Thursday June 10 Pentecost 2
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Psalm 70
God can be trusted to deliver the poor from evil.
These two psalms are often used on Thursdays, the mini-anniversaries of the approach of Jesus’ death in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Psalm 71
In old age I am filled with praise for the God who has rescued me in so many ways throughout my long life. People are attacking me now, but I trust in your salvation as you have acted for me all my life.
Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 44: 19—45:2 What’s Ecclesiasticus about?
The book of Sirach (or Ecclesiasticus, located in the Apocrypha) and written about 200 years before Jesus, is a series of wise sayings about how to live well, especially when under foreign rule. This passage recounts how God blessed the ancient leaders Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses. The implication is that people of Sirach’s time, now conquered by the Greek empire, can also receive blessings.
Luke 19: 28-40 What’s Luke about?
Jesus prepares for the Passover celebration and enters the city of Jerusalem as an equal with everyone on a lowly donkey. It is likely that Jesus chose the timing deliberately to coincide with the annual arrival of a Roman legion entering the city with its full military force to prevent revolution during the Passover ceremonies which symbolize God rescuing the people from slavery. Religious leaders tell him to stop this demonstration because the Roman army may respond with violence to this challenge, but Jesus insists that everyone rejoices when God’s kingdom of justice comes—even stones will be cheering!
This week’s collect:
O God,
you have assured the human family of eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Deliver us from the death of sin
and raise us to new life in him,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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