6 THE EASTER VIGIL with the First Eucharist of Easter - Christ Church, Oxford
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6 THE EASTER VIGIL with the First Eucharist of Easter
After a day of solemn waiting in the stillness of Holy Saturday,
contemplating Jesus’ death upon the Cross, we gather in the Cathedral
Garden in the twilight. As the new fire is lit, we remember that the
first words of God at the moment of creation were ‘let there be light’
and we recall the saving works of God throughout history, culminating
in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
The Paschal Candle is lit, the Church’s great song of Easter triumph is
sung, and the Gloria which has been silent throughout Lent peals out
again in Easter joy, as the President proclaims that Christ is risen.
The Easter proclamation – Alleluia, Christ is risen! – has been made
in catacombs and on hilltops, in homes and in cathedrals, whispered
for fear of the authorities and shouted in civic procession. It is a
proclamation of our faith that Christ’s resurrection is more powerful
than any earthly force, and more important than any hardship. It is a
shout of defiance against all the powers of darkness.
May the light of Christ, rising in glory, banish all darkness from our
hearts and minds.
Cover image:
Christ Church at dawn
photographed by Ralph Williamson
Setting of the Eucharist
sung by the Cathedral Consort,
conducted by Benjamin Sheen, Sub Organist
Mass for three voices William Byrd (1543–1623)
2The New Fire
All gather in silence in the Cathedral Garden around the place where the fire
will be lit, and, as the hour strikes, the opening of Genesis is read:
Reader In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the
earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered
the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the
face of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and
there was light.
(Genesis 1:1)
The bonfire is lit, and the President prays:
President Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
on this most holy night,
when our Lord Jesus Christ passed from death to life,
the Church invites her children throughout the world
to come together in vigil and prayer.
This is the Passover of the Lord.
We remember his death and resurrection
by hearing his word and celebrating his mysteries,
confident that we shall share his victory over death
and live with him for ever in God.
Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation,
to you be glory and praise for ever.
Your steadfast love extends to the heavens
and your faithfulness reaches to the depths.
Illuminate our hearts with your holy wisdom
and strengthen our lives with your living word,
for with you is the well of life
and in your light shall we see light,
now and for ever.
All Amen.
3Deacon When the people of earth sinned and fell short,
God set an ark on the waters and his bow in the heavens.
All Give thanks to the Lord for he is gracious.
Subdeacon When Abraham journeyed forth from his homeland,
God promised descendants as countless as the stars.
All Give thanks to the Lord for he is gracious.
Deacon When Isaac was bound as a sacrifice,
God sent his angel to provide a ram.
All Give thanks to the Lord for he is gracious.
Subdeacon When Jacob wrestled by night at the Jabbok,
God blessed him and gave him a new name.
All Give thanks to the Lord for he is gracious.
Deacon When Moses cried out for his people,
God heard and answered their prayer.
All Give thanks to the Lord for he is gracious.
A candle is lit from the fire and takes up its station at the North Door into
the cathedral. Please move carefully into the cathedral, keeping 2m distance
from other households. Once you have entered through the North Door,
please stop to light your own candle from the one placed there; and please
follow the directions of the vergers to find yourself a seat in the Nave, Aisles
or Transept.
4The Service of Light
The Paschal Candle is marked by the President, saying:
President Christ yesterday and today,
the beginning and the end,
Alpha and Omega,
all time belongs to him,
and all ages;
to him be glory and power,
through every age and for ever.
All Amen.
The President inserts the five nails with incense grains into the paschal
candle.
President By his holy and glorious wounds
may Christ our Lord guard and keep us.
All Amen.
The Lighting of the Paschal Candle
The President lights the Paschal Candle and says:
President May the light of Christ, rising in glory,
banish all darkness from our hearts and minds.
The President places the Paschal Candle in its stand as the people greet the
light.
Deacon The light of Christ!
All Thanks be to God!
5The Exsultet
Deacon Rejoice, heavenly powers!
Sing, choirs of angels!
