23 November 2025
10:30 | 
Posted by
Dr Platts |
Fr Chris spoke to us about Christ The King and the children made beautiful crowns to signify Christ as King. Fr Chris was a little put out that no one made him a crown. They said they had thought about it!
Don't forget that Friday evening is the fun night for year 6 and above. Fr Chris says he has something new and hopefully exciting.
Also, Saturday 29th is our Christmas Fair. Your chance to support St Mary's and maybe pick up a few stocking fillers, gifts and treat yourself to a bowl of hot soup for lunch! Don't forget Santa's grotto for the kiddies.
A reading from the book of the prophet Jeremiah.
Woe to the shepherds
who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!
says the Lord.
Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel,
concerning the shepherds who shepherd my people:
It is you who have scattered my flock
and have driven them away,
and you have not attended to them.
So I will attend to you for your evil doings,
says the Lord.
Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock
out of all the lands where I have driven them,
and I will bring them back to their fold,
and they shall be fruitful and multiply.
I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them,
and they shall no longer fear or be dismayed,
nor shall any be missing, says the Lord.
The days are surely coming, says the Lord,
when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch,
and he shall reign as king and deal wisely
and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.
In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety.
And this is the name by which he will be called:
“The Lord is our righteousness.”
Colossians 1:11-20
A reading from the letter of Paul tot he Colossians.
Brothers and sisters:
May you be made strong
with all the strength that comes from his glorious power,
and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience,
while joyfully giving thanks to the Father,
who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.
He has rescued us from the power of darkness
and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son,
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation;
for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created,
things visible and invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—
all things have been created through him and for him.
He himself is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.
He is the head of the body, the church;
he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
so that he might come to have first place in everything.
For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,
and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things,
whether on earth or in heaven,
by making peace through the blood of his cross.
Luke 23:33-43
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
When they came to the place that is called The Skull,
they crucified Jesus there with the criminals,
one on his right and one on his left.
Then Jesus said,
‘Father, forgive them;
for they do not know what they are doing.’
And they cast lots to divide his clothing.
And the people stood by, watching;
but the leaders scoffed at him, saying,
‘He saved others;
let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!’
The soldiers also mocked him,
coming up and offering him sour wine,
and saying, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!’
There was also an inscription over him,
‘This is the King of the Jews.’
One of the criminals who were hanged there
kept deriding him and saying,
‘Are you not the Messiah?
Save yourself and us!’
But the other rebuked him, saying,
‘Do you not fear God,
since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?
And we indeed have been condemned justly,
for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds,
but this man has done nothing wrong.’
Then he said,
‘Jesus, remember me when you come into[g] your kingdom.’
Jeus replied,
‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’
16 November 2025
Fr Chris was busy in the church hall with Crafty Communion and Matins was taking place in church. The choir sang Stanford's Benedictus in C and the anthem was Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring.
Don't forget our Christmas Market held in church. The poster says it all.
A reading from the book of the prophet Malachi.
See, the day is coming, burning like an oven,
when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble;
the day that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts,
so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.
But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise,
with healing in its wings.
2 Thessalonians 3:6-13
A reading from the second letter of St Paul to the Thessalonians,
We command you, beloved,
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
to keep away from believers who are living in idleness
and not according to the tradition that they received from us.
For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us;
we were not irresponsible when we were with you,
and we did not eat anyone’s bread without paying for it,
but with toil and labor we worked night and day
so that we might not burden any of you.
This was not because we do not have that right
but in order to give you an example to imitate.
For even when we were with you,
we gave you this command:
anyone unwilling to work should not eat.
For we hear that some of you are living in idleness,
mere busybodies, not doing any work.
Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ
to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.
Brothers and sisters, do not be weary in doing what is right.
Luke 21:5-19
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
When some were speaking about the temple,
how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God,
Jesus said,
“As for these things that you see,
the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another;
all will be thrown down.”
They asked him,
“Teacher, when will this be,
and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?”
And hJesus said,
“Beware that you are not led astray,
for many will come in my name and say,
‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is near!’
Do not go after them.
When you hear of wars and insurrections,
do not be terrified,
for these things must take place first,
but the end will not follow immediately.”
Then he said to them,
“Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom;
there will be great earthquakes
and in various places famines and plagues,
and there will be dreadful portents
and great signs from heaven.
But before all this occurs,
they will arrest you and persecute you;
they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons,
and you will be brought before kings and governors
because of my name.
This will give you an opportunity to testify.
So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance,
for I will give you words and a wisdom
that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict.
You will be betrayed even by parents and siblings,
by relatives and friends,
and they will put some of you to death.
You will be hated by all because of my name.
But not a hair of your head will perish.
By your endurance you will gain your souls."
09 November 2025
Job 19:23-27a
A reading from the book of Job.
Job said to his companionsL
"O that my words were written down!
O that they were inscribed in a book!
O that with an iron pen and with lead
they were engraved on a rock forever!
For I know that my vindicator[a] lives
and that in the end he will stand upon the earth;
and after my skin has been destroyed,
then in my flesh I shall see God,
whom I shall see on my side,
and my eyes shall behold, and not another."
