Holy Eucharist
Tuesday, September 29, 2020
Propers 424 or For All the Saints 295; Genisis 28:10-17; Psalm 103:19-22; Revelations 12:7-12; John 1:47-51; Preface of Trinity Sunday
Today we celebrate those mysterious beings which Scripture calls “angels,” a name which comes from the Greek word for “messengers.” Messengers from God can be visible or invisible, and may take human or non-human forms. Christians have always felt themselves to be attended by healthful spirits — swift, powerful, and enlightening. These spirits are often depicted in Christian art in human form, with wings to show that time and space do not constrain them, with swords to sig- nify their power, and with dazzling raiment to represent their ability to enlighten faithful humans. Of the many angels men- tioned in the Bible, only four are called by name: Michael, Gabriel, U’riel, and Ra’pha-el. In the Book of Revelation, the Archangel Michael is presented as the powerful agent of God who wards off evil from God’s people and delivers peace to them at the end of this life’s mortal struggle.
Many good and faithful Christians find it difficult to accept the existence of angels; for them, angels have no more reality in fact than unicorns, griffins, or the phoenix. It may be true that the existence of angels is not one of the things in which Christians must believe if they want to be saved. Yet whenever Christians say the Nicene Creed, they confess that God has created “all that is, seen and unseen.” Entertaining the possibility of angels may be one way of acknowledging the sheer diversity of life, visible and invisible, that God has ordained in creation.
The Gathering of the Community
Celebrant
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with you all.
People
And also with you.
Celebrant
Almighty God,
All
to you all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from you no secrets are hidden.
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.
Glory to God
Celebrant
Glory to God in the highest,
All
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.
Kyrie eleison.
Christe eleison.
Kyrie eleison.
Trisagion
Holy God,
holy and mighty,
holy immortal one,
have mercy upon us.
Collect
Celebrant
Let us pray.
Eternal God,
you have ordained and constituted in a wonderful order
the ministries of angels and mortals.
Grant that as your holy angels stand before you in heaven,
so at your command
they may help and defend us here on earth;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
People
Amen.
First Reading
Reader
A reading from the Book of Genesis
Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran. He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And the Lord stood beside him and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!” And he was afraid, and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”
The word of the Lord.
People
Thanks be to God.
Psalm
Refrain
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Reader
The Lord has set his throne in heaven, and his kingship has dominion over all.
Bless the Lord, you angels of his, you mighty ones who do his bidding, and hearken to the voice of his word. R
Bless the Lord, all you his hosts, you ministers of his who do his will.
Bless the Lord, all you works of his, in all places of his dominion; bless the Lord, O my soul. R
Second Reading
Reader
A reading from the Revelation to John
And war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back, but they were defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. The great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, proclaiming,
“Now have come the salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Messiah,
for the accuser of our comrades has been thrown down,
who accuses them day and night before our God.
But they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony,
for they did not cling to life even in the face of death.
Rejoice then, you heavens
and those who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea,
for the devil has come down to you
with great wrath,
because he knows that his time is short!”
The word of the Lord.
People
Thanks be to God.
The Gospel
Reader
The Lord be with you.
People
And also with you.
Reader
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John
People
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Reader
When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael asked him, “Where did you get to know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Nathanael replied, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.” And he said to him, “Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”
The Gospel of Christ.
People
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
The Apostles' Creed
Celebrant
Let us confess our faith of our baptism, as we say,
People
I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again
to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Prayers of the People
Celebrant
(In peace let us pray to the Lord, saying, “Lord, have mercy.”)
For peace from on high and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the peace of the whole world, for the welfare of the holy Church of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For our bishops, and for all the clergy and people, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For Elizabeth our Queen, for the leaders of the nations, and for all in authority, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For this city (town, village, etc.), for every city and community, and for those who live in them in faith, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For good weather, and for abundant harvests for all to share, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For those who travel by land, water, or air, for the sick and the suffering (especially . . . ), for prisoners and captives, and for their safety, health, and salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For our deliverance from all affliction, strife, and need, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the absolution and remission of our sins and offences, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For all who have died (especially . . . ), let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
Remembering ( . . . and) all the saints, we commit ourselves, one another, and our whole life to Christ our God.
