Eucharist – Order of Service

Welcome

God has been worshipped in this place through the prayers and praises of countless generations. Worship lies at the heart of our life as Christians and we express our theology and belief through our liturgy. It is through these liturgical patterns of words and actions that we are formed and transformed.

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You are invited to say the text in bold in English.

Please stand as the Minister, at the West End of the Cathedral, sings

Let us pray.

Please remain standing to sing the

Hymn

1. We love the place, O God,

Wherein thine honour dwells;

The joy of thine abode

All earthly joy excels.

2. We love the house of prayer,

Wherein thy servants meet;

And thou, O Lord, art there

Thy chosen flock to greet.

3. We love the sacred font;

For there the holy Dove

To pour is ever wont

His blessing from above.

4. We love thine altar, Lord;

O, what on earth so dear!

For there, in faith adored,

We find thy presence near.

5. We love the word of life,

The word that tells of peace,

Of comfort in the strife,

And joys that never cease.

6. We love to sing below

For mercies freely given;

But O, we long to know

The triumph-song of heaven!

7. Lord Jesus, give us grace

On earth to love thee more,

In heaven to see thy face,

And with thy saints adore.

Henry Baker (1821–77); Henry Jenner (1820–98)

The Celebrant says the

Greeting

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Please remain standing for the

Collect for Purity

Almighty God to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom 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.

Kyrie Eleison

Kyrie eleison; Christe eleison; Kyrie eleison.

Lord, have mercy upon us; Christ, have mercy upon us; Lord, have mercy upon us.

The Celebrant introduces the

Confession

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, we have sinned in thought and word and deed, and in what we have left undone. 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 walk in newness of life to the glory of your name. Amen.

The Celebrant pronounces the

Absolution

To which all reply

Amen.

Please remain standing whilst the Celebrant intones the

Collect of the Day

God of compassion, whose Son Jesus Christ, the child of Mary, shared the life of a home in Nazareth, and on the cross drew the whole human family to himself; strengthen us in our daily living, that in joy and sorrow, we may know the power of your presence to bind together and to heal; through the same, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Please be seated for the

Reading

2 Corinthians 1: 3–7

At the end of the Reading

This is the word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Please remain seated for the

Gradual

For the beauty of the earth, for the beauty of the skies, for the love which from our birth over and around us lies: Lord of all, to thee we raise this our joyful hymn of praise. For the beauty of each hour, of the day and of the night; hill and vale, and tree and flower, sun and moon and stars of light. For the joy of human love, brother, sister, parent, child, friends on earth, and friends above, for all gentle thoughts and mild. For each perfect gift of thine, to our race so freely given; graces human and divine, flowers of earth and buds of heaven.

John Rutter (b.1945)

Please stand for the

Gospel

The Minister and Choir sing

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Hear the Gospel of our Saviour Christ according to Saint Luke, in the 2nd chapter, beginning at the 33rd verse.

Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Gospel Reading

Luke 2: 33–35

At the end, the Minister and Choir sing

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Please remain standing whilst the Preacher moves to the Pulpit for the

Sermon

Preacher: The Reverend P. K. McDowell, B.A., B.Th. Prebendary of Clonmethan

Please be seated for the Sermon. At the end, the Preacher will conclude with a prayer, during which the congregation will stand for 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, was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of 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, who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, who 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 Minister says

Let us pray.

Please kneel or be seated for the

Prayers

Each petition ends

Lord, in your mercy

hear our prayer.

At the end

Merciful Father,

accept these our prayers for the sake of your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen

Please stand as the Celebrant introduces the

Peace

The peace of the Lord be always with you.

And also with you.

Please remain standing to sing the

Hymn

During the hymn, a collection of money is made. You can donate online by tapping the Support Us button in the bottom right.

1. Shall we not love thee, Mother dear,

Whom Jesus loves so well,

And to his glory year by year

Thy praise and honour tell?

2. Thee did he choose from whom to take

True flesh, his flesh to be;

In it to suffer for our sake,

And by it make us free.

