The Holy Eucharist
The Fourth Sunday of Advent (Year C)
December 19, 2021
Watch the Livestream at www.Facebook.com/StMattSav/Live/
Sunday, December 19, at 9:30 a.m. (or anytime afterward)
The Holy Eucharist: Rite II
The Word of God
Hymn #56: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
[Verses 1-7]
1 O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
REFRAIN:
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
2 O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who ord'rest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show
And teach us in her ways to go. [REFRAIN]
3 O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai's height
In ancient times didst give the law
In cloud and majesty and awe. [REFRAIN]
4 O come, Thou Rod of Jesse's stem;
From every foe deliver them
That trust thy mighty pow'r to save,
And give them vict'ry o'er the grave. [REFRAIN]
5 O come, thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heav'nly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery. [REFRAIN]
6 O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death's dark shadows put to flight. [REFRAIN]
7 O come, Desire of nations, bind
All peoples in one heart and mind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease;
And be Thyself our King of Peace. [REFRAIN]
Words: Latin, ca. 9th cent.; ver. Hymnal 1940, alt., Public Domain.
Music: Veni, veni, Emmanuel, plainsong, Mode 1, Processionale, 15th cent.; adapt. Thomas Helmore, Public Domain.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #84028. All rights reserved.
A Penitential Order
[BCP, p. 351]
Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
And blessed be his kingdom, now and forever. Amen.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:8-9)
Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
Silence may be kept.
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.
LEV #236: Lord Have Mercy
[BCP, p. 356]
Lord, have mercy,
Lord, have mercy,
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy,
Christ, have mercy,
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy,
Lord, have mercy,
Lord, have mercy, have mercy on us.
Words: Public Domain.
Music: Leon C. Roberts, Mass of St. Augustine © 1992 G.I.A. Publications, Inc.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #07254. All rights reserved.
The Collect of the Day
[BCP, p. 357, 212]
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray:
Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
A Reading from the Book of the Prophet Micah (5:2-5a)
You, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.
Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred shall return to the people of Israel.
And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth;
and he shall be the one of peace.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Canticle 15: The Song of Mary
[BCP, p. 91; Luke 1:46-55]
Read responsively by half-verse (at the asterisk).
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; * for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed: * the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him * in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm, * he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, * and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things, * and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel, * for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
The promise he made to our fathers, * to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: * as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
A Reading from the Letter to the Hebrews (10:5-10)
When Christ came into the world, he said,
"Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me;
in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure.
Then I said, 'See, God, I have come to do your will, O God' (in the scroll of the book it is written of me)."
When he said above, "You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings" (these are offered according to the law), then he added, "See, I have come to do your will." He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. And it is by God's will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God
The People stand for the reading of the Gospel.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ According to St. Luke (1:39-55)
Glory to you, Lord Christ.
In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord."
And Mary said,
"My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever."
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Christ.
The Sermon
“Shout out to Elizabeth!” by The Rev. Guillermo A. Arboleda
Shout out to Elizabeth! She doesn’t get enough credit. I’m not totally confident that we remember who Elizabeth is year-round, without the reminder from this Gospel story in Advent. She is not a biblical character who we speak about a whole lot. She is a biblical saint but nobody really celebrates her feast day (it’s not even on The Episcopal Church’s official calendar). There is a St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church right in Richmond Hill, GA, but it’s named after a different St. Elizabeth.
But despite not appearing in much of the Bible (she really only appears in the opening chapters of the Gospel of Luke), St. Elizabeth is very important. Elizabeth is Mary’s relative, but also her closest friend and confidante. Elizabeth is the only person who we see Mary confiding in besides her future-husband Joseph. Elizabeth gives Mary blessings and encouragement at a time when she needed it most. So Elizabeth deserves her flowers, and today we’re going to give them to her.
Let’s back up and recap where we are in the biblical timeline here. Mary was a young woman from Nazareth. She was engaged to a man named Joseph but they weren’t married yet. We learn a bit earlier in Luke that Mary’s cousin Elizabeth has miraculously gotten pregnant with her first child even though everyone believes she is too old to carry a child. God sent an angel to her husband Zechariah to explain that their son would prepare the way for the Messiah. Their son would be John the Baptist.
