A Prayer for the Third Sunday after Trinity
Luke 15:1–10 / By Esaias Heidenreich
O benevolent Lord Jesus Christ, as every manner of tax collectors and sinners drew near to You to hear You, so grant that we, poor sinful men and women, may thus draw near and hold fast to You, Your Word, and the most worthy Sacrament, that our faith and heart may thereby be edified, confirmed, and increased, so that we may obediently follow Your Word and command. Protect us from the grumbling of hypocrites, lest we become angry at You and Your Church, and despise and forfeit Your inexpressible grace; but rather, may we rejoice and find consolation and revival in the same, here in time and there in eternity. Amen.
Esaias Heidenreich, Betbüchlein (1572)
Albrecht Dürer, Prodigal Son (c. 1496)