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COMMEMORATION OF Patrick of Ireland, Bishop and Missionary, 461

Wednesday, March 17, at 7:00 pm | The Holy Eucharist, Rite II

Livestreamed on Facebook (click and open the ‘live’ video)

The order of this service can also be found in The Book of Common Prayer, page 355. Spoken responses are in bold typeface.

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The Holy Eucharist: Rite ii

Priest     Bless the Lord who forgives all our sins.
People    His mercy endures forever.

Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: 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.

Priest        Lord, have mercy.
People       Christ, have mercy.
Priest        Lord, have mercy.

Priest     The Lord be with you. 
People     And also with you.
Priest    Let us pray. 

Almighty God, in your providence you chose your servant Patrick to be the apostle to the Irish people, to bring those who were wandering in darkness and error to the true light and knowledge of you: Grant us so to walk in that way that we may come at last to the light of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Liturgy of the Word

First Reading: 1 Thessalonians 2:1–8

You yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our coming to you was not in vain, but though we had already suffered and been shamefully mistreated at Philippi, as you know, we had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition. For our appeal does not spring from deceit or impure motives or trickery, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the message of the gospel, even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts. As you know and as God is our witness, we never came with words of flattery or with a pretext for greed; nor did we seek praise from mortals, whether from you or from others, though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us.

Reader     The Word of the Lord.
People     Thanks be to God.


Psalm 96

1 Sing to the Lord a new song; *
sing to the Lord, all the whole earth.

2 Sing to the Lord and bless his Name; *
proclaim the good news of his salvation from day to day.

3 Declare his glory among the nations *
and his wonders among all peoples.

4 For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; *
he is more to be feared than all gods.

5 As for all the gods of the nations, they are but idols; *
but it is the Lord who made the heavens.

6 Oh, the majesty and magnificence of his presence! *
Oh, the power and the splendor of his sanctuary!

7 Ascribe to the Lord, you families of the peoples; *
ascribe to the Lord honor and power.

8 Ascribe to the Lord the honor due his Name; *
bring offerings and come into his courts.

9 Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness; *
let the whole earth tremble before him.

10 Tell it out among the nations: “The Lord is King! *
he has made the world so firm that it cannot be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.”

11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
let the sea thunder and all that is in it; *
let the field be joyful and all that is therein.

12 Then shall all the trees of the wood shout for joy
before the Lord when he comes, *
when he comes to judge the earth.

13 He will judge the world with righteousness *
and the peoples with his truth.


The Gospel
: Matthew 28:16–20

Priest     The ✠ Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to Matthew.
People  Glory to you, Lord Christ.

The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Priest     The Gospel of the Lord.
People     Praise to you, Lord Christ.


The Sermon


The Prayers of the People

I ask for your prayers for God’s people throughout the world; for Justin, Archbishop of Canterbury; for Michael, our Presiding Bishop; for Daniel our Bishop.  We pray for all clergy, and for all in discernment and formation for Holy Orders.  We pray for all ministers and people in their vocations around the world.  Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Silence

I ask your prayers for justice and peace; for goodwill among nations and the well-being of all people.  We pray especially for Joseph, the President of the United States; for Tom, our Governor; for our courts and local governments.  Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Silence

I ask for your prayers for the poor, the sick, the hungry, the oppressed, and for those in prison.  We especially pray for our area Code Blue Shelters, both guests and volunteers; we pray for all homeless persons, especially homeless and hungry youth and children.  We pray for orphans, and for those families separated in the name of national security.  We pray for all refugees fleeing danger only to find destitution and rejection.  We pray for peace and freedom for the people of Myanmar and Yemen.  We pray for Robert and all those battling cancer.  Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Silence

I ask your prayers for all who seek God, or a deeper knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord.  We pray for those who have lost their faith due to religious trauma; we pray for all who seek Truth; we pray for those who suffer for the sake of The Gospel.  We pray for all those who suffer for the sake of their conscience.  Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Silence

I ask your prayers for our enemies and those who wish us harm, and for all whom we have injured or offended.  Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Silence

I ask your prayers for our sister church of St. Mary’s, Sololá, and for the churches and provinces throughout the Anglican Communion.   Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Silence

I ask your prayers for the departed especially those who have died of Covid-19, and all those who have died alone; for all those who died in despair; and for all those who died from our collective neglect and abandonment.  Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Silence

Praise God for those in every generation in whom Christ has been honored especially St. Joseph and St. Patrick whom we remember this week. Pray that we may have the grace to glorify Christ in our own day.  Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Silence

The Priest concludes
O Lord our God, accept the fervent prayers of your people; in the multitude of your mercies, look with compassion upon us and all who turn to you for help; for you are gracious, O lover of souls, and to you we give glory, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

Confession of Sin

Deacon              Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. 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 delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.

