Proper 19
week of the Sunday closest to September 14

Collect:
O God, because without you we are not able to please you, mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

First Lesson: Ecclesiasticus 27:30-28:7
Anger and wrath, these are also abominations, and the sinfil man will possess them.

He that takes vengance will suffer vengance from the Lord, and he will closely observe his sins.

Forgive your neighbor the wrong he has done, and then your sins will eb pardoned when you pray.

Does a man harbor anger against another, and yet seek for healing from the Lord?

Does he have no mercy toward a man like himself, and yet pray for his own sins?

If he himself, being flesh, maintains wrath, who will make expiation of his sins?

Remember the end of your life, and cease from enmity, remember destruction and death, and be true to the commandmanets.

Remember the commandments, and do not be angry with your neighbor; remember the covenant of the Most High, and overlook ignorance.

Second Lesson: Romans 14:5-12
One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. It is written: " 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord,
'every knee will bow before me;
every tongue will confess to God.' "

So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Psalm: 103

1. Bless the LORD, O my soul, *
   and all that is within me, bless his holy Name.
2. Bless the LORD, O my soul, *
   and forget not all his benefits.
3. He forgives all your sins *
   and heals all your infirmities;
4. He redeems your life from the grave *
   and crowns you with mercy and loving-kindness;
5. He satisfies you with good things, *
   and your youth is renewed like an eagle's.
6. The LORD executes righteousness *
   and judgment for all who are oppressed.
7. He made his ways known to Moses *
   and his works to the children of Israel.
8. The LORD is full of compassion and mercy, *
   slow to anger and of great kindness.
9. He will not always accuse us, *
   nor will he keep his anger for ever.
10. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, *
    nor rewarded us according to our wickedness.
11. For as the heavens are high above the earth, *
    so is his mercy great upon those who fear him.
12. As far as the east is from the west, *
    so far has he removed our sins from us.
13. As a father cares for his children, *
    so does the LORD care for those who fear him.
14. For he himself knows whereof we are made; *
    he remembers that we are but dust.
15. Our days are like the grass; *
    we flourish like a flower of the field;
16. When the wind goes over it, it is gone, *
    and its place shall know it no more.
17. But the merciful goodness of the LORD endures for ever
    on those who fear him, *
    and his righteousness on children's children;
18. On those who keep his covenant *
    and remember his commandments and do them.
19. The LORD has set his throne in heaven, *
    and his kingship has dominion over all.
20. Bless the LORD, you angels of his,
    you mighty ones who do his bidding, *
    and hearken to the voice of his word.
21. Bless the LORD, all you his hosts, *
    you ministers of his who do his will.
22. Bless the LORD, all you works of his,
    in all places of his dominion; *
    bless the LORD, O my soul.

Gospel: Matthew 18:21-35
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"

Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded.

His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'

But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.

Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

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

Sts. Vidicon & Isidore