Zion Episcopal Church
SCRIPTURE - TRADITION - REASON
We promise to share the love of Christ with all of God’s children
in our worship, words and witness.
The Last Sunday after the Epiphany
February 15, 2026
Year A
10:00 am
Holy Eucharist (Rite II)
Prelude
Welcome and Announcements
Processional Hymn: 427 “When morning gilds the skies” Blue Hymnal
Celebrant Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
People And blessed be God’s kingdom, now and forever. Amen.
Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid; Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name: through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Gloria S-280
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to his people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly King,
almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks,
we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father:
receive our prayer.
For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Celebrant The Lord be with you
People And also with you
Celebrant Let us pray
The Collect of the Day
O God, who before the passion of your only begotten Son revealed his glory upon the holy mountain: Grant to us that we, beholding by faith the light of his countenance, may be strengthened to bear our cross, and be changed into his likeness from glory to glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
First Reading: Exodus 24:12-18
The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain, and wait there; and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.” So Moses set out with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. To the elders he had said, “Wait here for us, until we come to you again; for Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a dispute may go to them.”
Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the cloud. Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm 99
1 The Lord is King;
let the people tremble; *
he is enthroned upon the cherubim;
let the earth shake.
2 The Lord is great in Zion; *
he is high above all peoples.
3 Let them confess his Name, which is great and awesome; *
he is the Holy One.
4 "O mighty King, lover of justice,
you have established equity; *
you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob."
5 Proclaim the greatness of the Lord our God
and fall down before his footstool; *
he is the Holy One.
6 Moses and Aaron among his priests,
and Samuel among those who call upon his Name, *
they called upon the Lord, and he answered them.
7 He spoke to them out of the pillar of cloud; *
they kept his testimonies and the decree that he gave them.
8 O Lord our God, you answered them indeed; *
you were a God who forgave them,
yet punished them for their evil deeds.
9 Proclaim the greatness of the Lord our God
and worship him upon his holy hill; *
for the Lord our God is the Holy One.
Second Reading: 2 Peter 1:16-21
We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.
So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Gradual Hymn: 129 “Christ upon the mountain peak” Blue Hymnal
The Gospel: Matthew 17:1-9
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew
Glory to you, Lord Christ.
Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.
As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Christ.
The Sermon The Rev. Alexander Herasimtchuk
The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
The Prayers of the People Form III
Father, we pray for your holy Catholic Church;
That we all may be one.
Grant that every member of the Church may truly and humbly serve you;
That your Name may be glorified by all people.
We pray for our Presiding Bishop, Sean; our Bishops, Matthew and Allen; our Priest-in-Charge, Alex; for Michael, our Rector emeritus; and for all bishops, priests, and deacons;
That they may be faithful ministers of your Word and Sacraments.
We pray for Greg and Peggy, our wardens, and for the members of our vestry, that the Lord may guide them and bless them with wisdom, patience, and fortitude.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We pray for our President, Donald; our Governor, Kathy; and all who govern and hold authority in the nations of the world;
That there may be justice and peace on the earth.
We pray for all victims of violence and terrorism. We pray for all refugees and the countries who shelter them. We pray for our brothers and sisters in the Armed Forces. Protect them and safely bring them home to their family and friends. Comfort and sustain families and friends of those serving in the Armed Forces, and deliver them through this time of trial. We pray for all people who are caught in the midst of war. We pray for peace among the nations. We pray for prisoners and their families, and those who minister to them.
Lord in your mercy.
Hear our prayer.
Give us grace to do your will in all that we undertake;
That our works may find favor in your sight.
Have compassion on those who suffer from any grief or trouble;
That they may be delivered from their distress.
Give to the departed eternal rest;
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
We praise you for your saints who have entered into joy;
May we also come to share in your heavenly kingdom.
Let us pray for our own needs and those of others
Silence
The People may add their own petitions.
In the interparish rota of prayer, we pray this week for:
Saint Paul’s and Trinity Parish, Tivoli
In the communion of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Margaret of Antioch and of all the saints, let us commend ourselves, and one another, and all our life, to Christ our God.
To thee, O Lord our God.
Silence
The celebrant may add a concluding collect
The Confession of Sin
Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
Minister and People
Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us;
that we may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your Name. Amen.
The Priest stands and says
Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins
through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all
goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in
eternal life. Amen.
The Peace
Celebrant The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People And also with you.
The Blessing of Birthdays and Anniversaries
Offertory Sentence
Ascribe to the Lord the honor due His name. Bring offerings and come into his courts.
Offering You may continue to bring your gift to the altar through the online payment application VANCO.
Offertory Hymn: 618 “Ye watchers and ye holy ones” Blue Hymnal
The Liturgy of the Holy Communion
Eucharistic Prayer B
The people remain standing.
Celebrant The Lord be with you.
People And also with you.
Celebrant Lift up your hearts.
People We lift them to the Lord.