The priest pronounces an absolution.


The Peace

Priest     The peace of the Lord be always with you. 
People     And also with you.

The Holy Communion

To give an offering, select an option below:

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The Great Thanksgiving: Eucharistic Prayer B

The Priest faces the People and says

The Lord be with you. 
People     And also with you.
Priest     Lift up your hearts. 
People     We lift them to the Lord.
Priest     Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. 
People     It is right to give him thanks and praise.


Then, facing the Holy Table, the Priest continues

It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; through the great shepherd of your flock, Jesus Christ our Lord; who after his resurrection sent forth his apostles to preach the Gospel and to teach all nations; and promised to be with them always, even to the end of the ages.

Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who for ever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:

Celebrant and People

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.

The People may stand or kneel. The Priest continues

We give thanks to you, O God, for the goodness and love which you have made known to us in creation; in the calling of Israel to be your people; in your Word spoken through the prophets; and above all in the Word made flesh, Jesus, your Son. For in these last days you sent him to be incarnate from the Virgin Mary, to be the Savior and Redeemer of the world. In him, you have delivered us from evil, and made us worthy to stand before you. In him, you have brought us out of error into truth, out of sin into righteousness, out of death into life. 

On the night before he died for us, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, “Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.” After supper he took the cup of wine; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and said, “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. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.” 

Therefore, according to his command, O Father, 

Priest and People

We remember his death, 
We proclaim his resurrection, 
We await his coming in glory; 

The Priest continues

And we offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to you, O Lord of all; presenting to you, from your creation, this bread and this wine. We pray you, gracious God, to send your Holy Spirit upon these gifts that they may be the Sacrament of the Body of Christ and his Blood of the new Covenant. Unite us to your Son in his sacrifice, that we may be acceptable through him, being ✠ sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In the fullness of time, put all things in subjection under your Christ, and bring us to that heavenly country where, with the ever-blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, blessed Paul the Apostle, and all your saints, we may enter the everlasting heritage of your sons and daughters; through Jesus Christ our Lord, the firstborn of all creation, the head of the Church, and the author of our salvation. 

By him, and with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. AMEN. 

And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say, 

People and Priest

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


The Breaking of the Bread

The Priest breaks the consecrated Bread. A period of silence is kept.

Priest     Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;
People     Therefore let us keep the feast.

Facing the People, the Priest says

The Gifts of God for the People of God.


Spiritual Communion: Act of Reception

This prayer form is for those who desire to receive the Sacrament but are unable to do so, with the assurance that all the benefits of Communion are received, even though the Sacrament is not received with the mouth. 

In union, blessed Jesus, with the faithful gathered at every altar of your Church where your blessed Body and Blood are offered this day, I long to offer you praise and thanksgiving, for creation and all the blessings of this life, for the redemption won for us by your life, death, and resurrection, for the means of grace and the hope of glory.

I believe that you are truly present in the Holy Sacrament, and, since I cannot at this time receive communion, I pray you to come into my heart. I unite myself with you and embrace you with all my heart, my soul, and my mind. Let nothing separate me from you; let me serve you in this life until, by your grace, I come to your glorious kingdom and unending peace. Amen.

Come Lord Jesus, and dwell in my heart in the fullness of your strength; be my wisdom and guide me in right pathways; conform my life and actions to the image of your holiness; and, in the power of your gracious might, rule over every hostile power that threatens or disturbs the growth of your kingdom, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.


Postcommunion Prayer

Priest     Let us pray.

The People may join in saying this prayer 

Eternal God, heavenly Father, you have graciously accepted us as living members of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, and you have fed us with spiritual food in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood. Send us now into the world in peace, and grant us strength and courage to love and serve you with gladness and singleness of heart; through Christ our Lord. Amen.


The Blessing & Dismissal

The Priest gives the blessing.

The Deacon dismisses the people, who respond Thanks be to God.


Service Participants

  • Celebrant & Preacher: The Rev. Daniel T. Moore

  • Deacon: The Rev. Matthew D. Simpson

  • Altar & Vessels: Carol Fox, Linda Chinn

  • A/V: Liam Kelly


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