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Image: "Reconciliation" (ca. 1991-2008), Amos Supuni, sculpture, freestanding, stone (detail). Woerden, Netherlands.

Theme of the Day

Mercy. Mercy. Mercy. Joseph lives it in Egypt. Jesus preaches it in the Gospel. The Spirit guides us into merciful lives with the power of forgiveness to reconcile what is fractured and divided. Such merciful living is the baptismal blessing of having put on Christ. It is the gift of the life-giving Spirit. It is a reflection of God’s glory revealed in Christ.

The Collect for Sunday

God of mercy, keep before us the love you have revealed in your Son, who prayed even for his enemies. In our words  and actions help us to follow his example, so that we may transform hatred into love and selfishness into generosity; through Jesus Christ, our great reward, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Prayer Intentions

The prayers of the church are offered especially:

  • for the needs of the world, especially at this time global pandemic;
  • for all medical personnel and caregivers, especially for those who work with those who are most ill;
  • for those who are sick;
  • for research workers and scientists and medical personnel who are working to protect us, provide adequate testing, and to develop, deliver and administer vaccines;
  • for the safety of front line workers;
  • for those who are particularly vulnerable to this virus;
  • for those who are isolated and anxious;
  • for the healing of racial inequality, prejudice, bigotry, systemic racism, injustice, and hatred;
  • for the First Peoples of this land and for the work of healing and reconcilation; 
  • for all who grieve for lost children, for the survivors of Indian Residential Schools, and for generational healing;
  • for those who are hungry and homeless;
  • for those who are unemployed or underemployed;
  • for all those who find Christmas difficult, especially those who mourn, who are lonely, or suffer from depression;
  • for Elizabeth our Queen and all those set in authority under her, for Justin, the Prime Minister of Canada and all members of parliament; Doug, the Premier of Ontario and all members of the legislature; Fred, the mayor of Hamilton and those who serve city council; for the First Nations of this land, for elders, chiefs, and band councils; for all in civil authority and for all citizens that we might work together for the common good;
  • for the whole church: for Susan, our Diocesan Bishop; for David and Brian, our priests; for Tom, our intern; for all bish­ops, priests and dea­cons; and for all the bap­tized: that God may accomplish God's work in and through us for the sake of the world;
  • for all for whom we have been asked to pray, that God will bring them healing and wholeness;
  • for those who are dying and all those who have departed from this life and are at rest.

In our cycles of prayer:

  • In the Worldwide Anglican Communion: The Episcopal Church in Jerusalem & The Middle East.
  • In the Diocese of Niagara: Grace Church, Arthur, the Reverend Shirl Christian, Rector, and the people of this parish.
  • In our neighbourhood: First Christian Reformed Church, The Rev’d Hayden Regeling, Pastor, and the people of that congregation.
  • For one another, especially in our parish cycle of prayer: Gillian, Marjory, Lynda, Richard, Lynda, and Susan.

Prayer requests to be included on the following Sunday can be submitted here by the Thursday morning before.

The Readings for Sunday

First Reading: Genesis 45:3-11, 15

Many years after being sold into slavery by his jealous brothers, Joseph reveals himself to them. Now the second-in-command in Egypt, Joseph reassures his brothers that God has used their evil intentions for good to preserve life during a devastating famine, and Joseph forgives them.

3Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, so dismayed were they at his presence.
  4Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come closer to me.” And they came closer. He said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6For the famine has been in the land these two years; and there are five more years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. 7God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. 8So it was not you who sent me here, but God; he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 9Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. 10You shall settle in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, as well as your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. 11I will provide for you there—since there are five more years of famine to come—so that you and your household, and all that you have, will not come to poverty.’ ” 15And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; and after that his brothers talked with him.

Psalm: Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40

The lowly shall possess the land; they will delight in abundance of peace. (Ps. 37:11)

 1Do not be provoked by | evildoers;
  do not be jealous of those | who do wrong.
 2For they shall soon wither | like the grass,
  and like the green grass | fade away.
 3Put your trust in the Lord| and do good;
  dwell in the land and | find safe pasture.
 4Take delight | in the Lord,
  who shall give you your | heart’s desire. R
 5Commit your way to the Lord; put your trust | in the Lord,
  and see what | God will do.
 6The Lord will make your vindication as clear | as the light
  and the justice of your case like the | noonday sun.
 7Be still before the Lord and wait | patiently.
  Do not be provoked by the one who prospers, the one who succeeds in | evil schemes.
 8Refrain from anger, leave | rage alone;
  do not be provoked; it leads on- | ly to evil. R
 9For evildoers shall | be cut off,
  but those who hope in the Lord shall pos- | sess the land.
 10In a little while the wicked shall | be no more;
  even if you search out their place, they will | not be there.
 11But the lowly shall pos- | sess the land;
  they will delight in abun- | dance of peace.
 39But the deliverance of the righteous comes from | you, O Lord;
  you are their stronghold in | time of trouble.
 40You, O Lord, will help them and | rescue them;
  you will rescue them from the wicked and deliver them, because in you | they seek refuge. R

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50

In the Apostles’ Creed, we speak of the “resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.” Using the metaphor of a planted seed and the story of Adam, Paul preaches passionately about the mystery of following Christ’s perfect life into eternity.

35But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” 36Fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37And as for what you sow, you do not sow the body that is to be, but a bare seed, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body.
  42So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. 43It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. 44It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body. 45Thus it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46But it is not the spiritual that is first, but the physical, and then the spiritual. 47The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48As was the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust; and as is the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven. 49Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we will also bear the image of the man of heaven.
  50What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

Gospel: Luke 6:27-38

Jesus continues to address a crowd of his disciples. He invites his followers to shower radical love, blessing, forgiveness, generosity, and trust even on enemies and outsiders. Living in harmony with God’s intent brings the reward of overflowing blessing.

[Jesus said:] 27“But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. 30Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. 31Do to others as you would have them do to you.
  32“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
  37“Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”

This Week

  • Sunday (Feb 20): The Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany (The Lord's Day).
  • Monday (21): Feria.
  • Tuesday (22): Feria.
  • Wednesday (23): Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, Martyr, 156 (Memorial).
  • Thursday (24): Philip Lindel Tsen, Bishop of Honan, 1954 (Commemoration) and Paul Shinji Sasaki, Bishop of Mid-Japan & Tokyo, 1946 (Commemoration).
  • Friday (24): Feria. Day of discipline and self-denial.
  • Saturday (25): Florence Li Tim-Oi, Priest, 1992 (Commemoration). 
  • Sunday (26): The Last Sunday after the Epiphany: Transfiguration Sunday (The Lord's Day).
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