To you, O Lord.
Almighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications to you, and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together you will hear their requests. Fulfil now our desires and petitions, as may be best for us, granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come eternal life; for you, Father, are good and loving, and we glorify you through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, in the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.
Confession and Absolution
Celebrant
Dear friends in Christ,
God is steadfast in love and infinite in mercy;
he welcomes sinners
and invites them to his table.
Let us confess our sins,
confident in God’s forgiveness.
Celebrant
Most merciful God,
All
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 neighbours 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.
Celebrant
Almighty God have mercy upon you,
pardon and deliver you from all your sins,
confirm and strengthen you in all goodness,
and keep you in eternal life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
People
Amen.
The Peace
Celebrant
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People
And also with you.
The Prayer over the Gifts
Celebrant
God of glory,
as you have appointed angels to minister in your presence, so may all our worship bring you worthy praise.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
People
Amen.
The Great Thanksgiving
Celebrant
The Lord be with you.
(or May God be with you.)
People
Amen.
Celebrant
Lift up your hearts.
People
We lift them to the Lord.
(or We lift them up to God.)
Celebrant
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
(or Let us give thanks to God our Creator.)
People
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
(or It is right to offer thanks and praise.)
Celebrant
Holy God, Lover of creation,
we give you thanks and praise
for in the ocean of your steadfast love you bear us
and place the song of your Spirit in our hearts.
When we turn from your love and defile the earth,
you do not abandon us.
Your Spirit speaks through Huldah and Micah,
through prophets, sages, and saints in every age,
to confront our sin
and reveal the vision of your new creation.
Joining in the song of the universe
we proclaim your glory saying (singing):
All
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
Celebrant
Gracious God,
in the fullness of time you sent Jesus the Christ
to share our fragile humanity.
Through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection
you open the path from brokenness to health,
from fear to trust, from pride and conceit
to reverence for you.
Rejected by a world
that could not bear the Gospel of life,
Jesus knew death was near.
His head anointed for burial
by an unknown woman,
Jesus gathered together those who loved him.
He took bread, gave thanks to you, broke it
and gave it to his friends,
saying, “Take and eat:
this is my body which is given for you.
Do this for the remembrance of me.”
After supper, Jesus took the cup of wine,
gave you thanks,
and said “Drink this all of you,
this is my blood of the new covenant
which is shed for you and for many.
Whenever you drink it,
do this for the remembrance of me.”
And now we gather at this table
in response to his commandment,
to share the bread and cup of Christ’s undying love,
and to proclaim our faith.
All
Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.
Celebrant
Breathe your Holy Spirit,
the wisdom of the universe,
upon these gifts that we bring to you:
this bread, this cup,
ourselves, our souls and bodies,
that we may be signs of your love for all the world
and ministers of your transforming purpose.
Through Christ, with Christ, and in Christ,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all glory is yours, Creator of all,
and we bless your holy name for ever.
People
Amen.
Celebrant
As our Saviour taught us, let us pray,
All
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial,
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.
The Breaking of the Bread
Celebrant
We break this bread
to share in the body of Christ.
All
We, being many, are one body,
for we all share in the one bread.
The Communion
Celebrant
The gifts of God for the People of God.
People
Thanks be to God.
Celebrant
Let us pray.
Eternal God,
you have fed us with the bread of angels.
May we who come under their protection,
like them give you continual service and praise; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
People
Amen.
Celebrant
Glory to God,
All
whose power, working in us,
can do infinitely more
than we can ask or imagine.
Glory to God from generation to generation,
in the Church and in Christ Jesus,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Leader
Go forth into the world,
rejoicing in the power of the Spirit.
People
Thanks be to God.