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Wednesday in Holy Week

Wednesday, March 31, 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. 

Lord God, whose blessed Son our Savior gave his body to be whipped and his face to be spit upon: Give us grace to accept joyfully the sufferings of the present time, confident of the glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ your Son 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: Isaiah 50:4-9a

The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning he wakens—wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught. The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I did not turn backward. I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I did not hide my face from insult and spitting. The Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame; he who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand up together. Who are my adversaries? Let them confront me. It is the Lord God who helps me; who will declare me guilty?


Psalm 70

1  Be pleased, O God, to deliver me; *
O Lord, make haste to help me.

2  Let those who seek my life be ashamed and altogether dismayed; *
let those who take pleasure in my misfortune draw back and be disgraced.

3  Let those who say to me “Aha!” and gloat over me turn back, *
because they are ashamed.

4  Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; *
let those who love your salvation say for ever, “Great is the Lord!”

5  But as for me, I am poor and needy; *
come to me speedily, O God.

6  You are my helper and my deliverer; *
O Lord, do not tarry.


Second Reading: Hebrews 12:1-3

Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart.

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


The Gospel
: John 13:21-32

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

At supper with his friends, Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared, “Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.” The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking. One of his disciples—the one whom Jesus loved—was reclining next to him; Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So while reclining next to Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. After he received the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “Do quickly what you are going to do.” Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. Some thought that, because Judas had the common purse, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the festival”; or, that he should give something to the poor. So, after receiving the piece of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night. When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once.”

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


The Sermon


The Prayers of the People

The hour has come; now is the time to glorify God’s name.  Let us intercede for the church and for all God’s creation, turning to God and saying: Lord, your kingdom come.
Silence

You are our God: may those who are poor and those who are rich, those near and those far, welcome the covenant of peace. We especially pray for peace in our nation; for a cease to political hatred and suspicion, and a new beginning to dialogue and unified work for the common good. We pray: Lord, your kingdom come.
Silence

We are your people: we pray for all the baptized, we pray especially for Justin, Archbishop of Canterbury; Michael, our presiding Bishop; and Daniel, our Bishop. We also pray for those who are to be baptized this coming Easter.  We pray: Lord, your kingdom come.
Silence

You honor those who choose to serve: help us to be true followers of your servant Son, we pray especially for all service workers in our community, on whose labor the cohesion and functionality of our society relies.  We pray: Lord, your kingdom come.
Silence

We know that we must die so that we may truly live: strengthen all who suffer in mind or body, we pray especially for the victims of hate crimes and their affected communities in our nation, and we pray for the ones who perpetuate such crimes and ideals, that you would turn their hearts from hatred; and we pray for those we name now aloud or in our hearts Silence.  We pray: Lord, your kingdom come.
Silence

We pray for all those who have died; we especially pray for those who have died from gun violence, and for those who died in the hope of the Resurrection.  We pray: Lord, your kingdom come.
Silence

You draw all people to yourself: bring us out of our slavery to violence, revenge, and rage. We pray that we will be given the grace and courage to defend the dignity of every human being, and strive for a more just society. We pray: Lord, your kingdom come.
Silence

Lord God, show us the way of obedience through patient endurance and the way to glory through the law written in our hearts.  Hear our prayers and come to our aid.  We pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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:

  • Online: E-Giving (Realm) | PayPal

  • Text: message 73256 with the phrase saintpauls $X (insert an amount in place of X)

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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 Jesus Christ our Lord. For our sins he was lifted high upon the cross, that he might draw the whole world to himself; and, by his suffering and death, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who put their trust in him.

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: Widgette Kelly, Jacky Grande

  • A/V: Blaine Masters, Emery Kohut


Online giving
is available through Realm E-Giving and PayPal. We thank you for your generous giving to St. Paul’s.