Sunday 28th February

Parish Mass for the Second Sunday of Lent

This service is available to view on our Facebook page here

Collect

Almighty God, you show to those who are in error the light of your truth, that they may return to the way of righteousness: grant to all those who are admitted into the fellowship of Christ’s religion, that they may reject those things that are contrary to their profession, and follow all such things as are agreeable to the same; through our Lord Jesus Christ, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Amen

Reading

Romans 4: 13-25

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. If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation.

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, 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. 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.” 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. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. Therefore his faith “was reckoned to him as righteousness.” Now the words, “it was reckoned to him,” were written not for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.

Gospel

Mark 8: 31-38

Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must

undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders,

the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after

three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And

Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But

turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter

and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting

your mind not on divine things but on human things.”

He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them,

“If any want to become my followers, let them deny

themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For

those who want to save their life will lose it, and those

who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the

gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain

the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can

they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Post Communion Prayer

Almighty God, you see that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves: keep us both outwardly in our bodies, and inwardly in our souls; that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Mid-week Mass for Wednesday, 24th February is also available on our Facebook page here