2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17
A reading from the second letter of Paul to the Thessalonians.
As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
and our being gathered together to him,
we beg you, brothers and sisters,
not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed,
either by spirit or by word or by letter, as though from us,
to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here.
Let no one deceive you in any way,
for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first
and the lawless one is revealed,
the one destined for destruction.
He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god
or object of worship,
so that he takes his seat in the temple of God,
declaring himself to be God.
Do you not remember that I told you these things
when I was still with you?
But we must always give thanks to God for you,
brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord,
because God chose you as the first fruits
for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit
and through belief in the truth.
For this purpose he called you
through the proclamation of the good news,
so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So then, brothers and sisters,
stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us,
either by word of mouth or by our letter.
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself
and God our Father, who loved us
and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope,
comfort your hearts
and strengthen them in every good work and word.
Luke 20:27-38
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection,
came to Jesus and asked him a question:
“Teacher,
Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies
leaving a wife but no children,
the man shall marry the widow
and raise up children for his brother.
Now there were seven brothers;
the first married a woman and died childless;
then the second
and the third married her,
and so in the same way all seven died childless.
Finally the woman also died.
In the resurrection, therefore,
whose wife will the woman be?
For the seven had married her.”
Jesus said to them,
“Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage,
but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age
and in the resurrection from the dead
neither marry nor are given in marriage.
Indeed, they cannot die anymore,
because they are like angels and are children of God,
being children of the resurrection.
And the fact that the dead are raised
Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush,
where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham,
the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.
Now he is God not of the dead but of the living,
for to him all of them are alive.”
02 November 2025
As we have done for many years, there was a service for the dead. The names of friends and relations who have passed as well as the many people whose names are know only to God. The choir, swollen by many friends sang the Requiem by Gabriel Faure, as an integral part of the communion service.
Requiem Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924)
Gabriel Fauré, born in 1845, was appointed titular organist a La Madeleine, Paris, in 1896 and director of the Paris Conservatoire in 1905.
Fauré started to think about the composition of a requiem in 1885 after the death of his father. Unlike Berlioz and Verdi he removed the Dies Irae sequence, which he considered over theatrical. Hence the Offertorium comes up much sooner than is usual in a requiem mass setting. He permits himself only a brief reference to the “day of wrath” in the Libera me baritone solo.
Gabriel Fauré
Fauré’s Requiem happily lends itself to a liturgical performance by amateur choirs, being particularly popular with English choirs, with the organ taking the place of the orchestra. This seems to have been recognised early on its life, coinciding as it did with liturgical experimentation in the Church of England in the late 19th and early 20th centuries – experiments now adopted and sanctioned for universal use with the introduction in 1980 of the Alternative Service Book and more recently the Common Worship services. These owe their formation to the proposed 1928 Prayer Book and the English Missal (1933) and their structure, including additions to the Book of Common Prayer, fit best with Fauré’s arrangement of sections. The 1928 Prayer Book and English Missal largely formalised a variety of liturgical practices which had been used in sung Communion services previously.
The service is an act of worship, to include remembrance of the departed, and may sound something like a similar service in an English church at about the time of Faurés death in November 1924, when sections of his requiem were sung at his funeral at La Madeleine.
 |
| Faure in 1907 from Wikipedia |
After torrential rain overnight, we went to church is beautiful autumnal sunshine.
Today we celebrated All Saints Day. The children had coloured in shoelds with the symbols of the various apostles and we had to name all twelve.
Join us for Evensong this afternoon at 3.30pm, the winter timing as the clocks went back last week. It also means we have tea and cake after the service.
A reading from the book of Daniel.
In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon
Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed:
then he wrote the dream, .
I, Daniel saw in my vision by night,
the four winds of the heaven stirring up the great sea.
And four great beasts came up out the sea, different one from another.
As for me, Daniel my spirit was troubled within me,
and the visions of my head troubled me.
I approached one of the attendants,
to ask him the truth concerning this.
So he said that he would disclose to me the interpretation of the matter:
as for these four great beasts,
four kings shall arise out of the earth.
But the holy ones of the most High shall receive the kingdom,
and possess the kingdom for ever - for ever and ever.
Ephesians 1:11-23
A reading from the letterof Paul to the Ephesians.
In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance,
having been destined according to the purpose of him
who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will,
so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ,
might live for the praise of his glory.
In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth,
the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him,
were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit;
this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people,
to the praise of his glory.
I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus
and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason
I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers,
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation
as you come to know him,
so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened,
you may perceive what is the hope to which he has called you,
what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints,
and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power
for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.
God put this power to work in Christ
when he raised him from the dead
and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,
far above all rule and authority and power and dominion
and above every name that is named,
not only in this age but also in the age to come.
And he has put all things under his feet
and has made him the head over all things for the church,
which is his body,
the fullness of him who fills all in all.
Luke 6:20-31
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
Jesus looked up at his disciples and said:
Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
Blessed are you who are hungry now,
for you will be filled.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you
and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you
on account of the Son of Man.
Rejoice on that day and leap for joy,
for surely your reward is great in heaven,
for that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.
