Today Is: Proper 18
Sun, 05 Sep 2021 -- The Lectionary Cycle is: B

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Collect for: Proper 18 Grant us, O Lord, to trust in you with all our hearts; for, as you always resist the proud who confide in their own strength, so you never forsake those who make their boast of your mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Old Testament Isaiah 35:4-7 4 Say to those who are fearful-hearted, 'Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you.' 5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 6 Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert. 7 The parched ground shall become a pool, And the thirsty land springs of water; In the habitation of jackals, where each lay, There shall be grass with reeds and rushes. Officiant: The Word of the Lord. The People: Thanks be to God. Psalm Psalm 146 1 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul! 2 While I live I will praise the LORD; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. 3 Do not put your trust in princes, Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help. 4 His spirit departs, he returns to his earth; In that very day his plans perish. 5 Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the LORD his God, 6 Who made heaven and earth, The sea, and all that is in them; Who keeps truth forever, 7 Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry. The LORD gives freedom to the prisoners. 8 The LORD opens the eyes of the blind; The LORD raises those who are bowed down; The LORD loves the righteous. 9 The LORD watches over the strangers; He relieves the fatherless and widow; But the way of the wicked He turns upside down. 10 The LORD shall reign forever -- Your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the LORD! *At the end of the Psalms this is sung or said Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: * as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. New Testament James 2:8-9 8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself,' you do well; 9 but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. Officiant: The Word of the Lord. The People: Thanks be to God. Gospel Mark 7:24-37 Introduction to the Gospel: Deacon:The Lord be with you. People: And also with you. Or And with your spirit Deacon: May the Lord be on our minds, on our lips, and on our hearts as we hear His Holy Gospel. The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark. People: Glory to You, Lord Christ. Deacon: We are reading from Mark's Gospel chapter 7, beginning at verse 24. 24 From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden. 25 For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 But Jesus said to her, 'Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs.' 28 And she answered and said to Him, 'Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children's crumbs.' 29 Then He said to her, 'For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter.' 30 And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed. 31 Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee. 32 Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him. 33 And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue. 34 Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, 'Ephphatha,' that is, 'Be opened.' 35 Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly. 36 Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it. 37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, 'He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.' After the Gospel reading, the deacon elevates the book and says: Deacon: The Gospel of the Lord. People: Praise to You, Lord Christ. Prayers of the People Prayers of the People for: Proper 18 Brothers and sisters, the earth is the Lords and the fullness thereof.  Therefore, let us present our needs to the Father with great confidence.  That the Church will always reflect the generous love, mercy, forgiveness, and compassion of Christ. Lord in Your mercy,            Hear our prayer. That those who serve in ordained ministries will be living examples of Christ and an inspiration to those they serve. Lord in Your mercy,            Hear our prayer. That government leaders will enact laws that discourage prejudice and promote justice. Lord in Your mercy,            Hear our prayer. That, as members of Christ's Body, we will always be mindful of the needs of the widow, the orphan, the poor and the unwanted child. Lord in Your mercy,            Hear our prayer. That God will give us ears to hear and eyes to see and a heart to respond to what the Holy Spirit is doing in our lives. Lord in Your mercy,            Hear our prayer. That wayward sons and daughters will repent and return to the Mercy Seat of Christ. Lord in Your mercy,            Hear our prayer. That those who are near death and those who grieve the loss of loved ones will find consolation in the Resurrected Christ. Lord in Your mercy,            Hear our prayer. Loving God, by Your great mercy and goodness You provide for all our spiritual and material needs. Grant the petitions we offer You today as may be best for us, through Christ our Lord.  AMEN