In 2005 Pope Benedict XVI wrote an encyclical about love – Deus Caritas Est, “God is love”. In this letter the Pope explored the most fundamental reality of Christianity – the revelation that God is love, that it is love which informs all of Christian living. But in revisiting such a well-known theme, Benedict was well aware of how difficult a thing this is to talk about – especially for many people today. Before the encyclical was published, he spoke with a certain trepidation about the theme: “Today the word ‘love’ is so tarnished, so spoiled and so abused, that one is almost afraid to pronounce it.” The very term “love” has, he wrote, “become one of the most frequently used and misused words”.

 Today we live in a world where love is often romanticised, and immediately linked with sex, desire and simple attraction; none of these things are, of themselves, necessarily wrong – but their dominance can make the Christian message of love difficult to express in all its richness. “Love”, for many, becomes a question of how attractive we are to others, and so about how to make ourselves appear more lovable, more desirable.

 Today’s readings, however, invite us to ponder on love in a rather different way. At their heart is a message not about being attractive, but about a more profound sense of loving and being loved. It is only in knowing what we’re really like and knowing that we are, just like this, fully loved by the Father, that we can begin to understand the true meaning of the “tarnished” language of love. It is only this knowledge of our being loved – in spite of who we are – that can teach us to love.

 In the Gospel Jesus centres this teaching about love on the woman with “a bad name in the town”. Her actions are powerfully expressive of love; but Jesus points to the deeper wellspring of her tears and kisses – she has sinned, and has been forgiven. Indeed, the Lord says that her sins “must have been forgiven” or else she would not have been capable of such a demonstration of love. In the strength of her forgiven sinfulness, the woman overcomes any sense of embarrassment, or fear of judgement, so as to be able to be close to Jesus and witness to love.

 This story brings us near the heart of what it means to say “God is love”. It is a truth about God glimpsed by King David. In David’s story the destructive powers of wrong desire are contrasted with the love of God. Through Nathan’s ministry, David comes to see his own sin for what it is, and is able to return to God broken and repentant. It is then that he knows just how deeply he is loved. It is, as St Paul points out, when we know we cannot save ourselves, and must turn to God, that we begin to learn who we really are, and how much God loves us in Christ crucified. In learning this, we too learn to show “such great love”.

 We live in a world where not only the meaning but the reality of love cannot be taken for granted. The mission of Jesus’ followers now is to witness more and more deeply to what love truly is for this world. In today’s celebration we are encouraged to relearn Spirit-filled love, God-like love, through a clearer knowledge of our own weakness and sin. Sadly our modern age does not like talking about sin; this may have been so through the years, but when we talk about sin it becomes personal, close and ought to make us feel uncomfortable. The human condition finds ways to disguise sin, to pretend that it does not happen, well at least not me! If we do we try to wrap it up in language which is more comfortable to us – we admit that we have weaknesses, that we have done or said something that we regret, that we have not listened to and acted upon what God is saying to us about what we should do who we should be. When we deny God’s will and purpose we sin. No matter what other words we use to cloak it. It’s a bit like Star Trek when they face the Romulans who had a cloaking device on their inter- galactic battleship, you knew it was there, you recognised it, but you couldn’t see it. Our problem is that we accept society’s view that of something we do does not obviously hurt another person there is nothing wrong with it, but his surely to deceive ourselves if within our hearts and minds we know it to be wrong, to have caused us to separate ourselves from God. There is also the view that of the sins are small sins, even though we know them to be wrong and to cause minor hurt to others we can somehow pas over them. Another deception surely, if they have hurt others they hurt God; if they have hurt God they have separated us from Him. Once we truly recognise this, the knowledge can bring us to repentance and to such a profound realisation of what it means to say God loves us that we cannot help but open up our lives more generously in love of others – however flawed or irritating!

 As we pray the Our Father each day, we can remember that Jesus taught us to ask God to forgive us as we forgive others. This should help to recall and reflect, it is on however a means by which we evade true repentance. The Book of Common Prayer, in the Order for the Administration of holy Communion states ‘If a Minister be persuaded that any person who presents himself to be partaker of the holy communion ought not to be admitted thereunto by reason of malicious and open contention with his neighbours, or other grave and open sin without repentance’; in other words you would not be admitted to holy Communion without repentance. This means thinking a bit more about how often, and how, we seek forgiveness. Reflection on how often we say sorry to friends, spouses, parents and children can help us see how well we are attending to the learning of love. Such reflection may also lead us to think about the place that the sacrament of reconciliation has in our lives, where we can know that God loves us, and be reminded that we are called to love like God. The mysterious rhythm of God’s love and love of neighbour can then become more of the heartbeat of our daily lives.