O Universe, dance around God’s throne!
Sound the victorious trumpet of salvation!
Rejoice, O earth in glory,
revealing the splendour of your creations,
radiant in the brightness of your triumphant King!
Christ has conquered!
Now his life and glory fill you!
Darkness vanishes for ever!
Rejoice, O Mother Church!
Exult in glory!
The risen Saviour, our Lord of life, shines upon you!
Let this place resound with joy,
echoing the mighty song of all God’s people.
Deacon The Lord be with you
All and also with you.
Deacon Lift up your hearts.
All We lift them to the Lord.
Deacon Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
All It is right to give thanks and praise.
Deacon It is right and good that with hearts and minds and voices
we should praise you, Father almighty, the unseen God,
through your only Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who has saved us by his death,
paid for us the price of Adam’s sin;
and reconciled us once again to you.
For this is the Passover feast,
when Christ, the true Lamb of God is slain,
whose blood consecrates the homes of all the faithful.
6This is the night when you first saved our ancestors,
freeing Israel from her slavery
and leading her safely through the sea.
This is the night when Jesus Christ vanquished hell,
broke the chains of death
and rose triumphant from the grave.
This is the night when all who believe in him are freed from sin,
restored to grace and holiness
and share the victory of Christ.
This is the night that gave us back what we had lost,
beyond our wildest dreams
you even made our sin a happy fault.
Most blessed of all nights!
Evil and hatred are put to flight and sin is washed away,
lost innocence regained and mourning turned to joy.
Night truly blessed,
when hatred is cast out, peace and justice find a home,
and heaven is wedded to earth
and all creation reconciled to you.
Therefore, heavenly Father, in this our Easter joy,
accept our sacrifice of praise,
your Church’s solemn offering,
this wax, the work of bees and the hands of your ministers.
As we gaze upon the splendour of this flame,
fed by melting wax conceived by mother bee,
grant that this Easter Candle may make our darkness light.
For Christ the morning star has risen in glory;
Christ is risen from the dead
and his flame of love still burns within us!
Christ sheds his peaceful light on all the world!
Christ lives and reigns for ever and ever.
All Amen!
The Vigil
President By the light of the risen Christ,
let us hear again the record of God’s saving deeds in history,
and of his faithfulness to all his people.
7Vigil Reading
Exodus 3: 1-6 (NRSV)
Reader When Israel was in slavery,
God revealed his Name to Moses.
Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of
Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb,
the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in
a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet
it was not consumed. Then Moses said, ‘I must turn aside and look
at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.’ When the
Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the
bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then he said, ‘Come
no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which
you are standing is holy ground.’ He said further, ‘I am the God of your
father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’
And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
Reader Give thanks to the Lord, for he is gracious.
All for his faithfulness endures for ever.
Silence is kept.
Vigil Reading
Verses from Psalm 105, Exodus 14 and Psalm 106
Voice 1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is gracious :
for his faithfulness endures for ever.
Voice 2 When the King of Egypt was told that the Israelites had
slipped away, he changed his mind, and said, “What have we
done? We have let our Israelite slaves go free!” So Pharaoh
put horses to his chariot, and took his troops with him, and
pursued the Israelites as they marched defiantly away.
Voice 1 The Lord brought out his people with silver and gold :
there was not one among their tribes that stumbled.
He spread out a cloud for a covering :
and a fire to light up the night.
8Voice 2 In their terror, the Israelites clamoured to the Lord for help,
and said to Moses, “Were there no graves in Egypt, that you
should have brought us to die in the wilderness? See what
you have done to us by bringing us out of Egypt! Is this not
just what we meant when we said in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone;
let us be slaves to the Egyptians?’ We would rather be
slaves to the Egyptians than die here in the wilderness.”
Voice 1 In Egypt they did not consider your wonders,
nor remember the abundance of your faithful love :
they rebelled against the Most High at the Red Sea.
But he saved them for his name’s sake :
that he might make his power to be known.
