Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity - 2026

 

The Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity

Nunc dimittis.

St. Luke ii. 29.

LORD, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, * according to thy word.

For mine eyes have seen * thy salvation,

Which thou hast prepared * before the face of all people;

To be a light to lighten the Gentiles, * and to be the glory of thy people Israel.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son * and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be * world without end. Amen. 

The Collect

O GOD, forasmuch as without thee we are not able to please thee; Mercifully grant, that thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

(Note the change from the 1549 BCP: "O GOD, for as muche as without thee, we are not able to please thee; Graunte that the workyng of thy mercie maye in all thynges directe and rule our heartes; Through Jesus Christ our Lorde.")

Old Testament: Job 24:1-17
Psalter: 114, 115 | 107, 70
Epistle: Ephesians 4:17-32
Gospel: St. Matthew 9:1-8

Homily

Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity - 2026

 

The Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity.

Bonum est confiteri.

Psalm xcii.

IT is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, * and to sing praises unto thy Name, O Most Highest;

To tell of thy loving-kindness early in the morning, * and of thy truth in the night season;

Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the lute; * upon a loud instrument, and upon the harp.

For thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy works; * and I will rejoice in giving praise for the operations of thy hands.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son * and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be * world without end. Amen. 

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 1:4-9

Gospel Reading: St. Matthew 22:34-46 

Homily

Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity and St. Michael's and All Angels (29 September) - 2026

 

The Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity.

Cantate Domino.

Psalm xcviii

O SING unto the Lord a new song : for he hath done marvellous things.

With his own right hand, and with his holy arm : hath he gotten himself the victory.

The Lord declared his salvation : his righteousness hath he openly showed in the sight of the heathen.

He hath remembered his mercy and truth toward the house of Israel : and all the ends of the world have seen the salvation of our God.

Show yourselves joyful unto the Lord, all ye lands : sing, rejoice, and give thanks.

Praise the Lord upon the harp : sing to the harp with a psalm of thanksgiving.

With trumpets also and shawms : O shew yourselves joyful before the Lord the King.

Let the sea make a noise, and all that therein is : the round world, and that dwell therein.

Let the floods clap their hands, and let the hills be joyful together before the Lord : for he cometh to judge the earth.

With righteousness shall he judge the world : and the peoples with equity.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be : world without end. Amen. 

The Collect.

LORD, we pray thee that thy grace may always *prevent and follow us, and make us continually to be given to all good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

*N.B. In older use prevent meant: to act ahead of; forestall; to precede; to anticipate.

 

Old Testament Reading: Jeremiah 13:15-21

Psalter: Psalm 91, 92 | 105, 60

Epistle Reading: Ephesians 4:1-6

Gospel Reading: St. Luke 14:1-11 

Homily 

Saint Michael and All Angels

{29 September}

Psalm 113

Laudate, pueri

PRAISE the Lord, ye servants : O praise the Name of the Lord.

2. Blessed be the Name of the Lord : from this time forth for evermore.

3. The Lord’s Name is praised : from the rising up of the sun unto the going down of the same.

4. The Lord is high above all heathen and his glory above the heavens.

5. Who is like unto the Lord our God, that hath his dwelling so high : and yet humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and earth?

6. He taketh up the simple out of the dust : and lifteth the poor out of the mire;

7. That he may set him with the princes : even with the princes of his people.

8. He maketh the barren woman to keep house : and to be a joyful mother of children.

 

Collect

Everlasting God, who hast ordained and constituted the services of Angels and men in a wonderful order; Mercifully grant that, as thy holy Angels alway do thee service in heaven so by thy appointment they may succour and defend us on earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Old Testament Reading: Daniel 12.1-3

Psalter: Psalm 103

Epistle Reading: Revelation 12:7-12

Gospel Reading: St. Matthew 18:1-10 

The Feast of St. Michael this year is the 19^th anniversary of our Order: http://orderofcenturions.org/history.html 