Nathan said to David, ‘The Lord the God of Israel says this, “I anointed you king over Israel; I delivered you from the hands of Saul; I gave your master’s house to you, his wives into your arms; I gave you the House of Israel and of Judah; and if this were not enough, I would add as much again for you. Why have you shown contempt for the Lord, doing what displeases him? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, taken his wife for your own, and killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. So now the sword will never be far from your House, since you have shown contempt for me and taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.”’

David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’ Then Nathan said to David, ‘The Lord, for his part, forgives your sin; you are not to die.’

 Psalm 31:1-2,5,7,11

Forgive, Lord, the guilt of my sin.
Happy the man whose offence is forgiven,
whose sin is remitted.
O happy the man to whom the Lord
imputes no guilt,
in whose spirit is no guile.
Forgive, Lord, the guilt of my sin.

But now I have acknowledged my sins;
my guilt I did not hide.
I said: ‘I will confess
my offence to the Lord.’
And you, Lord, have forgiven
the guilt of my sin.
Forgive, Lord, the guilt of my sin.

You are my hiding place, O Lord;
you save me from distress.
You surround me with cries of deliverance.
Forgive, Lord, the guilt of my sin.

Rejoice, rejoice in the Lord,
exult, you just!
O come, ring out your joy,
all you upright of heart.
Forgive, Lord, the guilt of my sin.

A Reading from S. Paul’s letter to the Galatians 2:16,19-21

We acknowledge that what makes a man righteous is not obedience to the Law, but faith in Jesus Christ. We had to become believers in Christ Jesus no less than you had, and now we hold that faith in Christ rather than fidelity to the Law is what justifies us, and that no one can be justified by keeping the Law. In other words, through the Law I am dead to the Law, so that now I can live for God. I have been crucified with Christ, and I live now not with my own life but with the life of Christ who lives in me. The life I now live in this body I live in faith: faith in the Son of God who loved me and who sacrificed himself for my sake. I cannot bring myself to give up God’s gift: if the Law can justify us, there is no point in the death of Christ.

A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke 7:36-8:3

One of the Pharisees invited Jesus to a meal. When he arrived at the Pharisee’s house and took his place at table, a woman came in, who had a bad name in the town. She had heard he was dining with the Pharisee and had brought with her an alabaster jar of ointment. She waited behind him at his feet, weeping, and her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them away with her hair; then she covered his feet with kisses and anointed them with the ointment.

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would know who this woman is that is touching him and what a bad name she has.’ Then Jesus took him up and said, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’ ‘Speak, Master’ was the reply. ‘There was once a creditor who had two men in his debt; one owed him five hundred denarii, the other fifty. They were unable to pay, so he pardoned them both. Which of them will love him more?’ ‘The one who was pardoned more, I suppose’ answered Simon. Jesus said, ‘You are right.’

Then he turned to the woman. ‘Simon,’ he said ‘you see this woman? I came into your house, and you poured no water over my feet, but she has poured out her tears over my feet and wiped them away with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but she has been covering my feet with kisses ever since I came in. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. For this reason I tell you that her sins, her many sins, must have been forgiven her, or she would not have shown such great love. It is the man who is forgiven little who shows little love.’ Then he said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ Those who were with him at table began to say to themselves, ‘Who is this man, that he even forgives sins?’ But he said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace.’

Now after this he made his way through towns and villages preaching, and proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom of God. With him went the Twelve, as well as certain women who had been cured of evil spirits and ailments: Mary surnamed the Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and several others who provided for them out of their own resources.

 The world: We pray for all who work in places where human distress, dominates: that people may know the grace and peace of the Holy Spirit..

 The parish and community: We remember before the Father all those who bear hard burdens of work or of unemployment: that the Lord will always be those whose lives are weary and appear hopeless.

 Sanctuary Lamp: We pray with Jill Hibberd as she gives thanks for the life of her father Bert.

 Sick and suffering: Beryl Cruchley, Gill Southen, Derrick Herdman, Harry Robinson, Irene Short, Carol May, Hazel Harrison, Fr. Peter Skinner, Ruth Strong, Nigel Clewlow, Nicky, Betty Parker, Kath Bentley, Martha Pickering, John Townsend, Betty Shearer, Gwen Clewlow, Margaret Leech, Jan Smith. David Sims.