But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
Woe to you who are full now,
for you will be hungry.
Woe to you who are laughing now,
for you will mourn and weep.
Woe to you when all speak well of you,
for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.
But I say to you that listen,
Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you;
bless those who curse you;
pray for those who mistreat you.
If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also,
and from anyone who takes away your coat
do not withhold even your shirt.
Give to everyone who begs from you,
and if anyone takes away yur goods,
do not ask for it back again.
Do to others as you would have them do to you."
26 October 2025
It was lovely to see Fr Chris back leading our worship. A lovely sunny day and an excellent sermon reminding us not to judge.
The children were busy preparing shields of the twelve Apostles ready for worship next Sunday, All Saints.
Next Saturday is our service for All Souls, a liturgical setting of Faure's Requiem. The service is at 6pm. If you have someone you would like remembered and prayed for at this service there is a list at the back of the church where you can add their name. If you would like to sing with the choir, there is a rehearsal at 3.30pm with tea and cake at 5pm before the service at 6pm. If you do have a copy of the work, please bring it, we do have a few spares.
Ecclesiasticus 35:12-17
A reading from the book of Ecclesiasticus.
Give to the Most High as he has given to you,
and as generously as you can afford.
For the Lord is the one who repays,
and he will repay you sevenfold.
Do not offer him a bribe,
for he will not accept it;
and do not rely on a dishonest sacrifice;
for the Lord is the judge,
and with him there is no partiality.
He will not show partiality to the poor;
but he will listen to the prayer of one who is wronged.
He will not ignore the supplication of the orphan,
or the widow when she pours out her complaint.
2 Timothy 4:6-8,16-18
A reading from the second letter of Paul to Timothy.
As for me,
I am already being poured out as a libation,
and the time of my departure has come.
I have fought the good fight,
I have finished the race,
I have kept the faith.
From now on
there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness,
which the Lord, the righteous judge,
will give to me on that day,
and not only to me
but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
At my first defence no one came to my support,
but all deserted me.
May it not be counted against them!
But the Lord stood by me
and gave me strength,
so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed
and all the Gentiles might hear it.
So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.
The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack
and save me for his heavenly kingdom.
To him be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Luke 18:9-14
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
Jesus also told this parable to some
who trusted in themselves that they were righteous
and regarded others with contempt:
‘Two men went up to the temple to pray,
one a Pharisee and the other a tax-collector.
The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus,
“God, I thank you that I am not like other people:
thieves, rogues, adulterers,
or even like this tax-collector.
I fast twice a week;
I give a tenth of all my income.”
But the tax-collector, standing far off,
would not even look up to heaven,
but was beating his breast and saying,
“God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”
I tell you,
this man went down to his home justified rather than the other;
for all who exalt themselves will be humbled,
but all who humble themselves will be exalted.’
19 October 2025
Genesis 32:22-31
A reading from the book of Genesis.
At night Jacob got up and took his two wives,
his two maids, and his eleven children,
and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.
He took them and sent them across the stream,
and likewise everything that he had.
Jacob was left alone;
and a man wrestled with him until daybreak.
When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob,
he struck him on the hip socket;
and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him.
Then he said,
‘Let me go, for the day is breaking.’
But Jacob said, ‘I will not let you go, unless you bless me.’
So he said to him,
‘What is your name?’
And he said, ‘Jacob.’
Then the man said,
‘You shall no longer be called Jacob,
but Israel, for you have striven with God
and with humans, and have prevailed.’
Then Jacob asked him,
‘Please tell me your name.’
But he said, ‘Why is it that you ask my name?’
And there he blessed him.
So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying,
‘For I have seen God face to face,
and yet my life is preserved.’
The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel,
limping because of his hip.
2 Timothy 3:14-4:5
A reading from the second letter of Paul to Timothy.
Continue in what you have learned and firmly believed,
knowing from whom you learned it,
and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings
that are able to instruct you for salvation
through faith in Christ Jesus.
All scripture is inspired by God
and is useful for teaching,
for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient,
equipped for every good work.
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus,
who is to judge the living and the dead,
and in view of his appearing and his kingdom,
I solemnly urge you:
proclaim the message;
be persistent whether the time is favourable or unfavourable;
convince, rebuke, and encourage,
with the utmost patience in teaching.
For the time is coming
when people will not put up with sound doctrine,
but having itching ears,
they will accumulate for themselves teachers
to suit their own desires,
and will turn away from listening to the truth
and wander away to myths.
As for you, always be sober,
endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist,
carry out your ministry fully.
Luke 18:1-8
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
Jesus told his disciples a parable about their need to pray always
and not to lose heart.
He said,
‘In a certain city there was a judge
who neither feared God nor had respect for people.
In that city there was a widow
who kept coming to him and saying,
“Grant me justice against my opponent.”
For a while he refused;
but later he said to himself,
“Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone,
yet because this widow keeps bothering me,
I will grant her justice,
so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.” ’
And the Lord said,
‘Listen to what the unjust judge says.
And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones
who cry to him day and night?
Will he delay long in helping them?
I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them.
