Proper 9
week of the Sunday closest to July 6

Collect
O God, you have taught us to keep all your commandments by loving you and our neighbor: Grant us the grace of your Holy Spirit, that we may be devoted to your with our whole heart, and united to one another with pure affection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

First Lesson: Zechariah 9:9-12
Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion!
Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and having salvation,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
I will take away the chariots from Ephraim
and the war-horses from Jerusalem,
and the battle bow will be broken.
He will proclaim peace to the nations.
His rule will extend from sea to sea
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you,
I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit.
Return to your fortress, O prisoners of hope;
even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you.

Second Lesson: Romans 7:21-8:6
So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace

Psalm:145

1. I will exalt you, O God my King, *
   and bless your Name for ever and ever.
2. Every day will I bless you *
   and praise your Name for ever and ever.
3. Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; *
   there is no end to his greatness.
4. One generation shall praise your works to another *
   and shall declare your power.
5. I will ponder the glorious splendor of your majesty *
   and all your marvelous works.
6. They shall speak of the might of your wondrous acts, *
   and I will tell of your greatness.
7. They shall publish the remembrance of your great goodness; *
   they shall sing of your righteous deeds.
8. The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, *
   slow to anger and of great kindness.
9. The LORD is loving to everyone *
   and his compassion is over all his works.
10. All your works praise you, O LORD, *
    and your faithful servants bless you.
11. They make known the glory of your kingdom *
    and speak of your power;
12. That the peoples may know of your power *
    and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; *
    your dominion endures throughout all ages.
14. The LORD is faithful in all his words *
    and merciful in all his deeds.
15. The LORD upholds all those who fall; *
    he lifts up those who are bowed down.
16. The eyes of all wait upon you, O LORD, *
    and you give them their food in due season.
17. You open wide your hand *
    and satisfy the needs of every living creature.
18. The LORD is righteous in all his ways *
    and loving in all his works.
19. The LORD is near to those who call upon him, *
    to all who call upon him faithfully.
20. He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; *
    he hears their cry and helps them.
21. The LORD preserves all those who love him, *
    but he destroys all the wicked.
22. My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD; *
    let all flesh bless his holy Name for ever and ever.

Gospel: Matthew 11:25-30
At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.

All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Collect & Psalm from the Book of Common Prayer
Other excerpts from the New International Bible

Sts. Vidicon & Isidore