Holy Communion

                                                                                                                                                                                     

Holy Communion in Ordinary Time

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Lord open our lips

and we will praise your name

Amen

Hymn

Prayer of Preparation

Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires are 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 Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Prayers of Penitence

Jesus Christ, risen master and triumphant Lord, we come to you in sorrow for our sins, and confess to you our weakness and unbelief.

God of mercy, we acknowledge we are sinners. 

We turn away from the wrong that we have thought and said and done                                      and are mindful of all that we have failed to do.                                                                                For the sake of Jesus, who died for us, forgive us all that is past, and help us to live each day in the light of Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Assured of God’s forgiveness we come to sing his praise:

Gloria in Excelsis

Glory to God in the highest,  

and peace to his 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.

The Collect

Readings

The Profession of Faith

Do you believe and trust in God the Father? 

I believe in God, the Father almighty,  creator of heaven and earth.

Do you believe and trust in his Son Jesus Christ? 

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, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

Do you believe and trust in the Holy Spirit? 

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.

Prayers of Intercession

The Peace

Not an easy peace, 

not an insignificant peace,  

not a half-hearted peace, 

but the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ is with us now.

We share the peace.

Hymn

Eucharistic Prayer E

The Lord be with you

All   and also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

All   We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

All   It is right to give thanks and praise.

Father, you made the world and love your creation.

You gave your Son Jesus Christ to be our Saviour.

His dying and rising have set us free from sin and death.

And so we gladly thank you,

with saints and angels praising you, and saying:

All   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.

We praise and bless you, loving Father,

through Jesus Christ, our Lord;

and as we obey his command,

send your Holy Spirit,

that broken bread and wine outpoured

may be for us the body and blood of your dear Son.

On the night before he died he had supper with his friends

and, taking bread, he praised you.

He broke the bread, gave it to them and said:

Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you;

do this in remembrance of me.

When supper was ended he took the cup of wine.

Again he praised you, 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.

Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.

So, Father, we remember all that Jesus did,

in him we plead with confidence his sacrifice

made once for all upon the cross.

Bringing before you the bread of life and cup of salvation,

we proclaim his death and resurrection

until he comes in glory.

Great is the mystery of faith

All   Christ has died:

Christ is risen:

Christ will come again.

Lord of all life,

help us to work together for that day

when your kingdom comes

and justice and mercy will be seen in all the earth.

Look with favour on your people,

gather us in your loving arms

and bring us with Mary and all the saints

to feast at your table in heaven.

Through Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

all honour and glory are yours, O loving Father,

for ever and ever.

All   Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

We break this bread to share in the body of Christ.

Though we are many, we are one body because we all share in one bread.

The Invitation

Draw near with faith, receive the body of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he gave for you, and his blood which he shed for you.                                                                                                                            Eat and drink in remembrance that Christ died for you,  and feed on him in your hearts by faith, with thanksgiving.    

                                                                                                          

Taking of Communion (followed by period of silence)

Closing Prayer   

May we go as those whose cup of life runs over,  

May we go as those who have received the bread enough for others. 

May Christ Jesus host our every meal and may the Spirit fill us with joy. 

Amen.

Blessing

May the Lord bless you, 

may the Lord protect and guide you, 

may his strength uphold you, 

his light shine upon you, 

his peace surround you 

and his love enfold you.                                                                                                                       Amen.

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. 

In the name of Christ.  Amen.                                                                                                                                 

The Seventh Sunday After Trinity

Spirit, in our weakness be our strength.

We do not know how to pray as we ought.

As we love you, work in us that which is good;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

 Lord, make us the people you want us to be.

Guide us in what you would have us do.

We pray for all those who are new to faith or who are seeking to grow their faith.

For all seekers and enquirers.

Lord, your will be done, your kingdom come in us.

We pray for all who are suffering hardship or persecution,

for all who are in peril and danger.

We name those that are especially on our hearts today.

Strengthen all who seek to bring in your kingdom by striving for peace, for justice, for freedom.

Lord, your will be done, your kingdom come in us.

Lord, we give you thanks for all who have shared the riches of your kingdom with us,

for those who have been examples to us, and who have taught us the faith.

We pray for all who seek to pass on these riches to others in their communities.

Lord, your will be done. Your kingdom come in us.

We pray for those known to us who have fallen into sickness or disability.

We pray for those losing mobility, their carers and comforters.

Lord, your will be done, your kingdom come in us.

We give you thanks that in Christ, you have bought us to the great riches of your kingdom.

We pray for the saints and all the faithful departed, that we may be one with you in your eternal kingdom.

Lord, your will be done, your kingdom come in us.

Our Bible readings for this week:

Romans 8: 26-39

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified. What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Matthew 13: 31-33, 44-52

He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.” “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  “Have you understood all this?” They answered, “Yes.” And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”

Collect

Generous God, you give us gifts and make them grow;

though our faith is small as a mustard seed,

make it grow to your glory and the flourishing of your kingdom;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Nothing shall separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Blessing

The love of God enfold us,

the power of Christ protect us,

the leading of the Spirit guide us.

 May the blessing of God, Father, Son

and Holy Spirit remain with us through all our days.

 Amen