Clocks go back an hour at 2am.
The week in Bible reading and prayer:
Sunday 25 October – Last Sunday after Trinity
8am Eucharist: St Mary the Virgin, Rufford
10.30am Eucharist: Holy Trinity, Tarleton
Today’s readings – Leviticus 19.1-2,15-18, Psalm 1, 1 Thessalonians 2.1-8 & Matthew 22.34-end.
The Collect
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning, help us so to hear them, to read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them. That through patience and the comfort of your holy word, we may embrace and for ever hold fast the hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Old Testament Leviticus 19.1-2, 15-18
19, 1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying. 2 Speak 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.
15 You shall not render an unjust judgement; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbour. 16 You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not profit by the blood of your neighbour: I am the Lord. 17 You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbour, or you will incur guilt yourself.
18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbour as yourself: I am the Lord.
Psalm 1 Refrain: Happy are they who trust in the Lord
Epistle I Thessalonians 2.1-8
2. 1 You yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our coming to you was not in vain, 2 but though we had already suffered and been shamefully maltreated at Philippi, as you know, we had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition. 3 For our appeal does not spring from deceit or impure motives or trickery, 4 but 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.
5 As you know and as God is our witness, we never came with words of flattery or with a pretext for greed; 6 nor did we seek praise from mortals, whether from you or from others, 7 though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. 8 So 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
34 When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, 35 and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 ‘Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?’ 37 He said to him, ‘“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’ 41 Now 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.’ 43 He 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’”? 45 If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?’
46 No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.
Prayer intentions
🙏🏼 For the sick and those in need: Zena Ashcroft; Margaret Baxter, Bishop John, Margaret Bolton, Colin Brown, Jack Dalton, Bill Duggan, Jimmy Johnstone, Paddy MacDonagh, Ian MacLeod, Ruth Middlesborough, Donald Sephton & Stephen Smith.
🙏🏼 Faithful departed: Jean Dillon & Alicia Marsden.
🙏🏼 Year’s mind: Robert James Abram, Mary Eliza Ashcroft, Ann Baker, John Bridge, Frederick Wallace Burrow, Constance Mary Coggins, Henry Cookson, Liam Fletcher, John Joseph Hague, Beatrice Connie Howard, Stephen Jarvis, Noah Kimmance, Marjorie Daphne Jackson, Isabella Marsh & Margaret Rutter.
🙏🏼 We pray for our Cathedral church, the Chapter and staff and in our cycle of prayer, we pray for those living in Sutton Avenue and Sutton Lane.
Monday 26th – Alfred, King, Scholar, 899.
Today’s readings – Ephesians 4.32-5.8, Ps. 1 & Luke 13.10-17.
🙏🏼 We pray for Christians in Wessex and give thanks for the ways we can come together virtually and physically in worship.
Tuesday 27th
Today’s readings – Ephesians 5.21-end, Ps. 128 & Luke 13.18-21.
🙏🏼We pray for all parish clergy and our officers.
Wednesday 28th – Simon and Jude, Apostles.
10am – Eucharist at Holy Trinity, Tarleton
7.30pm – Annual Parochial Church Meetings at St.Mary’s Rufford
Today’s readings – Isaiah 28.14-16, Psalm119.89-96, Ephesians 2.19-end & John 15.17-end.
🙏🏼 We pray for fresh confidence in speaking the Good News of Jesus Christ and for St. Mary’s Rufford APCM.
Thursday 29th – James Hannington, Bishop, Martyr, 1885.
7pm Eucharist – St Mary’s Rufford
Today’s readings – Ephesians 6.10-20, Ps. 144.1-2,9-11 & Luke 13.31-end.
🙏🏼 We pray for all who are dying, all who care for and love them; that they sense the love of God for them.
Friday 30th
Today’s readings – Philippians 1.1-11, Ps. 111 & Luke 14.1-6.
🙏🏼 We pray for all prisoners & prison staff and for those who are struggling with money & debt.
Saturday 31st – Martin Luther, Reformer, 1546
Today’s readings – Philippians 1.18-26, Ps. 42.1-7 & Luke 14.1,7-11.
🙏🏼We pray for all Christians in the Lutheran churches and for all those suffering from long Covid.
Next Sunday – ALL SAINTS DAY
8am Eucharist: Holy Trinity, Tarleton
10.30am Eucharist: St Mary the Virgin, Rufford
Today’s readings – Revelation 7.19-end, Psalm 34.1-10, 1 John 3.1-3 & Matthew 22.34-end.
🙏🏼 We give thanks for the Saints and in our cycle of prayer we pray for those living in Tabby Nook & The Beeches.
All services need to be booked in advance. For worship at Rufford, please ring Roy on (01704) 821464 and for Tarleton, Neil on (01772) 816390.
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Monday 2 November, All Souls Day.
Requiem Mass at 7.30pm at St Mary the Virgin, Rufford. Please give the names of those to be remembered to the Rector by phone or email.