And yet, when the Son of Man comes,
will he find faith on earth?’
aGk he
12 October 2025
Fr Tom, our new Arch Deacon, took our service today. This children made little wreaths and wrote onto them the things that they were grateful for.
A reading from the second book of Kings.
Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram,
was a great man and in high favour with his master,
because by him the Lord had given victory to Aram.
The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy.
Now the Arameans on one of their raids
had taken a young girl captive from the land of Israel,
and she served Naaman’s wife.
She said to her mistress,
‘If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria!
He would cure him of his leprosy.’
When the king of Israel read the letter,
he tore his clothes and said,
‘Am I God, to give death or life,
that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy?
Just look and see how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me.’
But when Elisha the man of God
heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes,
he sent a message to the king,
‘Why have you torn your clothes?
Let him come to me,
that he may learn that there is a prophet in Israel.’
So Naaman came with his horses and chariots,
and halted at the entrance of Elisha’s house.
Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying,
‘Go, wash in the Jordan seven times,
and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean.’
But Naaman became angry and went away, saying,
‘I thought that for me he would surely come out,
and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God,
and would wave his hand over the spot,
and cure the leprosy!
Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus,
better than all the waters of Israel?
Could I not wash in them, and be clean?’
He turned and went away in a rage.
But his servants approached and said to him,
‘Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult,
would you not have done it?
How much more, when all he said to you was,
“Wash, and be clean”?’
So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan,
according to the word of the man of God;
his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy,
and he was clean.
Then he returned to the man of God,
he and all his company;
he came and stood before him and said,
‘Now I know that there is no God in all the earth
except in Israel.
2 Timothy 2:8-15
A reading from the second letter of Paul to Timothy.
Remember Jesus Christ,
raised from the dead, a descendant of David—
that is my gospel,
for which I suffer hardship,
even to the point of being chained like a criminal.
But the word of God is not chained.
Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect,
so that they may also obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus,
with eternal glory.
The saying is sure:
If we have died with him,
we will also live with him;
if we endure,
we will also reign with him;
if we deny him,
he will also deny us;
if we are faithless,
he remains faithful—
for he cannot deny himself.
Remind them of this,
and warn them before God
that they are to avoid wrangling over words,
which does no good
but only ruins those who are listening.
Do your best to present yourself to God
as one approved by him,
a worker who has no need to be ashamed,
rightly explaining the word of truth.
Luke 17:11-19
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
On the way to Jerusalem
Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee.
As he entered a village,
ten lepers approached him.
Keeping their distance,
they called out, saying,
‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’
When he saw them, he said to them,
‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’
And as they went, they were made clean.
Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed,
turned back, praising God with a loud voice.
He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him.
And he was a Samaritan.
Then Jesus asked,
‘Were not ten made clean?
But the other nine, where are they?
Was none of them found to return
and give praise to God except this foreigner?’
Then he said to the Samaritan,
‘Get up and go on your way;
your faith has made you well.’
05 October 2025
A really beautiful day for our Harvest celebration taken by Fr Roger. Please remember Fr Chris in your prayers for a quick recovery. As usual, the ladies who do the flowers put on a stunning display and the church looked wonderful. The choir sang "Thou Visiteth The Earth" ad their anthem.
A reading from the book of Deuteronomy.
Moses spoke to the people, saying:
When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you
as an inheritance to possess,
and you possess it, and settle in it,
you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground,
which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you,
and you shall put it in a basket
and go to the place
that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name.
You shall go to the priest
who is in office at that time, and say to him,
‘Today I declare to the Lord your God
that I have come into the land that the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.’
When the priest takes the basket from your hand
and sets it down before the altar of the Lord your God,
you shall make this response before the Lord your God:
‘A wandering Aramean was my ancestor;
he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien,
few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous.
When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us,
by imposing hard labour on us,
we cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors;
the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction,
our toil, and our oppression.
The Lord brought us out of Egypt
with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm,
with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders;
and he brought us into this place and gave us this land,
a land flowing with milk and honey.
So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground
that you, O Lord, have given me.’
You shall set it down before the Lord your God
and bow down before the Lord your God.
Then you, together with the Levites
and the aliens who reside among you,
shall celebrate with all the bounty
that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house.
Philippians 4:4-9
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Philippians.
Rejoiceain the Lord always;
again I will say, Rejoice.
Let your gentleness be known to everyone.
The Lord is near.
Do not worry about anything,
but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God,
which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, beloved,
whatever is true, whatever is honourable,
whatever is just, whatever is pure,
whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable,
if there is any excellence
and if there is anything worthy of praise,
think aboutd these things.
Keep on doing the things that you have learned
and received and heard and seen in me,
and the God of peace will be with you.
John 6:25-35
A reading from the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
When they found Jesus on the other side of the sea,
the crowd said to him,
‘Rabbi, when did you come here?’
Jesus answered them,
‘Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me,
not because you saw signs,
but because you ate your fill of the loaves.
Do not work for the food that perishes,
but for the food that endures for eternal life,
which the Son of Man will give you.
For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.’
Then they said to Jesus,
‘What must we do to perform the works of God?’
Jesus answered them,
‘This is the work of God,
that you believe in him whom he has sent.’
So they said to him,
‘What sign are you going to give us then,
so that we may see it and believe you?
What work are you performing?
Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness;
as it is written,
“He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” ’
Then Jesus said to them,
‘Very truly, I tell you,
it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven,
but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.
For the bread of God
is that which comes down
from heaven and gives life to the world.’
They said to him,
‘Sir, give us this bread always.’
Jesus said to them,
‘I am the bread of life.
Whoever comes to me will never be hungry,
and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
28 September 2025
Amos 6:1a, 4-7
A reading from the book of the prophet Amos.
Thus says the Lord,, the God of hosts:
Alas for those who are at ease in Zion
and for those who feel secure on Mount Samaria,
Alas for those who lie on beds of ivory
and lounge on their couches
and eat lambs from the flock
and calves from the stall,
who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp
and like David improvise on instruments of music,
who drink wine from bowls
and anoint themselves with the finest oils
but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph!
Therefore they shall now be the first to go into exile,
and the revelry of the loungers shall pass away.
1 Timothy 6:6-19
A reading from the first letter of Paul to Timothy.
There is great gain in godliness combined with contentment,
for we brought nothing into the world,
so that we can take nothing out of it,
but if we have food and clothing,
we will be content with these.
But those who want to be rich fall into temptation
and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires
that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil,
and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith
and pierced themselves with many pains.
But as for you, man of God, shun all this;
pursue righteousness, godliness, faith,
love, endurance, gentleness.
Fight the good fight of the faith;
take hold of the eternal life to which you were called
and for which you made the good confession
in the presence of many witnesses.
In the presence of God, who gives life to all things,
and of Christ Jesus,
who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession,
I charge you to keep the commandment without spot or blame
until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
which he will bring about at the right time—
he who is the blessed and only Sovereign,
the King of kings and Lord of lords.
It is he alone who has immortality
and dwells in unapproachable light,
whom no one has ever seen or can see;
to him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.
As for those who in the present age are rich,
command them not to be haughty
or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches
but rather on God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
They are to do good,
to be rich in good works,
generous, and ready to share,
thus storing up for themselves
the treasure of a good foundation for the future,
so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.
Luke 16:19-31
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
Jesus told this parable
to those among the Pharisees who loved money.
“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen
and who feasted sumptuously every day.
And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,
who longed to satisfy his hunger
with what fell from the rich man’s table;
even the dogs would come and lick his sores.
The poor man died
and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham.
The rich man also died and was buried.
In Hades, where he was being tormented,
he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far away
with Lazarus by his side.
He called out,
‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me,
and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water
and cool my tongue,
for I am in agony in these flames.’
But Abraham said,
‘Child, remember that during your lifetime
you received your good things
and Lazarus in like manner evil things,
but now he is comforted here,
and you are in agony.
Besides all this,
between you and us a great chasm has been fixed,
so that those who might want to pass from here to you
cannot do so,
and no one can cross from there to us.’
The man who had been rich said,
‘Then father, I beg you, to send him to my father’s house—
for I have five brothers—
that he may warn them,
so that they will not also come into this place of torment.’
Abraham replied,
‘They have Moses and the prophets;
they should listen to them.’
He said,
‘No, father Abraham,
but if someone goes to them from the dead,
they will repent.’
Abraham said to him,
‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be convinced
even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”
21 September 2025
A beautiful sunny day greeted us for Matins in church and Crafty Communion in the parish hall.
Fr Roger preached today about Matthew, apostle and evangelist. He also explined that Matthew the tax collector turned disciple would not be the same as the writer of the gospel according to Matthew. He also explained many similarities in the gospel between Moses and Jesus, but with the emphasis on Jesus being just a little bit better.
There is no said Eucharist on Thursday as Fr Chris is on holiday until 1st October. Mary's Place will go ahead as normal. All welcome for tea, coffee, cake and most of all, a jolly good chat!
The first weekend of October is our Harvest celebration with things happening over the weekend.
A reading from the book of Proverbs.
Happy are those who find wisdom
and those who get understanding,
for her income is better than silver
and her revenue better than gold.
She is more precious than jewels,
and nothing you desire can compare with her.
Long life is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honour.
Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
and all her paths are peace.
She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her;
those who hold her fast are called happy.
2 Corinthians 4:1-6
A reading from the second letter of Paul to the Corinthians.
Since it is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry,
we do not lose heart.
We have renounced the shameful things that one hides,
we refuse to practice cunning or to falsify God’s word,
but by the open statement of the truth
we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God.
And even if our gospel is veiled,
it is veiled to those who are perishing.
In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers,
to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ,
who is the image of God.
For we do not proclaim ourselves;
we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord
and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’s sake.
For it is the God who said,
“Light will shine out of darkness,”
who has shone in our hearts
to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God
in the face of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 9:9-13
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mathhew.
As Jesus was walking along,
he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth,
and he said to him, “Follow me.”
And he got up and followed him.
And as he sat at dinner in the house,
many tax collectors and sinners came
and were sitting with Jesus and his disciples.