He rebuked the Red Sea and it was dried up :
so he led them through the deep as through the wilderness.
Voice 2 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the
Lord drove the sea away all night with a strong east wind,
and turned the sea bed into dry land, and the waters were
torn apart. And the Israelites went through the sea on the
dry ground while the waters made a wall for them to right
and to left. The Egyptians went in pursuit of them far into
the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and his cavalry. At
the morning watch the Lord looked down on the Egyptian
army through the pillar of fire and cloud and he threw them
into a panic. He clogged their chariot wheels and made
them lumber along heavily, so that the Egyptians said, “It is
the Lord fighting for Israel against Egypt; let us flee”.
Voice 1 The Lord saved them from the adversary’s hand :
and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
As for those that troubled them, the waters overwhelmed
them : there was not one of them left.
Then they believed his words : and sang aloud his praise.
Voice 2 Meanwhile the Israelites passed along the dry ground
through the sea, with the water making a wall for them to
right and to left. That day the Lord saved Israel from the
power of Egypt and the Israelites saw the Egyptians lying
dead on the sea-shore. When Israel saw the great power
which the Lord had put forth against Egypt, all the people
9feared the Lord, and they put their faith in him and in Moses
his servant.
Voice 1 Save us, O Lord our God,
and gather us from among the nations:
that we may give thanks to your holy name,
and glory in your praise.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
from everlasting and to everlasting :
and let all the people say, “Amen!”
All Amen! Amen!
Silence is kept.
Vigil Reading
Isaiah 54:4a, 5b, 7–10, 14 (NRSV)
Reader When Israel was sold into exile,
God spoke words of comfort through his prophet Isaiah:
Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed;
do not be discouraged, for you will not suffer disgrace;
for the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer,
the God of the whole earth he is called.
For a brief moment I abandoned you,
but with great compassion I will gather you.
In overflowing wrath for a moment I hid my face from you,
but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,
says the Lord, your Redeemer.
This is like the days of Noah to me:
Just as I swore that the waters of Noah
would never again go over the earth,
so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you
and will not rebuke you.
For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed,
but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,
and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,
says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
10In righteousness you shall be established;
you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear;
and from terror, for it shall not come near you.
Reader Give thanks to the Lord, for he is gracious.
All for his faithfulness endures for ever.
Silence is kept. The Consort sings Psalm 42.
Psalm 42
1 Like as the hart desireth the water-brooks :
so longeth my soul after thee, O God.
2 My soul is athirst for God, yea, even for the living God :
when shall I come to appear before the presence of God?
3 My tears have been my meat day and night :
while they daily say unto me, Where is now thy God?
4 Now when I think thereupon, I pour out my heart by myself :
for I went with the multitude, and brought them forth
into the house of God;
5 In the voice of praise and thanksgiving :
among such as keep holy-day.
6 Why art thou so full of heaviness, O my soul :
and why art thou so disquieted within me?
7 Put thy trust in God :
for I will yet give him thanks for the help of his countenance.
Vigil Reading
Ezekiel 47:1a, 3–12 (NRSV)
Reader When Israel was sold into exile,
God spoke words of hope through his prophet Ezekiel:
In my vision, the man brought me back to the entrance of the temple;
there, water was flowing from below the threshold of the temple
towards the east.
Going on eastwards with a cord in his hand, the man measured one
thousand cubits, and then led me through the water; and it was ankle-
11deep. Again he measured one thousand, and led me through the water;
and it was knee-deep. Again he measured one thousand, and led me
through the water; and it was up to the waist. Again he measured one
thousand, and it was a river that I could not cross, for the water had
risen; it was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be crossed.
He said to me, ‘Mortal, have you seen this?’