The Feast of St. Michael is a good time to prayerfully reflect on our Vows we have taken: http://orderofcenturions.org/vow.html 

Finally, here is the Prayer of the Order: 

Almighty God, our sovereign Lord, who called Cornelius the Centurion to be the first Christian among the Gentiles, who healed the servant at Capernaum in accordance with the Centurion's great faith, and who inspired the Centurion at Calvary to glorify Jesus; strengthen us in our faith that we might follow their example to love, serve, and glorify you as faithful members of the Church Militant, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity, Pastoral Letter and St. Matthew (21 September) - 2026

 

The Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity.

Magnificat.

St. Luke I.

MY soul doth magnify the Lord : and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

For he hath regarded : the lowliness of his handmaiden.

For behold, from henceforth : all generations shall call me blessed.

For he that is mighty hath magnified me : and holy is his Name.

And his mercy is on them that fear him : throughout all generations.

He hath showed strength with his arm : he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

He hath put down the mighty from their seat : and hath exalted the humble and meek.

He hath filled the hungry with good things : and the rich he hath sent empty away.

He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel : as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed, for ever.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be : world without end. Amen.

 

The Collect.

O LORD, we beseech thee, let thy continual pity cleanse and defend thy Church; and, because it cannot continue in safety without thy succour, preserve it evermore by thy help and goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 12

Psalter: Psalm 98, 99 | 89, 59

Epistle Reading: Ephesians 3:8-21

Gospel Reading: St. Luke 7:11-17

 

Homily

 

This is from my letter to my congregation this week:

If you’re looking for a handy sized, and decent, commentary that covers Jude, let me recommend one published in 1995, “Life Application Bible Commentary: 1 & 2 Peter and Jude.” As the author addresses the fraudsters and scammers in Jude, he writes: 

“They set themselves above all other Christians because of their assumed superior knowledge and understanding of their ‘freedom’ in Christ. Those allegedly enlightened enough to join them regarded themselves as distinct and superior from others in the church. Thus, Jude condemned these false teachers for causing divisions” (“Life Application Bible Commentary: 1 & 2 Peter and Jude,” pg. 258). 

Take that statement and see how it fits the different projects that have rippled through churches you’ve been part of over the years. Such as the newest, most perfect parenting fads; or that new, cutting edge project that guarantee health and wealth; or that movement that finds secret messages from God by collating every fourth Hebrew letter in the Old Testament; or the state-of-the-art proof of who the ‘real’ Antichrist is; and more. As a few of you have experienced, some of those projects have ripped churches apart; or carved out some of God’s people to go off into the wildernesses and woods of their perfect schemes, etc. Elitist ruses may momentarily ‘build’ a church, but in the end they either rip churches apart or create tensions and distrust in congregations that have long term effects that can last years.

 

Further, the author gives us a set of questions (on page 242) to ask ourselves to help discern between heresies and wholesome, Biblical teaching: 

• Does it stress man-made rules and taboos rather than God’s grace?
• Does it foster a critical spirit toward others, or does it exercise discipline discreetly and lovingly?
• Does it stress formulas, secret knowledge, or special visions more than the Word of God?
• Does it elevate self-righteousness, honoring those who keep the rules, rather than elevating Christ?
• Does it neglect Christ’s universal church, claiming to be an elite group?
• Does it teach humiliation of the body as a means to spiritual growth rather than focusing on the whole person?
• Does it disregard the family rather than holding it in high regard as the Bible does?

 

As our life at Heritage is about truth, worship, and Christian love to equip us in making disciples who will belong and believe with us as we grow in truth, worship and Christian love, these questions can help keep us from being sidetracked or bushwacked.

 

Don’t be surprised if either or both of these quotations show up during this series in Jude.

 

Pastor Mike

Saint Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist 
[September 21]

 

O ALMIGHTY God, who by thy blessed Son didst call Matthew from the receipt of custom to be an Apostle and Evangelist; Grant us grace to forsake all covetous desires, and inordinate love of riches, and to follow the same thy Son Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen. 

