16th Sunday after Pentecost
September 11th, 2021
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Greetings on this 16th Sunday after Pentecost in the ‘Season of Creation’.
By mother earth my Lord be praised; governed by thee she hath upraised what for our life is needful. Sustained by thee, through every hour, she bringeth forth fruit, herb, and flower. (From the Hymnal of The Episcopal Church, 1982, attributed to St Francis)
Dean Susanna preaches at this pre-recorded Eucharist from the Cathedral Parish of St Paul, and David Perryman offers the intercessions, as well as filming the service for us.
The Wisdom theme woven through the ‘Vestry Prayer’, readings, intercessions and Thanksgiving Prayer is echoed in the exchange between Jesus and Peter, as teased out for us by Dean Susanna, calling us to that deeper self-knowledge in Christ.
Our thanks once again to the Registrar for editing and distributing the video file.
As some of us gather in small numbers for face to face worship again this weekend, we trust this offering is helpful to those in Cardinia Shire or beyond who are not yet free to do so, and to others who – for whatever reason – are not able to attend worship in person.
Grace and peace, +Richard
A prayer for Spiritual Communion (at the point of distribution of the Sacrament):
O Lord Jesus Christ, through your tender mercy grant that as the hem of your garment, touched in faith, healed the woman who could not touch your body, so the soul of this your servant may be healed by like faith in you, whom I cannot now sacramentally receive. In union with the faithful at every altar-table in your Church I desire to be united with you, and pray that you will come spiritually into my heart. Let nothing ever separate me from your love, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen