Fr. Guillermo A. Arboleda
- Apr 15, 2022
- 26 min read

Good Friday Worship (April 15, 2022)

The Holy Eucharist

Good Friday

April 15, 2022

Watch the Livestream at www.Facebook.com/StMattSav/Live/

Friday, April 15, at 6:00 p.m. (or anytime afterward)

The Good Friday Liturgy

On this day, the ministers enter in silence.

The Collect of the Day

[BCP, p. 357, 221]

Blessed be our God.

Forever and ever. Amen.

Let us pray:

Almighty God, we pray you graciously to behold this your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, and given into the hands of sinners, and to suffer death upon the cross; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

A Reading from the Book of Isaiah (52:13-53:12)

See, my servant shall prosper; he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high.

Just as there were many who were astonished at him --so marred was his appearance, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of mortals--

so he shall startle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him;

for that which had not been told them they shall see, and that which they had not heard they shall contemplate.

Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground;

he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

He was despised and rejected by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity;

and as one from whom others hide their faces he was despised, and we held him of no account.

Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases;

yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way,

and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth;

like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

By a perversion of justice he was taken away. Who could have imagined his future?

For he was cut off from the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people.

They made his grave with the wicked and his tomb with the rich,

although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.

Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him with pain.

When you make his life an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, and shall prolong his days;

through him the will of the Lord shall prosper. Out of his anguish he shall see light;

he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge. The righteous one, my servant, shall make many righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.

Therefore I will allot him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong;

because he poured out himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors;

yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Psalm 22

[BCP, p. 610]

Read responsively by half-verse (at the asterisk).

1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? * and are so far from my cry and from the words of my distress?

2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but you do not answer; * by night as well, but I find no rest.

3 Yet you are the Holy One, * enthroned upon the praises of Israel.

4 Our forefathers put their trust in you; * they trusted, and you delivered them.

5 They cried out to you and were delivered; * they trusted in you and were not put to shame.

6 But as for me, I am a worm and no man, * scorned by all and despised by the people.

7 All who see me laugh me to scorn; * they curl their lips and wag their heads, saying,

8 "He trusted in the Lord; let him deliver him; * let him rescue him, if he delights in him."

9 Yet you are he who took me out of the womb, * and kept me safe upon my mother's breast.

10 I have been entrusted to you ever since I was born; * you were my God when I was still in my mother's womb.

11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near, * and there is none to help.

12 Many young bulls encircle me; * strong bulls of Bashan surround me.

13 They open wide their jaws at me, * like a ravening and a roaring lion.

14 I am poured out like water; all my bones are out of joint; * my heart within my breast is melting wax.

15 My mouth is dried out like a pot-sherd; my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; * and you have laid me in the dust of the grave.

16 Packs of dogs close me in, and gangs of evildoers circle around me; * they pierce my hands and my feet; I can count all my bones.

17 They stare and gloat over me; * they divide my garments among them; they cast lots for my clothing.

18 Be not far away, O Lord; * you are my strength; hasten to help me.

19 Save me from the sword, * my life from the power of the dog.

20 Save me from the lion's mouth, * my wretched body from the horns of wild bulls.

21 I will declare your Name to my brethren; * in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.

22 Praise the Lord, you that fear him; * stand in awe of him, O offspring of Israel; all you of Jacob's line, give glory.

23 For he does not despise nor abhor the poor in their poverty; neither does he hide his face from them; * but when they cry to him he hears them.

24 My praise is of him in the great assembly; * I will perform my vows in the presence of those who worship him.

25 The poor shall eat and be satisfied, and those who seek the Lord shall praise him: * "May your heart live for ever!"

26 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, * and all the families of the nations shall bow before him.

27 For kingship belongs to the Lord; * he rules over the nations.

28 To him alone all who sleep in the earth bow down in worship; * all who go down to the dust fall before him.

29 My soul shall live for him; my descendants shall serve him; * they shall be known as the Lord's for ever.

30 They shall come and make known to a people yet unborn * the saving deeds that he has done.

A Reading from the Letter to the Hebrews (4:14-16; 5:7-9)

Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

LEV #37: Were You There?

