Webmaster -- Church of Saint John the Evangelist
Webmaster -- Church of Saint John the Evangelist
October 21, 2020
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Theme of the Day

Jesus’ summary of the law in today’s gospel echoes our first reading from Leviticus. We are called not only to love God with heart, soul, and mind, but also to love our neighbor as ourselves. It is out of such deep care that Paul shares the gospel with the Thessalonian community. In the confession of sins, we acknowledge that we have not loved God, neighbor, and self; yet we gather to hear the word of forgiveness and to be strengthened by word and meal to be signs of God’s love and mercy in the world.

The Collect for Sunday

Your love, O God, is boundless. We who were strangers have been made your children; we who were defenceless have been brought into your household. Keep us mindful of your mercy, so that we may love you with our whole heart and love our neighbour as ourselves. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.

Prayer Intentions

The prayers of the church are offered especially:

  • for the needs of the world, especially at this time of the second wave of global pandemic;
  • for those who are sick and for all medical personnel and caregivers;
  • for research workers and scientists who are working to protect us, provide adequate testing, and to develop a vaccine;
  • for those who are particularly vulnerable to this virus;
  • for those who are isolated;
  • for those who are anxious;
  • for the healing of racial inequality, prejudice, bigotry, systemic racism, and injustice;
  • for the whole church: for Susan, our Diocesan Bishop; for David and Brian, our priests; for Rob, our intern; for all bish­ops, priests and dea­cons; and for all the bap­tized: that God may accomplish God's work in and through us for the sake of the world;
  • for Elizabeth our Queen and all set in authority under her; for Justin, the Prime Minister of Canada and all members of parliament; Doug, the Premier of Ontario and all members of the legislature; Fred, the mayor of Hamilton and those who serve city council; for the First Nations of this land, for elders, chiefs, and band councils; for all in civil authority and for all citizens that we might work together for the common good;
  • for all for whom we have been asked to pray: especially Mary, that God will bring them healing and wholeness;
  • for those who are dying and all those who have departed from this life and are at rest.

In our cycles of prayer:

  • In the Worldwide Anglican Com­mun­ion: Pray for the Church in Wales; The Most Revd John Davies - Primate of Wales & Archbishop of Swansea & Brecon.
  • In the Diocese of Niagara: St. Mark, Niagara-on-the-Lake, The Very Reverend Peter Wall, Interim Priest-in-Charge and the people of that parish..
  • For other faith communities in our neighbourhood, especially, First Christian Reformed Church, The Rev’d Hayden Regeling, Pastor, and the people of that congregation.
  • For one another, in our parish cycle of prayer, for Yvonne Misener; Ross Moncrief; Leslie Muirhead; Roger and Bonnie Munn: Norm and Sue Newbery.

Prayer requests to be included on the following Sunday can can be submitted here by the Thursday morning before.

The Readings for Sunday

First Reading: Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18

The Holiness Code in Leviticus urges people to be holy because God is holy. Holiness is lived out as God’s people exercise justice and love in their dealings with one another. We are to love our neighbors as ourselves.

1The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
  2Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.
  15You shall not render an unjust judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbor. 16You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not profit by the blood of your neighbor: I am the Lord.
  17You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbor, or you will incur guilt yourself. 18You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

Psalm: Psalm 1

Their delight is in the law of the Lord. (Ps. 1:2)

Second Reading: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8

Paul uses maternal imagery to depict the caring and nurturing relationship he shares with the Thessalonian Christians. When he first came to their city it was not to benefit himself but to share the gospel with them, which was his responsibility as an apostle of Christ.

1You yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our coming to you was not in vain, 2but though we had already suffered and been shamefully mistreated at Philippi, as you know, we had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition. 3For our appeal does not spring from deceit or impure motives or trickery, 4but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the message of the gospel, even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts. 5As you know and as God is our witness, we never came with words of flattery or with a pretext for greed; 6nor did we seek praise from mortals, whether from you or from others, 7though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. 8So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us.

Gospel: Matthew 22:34-46

Put on the spot by the Pharisees, Jesus displays wisdom by summarizing the law of God in just two commandments and by demonstrating the Messiah must be more than the son of David.

34When the Pharisees heard that [Jesus] had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, 35and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” 37He said to him, “ “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38This is the greatest and first commandment. 39And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
  41Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question: 42“What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” 43He said to them, “How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying,
 44‘The Lord said to my Lord,
 “Sit at my right hand,
  until I put your enemies under your feet”’?
45If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?” 46No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

Readings for the Week 

Dedication Sunday: Feast of the Consecration or Dedication of a Church (White)  Or  Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost [Proper 30] (Green)  | Sunday, October 25, 2020

Feast of Dedication. When the date of the dedication or consecration of a church or chapel is known, the Feast of Dedication may be celebrated on that day or the Sunday closest to it. When the date is not known, or when its anniversary falls on Sundays in Advent, Lent, Easter, or on Feasts of Our Lord and other Feasts taking precedence of Sundays, the Feast of Dedication may be celebrated on 25 October or the Sunday before All Saints' Day. This year, these last two days are the same.

