Collect, Readings and Prayers for 1st Sunday after Trinity
Collect
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.
Readings
Genesis 12:1-9
2 Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’
4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother’s son Lot, and all the possessions that they had gathered, and the persons whom they had acquired in Haran; and they set forth to go to the land of Canaan. When they had come to the land of Canaan, 6 Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram, and said, ‘To your offspring I will give this land.’ So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8 From there he moved on to the hill country on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the Lord and invoked the name of the Lord. 9 And Abram journeyed on by stages towards the Negeb.
Romans 4:13-25
God’s Promise Realised through Faith
13 For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14 If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15 For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation.
16 For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, 17 as it is written, ‘I have made you the father of many nations’)—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18 Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become ‘the father of many nations’, according to what was said, ‘So numerous shall your descendants be.’ 19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. 20 No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22 Therefore his faith ‘was reckoned to him as righteousness.’ 23 Now the words, ‘it was reckoned to him’, were written not for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.
Matthew 9: 9-13,18-26.
The Calling of Matthew
9 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.
10 And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax-collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax-collectors and sinners?’ 12 But when he heard this, he said, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.’
A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed
18 While he was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader of the synagogue[a] came in and knelt before him, saying, ‘My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.’ 19 And Jesus got up and followed him, with his disciples. 20 Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from haemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, 21 for she said to herself, ‘If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.’ 22 Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, ‘Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.’ And instantly the woman was made well. 23 When Jesus came to the leader’s house and saw the flute-players and the crowd making a commotion, 24 he said, ‘Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping.’ And they laughed at him. 25 But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. 26 And the report of this spread throughout that district.
Prayers
We come before God to pray for ourselves and our world, recognising the urgency of our mission as Christians in the world, and asking for the grace to discern God’s will for us today in these uncertain and bewildering times.
Gracious God, give us wisdom to perceive you, diligence to seek you, patience to wait for you, eyes to behold you, a heart to meditate on you and a life to proclaim you, through the power of the Spirit of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Benedict of Nursia (c. 480-550)
For the Church
Loving God, as we begin this new season of Trinity, we pray for your Church across the world. Pour out your Holy Spirit upon our clergy, lay leaders, and congregations. Strengthen our faith, and help us to live out your love both in will and deed. Give us the grace to be true disciples, sharing the light of your Kingdom with everyone we meet. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For the World
Heavenly Father, we presently see a world of beauty and tragedy. We pray for those who work to keep the peace and foster mutual understanding and respect; and for those who teach, heal and care, giving freely of themselves in the service of others. We pray for the life of the world in which we live, especially for those who exercise power and authority in politics, the media, industry and education.
Lord, whilst war continues to rage in many countries, we frequently feel despair at man’s inhumanity to man and man’s greed and lust for power. Creator of the universe, we pray for peace and healing across the nations. Guide leaders and those in authority, replacing hatred and deep divisions with wisdom, justice, and compassion. Protect the vulnerable, and help us all to become instruments of reconciliation in a broken world. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For our Community and Local Area We pray for our local community, our homes, and our families. We lift up those who serve and protect us, and those who enrich our daily lives. Give us a share in the mutual love of the Holy Trinity, that our homes and workplaces may be places of harmony, selflessness, and joy. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For the Suffering and the Sick
Gracious God, we commend to your unfailing love all who are in sorrow, pain, or distress. We pray for the sick in body, mind, or spirit, and for those who care for them and for all those who are mourning the loss of a loved one.. Give them inward peace, release their tension, and restore them to the wholeness that is your will and we bring to you in the quiet those particularly on our hearts this day. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
A prayer for our country Dear Lord, we pray for our country including Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, that politicians and those in government may work for the common good at all levels and that the present economic and social problems and the divisiveness and animosity and at times, violence, spreading from the polarisation of views on key issues, may be resolved urgently and peacefully for the good of our nation and all its citizens. Amen
A prayer for our neighbours and family Heavenly Father, may we never lose sight of the many and varied needs of our own neighbourhood, and may we always be found willing and able to help and support others whenever we can.
We thank you for the place we call home, and we pray for our families and friends. Make your loving presence felt amongst us all, especially with those whose family life is facing difficulties be it through illness, disagreement, separation or other reason. Be with those who lack support and have no-one to turn to. Comfort those whose loved ones are causing them worry and heartache and strengthen those whose children or family are in danger. Amen
A prayer in the light of the forthcoming World Cup
In the words of Pope Leo we pray for the values of sport: “that sport may be an instrument of peace, encounter and dialogue between cultures and peoples, and may promote values such as respect, solidarity, and personal growth.” Lord, we pray that all the participants in the World Cup may give of their best, that the team rivalry may be without animosity and thatmay all the events pass without serious mishap and give huge enjoyment to players and spectators alike. Amen.
Following World Environment Day (5th June) God of life,
we praise you for the beauty of creation,
its richness and variety;
yet, through greed and ignorance,
we scar your world with plastic waste
and throw so much away.
Make us more like Jesus,
treading gently on our common home,
and breathe your Spirit on us,
that we may care more deeply for your Earth.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Rt Revd Graham Usher
Bishop of Norwich and Lead Bishop
on the Environment
Prayer for ourselves – how we live our lives. Heavenly Father, give us the desire and purpose to seek and listen to your voice. Guide our path to use the lives you have given us and forgive us that so often we are more ready to turn to you in times of trouble and need, rather than to thank you in the good times we enjoy. May we as Christians understand the mission of Jesus afresh and seek to be his collaborators and participants in the world around us, that we may have a new vision for God’s Kingdom, that we may be open to the Holy Spirit’s power and grace to influence our neighbourhoods and communities with the love, compassion and ‘good news’ of Christ. Gracious God, make us strong in faith and love. Amen