He has not dealt with us according / to
our / sins: nor rewarded us ac/cording / to our /
wickedness.
For as the heavens are high a/bove the /
earth: so great is his / mercy upon / those who / fear him.
As far as the east is / from the / west:
so far has he / set our / sins / from
us.
As a father has compassion / on his / children:
so is the Lord merciful towards / those
who / fear / him.
Second Reading: Romans 14.1-12
Welcome those who are weak in
faith, but do not argue with them about their personal opinions. Some people's faith allows them to eat
anything, but the person who is weak in the faith eats only vegetables. The person who will eat anything is not to
despise the one who doesn't; while the one who eats only vegetables is not to
pass judgment on the one who will eat anything; for God has accepted that
person. Who are you to judge the
servants of someone else? It is their own Master who will decide whether they
succeed or fail. And they will succeed, because the Lord is able to make them
succeed. Some people think that a
certain day is more important than other days, while others think that all days
are the same. We each should firmly make up our own minds. Those who think highly of a certain day do so
in honour of the Lord; those who will eat anything do so in honour of the Lord,
because they give thanks to God for the food. Those who refuse to eat certain
things do so in honour of the Lord, and they give thanks to God. We do not live for ourselves only, and we do
not die for ourselves only. If we live,
it is for the Lord that we live, and if we die, it is for the Lord that we die.
So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For Christ died and rose to life in order to
be the Lord of the living and of the dead.
You then, who eat only vegetables - why do you pass judgment on others?
And you who eat anything - why do you despise other believers? All of us will
stand before God to be judged by him.
For the scripture says, "As surely as I am the living God, says the
Lord, everyone will kneel before me, and everyone will confess that I am
God." Every one of us, then, will
have to give an account to God.
Gospel: Matthew 18.21-35
Peter came and
said to Jesus, 'Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how
often should I forgive? As many as seven times?' Jesus said to him, 'Not seven times, but, I
tell you, seventy-seven times. For this
reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle
accounts with his slaves. When he began
the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered
him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions,
and payment to be made. So the slave
fell on his knees before him, saying, "Have patience with me, and I will pay
you everything." And out of pity for
him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. But that same slave, as he went out, came
upon one of his fellow-slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him
by the throat, he said, "Pay what you owe."
Then his fellow-slave fell down and pleaded with him, "Have patience
with me, and I will pay you." But he
refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the
debt. When his fellow-slaves saw what
had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their
lord all that had taken place. Then his
lord summoned him and said to him, "You wicked slave! I forgave you all that
debt because you pleaded with me.
Should you not have had mercy on your fellow-slave, as I had mercy on
you?" And in anger his lord handed him
over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. So my heavenly Father will also do to every
one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.'
Post Communion Prayer
Lord, we pray that your grace may always
precede and follow us, and make us continually to be given to all good works;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
|