Then he led me back along the bank of the river. As I came back, I saw
on the bank of the river a great many trees on one side and on the
other. He said to me, ‘This water flows towards the eastern region
and goes down into the Arabah; and when it enters the sea, the sea
of stagnant waters, the water will become fresh. Wherever the river
goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very
many fish, once these waters reach there. It will become fresh; and
everything will live where the river goes. People will stand fishing
beside the sea from En-gedi to En-eglaim; it will be a place for the
spreading of nets; its fish will be of a great many kinds, like the fish of
the Great Sea. But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they
are to be left for salt. On the banks, on both sides of the river, there
will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither nor
their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the
water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food,
and their leaves for healing.’
Reader Give thanks to the Lord, for he is gracious.
All for his faithfulness endures for ever.
The Easter Acclamation
President Alleluia. Christ is risen.
All He is risen indeed. Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
An organ fanfare is played and the Consort sings Gloria in Excelsis.
12Gloria in Excelsis
Gloria in excelsis Deo. Glory to God in the highest,
Et in terra pax and peace to his people on earth.
hominibus bonæ voluntatis.
Laudamus te, benedicimus te, Lord God, heavenly King,
adoramus te, glorificamus te. almighty God and Father,
Gratias agimus tibi we worship you, we give you thanks,
propter magnam gloriam tuam, we praise you for your glory.
Domine Deus, Rex cœlestis,
Deus Pater omnipotens.
Domine Fili unigenite, Jesu Christe, Lord Jesus Christ,
Domine Deus, Agnus Dei, only Son of the Father,
Filius Patris, Lord God, Lamb of God,
qui tollis peccata mundi, you take away the sin of the world:
miserere nobis. have mercy on us;
Qui tollis peccata mundi, you are seated
suscipe deprecationem nostram. at the right hand of the Father:
Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris, receive our prayer.
miserere nobis.
Quoniam tu solus Sanctus; For you alone are the Holy One,
tu solus Dominus; you alone are the Lord,
tu solus Altissimus, Jesu Christe, you alone are the Most High,
cum Sancto Spiritu Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit,
in gloria Dei Patris. Amen. in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
The Collect
President Let us pray that we may reign with the risen Christ in glory.
Silence is kept.
President God of glory, by the raising of your Son
you have broken the chains of death and hell:
fill your Church with faith and hope;
for a new day has dawned
and the way to life stands open in our Saviour Jesus Christ.
All Amen.
13Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
I am the first and the last, says the Lord, and the Living One,
I was dead, and behold, I am alive for evermore. Alleluia!
The Gospel Reading
Mark 16:1–8 (NRSV)
Deacon Hear the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
Mark.
All Glory to you, O Lord.
When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of
James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint Jesus.
And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen,
they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, ‘Who will
roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?’
When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large,
had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a
young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they
were alarmed. But he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed; you are looking
for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not
here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and
Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him,
just as he told you.’
So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement
had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
Deacon This is the Gospel of the Lord.
All Praise to you, O Christ.
14The Renewal of Baptism Vows
The President says to the whole Congregation:
President Moses said to the people of Israel:
‘See, I have set before you this day life and death.
Therefore, choose life, loving the Lord your God,
obeying his voice and cleaving to him.’
(Deuteronomy 30:19)
Through the Paschal mystery,
we too may die to sin and be buried with Christ in baptism
that we may have life.
Therefore I ask:
Do you reject the devil and all rebellion against God?
All I reject them.
President Do you renounce the deceit and corruption of evil?
All I renounce them.
President Do you repent of the sins
that separate us from God and neighbour?
All I repent of them.
President God says to his people:
‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you:
I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you.
For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour.’
(Isaiah 43:1–3a)
In baptism, God calls us out of darkness
into his marvellous light.
Therefore I ask:
Do you turn to Christ as Saviour?
All I turn to Christ.
15President Do you submit to Christ as Lord?
All I submit to Christ.
President Do you come to Christ, the way, the truth and the life?
All I come to Christ.
President May almighty God, who has given you the desire to follow
Christ, give you the strength to continue in the Way.
Blessing of Water
Water is poured into the font and the President says:
President Praise God who made heaven and earth,
All who keeps his promise for ever.
President Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
All It is right to give thanks and praise.