Old Testament Reading: Proverbs 3:1-6

Psalter: Psalm 119:1-16

New Testament Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:1-6

Gospel Reading: Matthew 9:9-17 

Homily

Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity, A Reflection, and Autumn Embers - 2026

The Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity.

Venite, exultemus Domino.

O COME, let us sing unto the Lord; * let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation.

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving; * and show ourselves glad in him with psalms.

For the Lord is a great God; * and a great King above all gods.

In his hand are all the corners of the earth; * and the strength of the hills is his also.

The sea is his, and he made it; * and his hands prepared the dry land.

O come, let us worship and fall down, * and kneel before the LORD our Maker.

For he is the Lord our God; * and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness; * let the whole earth stand in awe of him.

For he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth; * and with righteousness to judge the world, and the peoples with his truth.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be : world without end. Amen.

 

The Collect.

KEEP, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy Church with thy perpetual mercy: and, because the frailty of man without thee cannot but fall, keep us ever by thy help from all things hurtful, and lead us to all things profitable to our salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Old Testament Reading: Deuteronomy 7:6-13

Psalter: Psalm 97, 98 | 79, 80

Epistle Reading: Galatians 6:11-18

Gospel Reading: St. Matthew 6:24-34

 

Homily

 

My reflections on Luther’s crux probat omnia.

 

Autumn Ember Days

http://orderofcenturions.org/documents/ember.html

Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity - 2026

 

The Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity.

Benedicite, omnia opera.

O ALL ye Works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Angels of the Lord, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Heavens, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Waters that be above the firmament, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O all ye Powers of the Lord, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Sun and Moon, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Stars of heaven, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Showers and Dew, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Winds of God, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Fire and Heat, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Winter and Summer, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Dews and Frosts, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Frost and Cold, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Ice and Snow, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Nights and Days, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Light and Darkness, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Lightnings and Clouds, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O let the Earth bless the Lord : yea, let it praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Mountains and Hills, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O all ye Green Things upon the earth, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Wells, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Seas and Floods, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Whales, and all that move in the waters, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O all ye Fowls of the air, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O all ye Beasts and Cattle, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Children of Men, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O let Israel bless the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Priests of the Lord, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Servants of the Lord, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Spirits and Souls of the Righteous, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye holy and humble Men of heart, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be : world without end. Amen. 

The Collect.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, give unto us the increase of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain that which thou dost promise, make us to love that which thou dost command; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Old Testament Reading: Micah 6:1-8

Psalter: Psalm 84, 85 | 74

Epistle Reading: Galatians 5:16-24

Gospel Reading: St. Luke 17:11-19 

Homily

Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity - 2026

 

The Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity.

Benedictus.

St. Luke i.68.

BLESSED be the Lord God of Israel : for he hath visited and redeemed his people;

And hath raised up a mighty salvation for us : in the house of his servant David;

As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets : which have been since the world began;

That we should be saved from our enemies : and from the hand of all that hate us.

To perform the mercy promised to our forefathers : and to remember his holy Covenant;

To perform the oath which he sware to our forefather Abraham : that he would give us;

That we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies : might serve him without fear;

In holiness and righteousness before him : all the days of our life.

And thou, Child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest : for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;

To give knowledge of salvation unto his people : for the remission of their sins,

Through the tender mercy of our God : whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us;

To give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death : and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be : world without end. Amen. 

The Collect.

ALMIGHTY and merciful God, of whose only gift it cometh that thy faithful people do unto thee true and laudable service ; Grant, we beseech thee, that we may so faithfully serve thee in this life, that we fail not finally to attain thy heavenly promises; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Old Testament Reading: Deuteronomy 24:10-22

Psalter: Psalm 81, 82 | 73

Epistle Reading: Galatians 3:16-22

Gospel Reading: St. Luke 10:23-37 

Homily