The Collect

Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: help us so to hear them, to read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them that, through patience, and the comfort of your holy word, we may embrace and for ever hold fast the hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

¶ The Liturgy of the Word

First Reading: Job 42.1-6,10-17

Then Job answered the Lord: ‘I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. “Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?” Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. “Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you declare to me.” I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.’ And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he had prayed for his friends; and the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. Then there came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and they ate bread with him in his house; they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him; and each of them gave him a piece of money and a gold ring. The Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; and he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand donkeys. He also had seven sons and three daughters. He named the first Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch. In all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job’s daughters; and their father gave them an inheritance along with their brothers. After this Job lived for one hundred and forty years, and saw his children, and his children’s children, four generations. And Job died, old and full of days.

Psalm 34.1-8,19-22

I will bless the Lord at all times; * his praise shall ever be in my mouth.
My soul shall glory in the Lord; * let the humble hear and be glad.
O magnify the Lord with me; * let us exalt his name together.
I sought the Lord and he answered me * and delivered me from all my fears.
Look upon him and be radiant * and your faces shall not be ashamed.
This poor soul cried, and the Lord heard me * and saved me from all my troubles.
The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him * and delivers them.
O taste and see that the Lord is gracious; * blessed is the one who trusts in him.
Many are the troubles of the righteous; * from them all will the Lord deliver them.
He keeps all their bones, * so that not one of them is broken.
But evil shall slay the wicked * and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
The Lord ransoms the life of his servants * and will condemn none who seek refuge in him.

Second Reading: Hebrews 7.23-28

The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office; but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues for ever. Consequently he is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he has no need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for those of the people; this he did once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests those who are subject to weakness, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect for ever.

Gospel Reading: Mark 10.46-52

As Jesus and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Jesus stood still and said, ‘Call him here.’ And they called the blind man, saying to him, ‘Take heart; get up, he is calling you.’ So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ The blind man said to him, ‘My teacher, let me see again.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your faith has made you well.’ Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.

Prayers of Intercession

Let us pray to God that he may open our eyes to see his everlasting truth.

¶The Church of Christ

Lord,  may the glory of your word shine throughout the world, to be a light to all people. As we reflect on the Bible, hungering for your Word, make us open to your wisdom and receptive to your will. As we hear and believe, make us courageous in our responses as we attempt to follow you, secure in the light that shines from your Word, illuminating our path more and more until the perfect day.

Lord, we praise you as we taste and see your glory: in your mercy, hear our prayer

¶Creation, human society, the Sovereign and those in authority

Lord, we pray for all those in positions of authority. We pray for those in government, who rule on behalf of the people who elected them. May the laws of economics and trade not entirely harden their hearts to the suffering that may be caused as a by-product of decisions of macro-economics. For what is the world writ large if not the collected body of each individual cell it contains?

Lord, we praise you as we taste and see your glory: in your mercy, hear our prayer

¶The local community

Lord, help us to look at the people who surround us in a new light, seeing for a moment only the good in them. We know that our family, our friends, our neighbours, our countrymen and women, all share  your divine spark. Knowing also that we, too, have our failings, help us to turn a blind eye to the failings of others, concentrating instead on your love for them, and the divine love that they too reflect in their lives.

Lord, we praise you as we taste and see your glory: in your mercy, hear our prayer

¶Those who suffer

Lord, in our affliction we sense your presence, moving with our sufferings to redeem them. With the strings that are taut with pain, you compose new music of joy, which the world has not yet heard.  Give us the courage and the strength to rise out of our pain and join you in that music of heaven, set free from all our fears. *

Lord, we praise you as we taste and see your glory: in your mercy, hear our prayer

¶The communion of saints

Lord, we commend the souls of the departed, confident in Christ’s promise to intercede on their behalf. May they rest in peace and rise with the perpetual vision of your glory.

Merciful Father, accept these prayers…

*Inspired by Jim Cotter’s meditation on Psalm 34.

Prayer after Communion

God of all grace,
your Son Jesus Christ fed the hungry
with the bread of his life
and the word of his kingdom:
renew your people with your heavenly grace,
and in all our weakness
sustain us by your true and living bread;
who is alive and reigns, now and for ever.

^{Copyright acknowledgement (where not already indicated above): Post Communion (Last after Trinity) © 1985 Anglican Church of Canada: The Book of Alternative Services Some material included in this service is copyright: © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ, USA  Some material included in this service is copyright: © The Archbishops’ Council 2000 Collect (Last after Trinity) © The Crown/Cambridge University Press: The Book of Common Prayer (1662)}