Pastor Sullivan's Blog

Grace and peace be unto you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Jesus tells a parable of two men in today’s Gospel lesson. The first is a Pharisee. The Pharisee goes to the Temple, the house of the Lord, to pray. He approaches God purely out of thanksgiving, but not thanksgiving for what God has done for him. He thanks God that He is not like other men. He is not an extortioner. He’s not ravenous for other’s possessions or property. He hasn’t gotten his goods by threat or force. He thanks God that he is a hardworking and industrious fellow. And this is a good thing. He thanks God that he is not unjust. He is not an unrighteous person who wallows in the sins of the flesh like lust and covetousness. And this, too, is a good thing. His litany continues. He gives thanks that he is not an adulterer. He is faithful to his marriage vows and this, too, is a very good thing. Then he gives thanks to God that he is not like the man standing at the back of the Temple, head bo...

In the Name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.  1)         Before Matthew was known as ‘Saint Matthew,’ before he was a disciple and apostle, and before the Holy Ghost inspired him to write the account of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection that bears his name, Matthew was simply a tax collector. He writes, “ As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office .” Matthew had a tax booth at the edge of the Capernaum city limits, so that travelling merchants and traders would have to stop and pay tax on their wares as they headed to market. Being the tax man is just another God-pleasing vocation. Paul tells the Roman Christians that we pay taxes so that the civil rulers can govern. He says, “ Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor ” (Romans 13:7). But it goes for the tax man as it does for all m...

Order of Holy Communion  - Pg. 15 Hymn #  294 O Word of God Incarnate Hymn #  342 Chief of Sinners Though I Be Hymn #  526 In God, my faithful God Introit GOD IS || in His holy habi- | ta- | tion. *             God sets the solitary in | fam- | i- | lies. || The God of Israel is He who gives | strength | - *             And power to | His | peo- | ple.  (Psalm 68:5b, 6a, 35b) || Let God arise, Let His enemies be | scat- | tered; *             Let those also who hate Him flee | be- | fore | Him. || But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before | God; | - *             Yes, let them rejoice ex- | ceed- | ing- | ly. || O God, when you went out before Your | peo- | ple, *             You, O God, provided from Your goodness | for | the | poor. || Blessèd be the Lord, who daily loads us with | bene- ∙ | ...