 Recently departed: Eileen Appleyard

 Anniversary of Death: Doris  Scott, Jean  Estelle, Kinsella  Edge, Edward  Harper, Jack  Owen, Lucy  Haycock, Gerald Haycock, Jack  Clarke, Robert McIntyre, Doug  Oakley, Winifred Steel, Bert Hibberd, Win  Blessin, Jim  Shearer.

DAILY INTERCESSIONS

Day 16            The Company of Mission Priests.  Residents and staff of Glebelands Court home
People who live in Lilac Grove, Long Meadow Longshore Close

Day 17            For lay  participation in the liturgy
People who live in Lyric Close, Malcolm Road, Woodberry Close

Day 18            Holy Trinity Church Baswich, St Thomas, Berkswich, All Saints, Brocton :– Fr. Peter Graysmith
People who live in Manor Farm Crescent, Manor Gardens, Manor Square, Yew Tree Court

Day 19            The Stafford Prison Chaplaincy.  Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament
People who live in Maple Grove, Meadow Way, Merrey Road, Windermere House

Day 20            For all Ebbsfleet parishes.  The Guild of all Souls
People who live in Merrivale Road, Morton Road, Moss Pit, Willowmoor

Day 21            Study groups in the parish.  The Community of the Resurrection at Mirfield
People who live in Nelson Way, Old Rickerscote Lane, One Oak Rise, Uplands Road

Day 22            The staff and pupils of Silkmore Primary School
People who live in Oxbarn Road, Peach Avenue, Penkvale Road, Turnhill Close

AUDLEY MALE VOICE CHOIR
Saturday, 22nd June, 7.30 p.m.

STATIONS AND BENEDICTION
Sunday, 23rd June, 3.30 p.m.

SUMMER FAYRE
Saturday, 13th July, 12 noon – 2,00 p.m.

PARISH BBQ AND GAMES
Saturday, 3rd August, 3.30 p.m.
Tickets: £5, concessions £3, family ticket £12

MASS OF THANKSGIVING (for Fr. Graham’s service to S. Peter’s Church)
Sunday, 4th August, 6.00 p.m.
Followed by buffet supper

If you would like information on any of these events please do not hesitate to contact the webmaster Webmaster@stpetersrickerscote.co.uk

There can be no doubt that war and the effects of war can have enormous effects on people. I am sure that most people are aware of the Leonard Cheshire homes for the disabled; we may not be so aware of how he came to be the driving force behind those homes. He had spent six years dropping bombs on Germany and became a celebrated and decorated pilot in the Royal Air Force. As the war ended in Europe, Cheshire went as a witness on the bombing raid, in 1945, that dropped the nuclear bomb on the Japanese city of Nagasaki. It was the cumulative effect of all this destruction that left Cheshire bereft of any faith that he grew up with. At the war’s end, Cheshire was of the view that there is no God, and that the notions of right and wrong only exist in the human mind to try to keep some semblance of order in the social world. Leaving the war behind him, Cheshire felt moved to try to help people who had been damaged by the war, especially ex-service men and women. One day a man appealed to him for help and Cheshire took him into his own home. The man was dying and Cheshire learned nursing skills and looked after him; so began the great work of Leonard Cheshire’s life, setting up homes for disabled people and caring for them. As this work of nursing developed, Cheshire and his wife, Sue Ryder, both converted to the Catholic faith. One day Cheshire had idly picked up a book called One Lord, One Faith, and so began his journey into knowing the Lord. In Leonard Cheshire we can see experience of destruction had drained Cheshire of faith, the experience of compassion led him back to the Lord.

 In the life journey of St Paul we see how similarly dramatic conversion experience took place, but with important differences. Whereas Cheshire had an undeveloped faith that faded away under the pressure of war, Paul had a strongly developed faith, but that faith was twisted by bias and bigotry. Whereas Cheshire considered “right and wrong” to be useful notions in keeping the peace, Paul divided the world into the saved and the damned by means of this measure. Paul had convinced himself, like so many have done throughout history – and still do today – that “God was on his side”. Paul sought the destruction of the Christians, the followers of the Way, the Truth and the Life. On that journey of destruction Paul met the risen Jesus, and was thrown into total confusion: “Who are you, Lord?” That confusion scattered the certainties of Paul’s religious rectitude, and opened the way for a new man to be born. That re-birth saw the change of name from Saul to Paul, to indicate the new nature that was growing in his soul. As the Lord himself said of Paul, this man who sowed terrible seeds of destruction would himself suffer much for the sake of the Lord’s name. The seeds of destruction show the conversion – from death to life.

