Hello, Reader!
This Sunday, October 25, we celebrate the Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost with Morning Prayer at 9:00 AM. These readings bring us to the heart of the law: love of God and love of neighbor. They call us to a holiness that shows up in fair judgment, honest speech, and daily faithfulness.
FIRST READING – Leviticus 19:1–2, 15–18
God tells the whole congregation of Israel, “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.” This holiness is practical and social. It means judging neighbors fairly, neither favoring the poor nor deferring to the powerful, refusing to spread slander, and not standing idly by when a neighbor’s life is at risk. It also reaches the heart: no hatred, no grudges, and honest correction offered in love. The passage ends with the command to “love your neighbor as yourself.”
PSALM 90:1–6, 13–17
God has been our refuge from one generation to another, existing before the mountains were formed. Human life is brief, like grass that flourishes in the morning and withers by evening. The psalmist still prays, “Return, O Lord; how long will you tarry?” and asks God to satisfy us with steadfast love, to show His work to our children, and to establish the work of our hands.
EPISTLE – 1 Thessalonians 2:1–8
Paul recalls how he ministered among the Thessalonians. He and his companions proclaimed the gospel with courage despite mistreatment, without flattery, greed, or a hunger for praise. They were gentle among the Thessalonians, “like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children,” and shared not only the gospel but their very lives.
GOSPEL – Matthew 22:34–46
An expert in the law asks Jesus which commandment is greatest. Jesus answers with the Shema: love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. He adds a second commandment like it: love your neighbor as yourself. On these two hang all the Law and the Prophets. Jesus then asks the Pharisees whose son the Messiah is, and no one can answer him.
These readings show that love of God and love of neighbor cannot be separated. As the church year draws to a close, we are invited to examine how we speak, how we judge, how we treat those who wrong us, and how we spend the days we have been given. May our lives reflect the holiness to which God calls us.
Read the full readings and reflections
The podcast of today’s service will be available later today on your favorite podcast platform, or you can listen here.
Don’t forget to review this week’s announcements and the church calendar.
This week, please include those on our prayer list in your prayers as we work to strengthen our community.
If you need inspiration for prayer, consider the Book of Common Prayer or these prayers to guide your prayer journey.
Blessings, and have a great week!
