Categories
Eucharist

Sunday 22nd December 2024 – 11:15

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.

Should you wish to translate this order of service into another language, please choose your language in the bottom right. There is a guest wireless network available within the Cathedral for those without a mobile data connection.

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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

 

Hark! what a sound, and too divine for hearing,

Stirs on the earth and trembles in the air.

Is it the thunder of the Lord’s appearing?

Is it the music of his people’s prayer?

Surely he cometh, and a thousand voices

Shout to the saints, but to the deaf are dumb;

Surely he cometh, and the earth rejoices,

Glad in his coming who hath sworn, ‘I come’.

This hath he done, and shall we not adore him?

This shall he do, and can we still despair?

Come, let us quickly fling ourselves before him,

Cast at his feet the burden of our care.

Yea, through life, death; through sorrow and through sinning

He shall suffice me, for he hath sufficed:

Christ is the end, for Christ was the beginning,

Christ the beginning, for the end is Christ.

 

Frederic Myers (1843–1901); Richard Terry (1865–1938) 

The Celebrant says the

Greeting

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Please remain standing for the

Lighting of the Advent Candle

Almighty God, the angel Gabriel brought the news that Mary was to be mother of your Son: help us to share like her in your great work of bringing to our world your light and your love. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

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 Choir sing

Gloria in excelsis

Please remain standing whilst the Celebrant intones the

Collect of the Day

God our redeemer, who prepared the blessed Virgin Mary to be the mother of your Son; grant that, as she looked for his coming as our Saviour, so we may be ready to greet him when he comes again as our judge; who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

Please be seated for the

Micah 5: 2–5a

At the end of the Reading

This is the word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Please remain seated for the

Gradual

Psalm 80 vv 1–8

 

 

Hear, O thou Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadeth Joseph like a flock: shew thyself also, thou that sittest upon the cherubim.  Before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasses: stir up thy strength, and come, and help us.  Turn us again, O God: shew the light of thy countenance, and we shall be whole.  O Lord God of hosts: how long wilt thou be angry with thy people that prayeth?  Thou feedest them with the bread of tears: and givest them plenteousness of tears to drink.  Thou hast made us a very strife unto our neighbours: and our enemies laugh us to scorn.  Turn us again, thou God of hosts: shew the light of thy countenance, and we shall be whole.

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 3rd chapter, beginning at the 1st verse.

Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke 1: 39–45

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 C. W. Mullen, B.Th. Prebendary of Rathmichael

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. Ye servants of the Lord,

    Each for your Master wait,

    Observant of his heavenly word,

    And watchful at his gate.

2. Let all your lamps be bright,

    And trim the golden flame;

    Gird up your loins as in his sight,

    For aweful is his name.

3. Watch! ’tis your Lord’s command,

    And while we speak, he’s near;

    Mark the first signal of his hand,

    And ready all appear.

4. O happy servant he,

    In such a posture found!

    He shall his Lord with rapture see,

    And be with honour crowned.

5. Christ shall the banquet spread

    With his own royal hand,

    And raise that faithful servant’s head

    Amidst the angelic band.

 

Philip Doddridge (1702–51); William Havergal (1793–1870) 

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:

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

Motet

Alma Redemptoris Mater, qui per via cœli porta manes et stella maris, succure cadenti, surgere qui curat populo: Tu quæ genuisti, natura mirante, tuum sanctum genitorem: Virgo prius ac posterius, Gabrielis ab ore sumens illud ave, peccatorum miserere.

(Sweet mother of the Redeemer, you are the open gateway to heaven and the star of the sea, help your fallen people who strive to rise again, we pray you – who bore your Son by a miracle of nature, a virgin first and last; who received God’s greeting from Gabriel – have mercy on sinners.)

 

Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548–1611)

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. Lo! he comes; with clouds descending,

    Once for favoured sinners slain;

    Thousand thousand saints attending

    Swell the triumph of his train;

      Alleluia!

    God appears, on earth to reign.

2. Every eye shall now behold him

    Robed in dreadful majesty;

    Those who set at nought and sold him,

    Pierced, and nailed him to the tree,

      Deeply wailing

    Shall the true Messiah see.

3. Those dear tokens of his passion 

    Still his dazzling body bears,

    Cause of endless exultation

    To his ransomed worshippers:

      With what rapture

    Gaze we on those glorious scars!

4. Yea, Amen! let all adore thee,

    High on thine eternal throne:

    Saviour, take the power and glory;

    Claim the kingdom for thine own,

      Alleluia!

    Alleluia! Come, Lord, come!


John Cennick (1718–55); Thomas Olivers (1725–99)

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

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

Material in this service is reproduced from The Book of Common Prayer, © RCB 2004.

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