Fast forward six months later, and the Archangel Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her that she was pregnant with a boy named Jesus who would be called “Son of God” (Luke 1:35). Mary also miraculously became pregnant but this time before she had ever been with a man. So, Mary knew that God was doing a great and mysterious thing with her. But also, for the next 9 months, or until her wedding with Joseph, Mary’s life was stressful and fearful. Nobody would ever believe that she was pregnant without being unfaithful to her fiancé. Thankfully, God also speaks to Joseph in a dream so that he believes her (Matthew 1:19-25). But we still expect many people to look down on them and treat them like they are immoral and scandalous. Mary is going to need some supportive friends to get through this.
Shortly after Mary received Gabriel’s message, she got away from her home and visited her bestie and cousin Elizabeth. Think about this. Mary is kind of in crisis mode. Adolescence and young adulthood and new parenthood are already really difficult phases of life to go through. Add on top of that shame from her community and the responsibility from God to raise the Savior of the World. Mary needs help. And the first person she turns to is Elizabeth. We’re not even sure that Mary spoke to Joseph before visiting Elizabeth. She probably needed to see her girlfriend before she could drop this bombshell news on her fiancé that could ruin her life.
And when Mary arrived, Elizabeth had something encouraging to say. She reminds Mary about God’s promise to her. She reminds her not to be ashamed or embarrassed about the socially uncomfortable position she is in. God has a bigger plan. God is going to do great things through her son. And Elizabeth’s son (John the Baptist) already knows it.
Elizabeth’s child leaps in her womb at the sight of Mary. The Holy Spirit speaks through Elizabeth to Mary. Elizabeth blesses her cousin with words that endure through the ages: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb” (Luke 1:42). This blessing by Elizabeth is included in the famous “Hail Mary” prayer that Catholics and Episcopalians sometimes use when we ask Mary to pray for us to Jesus. But those words come by the mouth of her best friend, Elizabeth. But more importantly, Elizabeth blessed Mary for her faith and trust in God: “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord" (Luke 1:45).
After receiving Elizabeth’s blessings, Mary sings and prays the famous Song of Mary (a.k.a. Magnificat). She declared God’s faithfulness to humankind since the days of Abraham. She recognized that God is just, God is the great equalizer who brings down the mighty and raises up the lowly. She starts to understand what kind of victorious ministry her son Jesus will do to save the world. But she only gets there because of Elizabeth.
St. Elizabeth is a wonderful example of Christian friendship and virtue. She had seen and experienced miraculous things in her own life and certainly that prepared her to believe what Mary told her. But more importantly, Elizabeth led with love and blessing. Elizabeth could have given Mary the cold shoulder. She is older and more experienced, and married to a priest. Sometimes religious people like priests and their spouses are not warm and friendly. They aren’t gracious when someone steps out of line or seems to fail morally.
But instead of judging Mary and assuming the worst about her because she was pregnant before marriage, Elizabeth loves and encourages her. She sees past social and cultural biases against women. She sees past all the shaming and blaming. And instead Elizabeth loves and blesses Mary and helps her become the strong, loving mother that Jesus will need and the church needs. So shout out to Elizabeth! Thank God for her. But more than that, try to be an Elizabeth to someone in your life. Be a safe person they can confide in, someone they can trust not to judge or condemn or tattle. Because you never know what miracles God might be doing for you or anyone you meet. Amen.
Hymn #66: Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus
[Verses 1-4]
1 Come, thou long expected Jesus
born to set Thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us,
let us find our rest in Thee.
2 Israel's strength and consolation,
hope of all the earth thou art;
dear desire of every nation,
joy of every longing heart.
3 Born thy people to deliver,
born a child, and yet a King,
born to reign in us forever,
now thy gracious kingdom bring.