Celebrant Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People It is right to give him thanks and praise.
It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere
to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of
heaven and earth.
Because in the mystery of the Word made flesh, you have
caused a new light to shine in our hearts, to give the
knowledge of your glory in the face of your Son Jesus Christ
our Lord.
Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and
Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who forever
sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:
Sanctus – S-128
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of power and might,
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full, full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest,
Hosanna in the highest.
The people stand or kneel.
We give thanks to you, O God, for the goodness and love
which you have made known to us in creation; in the calling
of Israel to be your people; in your Word spoken through the
prophets; and above all in the Word made flesh, Jesus, your
Son. For in these last days you sent him to be incarnate from
the Virgin Mary, to be the Savior and Redeemer of the world.
In him, you have delivered us from evil, and made us worthy
to stand before you. In him, you have brought us out of error
into truth, out of sin into righteousness, out of death into life.
On the night before he died for us, our Lord Jesus Christ took
bread; and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and
gave it to his disciples, and said, "Take, eat: This is my Body,
which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me."
After supper he took the cup of wine; and when he had given
thanks, he gave it to them, and said, "Drink this, all of you:
This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you
and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink
it, do this for the remembrance of me."
Therefore, according to his command, O Father,
We remember his death,
We proclaim his resurrection,
We await his coming in glory;
And we offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to you, O Lord of all; presenting to you, from your creation, this bread and wine.
We pray you, gracious God, to send your Holy Spirit upon
these gifts that they may be the Sacrament of the Body of
Christ and his Blood of the new Covenant. Unite us to your
Son in his sacrifice, that we may be acceptable through him,
being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In the fullness of time,
put all things in subjection under your Christ, and bring us to
that heavenly country where with the Blessed Virgin Mary,
St. Margaret of Antioch, and all your saints, we may enter
the everlasting heritage of your sons and daughters;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, the firstborn of all creation,
the head of the Church, and the author of our salvation.
By him, and with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy
Spirit all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and
for ever. AMEN.
And now, as our Savior
Christ has taught us,
we are bold to say,
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
The Fraction
Alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;
Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia
Fraction Anthem S-164
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us,
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us,
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,
Grant us peace.
The Celebrant
The Gifts of God for the People of God.
Take them in remembrance that Christ died for
you, and feed on him in your hearts by faith, with thanksgiving.
The Distribution
All baptized Christians are welcome at the Lord’s table. Worshippers are welcome to receive the Eucharist in both kinds (bread and wine) or in one kind (bread only), as partaking in one kind is considered sufficient under certain circumstances, according to the Book of Common Prayer. If anyone receiving in one kind desires to reverence the holy chalice, please make the sign of St. Andrew’s cross. If anyone desires to receive a blessing instead of the Eucharist, please also make the sign of St. Andrew’s cross. For those who are joining us in worship and prayer, but do not yet feel called to receive the Eucharist, you are welcome to sing our communion hymns, or to spend time in prayer and reflection. Gluten-Free host, as always, is available upon request. May God’s peace and blessings be with you all.
Communion Hymns: 307 "Lord, enthroned in heavenly splendor” Blue Hymnal
135 “Songs of thankfulness and praise” Blue Hymnal
Post Communion Prayer
Let us pray.
Eternal God, heavenly Father,
you have graciously accepted us as living members
of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ,
and you have fed us with spiritual food
in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood.
Send us now into the world in peace,
and grant us strength and courage
to love and serve you
with gladness and singleness of heart;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Benediction
The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you for ever. Amen.
Recessional Hymn: 460 "Alleluia! Sing to Jesus" Blue Hymnal
The Dismissal
Celebrant Go in peace to love and serve the Lord
People Thanks be to God.
Ministers of the Liturgy
Celebrant The Rev. Alexander Herasimtschuk
Organist Sanjeev Oommen
Reader Peggy Kelland
Lay Eucharistic Minister Frank Mariani
Altar Guild Annette Goodwin
Usher Roland and Marie Norris
Wardens
Gregory Fredeman
Peggy Kelland
Treasurer
Maya Hennebery
Vestry
Greg Fredeman
Alison Friedland
Maya Hennebery
Mike Matts
Wendy McNeil
Betty Oommen
Sylvia Propfe
Rector Emeritus The Rev. Michael B. Webber
Bishop The Rt. Rev. Matthew Heyd, Bishop of NY
Suffragan Bishop The Rt. Rev. Allen K. Shin
Please remember Zion Episcopal Church of Wappingers Falls in your will so this magnificent church may be upkept and mission in the name of the Lord Jesus may continue after you have joined the Church Triumphant.
Limited Podcast / Streaming License, Category B average weekly attendance 1 to 100.
M-400628 for Jul 07, 2025 - Jul 06, 2026
Zion Episcopal Church
12 Satterlee Place, Wappingers Falls, New York
(845) 297-9797
https://zionwappingersfalls.org