 Saul of Tarsus was a man being eaten up by narrow religion and self-righteous indignation. God had become a useful ally with which to exploit Saul’s anger at the world. In meeting the Lord, however, all Saul’s anger flowed out of him, and a new spirit flowed in. Saul became Paul. The Lord whom we meet is a Lord of life, not death. As Jesus walks into the village of Nain, a procession of death is coming out. These two processions cannot be allowed to bypass one another. Compassion for a widowed, grieving mother causes Jesus to go up to her and to touch the bier of her dead son. “Do not cry,” Jesus says. “Young man, I tell you to get up.” What a transformation must have come over that place that day. The Lord of life has restored joy to our souls.

 This risen Lord is in our midst. This Lord, who restores life to the dead, who reveals to us the promise and the hope of everlasting life, is also the Lord who brings us to life today. Wherever death and destruction threaten us, wherever anger and violence darken the world, wherever sadness and despair rob our souls of light, there the risen Lord comes to meet us.

Saul of Tarsus, who threatened others with imprisonment and even death, did not realise how imprisoned his own soul was, how deathly was the life he lived. But the touch of the Lord changed all that. Confusion first, blindness even. But then, new sight and a new way of living. Paul, the new man, could never stop thanking God for such salvation. He would become all things to all people if he could save them at any cost. Such was the love that had captured his life, such is the love that God has for us, such is the love that we should have for others!

 The world: Let for peace and easing of tensions in the Middle East, that us people may live in peace withy one another and seek lasting political settlements.   

 The parish and community: For all who live in the parish: that they come to know that death is the gateway to everlasting life.

 Sanctuary Lamp: We celebrate this week with Keira as she celebrates her 10^th birthday.

 Sick and suffering: Beryl Cruchley, Gill Southen, Derrick Herdman, Harry Robinson, Irene Short, Carol May, Hazel Harrison, Fr. Peter Skinner, Ruth Strong, Nigel Clewlow, Nicky, Betty Parker, Kath Bentley, Martha Pickering, John Townsend, Betty Shearer, Gwen Clewlow, Margaret Leech, Jan Smith.

 We pray for the departed: Tricia Thomson, Eileen Appleyard.

 Anniversary of Death: Violet Macklin, Alf Badger, William Parton, Hilda Harding.

DAILY INTERCESSIONS

Day 9               Geoffrey, Bp of Stafford
People who live in Dove Close, Elsdon Road, Exeter Street,

Day 10            St. Mary’s Church – Fr. Graham Fowell
People who live in Fennel Drive, Garth Close, Glebelands, Scholars Gate

Day 11            St. Chad’s Church : Fr. Michael Fisher
People who live in Globe Avenue, Gravel Lane, Hambridge Close.

Day 12            St. Bertelin’s Church, Rev’d Elaine Evans
People who live in Hawksmoor Road, Hazelton Green, Heenan Grove.

Day 13            St. Paul’s Church, Fr Martin Strang
People who live in Hesketh Road, Hill Farm Close, Hinton Close

Day 14            Stafford Hospital Chaplaincy
People who live in Howard Road,Hunters Rise John Amery Drive

Day 15            Forward in Faith.  Staff and pupils at Stafford Sports College
People who live in Kingcup Road, Laurel Grove Leigh Close

The son of the mistress of the house fell sick; his illness was so severe that in the end he had no breath left in him. And the woman said to Elijah, ‘What quarrel have you with me, man of God? Have you come here to bring my sins home to me and to kill my son?’ ‘Give me your son’ he said, and taking him from her lap, carried him to the upper room where he was staying and laid him on his own bed. He cried out to the Lord, ‘O Lord my God, do you mean to bring grief to the widow who is looking after me by killing her son?’ He stretched himself on the child three times and cried out to the Lord, ‘O Lord my God, may the soul of this child, I beg you, come into him again!’ The Lord heard the prayer of Elijah and the soul of the child returned to him again and he revived. Elijah took the child, brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother. ‘Look,’ Elijah said ‘your son is alive.’ And the woman replied, ‘Now I know you are a man of God and the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth itself.’