When the Pharisees saw this,
they said to his disciples,
“Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
But when he heard this, he said,
“Those who are well have no need of a physician,
but those who are sick.
Go and learn what this means,
‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’
For I have not come to call the righteous but sinners.”
14 September 2025
A grey day outside but not inside as we celebrated our Patronal Festival. The children stayed with us rather than go to do their stuff in the Parish rooms so the homily was a question and answer affair aimed at the children first then the adults. We learnt about the meaning of a Patronal Festival, Pilgrimage and Shrine, all about a journey to bring us closer to God.
Father Chris told us about the modern 'Pilgrims' who visited our church on their way to the recently resurrected 'Pilgrim's Trail' , between the site of the original Cathedral and Abbey at Selsey and the current Chichester Cathedral. The trail has been created by the Cathedral as it celebrates its 950th anniversary, and is in partnership with the British Pilgrimage Trust. It’s approximately 14.5 km long and is known as the Chichester 950 Way.
Join us at 5.30pm for a Festal Evensong with nibbles and drinks afterwards.
A reading from the book of the prophet Micah.
Now you are walled around with a wall;
siege is laid against us;
with a rod they strike the ruler of Israel
upon the cheek.
But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.
Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labor has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred shall return
to the people of Israel.
And he shall stand and feed his flock
in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall live secure,
for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth.
Galatians 4:4-7
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Galatians.
When the fullness of time had come,
God sent his Son, born of a woman,
born under the law,
in order to redeem those who were under the law,
so that we might receive adoption as children.
And because you are children,
God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying,
“Abba! Father!”
So you are no longer a slave but a child,
and if a child then also an heir through God.
Luke 1:26-38
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God
to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph,
of the house of David.
The virgin’s name was Mary.
And he came to her and said,
“Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.”
But she was much perplexed by his words
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
The angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favour with God.
And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you will name him Jesus.
He will be great
and will be called the Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David.
He will reign over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be, since I am a virgin?”
The angel said to her,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you;
therefore the child to be born will be holy;
he will be called Son of God.
And now,
your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son,
and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren.
For nothing will be impossible with God.”
Then Mary said,
“Here am I, the servant of the Lord;
let it be with me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.
07 September 2025
Unfortunately, Fr Chris was not present due to Covid infection, so we had Fr Roger instead. We hope he gets better soon. The choir was back from their August break and sang Mozart's Ave Verum Corpus as the anthem.
A reading from the book of Deuteronomy.
“See, I have set before you today
life and prosperity, death and adversity.
If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God
that I am commanding you today,
by loving the Lord your God,
walking in his ways, and observing his commandments,
decrees, and ordinances,
then you shall live and become numerous,
and the Lord your God will bless you
in the land that you are entering to possess.
But if your heart turns away and you do not hear
but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them,
I declare to you today that you shall certainly perish;
you shall not live long in the land
that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.
I call heaven and earth to witness against you today
that I have set before you life and death,
blessings and curses.
Choose life so that you and your descendants may live,
loving the Lord your God,
obeying him, and holding fast to him,
for that means life to you and length of days,
so that you may live in the land
that the Lord swore to give to your ancestors,
to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.”
Philemon 1-21
A reading from the letter of Paul to Philemon.
Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus,
and Timothy our brother,
To Philemon, our dear friend and coworker
to Apphia our sister,
to Archippus our fellow soldier,
and to the church in your house:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
When I mention you in my prayers,
I always thank my God
because I hear of your love for all the saints
and your faith toward the Lord Jesus.
I pray that the partnership of your faith
may become effective when you perceive all the good
that we share in Christ.
I have indeed received much joy and encouragement from your love,
because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, my brother.
For this reason,
though I am more than bold enough in Christ to command you to do the right thing,
yet I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love—
and I, Paul, do this as an old man
and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus.
I am appealing to you for my child, Onesimus,
whose father I have become during my imprisonment.
Formerly he was useless to you,
but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.
I am sending him,
that is, my own heart,
back to you.
I wanted to keep him with me
so that he might minister to me in your place
during my imprisonment for the gospel,
but I preferred to do nothing without your consent
in order that your good deed might be voluntary
and not something forced.
Perhaps this is the reason he was separated from you for a while,
so that you might have him back for the long term,
no longer as a slave but more than a slave,
a beloved brother—
especially to me but how much more to you,
both in the flesh and in the Lord.
So if you consider me your partner,
welcome him as you would welcome me.
If he has wronged you in any way
or owes you anything, charge that to me.
I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand:
I will repay it.
I say nothing about your owing me even your own self.
Yes, brother, let me have this benefit from you in the Lord!
Refresh my heart in Christ.
Confident of your obedience,
I am writing to you,
knowing that you will do even more than I ask.
Luke 14:25-33
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
Large crowds were traveling with Jesus,
and he turned and said to them,
“Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother,
wife and children, brothers and sisters,
yes, and even life itself,
cannot be my disciple.
Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me
cannot be my disciple.
For which of you,
intending to build a tower,
does not first sit down and estimate the cost,
to see whether he has enough to complete it?
Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish,
all who see it will begin to ridicule him,
saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’
Or what king,
going out to wage war against another king,
will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand
to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand?
If he cannot, then while the other is still far away,
he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace.
So therefore, none of you can become my disciple
if you do not give up all your possessions.
31 August 2025
Jeremiah 2:4-13
A reading from the book of the prophet Jeremiah.
Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob,
and all the families of the house of Israel.
Thus says the Lord:
What wrong did your ancestors find in me
that they went far from me,
and went after worthless things,
and became worthless themselves?
They did not say,
“Where is the Lord who brought us up from the land of Egypt,
who led us in the wilderness,
in a land of deserts and pits,
in a land of drought and deep darkness,
in a land that no one passes through,
where no one lives?”
I brought you into a plentiful land
to eat its fruits and its good things.
But when you entered you defiled my land,
and made my heritage an abomination.
The priests did not say,
“Where is the Lord?”
Those who handle the law did not know me;
the rulers transgressed against me; t
he prophets prophesied by Baal,
and went after things that do not profit.
Therefore once more I accuse you, says the Lord,
and I accuse your children’s children.
Cross to the coasts of Cyprus and look,
send to Kedar and examine with care;
see if there has ever been such a thing.
Has a nation changed its gods,
even though they are no gods?
But my people have changed their glory
for something that does not profit.
Be appalled, O heavens, at this,
be shocked, be utterly desolate, says the Lord,
for my people have committed two evils:
they have forsaken me, the fountain of living water,
and dug out cisterns for themselves,
cracked cisterns that can hold no water.
Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16
A reading from the letter to the Hebrews.
Let mutual love continue.
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers,
for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.
Remember those who are in prison,
as though you were in prison with them;
those who are being tortured,
as though you yourselves were being tortured.
Let marriage be held in honour by all,
and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled;
for God will judge fornicators and adulterers.
Keep your lives free from the love of money,
and be content with what you have;
for he has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.”
So we can say with confidence,
“The Lord is my helper;
I will not be afraid.
What can anyone do to me?”
Remember your leaders,
those who spoke the word of God to you;
consider the outcome of their way of life,
and imitate their faith.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Through him, then,
let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God,
that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name.
Do not neglect to do good
and to share what you have,
for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
Luke 14:1, 7-14
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
On one occasion
when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees
to eat a meal on the sabbath,
they were watching him closely.
When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honour,
he told them a parable.
“When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet,
do not sit down at the place of honour,
in case someone more distinguished than you
has been invited by your host;
and the host who invited both of you
may come and say to you,
‘Give this person your place,’
and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place.
But when you are invited,
go and sit down at the lowest place,
so that when your host comes,
he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’;
then you will be honored
in the presence of all who sit at the table with you.
For all who exalt themselves will be humbled,
and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
He said also to the one who had invited him,
“When you give a luncheon or a dinner,
do not invite your friends or your brothers
or your relatives or rich neighbors,
in case they may invite you in return,
and you would be repaid.
But when you give a banquet,
invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.
And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you,
for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
24 August 2025
Jeremiah 1:4-10
A reading from the book of the prophet Jeremiah.
The word of the Lord came to me saying,
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
Then I said, “Ah, Lord God!
Truly I do not know how to speak,
for I am only a boy.”
But the Lord said to me,
“Do not say, ‘I am only a boy’;
for you shall go to all to whom I send you,
and you shall speak whatever I command you,
Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to deliver you,
says the Lord.”
Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth;
and the Lord said to me,
“Now I have put my words in your mouth.
See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms,
to pluck up and to pull down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant.”
Hebrews 12:18-29
A reading from the letter to the Hebrews.
You have not come to something that can be touched,
a blazing fire, and darkness, and gloom,
and a tempest, and the sound of a trumpet,
and a voice whose words made the hearers beg
that not another word be spoken to them.
(For they could not endure the order that was given,
“If even an animal touches the mountain,
it shall be stoned to death.”
Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said,
“I tremble with fear.”)
But you have come to Mount Zion
and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,
and to innumerable angels in festal gathering,
and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven,
and to God the judge of all,
and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,
and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant,
and to the sprinkled blood
that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
See that you do not refuse the one who is speaking;
for if they did not escape
when they refused the one who warned them on earth,
how much less will we escape
if we reject the one who warns from heaven!
At that time his voice shook the earth;
but now he has promised,
“Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heaven.”
This phrase, “Yet once more,”
indicates the removal of what is shaken—
that is, created things—
so that what cannot be shaken may remain.
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken,
let us give thanks,
by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe;
for indeed our God is a consuming fire.
Luke 13:10-17
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.
And just then there appeared
a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years.
She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight.
When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said,
“Woman, you are set free from your ailment.”
When he laid his hands on her,
immediately she stood up straight and began praising God.
But the leader of the synagogue,
indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath,
kept saying to the crowd,
“There are six days on which work ought to be done;
come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day.”
But the Lord answered him and said,
“You hypocrites!
Does not each of you on the sabbath
untie his ox or his donkey from the manger,
and lead it away to give it water?
And ought not this woman,
a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years,
be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?”
