Reformation Day

Almighty God, gracious Lord, pour out your Holy Spirit upon your faithful people. Keep them steadfast in your Word, protect them in all temptations, defend them against all their enemies, and bestow on the Church your saving peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

1 God is our refuge and strength,

   a very present help in trouble.

2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,

   though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,

3 though its waters roar and foam,

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

    the holy habitation of the Most High.

5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;

   God will help her when morning dawns.

10 "Be still, and know that I am God.

   I will be exalted among the nations,

   I will be exalted in the earth!"

11 The LORD of hosts is with us;

   the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Psalm 46 – English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)

Nehemiah 1:1-11 – Revelation 5:11-6:11 – Matthew 13:10-17

In the beginning, O God, your Word subdued the chaos; in the fullness of time you sent Jesus, your Son, to rebuke the forces of evil and bring forth a new creation. By that same power, transform all our fear into faith and awe in your saving presence. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen

8 O Lord God of hosts,

    who is mighty as you are, O Lord,

    with your faithfulness all around you?

9 You rule the raging of the sea;

    when its waves rise, you still them.

10 You crushed Rahab like a carcass;

    you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.

11 The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours;

    the world and all that is in it, you have founded them.

12 The north and the south, you have created them;

    Tabor and Hermon joyously praise your name.

13 You have a mighty arm;

    strong is your hand, high your right hand.

14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;

    steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.

Psalm 89 – English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)

Ezra 6:1-22 – Revelation 5:1-10 – Matthew 13:10-17

O God, the strength of all who hope in you, accept our earnest prayer. And since without you we are weak and certain to fall, grant us always the help of your grace, that in following your commands we may please you in desire and in deed. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen

12 O God, be not far from me;

    O my God, make haste to help me!

13 May my accusers be put to shame and consumed;

    with scorn and disgrace may they be covered

    who seek my hurt.

14 But I will hope continually

    and will praise you yet more and more.

15 My mouth will tell of your righteous acts,

    of your deeds of salvation all the day,

    for their number is past my knowledge.

16 With the mighty deeds of the Lord God I will come;

    I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone.

17 O God, from my youth you have taught me,

    and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.

Psalm 71 – English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)

Ezra 5:1-17 – Revelation 4:1-11 – Matthew 13:1-9

Your prayers are requested for the people of England and Northern Europe as they are dealing with a deadly Atlantic storm with hurricane force winds.

St. Simon and St. Jude, Apostles

O God, we thank you for the glorious company of the apostles, and especially on this day for Simon and Jude; and we pray that, as they were faithful and zealous in their mission, so we may with ardent devotion make known the love and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

89 Forever, O Lord, your word

    is firmly fixed in the heavens.

90 Your faithfulness endures to all generations;

    you have established the earth, and it stands fast.

91 By your appointment they stand this day,

    for all things are your servants.

92 If your law had not been my delight,

    I would have perished in my affliction.

93 I will never forget your precepts,

    for by them you have given me life.

94 I am yours; save me,

    for I have sought your precepts.

95 The wicked lie in wait to destroy me,

    but I consider your testimonies.

96 I have seen a limit to all perfection,

    but your commandment is exceedingly broad.

Psalm 119 – English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)

Zechariah 1:7-17 – Revelation 1:4-20 – Matthew 12:43-50

O God most high, you are slow to anger and rich in compassion. Keep alive in us the memory of your mercy that our angers may be calmed and our resentments dispelled. May we discover the forgiveness promised to those who forgive and become a people rich in mercy. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen

1 I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,

    and he turned to me and heard my cry.

2 He lifted me out of the pit of despair,

    out of the mud and the mire.

   He set my feet on solid ground

    and steadied me as I walked along.

3 He has given me a new song to sing,

    a hymn of praise to our God.

Many will see what he has done and be amazed.

    They will put their trust in the Lord.

4 Oh, the joys of those who trust the Lord,

    who have no confidence in the proud

    or in those who worship idols.