 Psalm 29:2,4-6,11-13

I will praise you, Lord, you have rescued me.
I will praise you, Lord, you have rescued me
and have not let my enemies rejoice over me.
O Lord, you have raised my soul from the dead,
restored me to life from those who sink into the grave.
I will praise you, Lord, you have rescued me.

Sing psalms to the Lord, you who love him,
give thanks to his holy name.
His anger lasts a moment; his favour all through life.
At night there are tears, but joy comes with dawn.
I will praise you, Lord, you have rescued me.

The Lord listened and had pity.
The Lord came to my help.
For me you have changed my mourning into dancing:
O Lord my God, I will thank you for ever.
I will praise you, Lord, you have rescued me.

A Reading from S. Paul’s letter to the Galatians 1:11-19

The Good News I preached is not a human message that I was given by men, it is something I learnt only through a revelation of Jesus Christ. You must have heard of my career as a practising Jew, how merciless I was in persecuting the Church of God, how much damage I did to it, how I stood out among other Jews of my generation, and how enthusiastic I was for the traditions of my ancestors.

Then God, who had specially chosen me while I was still in my mother’s womb, called me through his grace and chose to reveal his Son in me, so that I might preach the Good News about him to the pagans. I did not stop to discuss this with any human being, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were already apostles before me, but I went off to Arabia at once and later went straight back from there to Damascus. Even when after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and stayed with him for fifteen days, I did not see any of the other apostles; I only saw James, the brother of the Lord.

A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke 7:11-17

Jesus went to a town called Nain, accompanied by his disciples and a great number of people. When he was near the gate of the town it happened that a dead man was being carried out for burial, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a considerable number of the townspeople were with her. When the Lord saw her he felt sorry for her. ‘Do not cry’ he said. Then he went up and put his hand on the bier and the bearers stood still, and he said, ‘Young man, I tell you to get up.’ And the dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Everyone was filled with awe and praised God saying, ‘A great prophet has appeared among us; God has visited his people.’ And this opinion of him spread throughout Judaea and all over the countryside.

Over the centuries there have been many controversies in the Church as well as false teaching and incorrect beliefs. Just as there have been these false doctrines so to have there been learned people who have had the intellect and insight to correct the false teaching and maintain the true teaching of the Church. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries there was one such belief in France which denied the role of human free will and so implied that sin was inherent in all people; the implications were that few people were thought worthy of receiving Holy Communion because few people were going to be saved and go to heaven. Many priests preached and wrote against this belief, and it was rejected as being contrary to the teaching of the one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

 St Alphonsus Liguori, founder of the Redemptorists, was one of those who fought against such false doctrine. The Redemptorists were and are a missionary society in the church dedicated to teaching and preaching the Holy Gospel. In addition to his many theological writings St. Alphonsus also wrote a popular hymn called “O Bread of Heaven”. He wrote this hymn to help people understand what the Eucharist is all about; and in the last two lines of the fourth verse he asks a question: “For how can he deny me heaven, who here on earth himself hath given?” There is nothing here to do with worthiness, just the fact that Jesus humbled himself so much that he gave us his very self; and if Jesus went this far on earth, how can we think that he might possibly deny us heaven in the future? It is a beautiful hymn but theologically something much more, explaining to all the people, the learned and the simple, the truth of the unconditional love of Christ given to us in Holy Communion.

 St Alphonsus got his inspiration from the sacred scriptures and today we see that in the first letter of St Paul to the community of Corinth, part of which we heard in our second reading, how precious and special the Eucharist is to the Christian community; St Paul simply relates to them what was said and done at the Last Supper, to help them come to a deeper understanding and a fuller appreciation of what the Lord is doing. In this letter of Paul to the Corinthians, the paragraph before the one we have just heard today is all about the community getting into trouble. It would seem that the Christians in Corinth were not celebrating “the Lord’s Supper” as it was meant to be celebrated; quite the opposite, with many people eating with their friends, and not the whole community, and others drinking too much, to the point of drunkenness. Some people were going hungry while others were getting drunk, and St Paul calls them to account. Here he advises them what actually happened at Jesus’ Last Supper, explaining that this was all received from the Lord and he is now passing it on to the community. St Paul relates what was said on the night Jesus was betrayed. He tells us that Jesus took the bread and said, “This is my body, which is for you”; and that when he lifted the wine he said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood.” Every time we gather to celebrate the Mass, the Eucharist, we are doing exactly as Jesus commanded us, and we are doing it in memory of him. We are joined with him in the Body of the Sacrament, we one with him in the unity of the Church. It is into this unity that this infant is to be baptised this morning. Her godparents and family will undertake to ensure that she grows in knowledge and love of God, they will undertake to encourage her to be part of the Church in worship and prayer. They will promise to help her to come, when  she is older to confirmation so that she too may be one with Christ when she receives Holy Communion.

