And so begins the long season of the “Sundays after Trinity”, with very few major church festivals until our own patronal festival of All Saints’ Day on November 1st. After a few months of purple (Lent), white (Easter), and red (Pentecost), the liturgical colour reverts to green for this season.
Now that the Canary Islands are in Phase 3, each day means we are one day closer to being able to re-open our church!
The Collect for the 1st Sunday after Trinity
O God, the strength of all those who put their trust in you, mercifully accept our prayers and, because through the weakness of our mortal nature we can do no good thing without you, grant us the help of your grace, that in the keeping of your commandments we may please you both in will and deed; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Fr Ron’s Reflection on today’s readings
The Epistle Reading – Romans 5:1-8
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
The Gospel Reading – Matthew 9:35-10:8
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.
Intercessions for First Sunday after Trinity Year A – 14th June 2020
Almighty God, we ask you guide your Church especially when differences amongst us seem to threaten our very existence. We face each other, but often do not see the face. We too easily make “an other” of one another. Help us now to look again, to see Jesus in the face and to recognise hopes, aspirations and desires.
Lord in your Mercy: Hear our prayer
Creator God, we are part of the tensions and injustices of the world: heal the resentment between people, and intervene in the world’s conflicts. Help us to walk humbly with you at our side and when we come to the crossroads and have to choose which way to go lead us down the path of justice and righteousness whilst steering us away from the road that leads to selfishness and sin.
Lord in your Mercy: Hear our prayer
Father God, help us to be gentle, with others and with ourselves. Give us, we pray, the calm that makes for consideration and the respect for others that makes us courteous. Take from us hard words and the cynical look. Let us be to others as we would wish them to be to us and, when we fail, forgive us and when they fail, heal us.
Lord in your Mercy: Hear our prayer
Caring God, we pray for all those who are afflicted by physical, emotional or mental illness especially the problems caused by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.. Help them to keep their eyes fixed on you, and give them the courage to face the trials and temptations that may come. Especially we pray for………………… (add names of those requesting prayer)
Lord in your Mercy: Hear our prayer
Holy God, your love reaches beyond the grave. At the end of our days on earth be with us and with those we love and with those whom we love and have gone before us. We pray now for those who have recently died both Corona related and from other causes and for those bereaved by their passing. Especially we remember………………… (add names of the recently departed or on Anniversary list)
Lord in your Mercy: Hear our prayer
Gracious God, we thank you for hearing our prayers and as we move into the coming week help us to remember our Saviour’s words as he sent his disciples out into the world “As you go, proclaim the good news, the Kingdom of Heaven has come near”.
Merciful Father: Accept these prayers for the sake of your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen