Consecration Sunday – Exploring the Sunday Gospel

Today is Consecration Sunday for Liverpool Cathedral, the annual festival and celebration of consecration of the (partly constructed) cathedral in 1924. The Gospel reading is Matthew’s account of Jesus’ disruptive action of entering and cleaning the temple at Jerusalem. Jesus’ pronouncement draws on words from Jeremiah and Isaiah:

My house shall be called a house of prayer; but you are making it a den of robbers.

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 House of Prayer. In today’s picture Teddy Horsley is on his way to join us in Liverpool Cathedral.

Lord Jesus Christ,

you entered the temple in Jerusalem

and restored it as a house of prayer.

Shape this house of prayer in our city

to be a place of encounter,

for all people;

for you are our God,

now and always.

Amen

Next Sunday is the Eighth Sunday after Trinity. The Gospel reading is a third section from Matthew 13, the collection of Jesus’ parables. The image to help prepare for this theme is hidden treasure. You can find out more about that theme by looking at the Educational Resources and the Preparation Resources.

Preparation Resources

Family Resources