[Verses 1-3]

1. Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

O! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

2. Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?

O! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.

Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?

3. Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?

Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?

O! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.

Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?

The People remain seated at the beginning of the Passion Gospel. The Passion Gospel will be read by lay persons with specific roles assigned to different persons, and the congregation taking the part of the crowd.

The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ According to St. John (18:1-19:42)

NARRATOR: The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. John: Jesus went out with his disciples across the Kidron valley to a place where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, because Jesus often met there with his disciples. So Judas brought a detachment of soldiers together with police from the chief priests and the Pharisees, and they came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. Then Jesus, knowing all that was to happen to him, came forward and asked them,

JESUS: "Whom are you looking for?"

NARRATOR: They answered,

ALL: "Jesus of Nazareth."

NARRATOR: Jesus replied,

JESUS: "I am he."

NARRATOR: Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. When Jesus said to them, "I am he," they stepped back and fell to the ground. Again he asked them,

JESUS: "Whom are you looking for?"

NARRATOR: And they said,

ALL: "Jesus of Nazareth."

NARRATOR: Jesus answered,

JESUS: "I told you that I am he. So if you are looking for me, let these men go."

NARRATOR: This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken, "I did not lose a single one of those whom you gave me." Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest's slave, and cut off his right ear. The slave's name was Malchus. Jesus said to Peter,

JESUS: "Put your sword back into its sheath. Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?"

NARRATOR: So the soldiers, their officer, and the Jewish police arrested Jesus and bound him. First they took him to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was better to have one person die for the people.

Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, but Peter was standing outside at the gate. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out, spoke to the woman who guarded the gate, and brought Peter in. The woman said to Peter,

WOMAN: "You are not also one of this man's disciples, are you?"

NARRATOR: He said,

PETER: "I am not."

NARRATOR: Now the slaves and the police had made a charcoal fire because it was cold, and they were standing around it and warming themselves. Peter also was standing with them and warming himself.

Then the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching. Jesus answered,

JESUS: "I have spoken openly to the world; I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. Why do you ask me? Ask those who heard what I said to them; they know what I said."

NARRATOR: When he had said this, one of the police standing nearby struck Jesus on the face, saying,

POLICE: "Is that how you answer the high priest?"

NARRATOR: Jesus answered,

JESUS: "If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong. But if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?"

NARRATOR: Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They asked him,

POLICE: "You are not also one of his disciples, are you?"

NARRATOR: He denied it and said,

PETER: "I am not."

NARRATOR: One of the slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked,

SLAVE: "Did I not see you in the garden with him?"

NARRATOR: Again Peter denied it, and at that moment the cock crowed.

Then they took Jesus from Caiaphas to Pilate's headquarters. It was early in the morning. They themselves did not enter the headquarters, so as to avoid ritual defilement and to be able to eat the Passover. So Pilate went out to them and said,

PILATE: "What accusation do you bring against this man?"

NARRATOR: They answered,

PRIESTS AND POLICE: "If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you."

NARRATOR: Pilate said to them,

PILATE: "Take him yourselves and judge him according to your law."

NARRATOR: The Jews replied,

PRIESTS AND POLICE: "We are not permitted to put anyone to death."

NARRATOR: (This was to fulfill what Jesus had said when he indicated the kind of death he was to die.)

Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him,

PILATE: "Are you the King of the Jews?"

NARRATOR: Jesus answered,

JESUS: "Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?"

NARRATOR: Pilate replied,

PILATE: "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?"

NARRATOR: Jesus answered,

JESUS: "My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here."

NARRATOR: Pilate asked him,

PILATE: "So you are a king?"

NARRATOR: Jesus answered,

JESUS: "You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."

NARRATOR: Pilate asked him,

PILATE: "What is truth?"

