Sunday Prayer - Sunday 13th September 2026

0:00A very good morning to you and your warmly welcome as you gather with us for Sunday prayer on this Sunday the 13th of September as the church celebrates the 24th Sunday in ordinary time. Father Jerry Kenny here with you this morning and today's gospel passage from Saint Matthew asks us to reflect on forgiveness. The challenges were asked to replicate the forgiveness that God gives to each of us. God is merciful, always open to forgive and Jesus asks us in reflecting on the parable he gives us today to imitate the gracious mercy of God in all our dealings with others.

1:01It's a challenge to forgive especially when you feel hurt. So we ask God for the grace that each of us needs on our earthly journey to have an open heart, to be willing to listen, to forgive and to heal. The Lord is kind and merciful. May we be true. Bless the Lord, O my Son, and O my Son.

2:05May we forgive each other, O my Son. The Lord is kind and merciful. He pardons our Lord and make with him. He heals all your hills. He redeems your life from destruction. Crowned you with kindness and compassion. The Lord is kind and merciful.

3:18The Lord secures justice and the rights of all the oppressed. He has made known his ways to Moses and his deeds to the children of his life. The Lord is kind and merciful. Merciful and gracious is the Lord. So to winger and abounding in kindness, for as the heavens are high above the earth.

4:20So surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him. So for as kind and merciful. A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew. Peter went up to Jesus and said, Lord, how often must I forgive my brother if he wrongs me? As often as seven times? Jesus answered, not seven I tell you, but 77 times. And so the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who decided to settle his accounts with his servants. When the reckoning began, they brought him a man who owed ten thousand talents. But he had no means of paying, so his master gave orders that he should be sold together with his wife and children and all his possessions to meet the dead.

5:27At this, the servant threw himself down at his master's feet. Give me time, he said, and I will pay the whole sum. And the servant's master felt so sorry for him that he let him go and cancelled the debt. Now as this servant went out, he happened to meet a fellow servant who owed him one hundred denari and he seized him by the throats and began to throttle him. Pay what you owe me, he said. His fellow servant fell at his feet and implored him, saying, Give me time and I will pay you. But the other would not agree. On the contrary, he had him thrown into prison till he should pay the debt. His fellow servants were deeply distressed when they saw what had happened and they went to their master and reported the whole affair to him. Then the master sent for him. You wicked servant, he said. I cancelled all that debt of yours when you appealed to me. Were you not bound then to have pity on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you.

6:30And in his anger, the master handed him over to the torturers till he should pay all his debt. And that is how my Heavenly Father will deal with you unless you forgive your brother from your heart, the gospel of the Lord. As we reflect on the gracious mercy and forgiveness of God for each of us, we now turn to the Lord in prayer, asking him to help us to pray for what we truly need and for those whom we ourselves may need to forgive. We pray for the church and all who follow Christ. May we be living signs of reconciliation and of God's great mercy. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. For those throughout our world engaged in war and conflict,

7:32may they set aside vengeance and retaliation and instead work for progress and peace in the world and for the good of all. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. We pray for families and communities that may be divided by grudges, disputes or old resentments. The they may find healing from their hearts and learn to imitate the Father's way of forgiveness. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. During this season of creation, we pray that the gifts of creation may be used with care and responsibility. May all humans be true stewards and act for the welfare of all creatures who share our world. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

8:33And we pray for anyone who may be ill or carrying a difficult burden at this time. Remembering anyone especially we ourselves know carrying a daily cross of pain or helplessness. Lord, grant them healing and fresh hope through the hands of those who care for them. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. And we pray for our deceased. Remembering especially the deceased we ourselves have known and loved. We ask you, Lord, to welcome them with joy into your eternal banquet. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. God of mercy, hear the prayers we present to you today. Help us to imitate your way of forgiveness and compassion in all our dealings with others. We make these and all our prayers through Christ our Lord and Savior, Amen.

9:46In our hearts this time, your words as it can be, change our minds this time. Your life could make us free. We are the people, your call sets apart. Lord, this time, change our hearts. Brought by your hand to the edge of our dreams, one foot in paradise, one in the waist. Drone by your promises. Still we are lured by the shadows and the chains we leave behind. But change our hearts this time.

10:49Your words as it can be, change our minds this time. Your life could make us free. We are the people, your call sets apart. Lord, this time, change our hearts. Now as we watch you stretch out your hand offering abundances and fullness of joy. Your milk and honey seem distant, unreal when we have bread and butter in our hands. Change our hearts this time. Your words as it can be, change our minds this time.

11:55Your life could make us free. We are the people, your call sets apart. Lord, this time, change our hearts. The voice thereof, free-sept-a-new, with the hymn, change our hearts, where we ask the Lord to soften our own hearts, to reflect His great compassion, mercy and forgiveness for us. And that concludes our time of Sunday prayer here on this Sunday. Father Jerry Kenny, thank you for your company and remind you that later on this evening on Theratham, my colleague Stephen Fletcher will be back to present tonight's edition of Beyond Belief. That's a dine at lock tonight here on Theratham.

12:57I hope to you again next Sunday morning at around a quarter to eight for Sunday prayer. Until then, slow on the spouts. Be seated, hold us the way, that leads to the sun, over the mountains and sand of the sun. Before us men are water from snow, light which says we never want the light. Change our hearts, your words says it can be. Change our hearts, this time, your life will look like a screen.

13:57We are the people, your calls are the part, your this time, change our hearts. Our history, change our hearts. This time, change our hearts, this time, change our hearts. Change our hearts.