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, says

Let us pray.

Please remain standing to sing the

Hymn

1. ‘Thou art the Christ, O Lord,

The Son of God most high!’

For ever be adored

That name in earth and sky,

In which, though mortal strength may fail,

The saints of God at last prevail.

2. O surely he was blest

With blessedness unpriced,

Who, taught of God, confessed

The Godhead in the Christ;

For of thy Church, Lord, thou didst own

Thy saint a true foundation-stone.

3. O bright triumphant faith,

O courage void of fears,

O love most strong in death,

O penitential tears!

By these, Lord, keep us lest we fall,

And make us go where thou shalt call.

William Walsham How (1823–97);

William Croft (1678–1727)

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

After a short period for reflection, all say

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 prays the

Collect of the Day

Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray and to give more than either we desire or deserve: Pour down upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask save through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Please be seated for the

Reading

Romans 12: 1–8

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgement, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

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 People say

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Hear the Gospel of our Saviour Christ according to Saint Matthew, in the sixteenth chapter, beginning at the thirteenth verse.

Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Gospel Reading

Matthew 16: 13–20

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’ Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

At the end, the Minister and the People say

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

The Venerable P. Thompson, B.A.

Prebendary of Donaghmore

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. Just as I am, without one plea

But that thy blood was shed for me,

And that thou bidd’st me come to thee,

O Lamb of God, I come.

2. Just as I am, though tossed about

With many a conflict, many a doubt,

Fightings within, and fears without,

O Lamb of God, I come.

3. Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;

Sight, riches, healing of the mind,

Yea all I need, in thee to find,

O Lamb of God, I come.

4. Just as I am, thou wilt receive,

Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve:

Because thy promise I believe,

O Lamb of God, I come.

5. Just as I am (thy love unknown

Has broken every barrier down),

Now to be thine, yea thine alone,

O Lamb of God, I come.

6. Just as I am, of that free love (prove,

The breadth, length, depth, and height to

Here for a season, then above,

O Lamb of God, I come.

Charlotte Elliot (1789–1871);

Arthur Brown (1830–1926)

Please remain standing as the Celebrant and the People say

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 says 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. To the name that brings salvation

Praise and honour let us pay,

Which for many a generation

Hid in God’s foreknowledge lay,

But to every tongue and nation

Holy Church proclaims today.

2. Jesus – be that name our treasure,

Name beyond that words can tell;

Name of gladness, name of pleasure,

Ear and heart delighting well;

Name of sweetness, passing measure,

Freeing souls from sin’s dark spell.

3. Name by hard-won right exalted

Over every other name;

And when man was sore assaulted,

Put the enemy to shame:

Strength to them that else had halted,

Sight to blind, and health to lame.

4. Jesu, we thy name adoring,

Long to see thee as thou art:

Of thy clemency imploring

So to write it in our heart,

That hereafter, upward soaring,

We with angels may have part.

John Neale (1818–66);

Cantica Sacra, Munich (1840)

The Celebrant says the

Blessing

After which, all say

Amen.

The Deacon and the People say the

Dismissal

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

In the name of Christ. Amen.

Please remain standing as the Clergy and the Choir depart.

Please remain at your seat for the duration of the

Organ Voluntary

Acknowledgements

Developed by Clark Brydon.

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