5 O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us.

    Your plans for us are too numerous to list.

    You have no equal.

If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds,

    I would never come to the end of them.

Psalm 40 – New Living Translation

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)

Ezra 3:1-13 – 1 Corinthians 16:10-24 – Matthew 12:22-32

O God, whose image we bear and whose name we carry, yours is the world and all it contains.

Recall us to our true allegiance, so that above the powers and rulers of this world you alone may claim our fullest loyalty and love. We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen

1 Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity,

    and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.

2 Prove me, O Lord, and try me;

    test my heart and my mind.

3 For your steadfast love is before my eyes,

    and I walk in your faithfulness.

4 I do not sit with men of falsehood,

    nor do I consort with hypocrites.

5 I hate the assembly of evildoers,

    and I will not sit with the wicked.

6 I wash my hands in innocence

    and go around your altar, O Lord,

7 proclaiming thanksgiving aloud,

    and telling all your wondrous deeds.

Psalm 26 - English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)

Ezra 1:1-11 – 1 Corinthians 16:1-9 – Matthew 12:15-21

St. James of Jerusalem

Lord Jesus Christ, who set your brother James on the throne of Your church in Jerusalem: Grant that as he continually interceded for the sins of your people, and worked to reconcile in one body both Jew and Gentile; so your Church may give itself continually to prayer and to the reconciliation of all who are at variance and enmity, and may ever be an effectual witness for the salvation of all mankind. Grant this, O Son of Man, who are on the right hand of the Father, in the unity of the Spirit, now and ever. Amen

1 Blessed is the man[a]

    who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,

    nor stands in the way of sinners,

    nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord,

    and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water

   that yields its fruit in its season,

   and its leaf does not wither.

   In all that he does, he prospers.

4 The wicked are not so,

    but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,

    nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,

    but the way of the wicked will perish.

Psalm 1 - English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)

Lamentations 2:8-15 – 1 Corinthians 15:51-58 – Matthew 12:1-14

God of justice, rock of our salvation, open our minds and hearts to Jesus, your Son. Let us hold fast to his words and express them in deeds, that our faith may be built on a sure  foundation and our lives be judged worthy of you. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen

1 Save, O Lord, for the godly one is gone;

    for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man.

2 Everyone utters lies to his neighbor;

    with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.

5 “Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan,

    I will now arise,” says the Lord;

    “I will place him in the safety for which he longs.”

6 The words of the Lord are pure words,

    like silver refined in a furnace on the ground,

    purified seven times.

7 You, O Lord, will keep them;

    you will guard us from this generation forever.

8 On every side the wicked prowl,

    as vileness is exalted among the children of man.

Psalm 12 -  English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)

Lamentations 1:1-12 – 1 Corinthians 15:41-50 – Matthew 11:25-30

O God, you order the course of our lives with unfailing providence. Remove from our path whatever is harmful and grant us those things that work to our good. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen

1 Truly God is good to Israel,

    to those who are pure in heart.

2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled,

    my steps had nearly slipped.

3 For I was envious of the arrogant

    when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

4 For they have no pangs until death;

    their bodies are fat and sleek.

5 They are not in trouble as others are;

    they are not stricken like the rest of mankind.

6 Therefore pride is their necklace;

    violence covers them as a garment.

7 Their eyes swell out through fatness;

    their hearts overflow with follies.

8 They scoff and speak with malice;

    loftily they threaten oppression.

9 They set their mouths against the heavens,

    and their tongue struts through the earth.

Psalm 73 -  English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)

Jeremiah 44:1-14 – 1 Corinthians 15:30-41 – Matthew 11:16-24

Luke, Physician and Evangelist

Almighty God, who inspired your servant Luke the physician to declare in the Gospel the love and healing power of your Son: Graciously continue in your Church the same love and power to heal, to the praise and glory of your Name; through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

1 Praise the Lord!

For it is good to sing praises to our God;

    for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.

2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem;

    he gathers the outcasts of Israel.

3 He heals the brokenhearted

    and binds up their wounds.

4 He determines the number of the stars;

    he gives to all of them their names.

5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;

    his understanding is beyond measure.

6 The Lord lifts up the humble;

    he casts the wicked to the ground.

Psalm 147 -  English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)

Jeremiah 38:14-28 – 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 – Matthew 11:1-6

Ignatius of Antioch

Almighty God, we praise you for your bishop and martyr Ignatius of Antioch, who offered himself as grain to be ground by the teeth of wild beasts that he might present to you the pure bread of sacrifice. Accept the willing tribute of our lives, and give us a share in the pure and spotless offering of your Son Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

1 I love the Lord, because he has heard

    my voice and my pleas for mercy.

2 Because he inclined his ear to me,

    therefore I will call on him as long as I live.

3 The snares of death encompassed me;

    the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;

    I suffered distress and anguish.

4 Then I called on the name of the Lord:

    “O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!”

5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;

    our God is merciful.

6 The Lord preserves the simple;

    when I was brought low, he saved me.

7 Return, O my soul, to your rest;

    for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

8 For you have delivered my soul from death,

    my eyes from tears,

    my feet from stumbling

Psalm 116 -  English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)

Jeremiah 38:1-13 – 1 Corinthians 14:26-33,37-40 – Matthew 10:34-42

Thomas Cranmer, Hugh Latimer & Nicholas Ridley

Keep us, O Lord, constant in faith and zealous in witness, after The examples of your servants Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Ridley, and Thomas Cranmer; that we may live in your fear, die in your favor, and rest in your peace; for the sake of Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

1 Oh sing to the Lord a new song;

    sing to the Lord, all the earth!

2 Sing to the Lord, bless his name;

    tell of his salvation from day to day.

3 Declare his glory among the nations,

    his marvelous works among all the peoples!

4 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;

    he is to be feared above all gods.

5 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,

    but the Lord made the heavens.

6 Splendor and majesty are before him;

    strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,

    ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!

8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;

    bring an offering, and come into his courts!

9 Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness;

    tremble before him, all the earth!

Psalm 96 -  English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)

Jeremiah 37:3-12 – 1 Corinthians 14:13-25 – Matthew 10:24-33

Teresa of Avila

O God, who by your Holy Spirit moved Teresa of Avila to manifest to your Church the way of perfection: Grant us, we pray, to be nourished by her excellent teaching, and enkindle within us a keen and unquenchable longing for true holiness; through Jesus Christ, the joy of loving hearts, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

1 As a deer pants for flowing streams,

    so pants my soul for you, O God.

2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

   When shall I come and appear before God?

3 My tears have been my food day and night,

   while they say to me all the day long,

   “Where is your God?”

4 These things I remember, as I pour out my soul:

    how I would go with the throng

    and lead them in procession to the house of God

    with glad shouts and songs of praise,

    a multitude keeping festival.

5 Why are you cast down, O my soul,

    and why are you in turmoil within me?

    Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,

    my salvation  6 and my God.

My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you

    from the land of Jordan and of Hermon,

    from Mount Mizar.

7 Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls;

    all your breakers and your waves

    have gone over me.

Psalm 42 -  English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)

Jeremiah 36:27-37:2 – 1 Corinthians 14:1-12 – Matthew 10:16-23

Father of light, giver of every good and perfect gift, bring to fruition the word of truth sown in our hearts by your Son, that we may rightly understand your commandments, live your law of love, and so offer you worship that is pure and undefiled. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen

6 They set a net for my steps; my soul was bowed down.

    They dug a pit in my way,

    but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah

7 My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast!

   I will sing and make melody!

8 Awake, my glory! Awake, O harp and lyre!

   I will awake the dawn!

9 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;

    I will sing praises to you among the nations.

10 For your steadfast love is great to the heavens,

    your faithfulness to the clouds.

11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!

    Let your glory be over all the earth!