President Almighty God, whose Son Jesus Christ
was baptized in the river Jordan:
we thank you for the gift of water
to cleanse us and revive us.
We thank you that through the waters of the Red Sea
you led your people out of slavery
to freedom in the promised land.
We thank you that through the deep waters of death
you brought your Son, and raised him to life in triumph.
Bless this water, that your servants who are washed in it
may be made one with Christ
in his death and in his resurrection,
to be cleansed and delivered from all sin.
Send your Holy Spirit upon them,
bring them to new birth in the household of faith,
and raise them with Christ to full and eternal life;
for all might, majesty, authority and power are yours,
now and for ever.
All Amen.
16The President signs herself with the Cross using the blessed water, on behalf
of the whole congregation.
Profession of Faith
The President addresses the Congregation:
President Brothers and sisters, I ask you to profess
the faith of the Church.
Do you believe and trust in God the Father?
All I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
President Do you believe and trust in his Son Jesus Christ?
All I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
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,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
President Do you believe and trust in the Holy Spirit?
All 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.
17The Liturgy of the Eucharist
The Peace
President The risen Christ came and stood among his disciples
and said, ‘Peace be with you’.
Then were they glad when they saw the Lord.
Alleluia! The peace of the risen Christ be always with you
All and also with you. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
We know that Christians have shared a sign of peace since the very earliest
days of the Church. As once again we are separated from one another, we
remember that peace is from the heart and from God. God’s peace in the
Spirit moves among us to unite us with one another and with all who have
served God in every age, distant in time and space yet one in the Body of
Christ.
Offertory Motet
Haec dies quam fecit Dominus: This is the day that the Lord has made,
exultemus et laetemur in ea, let us rejoice and be glad in it.
alleluya. Alleluia!
Words: Psalm 117:24
Music: William Byrd (1543–1623)
Preparation of the Table
President Be present, be present, Lord Jesus Christ,
our risen High Priest,
and make yourself known in the breaking of the bread.
All Amen.
18The Eucharistic Prayer
President The Lord be with you
All and also with you.
President Lift up your hearts.
All We lift them to the Lord.
President Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
All It is right to give thanks and praise.
President It is indeed right, our duty and our joy,
always and everywhere to give you thanks,
almighty and eternal Father,
and on this night of our redemption
to celebrate with joyful hearts
the memory of your wonderful works.
For by the mystery of his passion
Jesus Christ, your risen Son,
has conquered the powers of death and hell
and restored in men and women the image of his glory.
He has placed them once more in paradise
and opened to them the gate of life eternal.
And so, in the joy of this Passover,
earth and heaven resound with gladness,
while angels and archangels and the powers of creation
sing for ever the hymn of your glory:
The Consort sings Sanctus.
Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus Holy, holy, holy
Dominus Deus Sabaoth: Lord God of hosts:
pleni sunt cœli et terra gloria tua. heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in excelsis. Hosanna in the highest.
19President Lord, you are holy indeed, the source of all holiness;
grant that by the power of your Holy Spirit,
and according to your holy will,
these gifts of bread and wine
may be to us the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ;
who, in the same night that he was betrayed,
took bread and gave you thanks;
he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you;
do this in remembrance of me.
In the same way, after supper
he took the cup and gave you thanks;
he gave it to them, saying:
Drink this, all of you;
this is my blood of the new covenant,
which is shed for you
and for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, as often as you drink it,
in remembrance of me.
Deacon Great is the mystery of faith.
All Christ has died,
Christ is risen,
Christ will come again.
President And so, Father,
calling to mind his death on the cross,
his perfect sacrifice
made once for the sins of the whole world;
rejoicing in his mighty resurrection
and glorious ascension,
and looking for his coming in glory,
we celebrate this memorial of our redemption.
As we offer you this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving,
we bring before you this bread and this cup
and we thank you for counting us worthy
to stand in your presence and serve you.