NARRATOR: After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them,

PILATE: "I find no case against him. But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover. Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?"

NARRATOR: They shouted in reply,

ALL: "Not this man, but Barabbas!"

NARRATOR: Now Barabbas was a bandit.

Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they dressed him in a purple robe. They kept coming up to him, saying,

SOLDIERS: "Hail, King of the Jews!"

NARRATOR: and striking him on the face. Pilate went out again and said to them,

PILATE: "Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no case against him."

NARRATOR: So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them,

PILATE: "Here is the man!"

NARRATOR: When the chief priests and the police saw him, they shouted,

ALL: "Crucify him! Crucify him!"

NARRATOR: Pilate said to them,

PILATE: "Take him yourselves and crucify him; I find no case against him."

NARRATOR: The Jews answered him,

ALL: "We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has claimed to be the Son of God."

NARRATOR: Now when Pilate heard this, he was more afraid than ever. He entered his headquarters again and asked Jesus,

PILATE: "Where are you from?"

NARRATOR: But Jesus gave him no answer. Pilate therefore said to him,

PILATE: "Do you refuse to speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?"

NARRATOR: Jesus answered him,

JESUS: "You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above; therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin."

NARRATOR: From then on Pilate tried to release him, but the Jews cried out,

ALL: "If you release this man, you are no friend of the emperor. Everyone who claims to be a king sets himself against the emperor."

NARRATOR: When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus outside and sat on the judge's bench at a place called The Stone Pavement, or in Hebrew Gabbatha. Now it was the day of Preparation for the Passover; and it was about noon. He said to the Jews,

PILATE: "Here is your King!"

NARRATOR: They cried out,

ALL: "Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!"

NARRATOR: Pilate asked them,

PILATE: "Shall I crucify your King?"

NARRATOR: The chief priests answered,

PRIESTS: "We have no king but the emperor."

NARRATOR: Then he handed him over to them to be crucified.

At the mention of Golgotha, all stand as able.

NARRATOR: So they took Jesus; and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them. Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." Many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek. Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate,

PRIESTS: "Do not write, 'The King of the Jews,' but, 'This man said, I am King of the Jews.'"

NARRATOR: Pilate answered,

PILATE: "What I have written I have written."

NARRATOR: When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier. They also took his tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. So they said to one another,

SOLDIERS: "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see who will get it."

NARRATOR: This was to fulfill what the scripture says, "They divided my clothes among themselves,  and for my clothing they cast lots."  And that is what the soldiers did.

Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother,

JESUS: "Woman, here is your son."

NARRATOR: Then he said to the disciple,

JESUS: "Here is your mother."

NARRATOR: And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.

After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfill the scripture),

JESUS: "I am thirsty."

NARRATOR: A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the wine, he said,

JESUS: "It is finished."

NARRATOR: Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Since it was the day of Preparation, the Jews did not want the bodies left on the cross during the sabbath, especially because that sabbath was a day of great solemnity. So they asked Pilate to have the legs of the crucified men broken and the bodies removed. Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out. (He who saw this has testified so that you also may believe. His testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth.) These things occurred so that the scripture might be fulfilled, "None of his bones shall be broken." And again another passage of scripture says, "They will look on the one whom they have pierced."

After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission; so he came and removed his body. Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews. Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

The Sermon

"From the Garden to the Cross" by Mrs. M. Idella Jones, Licensed Lay Preacher

Here we are again on Good Friday. Since Jesus’ arrest last night in the garden everything seems to have deteriorated. To the unknowing this Friday seems anything but good. Wasn’t the arrest of Jesus and the trial before the high priest and Pontius Pilate enough? What crime did Jesus commit that merited his execution. There was no sin in him, and yet Jesus hangs on the cross executed like a common criminal. So here we stand in the gloom and somber shadow of the cross watching in disbelief, that all our hopes of the Messiah have died on the cross.

John’s story of the crucifixion tells us two important things. First, Jesus had authority over everything that began with the betrayal in the garden and ended at the cross. John 3:35 reads “The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in his hands”. This included the events of Good Friday. Second, Jesus was rejected just as it was prophesied. John wrote earlier in chapter 1:10-12: “He (Jesus) was in the world, and the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name he gave the power to become children of God”.

The disciples may have thought Jesus was going to the garden to rest before continuing His ministry. This was his custom. But Jesus knowing what was to happen may have chosen the garden because of its seclusion and isolation. Jesus may have been thinking about the safety of the disciples and the crowds that always followed him. Judas, the betrayer, knew the garden well. He hoped to catch Jesus by surprise. But Jesus’ whole life made him ready for Good Friday. Jesus took authority over the situation the very minute Judas appeared with the soldiers. There could have been as few as sixty or as many as 200 soldiers who came to arrest Jesus. Jesus did not cower or try to hide from the arresting party. Jesus was there with his remaining 11 disciples. Judas was now on the side of the arresting party. Jesus stepped forward taking control from those who came to arrest him. He readily said that he was the man they looked for. His answer shocked them so much that they fell away in fear and surprise. Then Jesus being himself, showed his love and concern and asked the soldiers to allow the disciples to go. Jesus had the authority that kept the disciples from being arrested.

Jesus freely answered Caiaphas, the high priest’s, questions without hesitation. He asked for witnesses to verify their accusations (John 18:20-23). Again, Jesus did not shrink when questioned by Pontius Pilate. His straightforward answers disarmed Pilate. Three times Pilate tried to set Jesus free (18:33-38). Only when his personal safety and reputation with the Roman Emperor was threatened did Pilate agree to the wishes of the crowd. And once more Jesus took authority over the situation.

What happened to the eleven disciples? John’s Gospel tells us that “Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus” (18:12) and are outside in the courtyard as Jesus was questioned by the high priest. The other nine disciples, understandably fearful for their own safety, ran away when the soldiers appeared. Peter stayed near to Jesus until the rooster crowed and reminded Peter that Jesus predicted his threefold denial. Peter was devoted to Jesus. Peter trusted Jesus, he tried to prevent his arrest in the garden. Peter even offered his own life just to be able to follow him. But then Peter too ran away. The other disciples ran away in fear. But Peter ran away in shame.

The crowd watching the crucifixion may have believed that Jesus was defeated and alone. But Jesus was focused on his mission and was ready to “drink the cup that the Father has given” him (18:11). This was why he came to earth. He knew everything before it happened. He knew that Peter would deny him three times. Jesus knew that the disciples would run away. Jesus had the authority to stop the crucifixion. But he did not. He had accepted his mission. Peter is gone and the other disciples disappeared at the arrest. Jesus carries his cross through the streets. He wears the sign dictated by Pilate which read, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews” (19:19). The chief priests wanted Pilate to change the sign to read “This man said, I am the King of the Jews” (John 19:20). Pilate in perhaps a meager way of exerting his authority refused. The sign was written in Hebrew, Latin and Greek so that all who passed by knew who was hanged there.

Standing at the foot of the cross are Mary, the mother of Jesus, Mary, the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. They were there with Jesus throughout his crucifixion and stood there to support Mary, his mother. With them was John the sole disciple to see the crucifixion. Jesus looked at his mother then at John, and created a new family, giving Mary his mother into the care of the “disciple whom he loved”. John welcomed her into his home. Jesus has fulfilled his final task assuring that his mother would be cared for.

Jesus with total authority and complete control chooses the time of his death. There was nothing left to accomplish. John writes (19:30) when Jesus had received the wine, he said, “It is finished. Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”

We have seen two kinds of power and authority. God, through Jesus, gives one kind of power and authority. The other is achieved through brutality and brute force. The Pharisees and chief priests were afraid of losing their power and tried to reinforce it through Pilate and the Roman Empire. Pilate, at first tried to do the right thing and free Jesus but gave into the mad power of the crowd and killed an innocent man. Today’s meditation in Forward Day by Day, Patrick Kangrga, a lay minister at St. James Episcopal Church in Jackson, Mississippi, says, “Jesus dies at the hands of those who mismanaged and abused power, but he lived in a way that shows how power can be loving, grace filled and life giving. Power can crucify, and power can free.” Jesus used his authority and the power given to him by God to give new life and hope and show the power of love.

