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 to sing the
Hymn
1. Once in royal David’s city
Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her baby
In a manger for his bed;
Mary was that Mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little child.
2. He came down to earth from heaven
Who is God and Lord of all,
And his shelter was a stable,
And his cradle was a stall:
With the poor and mean and lowly
Lived on earth our Saviour holy.
3. And through all his wondrous childhood
Day by day, like us, he grew;
He was little, weak and helpless,
Tears and smiles like us he knew;
And he feeleth for our sadness,
And he shareth in our gladness.
4. Not in that poor lowly stable,
With the oxen standing by,
We shall see him; but in heaven,
Set at God’s right hand on high;
When like stars his children crowned
All in white shall wait around.
Mrs C. F. Alexander (1818–95)
Henry Gauntlett (1805–76)
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.
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 to say
Gloria in Excelsis
Glory to God in the highest, and peace to God’s 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.
Please remain standing whilst the Celebrant intones the
Collect of the Day
Almighty God, who wonderfully created us in your own image and yet more wonderfully restored us through your Son Jesus Christ: grant that, as he came to share in our humanity, so we may share in the life of his divinity; who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Please be seated for the
Reading
Hebrews 2: 10–18
For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,
Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.
And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.
Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
At the end of the Reading
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The Organist plays the
Gradual
Please stand for the
Gospel
The Deacon and the Choir sing
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Hear the Gospel of our Saviour Christ according to Saint N, in the Y chapter, beginning at the Z verse.
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Gospel Reading
Matthew 2: 13–23
And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:
And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.
Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.
Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying,
In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.
But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child’s life.
And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.
But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:
And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.
At the end, the Minister and the 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 Very Reverend W. W. Morton, B.Th., M.A., Ph.D., M.Mus., D.Litt., Dean and Ordinary
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 at the bottom of the page.
1. Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head:
The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.
2. The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes.
I love thee, Lord Jesus! Look down from the sky,
And stay by my side until morning is nigh.
3. Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask thee to stay
Close by me for ever, and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,
And fit us for heaven, to live with thee there.
Anon. (1823)
William Kirkpatrick (1838–1921)
Please remain standing for
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:
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest!
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.
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. While shepherds watched their flocks by night,
All seated on the ground,
The angel of the Lord came down,
And glory shone around.
2. ‘Fear not,’ said he; for mighty dread
Had seized their troubled mind;
‘Glad tidings of great joy I bring
To you and all mankind.
3. ‘To you, in David’s town this day,
Is born of David’s line
A Saviour, who is Christ the Lord;
And this will be the sign:
4. ‘The heavenly Babe you there shall find
To human view displayed,
All meanly wrapped in swathing bands,
And in a manger laid.’
5. Thus spake the seraph; and forthwith
Appeared a shining throng
Of angels, praising God, who thus
Addressed their joyful song:
6. ‘All glory be to God on high,
And to the earth be peace;
Goodwill, henceforth, from heaven to men
Begin, and never cease.’
Nahum Tate (1652–1715)
Thomas Este’s Psalmes, London, 1592
The Celebrant says the
Blessing
After which, all say
Amen.
Please remain at your seat for the duration of the
Organ Voluntary
Acknowledgements
Developed by Clark Brydon.
Material in this service is reproduced from The Book of Common Prayer, © RCB 2004.
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