|
Today is July 27th, Trinity 10
First Reading: 1 Kings 3.5-12
At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, 'Ask
what I should give you.' And Solomon said, 'You have shown great and steadfast
love to your servant my father David, because he walked before you in
faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart towards you; and
you have kept for him this great and steadfast love, and have given him a son
to sit on his throne today. And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant
king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not
know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of the people
whom you have chosen, a great people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or
counted. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your
people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your
great people?' It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. God said to
him, 'Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or
riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself
understanding to discern what is right, I now do according to your word. Indeed
I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and
no one like you shall arise after you.'
Psalm 119.129-136
Your testimonies / are / wonderful:there/fore my / soul / keeps them.
The opening of your / word gives / light:it gives under/standing / to the /
simple.
I
open my mouth and / draw in my / breath:as I / long for / your com/mandments.
Turn to me and be / gracious / to me:as is your way with / those who / love
your / name.
Order my steps / by your / word:and let no wickedness / have do/minion /
over me.
Redeem me from / earthly op/pressors:so that / I may / keep your com/mandments.
Show the light of your countenance up/on your
/ servant:and / teach / me your / statutes.
My eyes run down with / streams of / water:because the wicked / do not / keep your
/ law.
Second Reading: Romans 8.26-39
In the same way the Spirit also
comes to help us, weak as we are. For we do not know how we ought to pray; the
Spirit himself pleads with God for us in groans that words cannot express. And God, who sees into our hearts, knows what
the thought of the Spirit is; because the Spirit pleads with God on behalf of
his people and in accordance with his will. We know that in all things God
works for good with those who love him, those whom he has called according to
his purpose. Those whom God had already chosen he also set apart to become like
his Son, so that the Son would be the first among many believers. And so those
whom God set apart, he called; and those he called, he put right with himself,
and he shared his glory with them. : In view of all this, what can we say? If God
is for us, who can be against us?
Certainly not God, who did not even keep back his own Son, but offered
him for us all! He gave us his Son - will he not also freely give us all
things? Who will accuse God's chosen
people? God himself declares them not guilty!
Who, then, will condemn them? Not Christ Jesus, who died, or rather, who
was raised to life and is at the right side of God, pleading with him for
us! Who, then, can separate us from the
love of Christ? Can trouble do it, or hardship or persecution or hunger or
poverty or danger or death? As the scripture says, "For your sake we are
in danger of death at all times; we are treated like sheep that are going to be
slaughtered." No, in all these things
we have complete victory through him who loved us! For I am certain that nothing can separate us
from his love: neither death nor life, neither angels nor other heavenly rulers
or powers, neither the present nor the future,
neither the world above nor the world below - there is nothing in all
creation that will ever be able to separate us from the love of God which is
ours through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Gospel: Matthew 13.31-33,44-52
Jesus put before the crowd another parable: 'The kingdom
of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it
is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of
shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in
its branches.' He told them another parable: 'The kingdom of heaven is like
yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of
it was leavened. The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field,
which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has
and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search
of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that
he had and bought it. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was
thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew
it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. So it
will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil
from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be
weeping and gnashing of teeth. Have you understood all this?' They answered,
'Yes.' And he said to them, 'Therefore every scribe who has been trained for
the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his
treasure what is new and what is old.'
Post Communion Prayer
God of our pilgrimage, you have willed
that the gate of mercy should stand open for those who trust in you: look upon
us with your favour that we who follow the path of your will may never wander
from the way of life; through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen
|
