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Theme of the Day

Jesus’ parable about two sons who don’t do what they say reveals surprises in the reign of God. In the reading from Ezekiel the people claim the ways of the Lord are unfair, while God offers repentance and new life. Paul urges us to look to Christ as a model of humility, putting the interests of others above our own. Nourished by the broken bread and shared cup, we offer our lives for the sake of our needy world.

The Collect for Sunday

God of our salvation, we falter before the demands of your word and turn away from your call to life. As you showed mercy to your people of old, pour out your mercy on us, so that we may turn from our sinfulness and walk the path of self-emptying love made known in Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Church of the Province of Southern Africa alt.; AC, 2019

Prayer Intentions

The prayers of the church are offered especially:

  • for the needs of the world, especially at this time of global pandemic;
  • for those who are sick and for all medical personnel and caregivers;
  • for research workers and scientists who are working to protect us, provide adequate testing, and to develop a vaccine;
  • for all who have returned to work and those who have been working, that they be kept safe from harm;
  • for those who are particularly vulnerable to this virus;
  • for those who are isolated;
  • for those who are anxious;
  • for parents and educators;
  • for our parish family in this time of social isolation and as we begin a return to in-person worship;
  • for the healing of racial inequality, prejudice, bigotry, systemic racism, and injustice;
  • for all those who experience poverty or homelessness;
  • for those who are threatened by violence, abuse, or injustice;
  • for the worldwide church as we conclude this Season of Creation;
  • for all of God's creation and for the good stewardship of the Earth;
  • for the whole church: for Linda, our Primate; Anne, our Metropolitan; and Susan, our Diocesan Bishop; for David and Brian, our priests; for Rob, 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 Elizabeth our Queen and all 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 all for whom we have been asked to pray: especially Mary, 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: Pray for the Anglican Church of Tanzania, The Most Revd Dr Maimbo Mndolwa - Primate of Tanzania & Archbishop of Tanga;
  • In the Diocese of Niagara: St. John, Jordan, The Reverend Pamela Guyatt, Rector, The Reverend Canon Ian Chadwick, Honorary Assistant, and the people of that parish.
  • For other faith communities in our neighbourhood, especially, Blessings Christian Church, Pastors Bill DeJong, Hilmer Jagersma, and Ian Wildeboer, and the people of that congregation;
  • For one another, in our parish cycle of prayer, for Gareth Inkster; Bev Kukhta-Jackson, James, Jean Luc, Eric, and Xavier Jackson; Pradeep, Ranmalee, Kavi and Kevin Kulendran; Sue Lidgey; Luke and Priscilla Lima.

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

The Readings for Sunday

First Reading: Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20

The God of the exodus graciously gave Israel the Ten Commandments. Primarily stated as negative imperatives, the Ten Commandments forbid gross sins such as murder, adultery, theft, and perjury. In most of life they grant Israel freedom to live righteously, with maximum love for God and neighbour.
1God spoke all these words:
  2I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; 3you shall have no other gods before me.
  4You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
  7You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.
  8Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. 9Six days you shall labor and do all your work.
  12Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
  13You shall not murder.
  14You shall not commit adultery.
  15You shall not steal.
  16You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
  17You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
  18When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking, they were afraid and trembled and stood at a distance, 19and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, or we will die.” 20Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid; for God has come only to test you and to put the fear of him upon you so that you do not sin.”

Psalm: Psalm 19

The statutes of the Lord are just and rejoice the heart. (Ps. 19:8)

Second Reading: Philippians 3:4b-14

Paul reviews some of his supposed credentials, which no longer have any bearing in comparison to the right relationship he has been given through the death of Christ. The power of Christ’s resurrection motivates him to press on toward the ultimate goal, eternal life with Christ.
[Paul writes:] 4bIf anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: 5circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.
  7Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. 8More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, 11if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
  12Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.

Gospel: Matthew 21:33-46

Jesus tells a parable to the religious leaders who are plotting his death, revealing that their plans will, ironically, bring about the fulfillment of scripture.
[Jesus said to the people:] 33“Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. 34When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. 35But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. 37Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.’ 39So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.”
  42Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures:
 ‘The stone that the builders rejected
  has become the cornerstone;
 this was the Lord’s doing,
  and it is amazing in our eyes’?
43Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom. 44The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.”
  45When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. 46They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.