4 By thine own eternal Spirit
rule in all our hearts alone;
by Thine all sufficient merit,
raise us to thy glorious throne
Words: Charles Wesley, Public Domain.
Music: Stuttgart, melody from Psalmodia Sacra, oder Andächtige und Schöne Gesänge, adapt. and harm. William Henry Havergal, Public Domain.
Reprinted with permission under ONELICENSE #83979. All rights reserved.
The Nicene Creed
[BCP, p. 358]
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
The Prayers of the People
[Adapted from http://theadventproject.org/Documents/adventpop.pdf]
Sisters and Brothers, as we joyfully await the full manifestation of God’s Reign in Christ, let us pray for the needs of the church and the world, saying, “Come, Lord Jesus.”
O Wisdom, you come forth from the mouth of the Most High and reach from beginning to end, mightily and sweetly ordering all things. Behold and bless your church, remembering especially Michael our presiding bishop, Frank our Bishop, Guillermo our priest, Toni and Margaret our wardens, our vestry and delegates, and all leaders in this parish. Be present in ordering the life of this and every congregation.
Come, Lord Jesus!
O Adonai, God of the Covenant, ruler of the house of Israel, you appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush and on Mount Sinai gave your law. Forgive us when we stray from your guidance and will.
Come, Lord Jesus!
O Root of Jesse, you stand as an emblem to humankind; before you, rulers will shut their mouths, and nations bow in worship: We pray for your peace and justice in every nation and throughout the world; be present to all whose lives are ravaged by war and strife; especially we hold before you those from among us who serve their country abroad. Guide the leaders of this and every land into the paths of peace and goodwill.
Come, Lord Jesus!
O Key of David, and scepter of the house of Israel, you open and no one can shut, you shut and no one can open: Guide us in opening the doors of opportunity for the unemployed, for the homeless, for prisoners, and for all who are oppressed; and lead us in closing the doors that lead to poverty, bigotry, and injustice.
Come, Lord Jesus!
O King and Desire of the Nations, you are the cornerstone that makes us one: We lift up all who are suffering and in need, especially Guillermo G. Arboleda, Martha Avery, Christine Brown, Jacqueline Bryant, Lazola Cope, Aaron Duplechien Jr., Annie Bell Greer, Loretta Harmond, Marva Harris, Patricia Jenkins, Steve Johnson, Whitney Kennedy, Sada Maxwell, Craig Maxwell, and Helen Scroggins: Tend the sick, give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous and help us minister to them in your love.
Come, Lord Jesus!
O Dayspring, radiance of the Light Eternal and Sun of Righteousness: Shine your light on those who have died; remember especially those we name now..., and bring comfort to all those who mourn.
Come, Lord Jesus!
O Emmanuel, God with us, Expected One and Savior, We give thanks for all the blessings of this life; for all those celebrating birthdays and wedding anniversaries; and for the other blessings we now name silently or aloud… Make each of us ready to receive you into our hearts, to serve you in all whom we meet, and to greet you in the fullness of your glory in the day of your appearing.
Come, Lord Jesus!
The Celebrant concludes with a suitable Collect.
Hasten, O Father, the coming of your kingdom; and grant that we, your servants who now live by faith, may with joy behold your Son at his coming in glorious majesty; even Jesus Christ, our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen.
The Peace
[BCP, p. 360]
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
Parish Announcements
A. Advent & Christmas 2021-2022 Worship Schedule: Please see our full worship schedule for the seasons of Advent and Christmas below. All Services (except New Year's Eve) are both in-person and live-streamed to our Facebook page:
Please note the correction to the service on 12/31, which will be a Facebook video only (not in-person). https://www.stmattsav.org/post/advent-christmas-season-2021-2022
Friday, 12/24: Christmas Eve - Holy Eucharist with Pop-up Pageant at 7:00 PM
Saturday, 12/25: Christmas Day - Rest and rejoice with your family!
