Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity -2014

The Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity.

Psalm 119.137-144

Justus es, Domine

RIGHTEOUS art thou, O Lord : and true is thy judgement.

138. The testimonies that thou hast commanded : are exceeding righteous and true.

139. My zeal hath even consumed me : because mine enemies have forgotten thy words.

140. Thy word is tried to the uttermost : and thy servant loveth it.

141. I am small, and of no reputation : yet do I not forget thy commandments.

142. Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness : and thy law is the truth.

143. Trouble and heaviness have taken hold upon me : yet is my delight in thy commandments.

144. The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting : O grant me understanding, and I shall live.

The Collect.

LORD, we beseech thee, grant thy people grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil, and with pure hearts and minds to follow thee the only God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Old Testament Reading: Amos 8.4-12

Psalter: Psalm 111, 112 | 106, 69

Epistle Reading: 1 Corinthians 1.4-8(9)

Gospel Reading: St. Matthew 22.34-46

Toon: The Almighty Father, who is the Father of the only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, is addressed as LORD, the self-existent holy Being, who is the Creator of heaven and earth, and Judge of all men.

He is not merely asked but he is also beseeched (that is, asked with a sense of urgency in a spirit of humility and submission before Him). Out of his great mercy and abundant grace he is asked to hear and grant (as a great favour to those who know they do not deserve favour) two petitions from his covenant people.

First of all, the inner strength and motivation to face real, daily temptations that if not resisted actually lead to the committing of sin against God. The temptations come from three basic sources: the world (human society and culture as organised and existing without submission to God’s law & with the influence therein of evil people); the flesh (human nature in its weakness and with its bias to assert the self and distrust God); and the devil (the spiritual being who has himself rebelled against God’s holy law and now seeks to persuade others to do the same). Resist the devil and he will flee from you, said James (iv.7).

In the second place, with contrite, cleansed and pure hearts and minds to follow with devotion and with zeal the will, purpose and commandments of the Almighty Father, as these are revealed and made known in the life, teaching, example and saving work of the Lord Jesus Christ. While there are many kings and lords, rulers and authorities in the world, there is only ONE living and true God: thus the wording of the petition.

The first petition is made so that we do not go in the wrong direction while the second is made that we actually do go in the right direction, that is we follow God’s signposts and walk in his ways. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God (Matthew 5:8).

In the original Latin this one-sentence Collect was composed in the fifth century and used in the Mass for many centuries. Archbishop Cranmer translated it for the original English Prayer Book of 1549 and Bishop Cosin improved the translation for the edition of the Prayer Book of 1662 (the edition that has been translated into around 150 languages)” (http://www.pbs.org.uk/the-bcp/eighteenth-sunday-after-trinity).