Readings for the Week 

Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost [Proper 27]  |  Season of Creation |  Sunday, October 4, 2020

  • Morning Prayer: Ps 118; Hos 13:4-14; 1 Cor 2:6-16; Coll 384
  • Holy Eucharist: Propers 384; Ex 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20; Ps 19 (or Is 5:1-7; Ps 80:7-14); Phil 3:4b-14; Mt 21:33-46; Preface of the Lord's Day
  • Evening Prayer: Ps 145; (2 Kgs 20:1-21); Mt 14:1-12; Coll 384

Feria (Green) | Monday, October 5, 2020

  • Morning Prayer: Ps 106:1-18; Hos 14:1-9; Acts 22:30-23:11; Coll 384
  • Holy Eucharist: As Sunday, except: Gal 1:6-12; Ps 111:1-6; Lk 10:25-37; Preface of Weekdays
  • Evening Prayer: Ps 106:19-48; (2 Kgs 21:1-18); Lk 6:39-49; Coll 384

Feria (Green) | Tuesday, October 6, 2020

  • Morning Prayer: Ps [120], 121, 122, 123; Mic 1:1-9; Acts 23:12-24; Coll 384
  • Holy Eucharist: As Sunday, except: Gal 1:13-24; Ps 139:1-14; Lk 10:38-42; Preface of Weekdays
  • Evening Prayer: Ps 124, 125, 126, [127]; (2 Kgs 22:1-13); Lk 7:1-17; Coll 384

Feria (Green) | Wednesday, October 7, 2020

  • Morning Prayer: Ps 119:145-176; Mic 2:1-13; Acts 23:23-35; Coll 384
  • Holy Eucharist: As Sunday, except: Gal 2:1-2, 7-14; Ps 117; Lk 11:1-4; Preface of Weekdays
  • Evening Prayer: Ps 128, 129, 130; (2 Kgs 22:14-23:3); Lk 7:18-35; Coll 384

Feria (Green) | Thursday, October 8, 2020

  • Morning Prayer: Ps 131, 132, [133]; Mic 3:1-8; Acts 24:1-23; Coll 384
  • Holy Eucharist: As Sunday, except: Gal 3:1-5; C 19 or Ps 89:19-29; Lk 11:5-13; Preface of Weekdays
  • Evening Prayer: Ps 134, 135; (2 Kgs 23:4-25); Lk 7:36-50; Coll 384

Feria (Green) | Day of discipline and self-denial | Friday, October 9, 2020

  • Morning Prayer: Ps 140, 142; Mic 3:9-4:5; Acts 24:24-25:12; Coll 384
  • Holy Eucharist: As Sunday, except: Gal 3:7-14; Ps 111:4-10; Lk 11:14-26; Preface of Weekdays
  • Evening Prayer: Ps 141, 143:1-11, (12); (2 Kgs 23:36-24:17); Lk 8:1-15; Coll 384

Paulinus, First Bishop of York, Missionary, 644 - Com (Green) | Eve of Sunday (Green) | OR Eve of Harvest Thanksgiving (White) | Saturday, October 10, 2020

  • Morning Prayer: Ps 137:1-6, (7-9), 144; Mic 5:1-4, 10-15; Acts 25:13-27; Coll 384 (Com: 434 or FAS 301)
  • Holy Eucharist: Paulinus: Common of a Missionary 434 or FAS 301; Is 2:2-5; Ps 27:1-6; Mt 5:14-16; Preface of a Saint  OR  Feria: As Sunday, except: Gal 3:21-29; Ps 105:1-7; Lk 11:27-28; Preface of Weekdays (Com: 434 or FAS 301)
  • Evening Prayer: Ps 104; (Jer 35:1-19); Lk 8:16-25; Coll 385 (Eve of Pentecost XIX) OR  396 (Harvest Thanksgiving)
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