
Proper 15 – Year A
16 August 2026 All day
Below you will find the Bible readings set for this occasion in the Revised Common Lectionary, with our Australian idiomatic paraphrases of them, plus prayers and sermons based on them.
Bible Readings (paraphrased)
Lections from The Revised Common Lectionary. Copyright 1992 by the Consultation on Common Texts(CCT) P.O. Box 340003, Room 381, Nashville, TN 37203-0003, USA. Used with Permission.
Genesis 45: 1-15
“I am your brother, Joseph: the one you sold to the Egyptian slave traders. But don’t panic! Despite what you did, it has worked out for the best. Your actions played into God’s hands, because God was bringing me here so that I could save many lives. The land has been in the grip of drought and famine for two years already, and it’s only going to get worse. It will be another five years before crops can be sown and harvested again. You and your families would have all perished if God hadn’t brought me here ahead of you, but now you will be among the survivors. So, don’t kick yourselves: it was not you, but God, who brought me here. Because of what God has done, even Pharaoh looks up to me now. I run all his business for him, both in the palace and in the whole land of Egypt.”
Joseph then told his brothers that he wanted them to get home as quickly as possible and deliver a message to his father. This is what it said:“Dear Dad, I am your son, Joseph, and I am alive! God has put me in charge of the whole land of Egypt. Move down here at once. I will set aside land for you in the region of Goshen so that you can live near me. There will be plenty of room for you, and for your children, your grandchildren, all your livestock, and all your possessions. The drought will last for another five years, but I will provide for you and all your family and livestock so that you will be protected from starvation.”
Joseph said to his brothers, “Now all of you, and especially my brother Benjamin, can see from what I’ve said that I really am Joseph. So don’t waste any time. Get back to my father and tell him what a big man I’ve become here in Egypt and bring him down here as soon as possible.” Then Joseph threw his arms around Benjamin and wept openly. Benjamin, too, was crying as he hugged his brother. With tears flowing freely, Joseph hugged and kissed all his brothers, and they finally loosened up and were able to talk with him. ©2001 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.netPsalm 133
Romans 11: 1-2a, 29-32
Matthew 15: (10-20), 21-28
Below are the alternative 1st Reading and Psalm themed to the Gospel lection
Isaiah 56: 1, 6-8
Psalm 67
Prayers
Eucharistic Preface
Short Preface (for insertion into Eucharistic prayers with fixed prefaces)
General Prayer of Thanksgiving
Declaration of Grace / Absolution
Commission & Benediction
Sermons
Sermons will open in new tabs from our SYCBaps church website.
- Be open – welcoming the ‘other’
A sermon on Matthew 15:21-28 & Genesis 45: 1-15 by Meewon Yang - Did Jesus mean to call her that, or was he just having a bad day?
A sermon on Matthew 15:10-28 by Nathan Nettleton - What Comes Out Of His Mouth
A sermon on Matthew 15:10-28 by Samara Pitt - Recognising Patterns of Change
A sermon on Matthew 15:10-28 by Josh Dowton