For that reason, we can stand this evening in the gloom and somber shadow of the cross sorrowfully thanking Jesus for his grace filled and life-giving power and authority. Amen.

Musical Selection: At the Cross

1 Alas! and did my Savior bleed,

and did my Sov’reign die?

Would He devote that sacred head

for sinners such as I?

2 Was it for crimes that I have done,

He groaned upon the tree?

Amazing pity! Grace unknown!

And love beyond degree!

REFRAIN:

At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light,

and the burden of my heart rolled away;

it was there by faith I received my sight,

and now I am happy all the day.

3 Well might the sun in darkness hide,

and shut its glories in;

when God, the mighty maker,

died for His own creature’s sin.

4 Thus might I hide my blushing face

while His dear cross appears;

dissolve my heart in thankfulness,

and melt mine eyes to tears.

REFRAIN

5 But drops of tears can ne’er repay

the debt of love I owe;

Here, Lord, I give myself away;

’tis all that I can do.

Here, Lord, I give myself away;

’tis all that I can do.

REFRAIN

Words: Verses by Isaac Watts; Refrain by Ralph E. Hudson; Public Domain. Music: Adapted and arranged by Guillermo A. Arboleda, based on the tune by Ralph E. Hudson (see LEV #30). Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #95031. All rights reserved.

The Solemn Collects

[BCP, p. 277]

The biddings are read by a person appointed (PA).

The Celebrant (C) says the Collects after each moment of silence.

PA: Dear People of God: Our heavenly Father sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved; that all who believe in him might be delivered from the power of sin and death, and become heirs with him of everlasting life.

We pray, therefore, for people everywhere according to their needs, reverently kneeling.

PA: Let us pray for the holy Catholic Church of Christ throughout the world:

For its unity in witness and service; For all bishops and other ministers and the people whom they serve; For Frank, our Bishop, and all the people of this diocese; For all Christians in this community; For those about to be baptized;

That God will confirm his Church in faith, increase it in love, and preserve it in peace.

Silence

C: Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified: Receive our supplications and prayers which we offer before you for all members of your holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

PA: Let us pray for all nations and peoples of the earth, and for those in authority among them:

For Joseph, the President of the United States; For the Congress and the Supreme Court; For the Members and Representatives of the United Nations; For all who serve the common good;

That by God’s help they may seek justice and truth, and live in peace and concord.

Silence

C: Almighty God, kindle, we pray, in every heart the true love of peace, and guide with your wisdom those who take counsel for the nations of the earth; that in tranquility your dominion may increase, until the earth is filled with the knowledge of your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

PA: Let us pray for all who suffer and are afflicted in body or in mind:

For the hungry and the homeless, the destitute and the oppressed; For the sick, the wounded, and the disabled; For those in loneliness, fear, and anguish; For those who face temptation, doubt, and despair; For the sorrowful and bereaved; For prisoners and captives, and those in mortal danger;

That God in his mercy will comfort and relieve them, and grant them the knowledge of his love, and stir up in us the will and patience to minister to their needs.

Silence

C: Gracious God, the comfort of all who sorrow, the strength of all who suffer: Let the cry of those in misery and need come to you, that they may find your mercy present with them in all their afflictions; and give us, we pray, the strength to serve them for the sake of him who suffered for us, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

PA: Let us pray for all who have not received the Gospel of Christ:

For those who have never heard the word of salvation; For those who have lost their faith; For those hardened by sin or indifference; For the contemptuous and the scornful; For those who are enemies of the cross of Christ and persecutors of his disciples; For those who in the name of Christ have persecuted others

That God will open their hearts to the truth, and lead them to faith and obedience.

