Today, the Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity, the Cathedral is anticipating the Feast of Michael and All Angels, or Michaelmas. For the Anglican Church Michaelmas is a time in the Church’s calendar for the ordination of deacons and priests. The Gospel reading appointed for Michaelmas is the passage from John’s Gospel that speaks of angels as God’s messengers linking heaven and earth.

For those of you who wanted to do some thinking and preparation for today’s service during the preceding week, I invited reflection on the image of priesthood. In today’s picture from their book, Bread, Aled and Siân are attending the church where their friend’s mother is the parish priest. They watch as she takes the bread, gives thanks to God and places the bread on the altar.

Lord Jesus Christ,

you call people to serve your Church

as deacons, priests, and bishops.

Sustain and inspire all ordained

into this threefold order of ministry,

that your Church may proclaim and display

your active engagement in the world;

for in you heaven and earth are united.

Amen.

Next week, the Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity, the Cathedral is celebrating Harvest Festival and keeping the Feast of St Francis. The image to help us to prepare for next week’s theme is St Francis of Assisi. You can find out more about that theme by looking at the Educational Resources and the Preparation Resources.

Preparation Resources

Education Resources