Wednesday 10th March, 2010
The Third Sunday In Lent
Holy Communion
Gloria In Excelsis Deo
Percy Whitlock (1903-1946), Rochester Cathedral Choir |
Then shall be said or sung,
GLORY be to God on
high, and in earth peace, good will towards men.
We praise thee, we bless thee,
we worship thee, we glorify thee, we give thanks to thee for thy great glory, O
Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty.
Rev 4:9-11
O Lord, the only begotten Son
Jesu Christ; O Lord God, Lamb of God,
1 Pet 1:19
Rev 5:11-14
Son of the Father, that takest away the
sins of the world,
Jn 1:29
have mercy upon us.
Thou that takest away the sins of the
world, have mercy upon us.
Thou that takest away the sins of the world, receive
our prayer. Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father,
Acts 5:30-32
have mercy
upon us.
For thou only art holy
Heb 4:15;
Rom 3:9-20
thou only art the Lord; thou only, O Christ,
with the Holy Ghost, art most high in the glory of God the Father.
Eph 4:4-6 Amen.
The Dismissal
Then the Priest (or Bishop if he be present) shall let them depart with this Blessing.
THE peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his son Jesus Christ our Lord: and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be amongst you and remain with you always. Amen.
Back to top of pageA Closing Hymn
Stand Up, Stand Up For Jesus
STAND up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross;
Lift high His royal banner, it must not suffer loss.
From victory unto victory His army shall He lead,
Till every foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the solemn watchword hear;
If while ye sleep He suffers, away with shame and fear;
Where’er ye meet with evil, within you or without,
Charge for the God of battles, and put the foe to rout.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the trumpet call obey;
Forth to the mighty conflict, in this His glorious day.
Ye that are brave now serve Him against unnumbered foes;
Let courage rise with danger, and strength to strength oppose.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, stand in His strength alone;
The arm of flesh will fail you, ye dare not trust your own.
Put on the Gospel armor, each piece put on with prayer;
Where duty calls or danger, be never wanting there.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, each soldier to his post,
Close up the broken column, and shout through all the host:
Make good the loss so heavy, in those that still remain,
And prove to all around you that death itself is gain.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the strife will not be long;
This day the noise of battle, the next the victor’s song.
To him who overcometh a crown of life shall be;
They with the King of Glory shall reign eternally.
George Duffield (1818-1888)
Back to top of pageA Closing Organ Voluntary
Sonata No. 3, in A Major Mendelssohn's Sonata is in ternary form, with a grand opening and close, and a central fugue based on the penitential chorale "Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir". The message of Christianity is, after all, that our sins - however bad - are unconditionally forgiven, wiped away by God. AUS tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir, Felix Mendelssohn |  Organ Sonata No. 3 in A major, Op. 65, No. 3: I. Con moto maestoso (MP3 Download) |
A Thanksgiving After Holy Communion, by Bishop Thomas Ken (1637-1711)
1. A Prayer and Thanksgiving
after Receiving the Holy Communion.
PARDON, O Father, the Errors and Infirmities of thy poor Child, which have passed in thy holy Service, whether before, or in, or since the Sacrament. And in and for the precious Blood of thy holy Child Jesus, of which I have had the holy Communion, seal me my Pardon! And behold and accept thy Servant, from a Heart full of thy Love, pouring out Praises to thee, for the inestimable Benefits received in those high and holy Mysteries!
What am I, O Lord, or what is in me, that thou shouldest do this great Honour and Favour to me? I am unworthy to touch the Thresholds of thy House, and thou hast taken me to thy Table! I am not worthy to stand amongst thy Saints, and thou hast made me sit with my Saviour! I am not worthy to come before thee, and fall down before thy Footstool, and thou hast been pleased to come into me, and make my Heart thy Throne! I am not worthy to eat the Bread of Men, and thou hast given me the Bread of Angels; yea, Lord, the Angels hunger, but have not this Bread! What they admire, I have received; whom they adore, I have entertained: The Body and Blood of Jesus, their Mirror, is my Meat: Christ and they are Two, but I and my Saviour are One, Flesh of my flesh, and Bone of his Bone, one Blood, one Body! O unspeakable Mystery! O incomparable Mercy!
LORD, I beseech thee, since of my self I cannot enough praise thee, make me some way worthy of thee: Let my Hands which have received thy blessed Body and Blood, be henceforth sacred, and do no Deeds that may offend thee: Let my Lips which have touched those holy Mysteries, be hallowed from all Words that may displease thee: And let my Heart, the Habitation of my Lord and Saviour, be hereafter Holy, and no vain Thoughts lodge within me! As I am one with him in Body and Blood, let me be one in Spirit; the Spirit of Wisdom, Love and Holiness: truly to know thee, serve thee, and cleave unto thee.
By the blessed Sacrament of his Body and Blood, convey it to me. Confirm it in me: Let it be to my Soul the Signet of thy Love, and Seal of Thy Glory: And even for the precious Merits of that Blood and Body, receive me to it, I beseech thee, that I may be one in everlasting Union and Communion with thee, for Jesus his sake. Amen. Amen.
2. A Thanksgiving for a devout Soul,
after Receiving the Communion.
O THOU that hast given the Bread of Heaven to feed me, give me the Tongue of angels to praise thee! Lord, the very Angels are not blessed with such Bread! O what an high Mystery and Mercy is this, that my Saviour is my Sustenance, and their Maker my Meat! The Body and Blood of Christ, the Eternal Son of Cod, to be in an Holy Communion, eaten and drunken by the Mouth of a mortal Man!
O the infinite condescending Goodness of a gracious God! To make my humble Heart the Habitation of his Holiness! To come to me, enter in me, and become one, not by Reconciliation only, but heavenly Union and Communion with me! O miraculous Union! O mysterious Incorporation! O happy Soul, that art so near to thy Saviour! O blessed Saviour that art so near my Soul!
O wretched Soul, if thou esteemest any thing too dear for such a Saviour! Wilt thou not give thy Body and Blood for his Truth? Wilt than not offer thy Life as a Sacrifice to his Glory? O Lord! Let my Soul, which by thy Sacrament is made so happy, by my Sins never be made wretched.
And since I have received thy Body and Blood, let thy Spirit take Possession of my Heart, and Guide me, Lead me, Command me, and Rule me: Be thou the Spirit of my Soul, and Soul of my Body. Let not the Flesh, World, or Devil, have any Power in me. Live! O Live Thou in me, 0 Christ! Live in my Earthly Tabernacle, and let me live for ever with Thee in thy heavenly Habitation! Even by the Merits and Virtues of thy precious Body and Blood, O sweet Jesus, I beseech Thee. Amen.
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Additional Rubrics
Upon the Sundays and other Holy-days (if there be no Communion) shall be said all that is appointed at the Communion, until the end of the general Prayer [For the whole state of Christ's Church militant here in earth] together with one or more of these Collects last before rehearsed, concluding with the Blessing.
And there shall be no celebration of the Lord's Supper, except there be a convenient number to communicate with the Priest, according to his discretion.
And if there be not above twenty persons in the Parish of discretion to receive the Communion: yet there shall be no Communion, except four (or three at the least) communicate with the Priest. And in Cathedral and Collegiate Churches, and Colleges, where there are many Priests and Deacons, they shall all receive the Communion with the Priest every Sunday at the least, except they have a reasonable cause to the contrary.
And to take away all occasion of dissension, and superstition, which any person hath or might have concerning the Bread and Wine, it shall suffice that the Bread be such as is usual to be eaten; but the best and purest Wheat Bread that conveniently may be gotten. And if any of the Bread and Wine remain unconsecrated, the Curate shall have it to his own use: but if any remain of that which was consecrated, it shall not be carried out of the Church, but the Priest, and such other of the Communicants as he shall then call unto him, shall, immediately after the Blessing, reverently eat and drink the same.
The Bread and Wine for the Communion shall be provided by the Curate and the Church-wardens at the charges of the Parish. And note, that every Parishioner shall communicate at the least three times in the year, of which Easter to be one. And yearly at Easter every Parishioner shall reckon with the Parson, Vicar, or Curate, or his or their Deputy or Deputies; and pay to them or him all Ecclesiastical Duties, accustomably due, then and at that time to be paid.
After the Divine Service ended, the money given at the Offertory shall be disposed of to such pious and charitable uses, as the Minister and Church-wardens shall think fit. Wherein if they disagree, it shall be disposed of as the Ordinary shall appoint.
Whereas it is ordained in this Office for the Administration of the Lord's Supper, that the Communicants should receive the same kneeling; (which order is well meant, for a signification of our humble and grateful acknowledgment of the benefits of Christ therein given to all worthy Receivers, and for the avoiding of such profanation and disorder in the holy Communion, as might otherwise ensue;) yet, lest the same kneeling should by any persons, either out of ignorance and infirmity, or out of malice and obstinacy, be misconstrued and depraved: It is hereby declared, That thereby no adoration is intended, or ought to be done, either unto the Sacramental Bread or Wine there bodily received, or unto any Corporal Presence of Christ's natural Flesh and Blood. For the Sacramental Bread and Wine remain still in their very natural substances, and therefore may not be adored; (for that were Idolatry, to be abhorred of all faithful Christians;) and the natural Body and Blood of our Saviour Christ are in Heaven, and not here; it being against the truth of Christ's natural Body to be at one time in more places than one.
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