Theme of the Day: Rethinking Sacrifice
In most religions the gods demand sacrifice. Followers are to surrender something of value to that god. Money. Time. Possessions. Some religions have even called for human sacrifice. Even people who think they aren’t religious sacrifice to false gods. Take the man whose idol is success. What he wants most is to rise through the ranks at work. So, to pursue that idol, he sacrifices his family, spending little time with them. Throughout human history, false gods have expected you to die for them.
In Christianity you meet a God willing to die for you. Today we see that the true God does not make our relationship with him conditional on how much we sacrifice for him. Instead, we are at peace with God because he sacrificed himself for us.
John 19:17-30
Isaiah 52:13–53:12
Hebrews 7:26-28
Psalm 22A
947 – Lamb of God, Pure and Holy
422 – A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth
429 – O Sacred Head, Now Wounded
437 – Rest, O Christ, from All Your Labor
Prayer of the Day: God Most Holy, look with mercy on this, your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, be given over into the hands of the wicked, and suffer death upon the cross. Keep us always faithful to him, our only Savior, who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
Gospel Acclamation: Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.