Sunday, 12/26: 1st Sunday in Christmas - Lessons & Carols at 9:30 AM
Friday, 12/31: Eve of the Holy Name of Jesus / New Year's Eve / Watch Night - Evening Prayer ONLINE ONLY at 7:00 PM (Facebook Video)
Sunday, 1/2: 2nd Sunday in Christmas - Holy Eucharist at 9:30 AM
Thursday, 1/6: Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ - Holy Eucharist at 6:00 PM
B. Christmas Poinsettias Memorials Due 12/19; Funds For Operations: St. Matthew's invites worshippers to make memorial and/or thanksgiving donations to the church this Christmas in honor of loved ones or other intentions. Please inform the church office about your memorial and thanksgiving intentions by Sunday, December 19.
This year, the Altar Guild has volunteered to purchase necessary poinsettias to decorate the church for Christmas, rather than using these funds to purchase flowers. Christmas donations will thus be redirected toward general operations to help reduce our operating deficit going into 2022. The Altar Guild promises not to compromise the church's Christmas decorations.
C. Volunteer to Help Film New Year's Eve Worship on 12/22: The New Year's Eve worship service will be online only, a video debuting on our Facebook page on December 31, 2021, at 7:00 p.m. However, I will be filming parts of this service in the church on Wednesday, December 22 from about 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. If you would like to serve as a reader or acolyte for this service, please tell me today in person, by text, or email.
D. Christmas Eve Pop-up Pageant: The Christmas Eve worship service is Friday, December 24, at 7:00 p.m. We would like our children and youth to participate in a pop-up pageant during the Christmas Gospel reading. It's a "pop-up" pageant because there is no scheduled rehearsal time. We just ask interested children and youth to arrive with their parents/guardians by 6:30 to select a role, try on a costume, and look over their cues. There are no required speaking parts for children, so don't be shy!
E. Upcoming Dates for Baptisms & Confirmations: Holy Baptism is available to anyone at any age who has not already been baptized. Confirmation or Reception is available for teens and adults who would like to make a mature commitment to The Episcopal Church. Baptisms can be performed on almost any Sunday or feast day based on your family's schedule. Confirmations, Receptions, and Renewals of Baptismal Vows must take place when a Bishop is present. The Right Rev. Frank Logue, Bishop of Georgia, will hold his next visitation to St. Matthew's on Sunday, January 16, 2022. If you are interested in taking any of these next steps in your faith journey, please contact Fr. Arboleda by cell phone or email (FrGAA@StMattSav.org).
F. T/W/Th Evening Prayer via Zoom: On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, St. Matthew's invites you to pray Evening Prayer over Zoom. The video will continue to stream to Facebook Live at 5:00 PM. Please join the Zoom call by 4:55 PM. Otherwise, watch the prayer service as you have been on Facebook Live. Evening Prayer videos will go on hiatus the week after Christmas Day. Check out the e-Newsletter to access the Zoom information. Sign up for the e-Newsletter on the bottom of our website's home page.
G. Revised COVID-19 Safety Guidelines for In-Person Worship: On June 21, the Vestry authorized revised COVID-19 Safety Guidelines for in-person worship at St. Matthew's. At the October Vestry meeting, they reaffirmed the use of these guidelines and the maintenance of this temporary Sunday worship schedule. Review all of our Safety Guidelines at: https://www.stmattsav.org/post/covid-19-safety-guidelines-summer-2021
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
Make a secure online gift to St. Matthew’s and/or automate future gifts at: https://onrealm.org/StMattSav/-/give/now; OR
Text “stmattsav” to 73256 to make a secure online donation through your phone.
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.
2022 Giving Campaign: The 2022 Giving Campaign has just ended, but we have fallen short of our giving goals for 2022 General Operations. We need to raise at least $150,000 toward operations to have a balanced budget, and we are less than 50% of the way there. There are two main ways you can help:
If you forgot to submit your giving estimate, you can still do so using the online form below. You can also request a paper form from our office. Only about half of our regular pledgers submitted a giving estimate this year, so we would love to hear from the rest of you!
If you already submitted a giving estimate, it's not too late to adjust your estimate to reduce your gifts toward restricted funds and increase your gifts to general operations. Please contact Office@StMattSav.org to make any desired changes.