  • Morning Prayer: Dedication: Ps 132; 1 Kgs 8:1-13; Jn 10:22-30; Coll 668  Or   Proper 30: Ps 63:1-8, (9-11), 98; Sir 18:19-33; 1 Cor 10:15-24; Coll 388
  • Holy Eucharist: Dedication Sunday: Propers 668-669; Gen 28:10-17; Ps 84; 1 Pet 2:1-5, 9-10; Mt 21:12-16; Prayers of the People 671; Prayer over the Gifts, Preface, Prayer after Communion 673  OR  Proper 30: Propers 388; Dt 34:1-12; Ps 90:1-6, 13-17 (or Lev 19:1-2, 15-18; Ps 1); 1 Th 2:1-8; Mt 22:34-46; Preface of the Lord's Day
  • Evening Prayer: Dedication: Ps 29, 46; 1 Kgs 8: 54-62; Heb 10:19-25; Coll 668  Or  Proper 30: Ps 103; (Hag 1:1-2:9); Mt 18:15-20; Coll 388

Alfred the Great, King of the West Saxons, 899 - Com (Green) | Monday, October 26, 2020

  • Morning Prayer: Ps 41, 52; Sir 19:4-17; Rev 11:1-14; Coll 388 (Com: 438/9 or FAS 317)
  • Holy Eucharist: Alfred: Common of a Saint 438/9 or FAS 317; Wis 6:1-3, 9-12, 24-25; Ps 21:1-7; Lk 6:43-49; Preface of a Saint  OR  Feria: As Proper 30, except: Eph 5:1-8; Ps 1; Lk 13:10-17; Preface of Weekdays (Com: 438/9 or FAS 317)
  • Evening Prayer: Ps 44; (Zech 1:7-17); Lk 11:14-26; Coll 388 (Com: 438/9 or FAS 317)

Feria (Green) | Tuesday, October 27, 2020

  • Morning Prayer: Ps 45; Sir 24:1-12; Rev 11:14-19; Coll 388
  • Holy Eucharist: As Proper 30, except: Eph 5:21-33; Ps 128; Lk 13:18-21; Preface of Weekdays
  • Evening Prayer: Ps 47, 48; (Ezra 5:1-17); Lk 11:27-36; Coll 388

St Simon and St Jude, Apostles - HD (Red) | Wednesday, October 28, 2020

  • Morning Prayer: Ps 66; Is 28:9-16; Eph 4:1-16; Coll 426 or FAS 319
  • Holy Eucharist: Propers 426 or FAS 319; Dt 32:1-4 or Eph 2:13-22; Ps 119:89-96; Jn 15:17-27; Preface of Apostles
  • Evening Prayer: Ps 116, 117; Is 4:2-6; Jn 14:15-31; Coll 426 or FAS 319

James Hannington, Bishop of Eastern Equatorial Africa and his Companions, Martyrs, 1885 - Com (Green) | Thursday, October 29, 2020

  • Morning Prayer: Ps 50; Sir 31:12-18, 25-32:2; Rev 12:7-17; Coll 388 (Com: 432/3 or FAS 321)
  • Holy Eucharist: Hannington: Common of a Martyr 432/3 or FAS 321; 1 Pet 3:14-18, 22; Ps 124; Mt 10:16-22; Preface of a Martyr  OR  Feria: As Proper 30, except: Eph 6:10-20; Ps 144:1-10; Lk 13:31-35; Preface of Weekdays (Com: 432/3 or FAS 321)
  • Evening Prayer: Ps [59, 60] or 103; (Neh 1:1-11); Lk 11:53-12:12; Coll 388 (Com: 432/3 or FAS 321)

John Wyclyf, Reformer, 1384 - Com (Green)  OR  Jan Hus, Reformer, 1415 - Com (Green)  OR  Both Together | Day of discipline and self-denial | Friday, October 30, 2020

  • Morning Prayer: Ps 40, 54; Sir 34:1-8, 18-22; Rev 13:1-10; Coll 388 (Com Wyclyf: 438/9 or FAS 323) or (Com Hus: 436 or FAS 325)
  • Holy Eucharist: Both Together: Wyclyf and Hus: Common of Doctors and Teachers of the Faith 436; Preface of Lent  OR  Wyclyf: Common of a Saint 438/9 or FAS 323; Hos 11:1-9; Ps 50:7-15, 22-24; Mk 13:3-13; Preface of Lent  OR  Hus: Common of Doctors and Teachers of the Faith 436 or FAS 325; Hos 11:1-9; Ps 50:7-15, 22-24; Mk 13:3-13; Preface of Lent  OR  Feria: As Proper 30, except: Phil 1:1-11; Ps 111; Lk 14:1-6; Preface of Weekdays (Com Wyclyf: 438/9 or FAS 323) or (Com Hus: 436 or FAS 325)
  • Evening Prayer: Ps 51; (Neh 2:1-20); Lk 12:13-31; Coll 388 (Com Wyclyf: Coll 438/9 or FAS 323) or (Com Hus: Coll 436 or FAS 325)

Note: The calendar appoints a joint commemoration of Hus and Wyclyf. For All the Saints commemorates them separately.

Saints of the Reformation Era - Com (Green) | Eve of All Saints Day (White or Gold) | Saturday, October 31, 2020

  • Morning Prayer: Ps 55; Sir 35:1-17; Rev 13:11-18; Coll 388 (Com: 438/9 or FAS 327)
  • Holy Eucharist: Reformation: Common of a Saint 438/9 or FAS 327; Is 35:1-10; Ps 85; Mt 18:15-22; Preface of a Saint  OR  Feria: As Proper 30, except: Phil 1:12-26; Ps 42:1-7; Lk 14:1, 7-11; Preface of Weekdays (Com: 438/9 or FAS 327)
  • Evening Prayer: Eve of All Saints: Ps 34; Wis 3:1-9; Rev 19:1, 4-10; Coll 428 or FAS 329

 

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