When he said this,
all his opponents were put to shame;
and the entire crowd
was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing.
17 August 2025
Isaiah 5:1-7
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
Let me sing for my beloved
my love-song concerning his vineyard:
My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill.
He dug it and cleared it of stones,
and planted it with choice vines;
he built a watchtower in the midst of it,
and hewed out a wine vat in it;
he expected it to yield grapes,
but it yielded wild grapes.
And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah,
judge between me and my vineyard.
What more was there to do for my vineyard
that I have not done in it?
When I expected it to yield grapes,
why did it yield wild grapes?
And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard.
I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured;
I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down.
I will make it a waste;
it shall not be pruned or hoed,
and it shall be overgrown with briers and thorns;
I will also command the clouds
that they rain no rain upon it.
For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel,
and the people of Judah are his pleasant planting;
he expected justice, but saw bloodshed;
righteousness, but heard a cry!
Hebrews 11:29-12:2
A reading from the letter to the Hebrews.
By faith the people passed through the Red Sea
as if it were dry land,
but when the Egyptians attempted to do so they were drowned.
By faith the walls of Jericho fell
after they had been encircled for seven days.
By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish
with those who were disobedient,
because she had received the spies in peace.
And what more should I say?
For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah,
of David and Samuel and the prophets—
who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice,
obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions,
quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword,
won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.
Women received their dead by resurrection.
Others were tortured, refusing to accept release,
in order to obtain a better resurrection.
Others suffered mocking and flogging,
and even chains and imprisonment.
They were stoned to death, they were sawn in two,
they were killed by the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats,
destitute, persecuted, tormented—
of whom the world was not worthy.
They wandered in deserts and mountains,
and in caves and holes in the ground.
Yet all these, though they were commended for their faith,
did not receive what was promised,
since God had provided something better
so that they would not, apart from us,
be made perfect.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely,
and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us,
looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith,
who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross,
disregarding its shame,
and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
Luke 12:49-56
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
Jesus said to his disciples,
“I came to bring fire to the earth,
and how I wish it were already kindled!
I have a baptism with which to be baptized,
and what stress I am under until it is completed!
Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth?
No, I tell you, but rather division!
From now on five in one household will be divided,
three against two and two against three;
they will be divided:
father against son and son against father,
mother against daughter and daughter against mother,
mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law
and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
He also said to the crowds,
“When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say,
‘It is going to rain’;
and so it happens.
And when you see the south wind blowing, you say,
‘There will be scorching heat’;
and it happens.
You hypocrites!
You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky,
but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?
10 August 2025
Isaiah 1:1, 10-20
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz,
which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah,
Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom!
Listen to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah!
What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the Lord;
I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts;
I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats.
When you come to appear before me,
who asked this from your hand?
Trample my courts no more;
bringing offerings is futile;
incense is an abomination to me.
New moon and sabbath and calling of convocation—
I cannot endure solemn assemblies with iniquity.
Your new moons and your appointed festivals my soul hates;
they have become a burden to me,
I am weary of bearing them.
When you stretch out your hands,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers, I will not listen;
your hands are full of blood.
Wash yourselves;
make yourselves clean;
remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes;
cease to do evil,
learn to do good;
seek justice, rescue the oppressed,
defend the orphan, plead for the widow.
Come now, let us argue it out, says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be like snow;
though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
If you are willing and obedient,
you shall eat the good of the land;
but if you refuse and rebel,
you shall be devoured by the sword;
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
A reading from the letter to the Hebrews.
Faith is the assurance of things hoped for,
the conviction of things not seen.
Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval.
By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God,
so that what is seen
was made from things that are not visible.
By faith Abraham obeyed
when he was called to set out for a place
that he was to receive as an inheritance;
and he set out,
not knowing where he was going.
By faith he stayed for a time
in the land he had been promised,
as in a foreign land, living in tents,
as did Isaac and Jacob,
who were heirs with him of the same promise.
For he looked forward to the city that has foundations,
whose architect and builder is God.
By faith he received power of procreation,
even though he was too old—
and Sarah herself was barren—
because he considered him faithful who had promised.
Therefore from one person,
and this one as good as dead,
descendants were born,
“as many as the stars of heaven
and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.”
All of these died in faith
without having received the promises,
but from a distance they saw and greeted them.
They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth,
for people who speak in this way
make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.
If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind,
they would have had opportunity to return.
But as it is, they desire a better country,
that is, a heavenly one.
Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God;
indeed, he has prepared a city for them.
Luke 12:32-30
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
Jesus said to his disciples,
“Do not be afraid, little flock,
for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Sell your possessions, and give alms.
Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out,
an unfailing treasure in heaven,
where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
“Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit;
be like those who are waiting for their master
to return from the wedding banquet,
so that they may open the door for him
as soon as he comes and knocks.
Blessed are those slaves
whom the master finds alert when he comes;
truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt
and have them sit down to eat,
and he will come and serve them.
If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn,
and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.
“But know this:
if the owner of the house
had known at what hour the thief was coming,
he would not have let his house be broken into.
You also must be ready,
for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”
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