 Receiving Holy Communion is a great privilege and because that is the case we can feel at times completely unworthy of receiving our Lord in Holy Communion. Our feelings of unworthiness may come from within ourselves, or other people may have laid a sense of unworthiness upon us. Wherever the feelings of unworthiness come from, when we come to Mass, the Lord is inviting us to be in perfect union, in communion, with himself.

 No one here today receives the body and blood of Christ because he or she has been a totally good, sinless person. All of us are sinners, and that is something we all confess at the beginning of Mass. However, we are all invited by the Lord to come and eat and drink. That is not because we are good, but to help us to be good.

 Today when you come forward to receive the Lord in Holy Communion, take a moment to prepare yourself properly; remember that this is Jesus giving himself to you, wholly out of love; and remember, as St Paul tells us, that every time we eat this bread and drink this cup, we are proclaiming Christ to the world.

Day 2  The Parochial Church Council.  Burton Manor Primary School
People who live in Barn Bank Lane, Basil Close Blithfield House, Blythe Road

Day 3  The Churchwardens.  The staff and pupils of Silkmore Primary School
People who live in Boon Grove, Border Way, Broad Oaks.

Day 4  The Deanery Synod and the Parish representatives members
People who live in Brook Glen Close, Brookglen Road, Bursley Close, Burton Bank Lane

Day 5  The organist, choir and Music Group.
People who live in Burton House Gardens, Burton Manor Road, Craftdown Close.

 Day 6  The servers.    The Guild of the Servants of the Sanctuary
People who live in Burton Square, Chain Lane, Chestnut Drive, Church Close

Day 7  Bp Jonathan, our Episcopal Visitor.  The Society of the Holy Cross
People who live in Churchill Way,  Conniston House Corran Road,

Day 8  Jonathan, Bp of Lichfield.  Churches Together.  The Company of Mission Priests
People who live in Crinan Grove, Derwent House, Devon Way.

Melchizedek king of Salem brought bread and wine; he was a priest of God Most High. He pronounced this blessing:

‘Blessed be Abram by God Most High, creator of heaven and earth,
and blessed be God Most High for handing over your enemies to you.’

And Abram gave him a tithe of everything.

Psalm 109:1-4

You are a priest for ever, a priest like Melchizedek of old.
The Lord’s revelation to my Master:
‘Sit on my right:
your foes I will put beneath your feet.’
You are a priest for ever, a priest like Melchizedek of old.

The Lord will wield from Zion
your sceptre of power:
rule in the midst of all your foes.
You are a priest for ever, a priest like Melchizedek of old.

A prince from the day of your birth
on the holy mountains;
from the womb before the dawn I begot you.
You are a priest for ever, a priest like Melchizedek of old.

The Lord has sworn an oath he will not change.
‘You are a priest for ever,
a priest like Melchizedek of old.’
You are a priest for ever, a priest like Melchizedek of old.

A Reading from S. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians 11:23-26

This is what I received from the Lord, and in turn passed on to you: that on the same night that he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread, and thanked God for it and broke it, and he said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this as a memorial of me.’ In the same way he took the cup after supper, and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Whenever you drink it, do this as a memorial of me.’ Until the Lord comes, therefore, every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are proclaiming his death.

  A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke 9:11-17

Jesus made the crowds welcome and talked to them about the kingdom of God; and he cured those who were in need of healing.

It was late afternoon when the Twelve came to him and said, ‘Send the people away, and they can go to the villages and farms round about to find lodging and food; for we are in a lonely place here.’ He replied, ‘Give them something to eat yourselves.’ But they said, ‘We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we are to go ourselves and buy food for all these people’ For there were about five thousand men. But he said to his disciples, ‘Get them to sit down in parties of about fifty.’ They did so and made them all sit down. Then he took the five loaves and the two fish, raised his eyes to heaven, and said the blessing over them; then he broke them and handed them to his disciples to distribute among the crowd. They all ate as much as they wanted, and when the scraps remaining were collected they filled twelve baskets.