NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY
October 26, 2025
THE FATHER IS MY HOPE; THE SON IS MY REFUGE;
THE HOLY SPIRIT IS MY PROTECTION.
ALL HOLY TRINITY, GLORY TO THEE!
LIVE AUDIO STREAMING during today’s service is available on the Order of Service page. Recorded audio will be added following worship.
GETTING READY FOR SUNDAY: PREVIEW OF THE READINGS.
In our Gospel lesson today, St. Matthew describes for us the healing of the paralytic, which comes to us an illustration of the power and authority of Christ to heal the afflictions of our souls, and not just our bodies, through the forgiveness of sins., something we experience every Sunday morning in the Holy Communion. Sin, truly, is a paralyzing force in our lives, which deadens, and keeps us from doing the good God would have us do. In forgiveness, God causes us to stand up from the bed of our paralysis and walk in newness of life. Just what that newness of life consists of, and looks like, is what St. Paul describes for us in our Epistle reading from his Letter to the Ephesians.
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON: Joel 2:23-32
“Be glad, O sons of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord, your God; for he has given the early rain for your vindication, he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the latter rain, as before. “The threshing floors shall be full of grain, the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. I will restore to you the years which the swarming locust has eaten,the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you. “You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame. You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I, the Lord, am your God and there is none else. And my people shall never again be put to shame. “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.Even upon the menservants and maidservants in those days, I will pour out my spirit.“And I will give portents in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. And it shall come to pass that all who call upon the name of the Lord shall be delivered; for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.
THE LESSON: Ephesians 4:17-32
Now this I affirm and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds; they are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart; they have become callous and have given themselves up to licentiousness, greedy to practice every kind of uncleanness. You did not so learn Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus. Put off your old nature which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new nature, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, putting away falsehood, let every one speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his hands, so that he may be able to give to those in need. Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for edifying, as fits the occasion, that it may impart grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
THE GOSPEL: Matthew 9:1-8
And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city. And behold, they brought to him a paralytic, lying on his bed; and when Jesus saw their faith he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, take up your bed and go home.” And he rose and went home. When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.
PARISH LIFE NOTES
CONFIRMATION CLASS SIGN-UP Confirmation classes will begin this November in preparation for the Confirmation Service on January 25. If you or your child would like to participate, please sign up soon! Sign-up sheets are available on the table outside the sanctuary. You can also call or email the church office to register. 306 522 6052 / stmarysanglican@sasktel.net
LOST & FOUND REMINDER Have you misplaced something? Our Lost & Found basket is located upstairs in front of the sanctuary, by the coat hanger. Please take a moment to look through it — items will be cleared out or donated at the end of each month. Thank you!
St. Mary’s Prayer Chain consists of a group of participants who are dedicated to prayer. The prayer chain is available to us who need prayer for things such “trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or any other adversity”. Requests may be sent to Ann by text or email or phone call. The request will then be directed to the other participants for prayer. Confidentiality will be maintained.
HELP SHAPE THE FUTURE OF ST. MARY’S As we begin the important journey of calling a new priest, your voice matters. Our Search Committee is inviting input from the congregation to help answer the next question:
• What do we want to see in our new incumbent? (What will she/he bring to St. Marys)
Your responses will help shape our Parish Profile, which is essential in guiding potential candidates and helping them understand what they will need to bring—and where God is calling us as a church community. Please submit your answers confidentially to Yvonne at the church office. You may fold your completed form and place it in the box located on the table in front of the office. Alternatively, you can email your responses to: stmarysanglican@sasktel.net All responses will be treated with care, confidentiality, and respect. Thank you for being part of this important process.
Further here are our first two questions
1. Who are we at St. Mary’s? What are our ministry strengths and weaknesses?
2. What do you envision as St. Mary’s future? (Where do we want to go)
It is not too late to submit your answers to these first two questions. If you haven’t already done so, please have all your responses in by Sunday October 26th.
ST. NICHOLAS FESTIVAL 2025 – VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
St. Mary’s fourth annual St. Nicholas Festival will take place on Saturday, December 6th, from 11am to 3:30pm. We need volunteers from the parish to make this event run smoothly. It is a big fundraiser for us.
The day will include a barbecue/bonfire, bake sale, market (including used books this year), children’s activities, a café with music, and church tours, culminating in a short Lessons & Carols service with a visit from St. Nicholas!
If you are interested in volunteering or need general information about the event, please talk to Katherine and she will direct you to the relevant team leader. You can also talk to the relevant team leader directly:
- Children’s Activities – Shelley
- Market – Clara
- Bake Sale – Amy & Sharon
- Café – Chelsey
- Barbecue – Lyndon
Please let your friends and family know about the event!
Also, we encourage everyone to contribute what you can for our bake sale (other food items, such as jams, also accepted) and market. As well as a used book sale, we also have a table for selling gently-used toys, children’s items, and Christmas decorations. Please bring items to the church on Friday, December 5th, unless otherwise arranged. Thank you all for your support and prayers!”
HERE ARE THE GENERAL TIMES:
St. Nicholas Festival – Saturday, December 6th, at St. Mary’s Anglican Church
- 11-3pm
- – Café & Entertainment,
- Children’s Activities,
- Bake Sale,
- Used Book Sale, and
- Christmas Market
- 11-2pm – Bonfire Barbecue
- 3-3:30pm – Lessons & Carols Children’s Service with a Visit from St. Nicholas
WORSHIP THIS WEEK
- Morning Prayer: Tuesday at 8:30a.m.
- Evening Prayer: Wednesday at 5.30 p.m.
- Sunday night prayer: Sunday 7:00 p.m.