Psalm 57 -  English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)

Jeremiah 36:11-26 – 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 – Matthew 10:5-15

Philip, Deacon and Evangelist

Holy God, no one is excluded from your love; and your truth transforms the minds of all who seek you: As your servant Philip was led to embrace the fullness of your salvation and to bring the stranger to Baptism, so give us all the grace to be heralds of the Gospel, proclaiming your love in Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

1 May God be gracious to us and bless us

    and make his face to shine upon us, Selah

2 that your way may be known on earth,

    your saving power among all nations.

3 Let the peoples praise you, O God;

    let all the peoples praise you!

4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,

    for you judge the peoples with equity

    and guide the nations upon earth. Selah

5 Let the peoples praise you, O God;

    let all the peoples praise you!

6 The earth has yielded its increase;

    God, our God, shall bless us.

7 God shall bless us;

    let all the ends of the earth fear him!

Psalm 67 -  English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)

2 Kings 23:36-24:17 – 1 Corinthians 12:12-26 – Matthew 9:27-34

O God, our teacher and judge, hear our prayer as we gather at the table of your word. Enrich our hearts with the goodness of your wisdom and renew us from within, that all our actions, all our words, may bear the fruit of your transforming grace. We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?

   The Lord is the stronghold of my life;

    of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh,

   my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall.

3 Though an army encamp against me,

    my heart shall not fear;

    though war arise against me, yet I will be confident.

4 One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after:

   that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,

   to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord

   and to inquire in his temple.

5 For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble;

   he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;

   he will lift me high upon a rock.

Psalm 27 -  English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)

2 Kings 23:4-25 – 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 – Matthew 9:18-26

Robert Grosseteste

Holy God, our greatest treasure, you blessed Hugh and Robert, Bishops of Lincoln, with wise and cheerful boldness for the proclamation of your Word to rich and poor alike: Grant that all who minister in your Name may serve with diligence, discipline and humility, fearing nothing but the loss of you and drawing all to you through Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you in the communion of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

¹ Praise the Lord!
    Happy are those who fear the Lord,
    who greatly delight in his commandments.
² Their descendants will be mighty in the land;
    the generation of the upright will be blessed.
³ Wealth and riches are in their houses,
    and their righteousness endures forever.
⁴ They rise in the darkness as a light for the upright;
    they are gracious, merciful, and righteous.
⁵ It is well with those who deal generously and lend,
    who conduct their affairs with justice.
⁶ For the righteous will never be moved;
    they will be remembered forever.
⁷ They are not afraid of evil tidings;
    their hearts are firm, secure in the Lord.
⁸ Their hearts are steady, they will not be afraid;
    in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
⁹ They have distributed freely, they have given to the poor;
    their righteousness endures forever;
    their horn is exalted in honor.

Psalm 112 -  New Revised Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)

2 Kings 22:14-23:3 – 1 Corinthians 11:23-34 – Matthew 9:9-17

God of pardon and deliverance, your forgiving love, revealed in Christ, has brought to birth a new creation. Raise us up from our sins to walk in your ways, that we may witness to your power, which makes all things new. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen

3 Do not put your trust in princes,

    in mortals, in whom there is no help.

4 When their breath departs, they return to the earth;

    on that very day their plans perish.

5 Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,

    whose hope is in the Lord their God,

6 who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them;

   who keeps faith forever;

7 who executes justice for the oppressed;

    who gives food to the hungry.

   The Lord sets the prisoners free;

8 the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.

   The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;

    the Lord loves the righteous.

9 The Lord watches over the strangers;

    he upholds the orphan and the widow,

    but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

Psalm 146 New Revised Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)

2 Kings 22:1-13 – 1 Corinthians 11:2,17-22 – Matthew 9:1-8

Henry Muhlenberg, Patriarch of American Lutherans

Loving God, Shepherd of your people, we thank you for the ministry of Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, who left his native land to care for the German and Scandinavian pioneers in North America; and we pray that, following the teaching and example of his life, we may grow into the full stature of Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you,

    in whose heart are the highways to Zion.