Ascribe to the Lord the honor due his Name; bring offering and come into his courts. [Psalm 96:8; see BCP, p. 376]
Give online at: https://onrealm.org/StMattSav/-/give/now
[Verses 1-3]
1 I got a robe up in-a that kingdom
Ain’-a that good news,
Ain’-a that good news.
I’m gonna lay down this world
gonna shoulder up-a my cross.
Gonna take it home-a to my Jesus
ain’-a that good news, ain’-a that good news.
2 I got a crown up in-a that kingdom
Ain’-a that good news,
Ain’a that good news.
I’m gonna lay down this world
gonna shoulder up-a my cross.
Gonna take it home-a to my Jesus
ain’-a that good news, ain’-a that good news.
3 I got a savior in-a that kingdom .
Ain’-a that good news,
Ain’a that good news.
I’m gonna lay down this world
gonna shoulder up-a my cross.
Gonna take it home-a to my Jesus
ain’-a that good news, ain’-a that good news.
Words: Traditional, Public Domain.
Music: Negro Spiritual, Public Domain; arr. Robert J. Fryson, © 2000, GIA Publications, Inc. (Music from AAHH #592).
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #95132. All rights reserved.
AAHH #651: Doxology
[See also Hymn # 380, v. 3]
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav'nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen.
Words: Thomas Ken, Public Domain.
Music: Old 100th, attributed to Louis Bourgeois, Public Domain.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #84260. All rights reserved.
Eucharistic Prayer B
[BCP, p. 367]
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give him thanks and praise.
It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. …
Preface of Advent [BCP, p. 378]:
Because you sent your beloved Son to redeem us from sin and death, and to make us heirs in him of everlasting life; that when he shall come again in power and great triumph to judge the world, we may without shame or fear rejoice to behold his appearing.
Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who forever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:
LEV #254:
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.
[Word: Public Domain. Music: Carl Maultsby, The Saint Mary Mass, © 1989 Malted Milk Music. Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #00004C1989. All rights reserved.]
The people stand or kneel.
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,
We remember his death,
We proclaim his resurrection,
We await his coming in glory;
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 Blessed Matthew our Patron, Blessed Mary the Mother of Jesus, 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.
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 Fraction Anthem
[BCP, p. 364, 407]
Alleluia! Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;
Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia!
This Far By Faith (1999) #36:
O Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
have mercy and grant us peace,
we pray, O Lamb of God.
[Words: Public Domain. Music: Grayson Warren Brown, arr. Larry Adams © 1979 Grayson Warren Brown, admin. by OCP Publications. Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #81590. All rights reserved.]
Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
The Gifts of God for the people of God.
Hymn #437: Tell Out My Soul The Greatness of the Lord
[Verses 1-4]
Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord!
Unnumbered blessings give my spirit voice;
tender to me the promise of his Word;
in God my Savior shall my heart rejoice.
2 Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his name!
Make known his might, the deeds his arm has done;
his mercy sure, from age to age the same;
his holy name, the Lord, the Mighty One.
3 Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his might!
Powers and dominions lay their glory by.
Proud hearts and stubborn wills are put to flight,
the hungry fed, the humble lifted high.
4 Tell out, my soul, the glories of his Word! Firm is his promise, and his mercy sure. Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord to children's children and forevermore!
Words: Timothy Dudley-Smith, based on The Song of Mary (Luke 1:46-55) © 1962, 1990 Hope Publishing Company.
Music: Birmingham, from Repository of Sacred Music, Part II, 1813; harm. Songs of Praise, 1925; Public Domain.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #94219. All rights reserved.
The Post-Communion Prayer
[Enriching our Worship 2 [2000], pp. 56-57]
Let us pray.
For In-Person Worshippers:
Faithful God,
in the wonder of your wisdom and love
you fed your people in the wilderness with the bread of angels,
and you sent Jesus to be the bread of life.
We thank you for feeding us with this bread.
