Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity

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EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY
Sunday, October 20, 2019

Readings:
Lesson: Jeremiah 33:1-16
Psalm: 108
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 1:1-9
Gospel: Matthew 22:34-46

ADORATION
Almighty God, I praise You in the morning and in the evening. My heart is firmly fixed to worship You in song and melody. My spirit wakes up early to commune with You in prayer and meditation. Through the fruits of my devotion, I declare You among the peoples, O Lord. I declare that Your love is greater than the heavens, and Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. You are exalted above the heavens, O God, and Your glory is over all the earth. In triumph You enter into the strong city of my hardened heart to claim it and cast off the armies that guard it from You. You grant me Your help against the enemy, for vain is my own strength, but with You I can do valiant deeds.

CONFESSION
Holy and gracious Father, through Your prophet Jeremiah, You promised to heal Your people after the coming exile. I confess that I prefer to keep my faithless heart as a wasteland devoid of love, rather than to open it to Your recovery and healing. I choose to continue harvesting the dead fruits of my sins rather then letting You cleanse and forgive me. I choose to remain in guilt and fear, rather than live the abundant life of prosperity and security that You desire for me. I decide to persist in despair and desolation, rather than hearing the voices of joy, gladness and gratitude that are all around. I do not always honor You as my Righteousness and my Savior—and yet You always make me Your own.

THANKSGIVING
Holy Spirit, I give thanks to You because of the grace You have given me in Christ Jesus. I thank You that it is Your will to call me by the grace of the Father, and to sanctify me in the peace of the Son. You enrich me with the blessing of Your spiritual gifts, giving me words to call on You in prayer, and knowledge to seek You in creation. Whenever I use Your gifts for good, for the sake of humble, selfless love, You confirm in me the testimony of the Christian life. You are faithful, calling me into communion with Jesus Christ. You strengthen me along my spiritual journey, revealing Christ to me in my everyday life, even as You wait to reveal Him to me in all His fullness on the final day.

SUPPLICATION
Lord Jesus Christ, You summarized the Law and the Prophets with the one, great and simple commandment of love. Help me to love You, my Lord and my God, with all my heart, soul, mind and strength—and to love my neighbor as myself. Help me also never to put anyone’s love to the test, but rather to keep silence when loving words cannot be spoken. As the Most Reverend Michael Curry put it, “If it’s not about love, it’s not about God” because You, O God, are Love. Therefore anything that is not love, anything contrary to You, I ask You to take from me and put it in subjection under Your feet, and so grant that I may worship You in spirit, in truth, and always in love.

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