3. O wondrous depth of love divine,

That he should bend so low;

And, Mary, O what joy was thine

The Saviour’s love to know.

4. Joy to be Mother of the Lord,

Yet thine the truer bliss,

In every thought and deed and word

To be for ever his.

5. Now in the realm of life above

Close to thy Son thou art,

While on thy soul glad streams of love

Flow from his sacred heart.

6. Jesu, the Virgin’s holy Son,

Hail we thy Mother blest;

Grant when our earthly course is run,

Life with the saints at rest.

Henry Baker (1821–77); The Revd John Bacchus Dykes (1823–76)

Please remain standing as the Celebrant and Choir sing

Sursum Corda

The Lord is here.

His Spirit is with us.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

The Celebrant intones the Preface, concluding

Therefore with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven we proclaim your great and glorious name, for ever praising you and singing:

English

Latin

English

Latin

Please remain standing as the Eucharistic Prayer continues, concluding

…through Jesus Christ our Lord, with whom and in whom, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we worship you, Father almighty, in songs of never-ending praise:

Blessing and honour and glory and power are yours for ever and ever. Amen.

Please kneel or sit, according to your custom, to pray the

Lord’s Prayer

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, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Celebrant breaks the bread, and says

The bread which we break is a sharing in the body of Christ.

We, being many, are one body, for we all share in the one bread.

The Celebrant invites the People to receive Communion.

Saint Patrick’s Cathedral is the National Cathedral of the Church of Ireland, a member Church of the Anglican (Episcopalian) Communion.

We welcome members of all Christian Church denominations to receive Holy Communion here. Please follow the stewards’ directions.

Whilst the people receive Communion, the Choir sing

Agnus Dei

English

Latin

English

Latin

Motet

Ave Maria, gratia plena: Dominus tecum: benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus. Sancta Maria, mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostræ.

(Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among all women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and in the hour of our death.)

Sergei Rachmaninov (1873–1943)

When all have received Communion, the Celebrant says

Let us pray.

A seasonal Post-Communion Prayer may be said, and then this prayer

Almighty God, we thank you for feeding us with the spiritual food of the body and blood of your Son Jesus Christ. Through him we offer you our souls and bodies to be a living sacrifice. Send us out in the power of your Spirit to live and work to your praise and glory. Amen.

Please stand to sing the

Hymn

1. Sing we of the blessèd Mother

Who received the angel’s word,

And obedient to his summons

Bore in love the infant Lord;

Sing we of the joys of Mary

At whose breast that child was fed

Who is Son of God eternal

And the everlasting Bread.

2. Sing we too, of Mary’s sorrows,

Of the sword that pierced her through,

When beneath the cross of Jesus

She the weight of suffering knew,

Looked upon her Son and Saviour

Reigning high on Calvary’s tree,

Saw the price of man’s redemption

Paid to set the sinner free.

3. Sing again the joys of Mary

When she saw the risen Lord,

And in prayer with Christ’s apostles,

Waited on his promised word:

From on high the blazing glory

Of the Spirit’s presence came,

Heavenly breath of God’s own being,

Manifest through wind and flame.

4. Sing the chiefest joy of Mary

When on earth her work was done,

And the Lord of all creation

Brought her to his heavenly home:

Virgin Mother, Mary blessèd,

Raised on high and crowned with grace,

May your Son, the world’s redeemer,

Grant us all to see his face.

The Ven. George Timms (1910–97); The Revd Cyril Vincent Taylor (1907–91)

The Celebrant says the

Blessing

After which, all say

Amen.

The Deacon and the Choir sing the

Dismissal

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

In the name of Christ. Amen.

Please remain standing as the Choir and Clergy depart.

Please remain at your seat for the duration of the

Organ Voluntary

Acknowledgements

Developed by the Saint Patrick’s Cathedral Education Department: Clark Brydon (Education & Safeguarding Officer).

Translations are provided automatically by Google Translate. Saint Patrick’s Cathedral is not responsible for automatically generated content or for content on external websites.

To report a problem or to send feedback and suggestions, please email: education@stpatrickscathedral.ie

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