6 As they go through the Valley of Baca

    they make it a place of springs;

    the early rain also covers it with pools.

7 They go from strength to strength;

    each one appears before God in Zion.

8 O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;

    give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah

9 Behold our shield, O God;

    look on the face of your anointed!

10 For a day in your courts is better

    than a thousand elsewhere.

I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God

    than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield;

    the Lord bestows favor and honor.

No good thing does he withhold

    from those who walk uprightly.

12 O Lord of hosts,

    blessed is the one who trusts in you!

Psalm 84 English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)

2 Kings 21:1-18 – 1 Corinthians 10:14-11:1 – Matthew 8:28-34

Francis of Assisi

Most high, omnipotent, good Lord, grant your people grace gladly to renounce the vanities of this world; that, following the way of blessed Francis, we may for love of you delight in your whole creation with perfect joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills.

    From where does my help come?

2  My help comes from the Lord,

    who made heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot be moved;

    he who keeps you will not slumber.

4 Behold, he who keeps Israel

    will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord is your keeper;

    the Lord is your shade on your right hand.

6  The sun shall not strike you by day,

    nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord will keep you from all evil;

    he will keep your life.

8 The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in

    from this time forth and forevermore.

Psalm 121 English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)

2 Kings 19:1-20 – 1 Corinthians 9:16-27  – Matthew 8:1-17

Your sovereign rule, O God, draws near to us in the person of Jesus your Son. Your word summons us to faith, your power transforms our lives. Free us to follow in Christ’s footsteps, so that neither human loyalty nor earthly attachment may hold us back from answering your call. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen

6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness,

    and all the peoples see his glory.

7 All worshipers of images are put to shame,

    who make their boast in worthless idols;

    worship him, all you gods!

8 Zion hears and is glad,

    and the daughters of Judah rejoice,

    because of your judgments, O Lord.

9 For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth;

    you are exalted far above all gods.

10 O you who love the Lord, hate evil!

    He preserves the lives of his saints;

    he delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

11 Light is sown for the righteous,

    and joy for the upright in heart.

12 Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous,

    and give thanks to his holy name!

Psalm 89 English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)

2 Kings 18:28-37 – 1 Corinthians 9:1-15  – Matthew 7:22-29

God of all power, your sovereign word comes to us in Christ. When your Church is in danger, make firm our trust; when your people falter, steady our faith. Show us in Jesus your power to save, that we may always acclaim him as Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen

1 I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever;

    with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.

2 For I said, “Steadfast love will be built up forever;

    in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.”

3 You have said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one;

    I have sworn to David my servant:

4 ‘I will establish your offspring forever,

    and build your throne for all generations.’” Selah

5 Let the heavens praise your wonders, O Lord,

    your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones!

6 For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord?

    Who among the heavenly beings is like the Lord,

7 a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones,

    and awesome above all who are around him?

Psalm 89 English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)

2 Kings 18:9-25 – 1 Corinthians 8:1-13  – Matthew 7:13-21

Your prayers are asked for all those who have been furloughed due to the current governmental impasse and for a quick resolution to this matter.

Remigius, Bishop of Rheims ca. 533

O God, who by the teaching of your faithful servant and bishop Remigius turned the nation of the Franks from vain idolatry to the worship of you, the true and living God, in the fullness of the catholic faith; Grant that we who glory in the name of Christian may show forth our faith in worthy deeds; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

13 Your name, O Lord, endures forever,

    your renown, O Lord, throughout all ages.

14 For the Lord will vindicate his people

    and have compassion on his servants.

15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold,

    the work of human hands.

16 They have mouths, but do not speak;

    they have eyes, but do not see;

17 they have ears, but do not hear,

    nor is there any breath in their mouths.

18 Those who make them become like them,

    so do all who trust in them.

Psalm 135 English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary

(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)

2 Chronicles 29:1-3,30:1-27 – 1 Corinthians 7:32-40  – Matthew 7:1-12