• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
Liverpool Cathedral

Liverpool Cathedral

  • About Us
  • What’s On
  • Opening Hours
  • Safeguarding
  • About Us
  • What’s On
  • Opening Hours
  • Safeguarding

Exploring the Sunday Gospel – First Sunday after Trinity

Welcome > News > Exploring the Sunday Gospel – First Sunday after Trinity
Posted on May 30, 2024

Last Sunday was Trinity Sunday, and we are now back into that phase of the Church’s year known as ‘ordinary time’. The Gospel reading for today, the First Sunday after Trinity, resumes this year’s systematic reading through Mark’s Gospel.

Today Mark’s narrative is picked up in chapter 2 at a point where there is a growing conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees. The Pharisees are concerned to maintain the proper and strict observance of the Jewish law. In these verses from Mark’s Gospel, Jesus is seen to break the sabbath law in two ways, by encouraging his disciples to pluck heads of grain and by healing the man who had the withered hand. Jesus’ reply that ‘the sabbath was made for humankind and not humankind for the sabbath’ stands at the heart of the debate concerning the Christian attitude to keeping Sunday special.

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 Sundays. In today’s picture taken from his book Teddy Horsley feasts with Jesus, Teddy Horsley is making Sunday special by going to his local church where he meets with his friends.


Lord Jesus Christ,

you made Sunday special

when you rose from the tomb.

Help us to give you special place

in the Sundays throughout our lives,

that others may see the power of your resurrection;

for you are our God, now and always.

Amen.


Next Sunday, the Second Sunday after Trinity, the Gospel reading takes us into Mark chapter 3 where Jesus faces further trouble with the religious leaders. The image to help us prepare for next Sunday’s theme is conflict. You can find out more about that theme by looking at the Educational Resources and the Preparation Resources.

Preparation Resources
Education Resources

Prayer Requests

Would you like to submit a prayer request? You can do so through the prayer for Liverpool website.

Notice Sheet

Would you like to sign up to receive the Cathedral’s weekly notice sheet? You can do so here.

Previous Post:Exploring the Sunday Gospel – Trinity Sunday
Next Post:Come and Celebrate a Century of Liverpool Cathedral

Sidebar

More Like This
All News
29 May 2025
Seventh Sunday of Easter – Exploring the Sunday Gospel

Today is the Seventh Sunday of Easter and the Sunday after Ascension Day. Today’s Gospel reading continues the theme of …

23 May 2025
Confronting the Past – The Slavery Truth Project at Liverpool Cathedral

The Slavery Truth Project at Liverpool Cathedral Over the past two months, Liverpool Cathedral has taken a powerful and necessary …

22 May 2025
Upgrading the Sound System

Upgrading the Sound System The first phase of upgrading the sound system has taken place with a new console, controls …

22 May 2025
Sixth Sunday of Easter – Exploring the Sunday Gospel

Today is the Sixth Sunday of Easter, when the Gospel reading is taken from John’s account of Jesus’ last supper …

15 May 2025
Fifth Sunday of Easter – Exploring the Sunday Gospel

Today is the Fifth Sunday of Easter, when the Gospel reading is taken from John’s account of Jesus’ last supper …

13 May 2025
Welcoming Revd. Bec Hill to Liverpool Cathedral

We’re delighted to announce that the Revd. Bec Hill will be joining our clergy team at Liverpool Cathedral as a …

Sign up to our newsletter

Safeguarding at Liverpool Cathedral
  • About the Cathedral
  • Education at the Cathedral
  • Cathedral Music
  • Exploring Faith
  • News
  • Accessibility
  • Visiting the Cathedral
  • Upcoming Events
  • Tours
  • Dining
  • Cathedral Shop
  • How to Find Us
  • Contact Us
  • Policies
  • Venue Hire
  • Support Us
  • Vacancies
  • Cookie Preferences

Liverpool Cathedral is a registered Charity 1205970

Follow Us

  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • X
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
Association of English cathedrals
Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King Liverpool
Churches Together in Merseyside
Visit England Gold Visitor Attraction 2021-22.
Visit Liverpool
Tripexpert Experts' Choice Award - Reviews you can trust