May it strengthen us
that by the power of the Holy Spirit
we may embody your desire
and be renewed for your service
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
For Online Worshippers and Those Receiving Spiritual Communion:
Faithful God,
in the wonder of your wisdom and love
you fed your people in the wilderness with the bread of angels,
and you sent Jesus to be the bread of life.
Though we cannot consume now these gifts of bread [and wine],
we thank you that we have received the sacrament of Christ’s presence,
the forgiveness of sins, and all other benefits of Christ’s passion.
By the power of the Holy Spirit,
may we embody your desire
and be renewed for your service
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
Anointing & Prayers for Healing
[Adapted from Enriching Our Worship 2, pp. 38-40, 64, 66]
Last week, Aaron Duplechien Jr. was diagnosed with a dangerous and life-threatening brain disease. The Philips-Duplechien family have asked our church to lift them up in prayer as they prepare to travel out of state to receive consultation and treatment from a medical specialist. They will make the first visit to this doctor this week and will have to go back and forth for at least the next few months. Join me in praying for Aaron Jr.’s healing and for God to strengthen this family for the challenges before them.
Holy Scripture teaches us that Jesus healed many who were sick as a sign of the reign of God come near, and sent the disciples to continue this work of healing through prayer in his name, that the afflicted might be raised up and their sins forgiven, bringing them to eternal salvation. By laying hands upon the sick [and anointing them], the disciples witnessed to the marvelous power and presence of God. Pray that as we follow their example, we may experience Christ’s unfailing love.
The Celebrant lays hands on and anoints the Philips-Duplechien family.
N., I lay my hands upon you and anoint you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, praying that our Savior Jesus Christ will sustain you, drive away sickness of body and mind and spirit, and give you that victory of life and peace which will enable you to serve and rejoice in God both now and evermore. Amen.
AND/OR
N., I lay my hands upon you and anoint you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, beseeching our Lord Jesus Christ to fill you and uphold you with his grace, that you may know the healing power of God’s love. Amen.
The Celebrant blesses Aaron Jr.’s rosary, saying:
In memory of the mysteries of the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord and in honor of the Virgin Mary, Mother of Christ and Mother of the Church, may those who devoutly use this rosary to pray be blessed, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Then, the Celebrant prays for the whole family.
Gentle Jesus, stay beside your child Aaron through this season. Take away his pain. Keep him safe. Help him in his fear. Make his body strong again and his heart glad. Thank you for your love which surrounds him always. Amen.
Strengthen your servant Aaron and his family, O God, to go where they has to go and bear what they has to bear; that, accepting your healing gifts at the hands of surgeons, nurses, and technicians, he may be restored to wholeness with a thankful heart; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
Generous God, we give you thanks for your beloved Jesus Christ, in whom you have shared the beauty and pain of human life. Look with compassion upon all for whom we pray, and strengthen us to be your instruments of healing in the world, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Blessing of the People
[Enriching Our Worship 2, p. 64]
May God the Father bless you, God the Son heal you, God the Holy Spirit give you strength. May God the holy and undivided Trinity guard your body, save your soul, and bring you safely to his heavenly country; where he lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.
The Dismissal
[BCP, p. 366]
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord!
Thanks be to God!
The Parish Prayer List
Prayer List: Guillermo G. Arboleda, Martha Avery, Christine Brown, Jacqueline Bryant, Lazola Cope, Aaron Duplechien Jr., Annie Bell Greer, Loretta Harmond, Marva Harris, Patricia Jenkins, Steve Johnson, Whitney Kennedy, Sada Maxwell, Craig Maxwell, and Helen Scroggins
Birthdays: N/A
Wedding Anniversaries: N/A
Recent Deaths: N/A
May the souls of all the departed rest in peace; and may light perpetual shine upon them. Amen.
Note: This service is reproduced from The Book of Common Prayer 1979 (BCP), The Hymnal 1982 (Hymn), Lift Every Voice and Sing II: An African American Hymnal (LEV), African American Heritage Hymnal (AAHH), and other sources cited. The Scripture readings are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible.
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