Notable Feast Days this Week
 
September 9 - The Third Ecumenical Council, 431 (Eastern) 
September 9 - Peter Claver, 1654 (Roman Catholic)
September 10 - Pulcheria the Empress, 453
September 10 - Finnian, Ulster, c. 579
September 11 - Theodora of Alexandria, 490
September 12 - Ailbhe of Emly, Irish Bishop, 526 
September 13 - John Chrysostom, 407 (Roman Catholic) 
September 14 - Holy Cross
September 15 - Porphyrius the Actor, 361
Revised Common Lectionary

Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28
Psalm 14
Exodus 32:7-14
Psalm 51:1-10
1 Timothy 1:12-17
Luke 15:1-10

Daily Readings (RCL)
Abbreviated Daily Readings

Share
Tweet
Forward
--Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost -- September 15, 2019 (Year C)

Merciful God
Moses was bold in asking for God's mercy (Exodus 32:7-14). David asked for God to cleanse him from sin (Psalm 51: 1-11). Many turn away from God and try to pretend that he does not exist (Psalm 14). But we must remember that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. Turn to him and thank him for his mercy and grace (1 Timothy 1:12-17). He seeks those who are lost and rejoices in those who turn back to him (Luke 15:1-10). 

Triumph of the Holy Cross
September 14
 
This week marks the celebration of "Holy Cross," a feast day that is common in both Western and Eastern traditions. There is a rich biblical and theological tradition behind Jesus' references to his body being "lifted up" during his crucifixion. The meaning of this symbolic image is embedded throughout Scripture and serves as an anchor for reflecting on the depths of atonement through Christ. Consider wearing a cross necklace this week as a sign of our union with Christ through his death on a cross.

Read Isaiah 52:13, John 3:13-15, Numbers, 21:4-9, and Galatians 3:13. Or dive deeper into the Lectionary Readings readings for Holy Cross (Year C). Also, here is a brief introduction to the historical background behind the Christian practice of The Sign of the Cross.

 
Psalms of the Week
Scripture Readings

Psalm 14
Who seeks after God?

Psalm 51:1-10
Have mercy on me, O God



Commentary on Psalm 14
AugustineAquinas
CalvinSpurgeon


Commentary on Psalm 51
AugustineCalvinSpurgeon, 
AquinasJohn Paul II


Audio
Jeremiah 4, Exodus 321 Timothy 1
Luke 15, Psalm 14
Psalm 51

Spotify Playlists
Psalm 14 and Psalm 51
Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28
Judgment against Jerusalem

Exodus 32:7-14
Moses begs forgiveness

1 Timothy 1:12-17
Jesus Christ came for sinners

Luke 15:1-10
The lost sheep and the silver coin


Daily Readings
Revised Common Lectionary

Daily Readings
Book of Common Prayer

Bible in a Year
Chronological
Resources
"St. Luke did not idly present three parables in a row. By the parables of the sheep that strayed and was found, the coin which was lost and was found, and the son who was dead and came to life, we may cure our wounds, being encouraged by a threefold remedy. “A threefold cord will not be broken.” Who are the father, the shepherd and the woman? They are God the Father, Christ and the church. Christ carries you on his body, he who took your sins on himself. The church seeks, and the Father receives. The shepherd carries. The mother searches. The father clothes. First mercy comes, then intercession, and third reconciliation. Each complements the other. The Savior rescues, the church intercedes, and the Creator reconciles. The mercy of the divine act is the same, but the grace differs according to our merits. The weary sheep is recalled by the shepherd, the coin which was lost is found, the son retraces his steps to his father and returns, guilty of error but totally repentant." - Ambrose of Milan on Luke 15

O Lord, the helper of the helpless, the hope of those who are past hope, the savior of the tempest-tossed, the harbor of the voyagers, the physician of the sick; you know each soul and our prayer, each home and its need; become to each one of us what we most dearly require, receiving us all into your kingdom, making us children of light; and pour on us your peace and love, O Lord our God. Amen. -Liturgy of St. Basil the Great
Collect for the Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost (BCP 1979)
Grant us, O Lord, to trust in you with all our hearts; for, as you always resist the proud who confide in their own strength, so you never forsake those who make their boast of your mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Singing Psalms and Hymns
Hymn Suggestions for the Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Year C) from Hymnary.org 

CCLI Contemporary Liturgy Song Select  

Hymns for Psalm 14 and Psalm 51 from Hymnary.com

Abide With Me | by Henry Lyte and Justin Smith/Music by Justin Smith | Leadsheet

Lift High the Cross | by George William Kitchin, 1887 | Leadsheet

Praise My Soul the King of Heaven | by Henry Lyte and John Goss | Leadsheets


Psalm 14 (Oh, That Your Salvation and Your Rescue) | By David Lee | Leadsheet

O God Will You Restore Us? | by Isaac Wardell | Leadsheet  

Psalm 51 | by Rebecca Dennison (Sojourn Music) | Leadsheet 

God Be Merciful to Me (Psalm 51) | Music by Christopher Miner | Leadsheets 

Psalm 51 (Have Mercy On Me O God) | by Graham Kendrick | Leadsheet


Songs for Psalm 51 from The Verses Project 

Psalm 14 Refrain | from The Emergent Psalter Leadsheet

Psalm 51 Refrain | from The Emergent Psalter Leadsheet


Metrical Options | Psalm 14 and Psalm 51
Music for Listening
Art
Enjoying this newsletter? Become a patron of the Liturgy Letter on Patreon; an on-going crowd funding service where you can commit to as little as $1 a month or set a maximum limit. Anything helps!

Thank you for your support.


 
Our e-mail address is: contact@liturgyletter.com