Liturgy for Holy Eucharist
Participation in the presence of Christ
October 19, 2025
Proper 24
Welcome & Breath Prayer
Acclamation
Blessed be God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
And blessed be his kingdom, now and forever. Amen.
(Some cross themselves as a way of praying with their bodies.)
The Collect for Purity
Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you, no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Summary of the Law
Hear what our Lord Jesus Christ says:
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your mind. This is the first and most important commandment. And the second is like it. ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ Everything that is written in the Law and the Prophets is based on these two commandments. (Matthew 22:37–40)
The Gloria
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to his people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly King,
Almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks,
we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father:
receive our prayer.
For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
The Collect of the Day
The Lord be with you.
And with your spirit.
Let us pray:
Set us free, loving Father, from the bondage of our sins, and in your goodness and mercy give us the liberty of that abundant life which you have made known to us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
(A collect is a prayer meant to gather the intentions of the people and to be prayed together. Each week, the same collects are prayed by Christians all over the world.)
The Lessons
First Reading
A reading from Genesis 32:3–8, 22–30:
Jacob sent messengers before him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom, instructing them, “Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: Thus says your servant Jacob, ‘I have lived with Laban as an alien and stayed until now, and I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male and female slaves, and I have sent to tell my lord, in order that I may find favor in your sight.’ ”
The messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.” Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed, and he divided the people who were with him and the flocks and herds and camels into two companies, thinking, “If Esau comes to the one company and destroys it, then the company that is left will escape.”
..
The same night he got up and took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven children and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. He took them and sent them across the stream, and likewise everything that he had. Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, “Let me go, for the day is breaking.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.” So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” Then the man said, “You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans and have prevailed.” Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, yet my life is preserved.”
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
We will read Psalm 121 responsively. I will read the first line up to the break. Together we will read the second line to the end of the verse.
My help comes from the Lord,
And he will keep me
Now and forevermore
I lift up my eyes to the hills— //
from where will my help come?
My help comes from the Lord, //
who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved; //
he who keeps you will not slumber.
He who keeps Israel //
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper; //
the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day //
nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all evil; //
he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep //
your going out and your coming in
from this time on and forevermore.
My help comes from the Lord,
And he will keep me
Now and forevermore
Second Reading
A reading from 2 Timothy 3:14–4:5:
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have known sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the person of God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you: proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage with the utmost patience in teaching. For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound teaching, but, having their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. As for you, be sober in everything, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The Gospel Reading
The holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke 18:9–14:
He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other, for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Christ.
(Some cross their foreheads, lips, and heart as a way to pray that the gospel would always be in their heads, on their lips, and in their hearts.)
Reflection on God’s Word
Song // Hope
In you, Lord, is our hope; and we shall never hope in vain.
For hope, along with faith and love, forever will remain.
She honestly accounts for all our suffering and pain;
And, though she still allows and even wants us to complain,
She chooses not to let despair invade the heart and reign.
Now, hope in you is diff’rent, Lord, than wishing for the best.
For wishing seeks to serve the self and put you to the test.
Had Jesus jumped when Satan said you’d save at his behest,
He could have only wished for angel-wings to manifest.
But, since his hope was in you, Lord, you strengthened his protest.
We hope, we hope
In you, O Lord
We hope
So, when we say “we hope in you,” Lord, may it truly be.
For far too often what we mean is “do what’s best for me.”
We think that if you grant us wishes, life will be more free,
Forgetting that your ways are way beyond what we can see,
And only hope in you will lead the soul to victory.
We hope, we hope
In you, O Lord
We hope in you
The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, visible and invisible.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God, begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven,
was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
(This has been the summation of the Christian faith since 325 A.D.)