Sunday 16th March

Parish Mass for the Second Sunday in Lent

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

Genesis 15: 1-12, 17-18

After these things the word of the Lord  came to Abram in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.’ But Abram said, ‘O Lord God , what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?’ And Abram said, ‘You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.’ But the word of the Lord  came to him, ‘This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir.’ He brought him outside and said, ‘Look towards heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’ And he believed the Lord ; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness.

Then he said to him, ‘I am the Lord  who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess.’ But he said, ‘O Lord God , how am I to know that I shall possess it?’ He said to him, ‘Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon.’ He brought him all these and cut them in two, laying each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.

As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a deep and terrifying darkness descended upon him.

When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking fire-pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. On that day the Lord  made a covenant with Abram, saying, ‘To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates.

Gospel

Luke 13: 31 - end

At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, ‘Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.’ He said to them, ‘Go and tell that fox for me, “Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed away from Jerusalem.” Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.”’

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