Silence

C: Merciful God, creator of all the peoples of the earth and lover of souls: Have compassion on all who do not know you as you are revealed in your Son Jesus Christ; let your Gospel be preached with grace and power to those who have not heard it; turn the hearts of those who resist it; and bring home to your fold those who have gone astray; that there may be one flock under one shepherd, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

PA: Let us commit ourselves to our God, and pray for the grace of a holy life, that, with all who have departed this world and have died in the peace of Christ, and those whose faith is known to God alone, we may be accounted worthy to enter into the fullness of the joy of our Lord, and receive the crown of life in the day of resurrection.

Silence

C: O God of unchangeable power and eternal light: Look favorably on your whole Church, that wonderful and sacred mystery; by the effectual working of your providence, carry out in tranquility the plan of salvation; let the whole world see and know that things which were cast down are being raised up, and things which had grown old are being made new, and that all things are being brought to their perfection by him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Veneration of the Cross

[BCP, p. 281]

The ministers will carry the cross to the front of the Church, reciting the following Anthems. All then pray silently. The people are invited to come forward to kneel before, touch, or kiss the cross as an act of prayer and reverence.

Anthem 2

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you,

Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

If we have died with him, we shall also live with him; if we endure, we shall also reign with him.

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Anthem 3

O Savior of the world,

who by thy cross and precious blood hast redeemed us:

Save us and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

A Period of Silence

Hymn #178: O Sacred Head, Sore Wounded

[Verses 1-5]

1. O sacred head, sore wounded,

defiled and put to scorn;

O kingly head, surrounded

with mocking crown of thorn:

what sorrow mars thy grandeur?

Can death thy bloom deflower?

O countenance whose splendor

the hosts of heaven adore!

2. Thy beauty, long-desired,

hath vanished from our sight;

thy power is all expired,

and quenched the light of light.

Ah me! for whom thou diest,

hide not so far thy grace:

show me, O Love most highest,

the brightness of thy face.

3. In thy most bitter passion

my heart to share doth cry,

with thee for my salvation

upon the cross to die.

Ah, keep my heart thus moved

to stand thy cross beneath,

to mourn thee, well-beloved,

yet thank thee for thy death.

4. What language shall I borrow

to thank thee, dearest friend,

for this thy dying sorrow,

thy pity without end?

Oh, make me thine for ever!

and should I fainting be,

Lord, let me never,never,

outlive my love for thee.

5. My days are few, O fail not,

with thine immortal power,

to hold me that I quail not

in death's most fearful hour;

that I may fight befriended,

and see in my last strife

to me thine arms extended

upon the cross of life.

Words: Paul Gerhardt, sts. 1-3, tr. Robert Seymour Bridges, Public Domain. Music: Herzlich tut mich verlangen [Passion Chorale], Hans Leo Hassler, adapt. and harm. Johann Sebastian Bach, Public Domain. Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #97250. All rights reserved.

The Confession of Sin

[BCP, p. 360]

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.

Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

[BCP, p. 364]

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

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 Offertory

[BCP, p. 377]

Giving to St. Matthew's: We know that many people are feeling the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis. The church is feeling it too. We still need your support to pay our staff, pay our bills, and provide for these online live streams. There are several ways to give, but the simplest are these:

Mail us a check or money order at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, 1401 Martin Luther King, Jr., Blvd, Savannah, GA 31415; OR
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NOTE: Donations made online (#2 or #3) through Realm incur a processing fee of about 2.5%. Please consider adding an additional 2.5% to your online gift to cover these costs.

“I appeal to you, sisters and brothers, by the mercies of God, to present yourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” [Romans 12:1]

Give online at: https://onrealm.org/StMattSav/-/give/now

Communion from the Reserved Sacrament & Emptying of the Tabernacle

[BCP, p. 282]