20Send the Holy Spirit on your people
and gather into one in your kingdom
all who share this one bread and one cup,
so that we, in the company of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Mary Magdalen, Mary, Salome and the apostles,
Frideswide, Birinus, and all the saints,
may praise and glorify you for ever,
through Jesus Christ our Lord;
by whom, and with whom, and in whom,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all honour and glory be yours, almighty Father,
for ever and ever.
All Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
President Rejoicing in God’s new creation,
as our Saviour taught us, so we 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.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.
21Breaking of the Bread
The President breaks the consecrated bread.
President Jesus says, I am the bread of life,
whoever eats this bread will live for ever.
All Lord, our hearts hunger for you;
give us this bread always.
Giving of Communion
The President invites the People to receive Communion.
President Alleluia. Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.
All Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.
During the distribution of Communion, the Consort sings Agnus Dei.
Agnus Dei
Agnus Dei, Lamb of God,
qui tollis peccata mundi, you take away the sin of the world,
miserere nobis. have mercy on us.
Agnus Dei, Lamb of God,
qui tollis peccata mundi, you take away the sin of the world,
miserere nobis. have mercy on us.
Agnus Dei, Lamb of God,
qui tollis peccata mundi, you take away the sin of the world,
dona nobis pacem. grant us peace.
We pause together to rest in the presence of Christ in us and all around us;
trusting that wherever we are, however we are, whoever we are with, Jesus
comes to meet us as he has promised. Jesus invites us to receive him in
our hearts by faith; to unite our prayers and our wills with his; and to rest in
his perfect and eternal love. Without physically eating and drinking, we yet
receive his body and his blood by grace.
There are no special words or prayers for this. All the Church has ever
thought necessary is true desire, lively faith and genuine love. So you are
invited to come honestly before God the way you know how. You may like to
22close your eyes, or to look at a picture; to pause the recording, or to listen to
the music; to keep silence, or to pray one of the following prayers:
In union, O Lord with the faithful at every altar of thy Church,
where the Holy Eucharist is now being celebrated, I desire to
offer thee praise and thanksgiving. I present to thee my soul
and body with the earnest wish that they may always be united
to thee. And since I can not now receive thee sacramentally, I
beseech thee to come spiritually into my heart. I unite myself
to thee, and embrace thee with all the affections of my soul. Let
nothing ever separate thee from me. May I live and die in thy
love. Amen.
Lord, you stand at the door of my heart and knock. You wait
for me and only I can let you in. I believe and trust in you and
ask you now to fill me with your presence. Feed me with your
body and unite me in your blood, that I may be your blessing to a
world in need. Amen.
Organ Music during Communion
Christ lag in Todesbanden
Georg Böhm (1661–1733)
Prayer after Communion
President Let us pray.
A time of silent prayer may be kept.
All Father of all,
we give you thanks and praise,
that when we were still far off
you met us in your Son and brought us home.
Dying and living, he declared your love,
gave us grace, and opened the gate of glory.
May we who share Christ’s body live his risen life;
we who drink his cup bring life to others;
we whom the Spirit lights give light to the world.
Keep us firm in the hope you have set before us,
23so we and all your children shall be free,
and the whole earth live to praise your name;
through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The Dismissal
Blessing
President The God of peace
who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus,
that great shepherd of the sheep,
through the blood of the eternal covenant,
make you perfect in every good work to do his will,
working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight;
and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father,
the Son and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always.
All Amen.
Deacon Go in the peace of Christ, alleluia, alleluia!
All Thanks be to God, alleluia, alleluia!
Music after the Service
played by Benjamin Sheen, Sub Organist
Final, from Symphony no. 1 in D minor, Op. 14
Louis Vierne (1870–1937)
Scripture readings are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition,
© 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
Used by permission. All rights reserved. Some liturgical materials in this service are copyright
and reproduced here by permission: Common Worship © The Archbishops’ Council 2000–2008.
CCLI Church Copyright Licence 262098, One License Church Copyright Licence A-733591
Eucharistic Prayer B © The Central Board of Finance of the Church of England / The
Archbishops’ Council.
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