St Audoen’s Church, Cornmarket, Dublin 17 March 2023 ~ Lá Fheile Pádraig

Gathering Hymn 321 Nicaea

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

  The Lord be with you. And also with you.   Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires 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 Christ our Lord. Amen.

Penitence

Hear what our Lord Jesus Christ says:

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment.

And the second is like it, you shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.                              Matthew 22: 37-39

Lord, have mercy on us,

and write these your laws in our hearts.

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son Jesus Christ, to save us from our sins, to intercede for us in heaven, and to bring us to eternal life.

Let us then confess our sins in penitence and faith, firmly resolved to keep God’s commandments and to live in love and peace.

Penitential Kyries (Irish Saints)

O taste and see that the Lord is good;
happy are those who trust in him.

Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

The Lord ransoms the live of his servants, and none who trust in him will be destroyed.

Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.

Come my children, listen to me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Almighty God, who forgives all who truly repent, have mercy on you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and keep you in eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

The Collect

Almighty God, in your providence you chose your servant Patrick to be the apostle of the Irish people, to bring those who were wandering in darkness and error to the true light and knowledge of your Word: grant that walking in that light we may come at last to the light of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Proclaiming and Receiving the Word

A reading from the book of Tobit.

Then Tobit said:
‘Blessed be God who lives for ever,
   because his kingdom lasts throughout all ages. 
For he afflicts, and he shows mercy;
   he leads down to Hades in the lowest regions of the earth,
   and he brings up from the great abyss,
   and there is nothing that can escape his hand. 
Acknowledge him before the nations, O children of Israel;
   for he has scattered you among them. 
   He has shown you his greatness even there.
Exalt him in the presence of every living being,
   because he is our Lord and he is our God;
   he is our Father and he is God for ever. 
He will afflict you for your iniquities,
   but he will again show mercy on all of you.
He will gather you from all the nations
   among whom you have been scattered. 
If you turn to him with all your heart and with all your soul,
   to do what is true before him,
then he will turn to you

   and will no longer hide his face from you.
So now see what he has done for you;
   acknowledge him at the top of your voice.
Bless the Lord of righteousness,
   and exalt the King of the ages.
In the land of my exile I acknowledge him,
   and show his power and majesty to a nation of sinners:
“Turn back, you sinners, and do what is right before him;
   perhaps he may look with favour upon you and show you mercy.” 
As for me, I exalt my God,
   and my soul rejoices in the King of heaven.

Here ends the reading.                                                                         Tobit 13: 1b-7

Psalm, Exaltabo te, Deus (145) Goss in G (13) † (second part)

1  I will exalt you, O God my King, •
   and bless your name for ever and ever.
2  Every day will I bless you •
   and praise your name for ever and ever.
3  Great is the Lord and highly to be praised; •
   his greatness is beyond all searching out.
4  One generation shall praise your works to another •
   and declare your mighty acts.
5  They shall speak of the majesty of your glory, •
   and I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
6  They shall speak of the might of your marvellous acts, •
   and I will also tell of your greatness.
7†  They shall pour forth the story of your abundant kindness •
   and joyfully sing of your righteousness.
8  The Lord is gracious and merciful, •
   long-suffering and of great goodness.
9  The Lord is loving to everyone •
   and his mercy is over all his creatures.
10  All your works praise you, O Lord, •
   and your faithful servants bless you.
11  They tell of the glory of your kingdom •
   and speak of your mighty power,
12  To make known to all peoples your mighty acts •
   and the glorious splendour of your kingdom.
13  Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; •
   your dominion endures throughout all ages.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Spirit;

      As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

A reading from the second Epistle of St Paul to the Corinthians.

Therefore, since it is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart. We have renounced the shameful things that one hides; we refuse to practise cunning or to falsify God’s word; but by the open statement of the truth we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. For it is the God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness’, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.

This is the Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.                                                                             II Corinthians 4: 1-12

The Gradual Hymn 611 Tune Bunessan

Hear the Gospel of our Saviour Christ, according to St Luke.

Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, ‘Rabbi, eat something.’ But he said to them, ‘I have food to eat that you do not know about.’ So the disciples said to one another, ‘Surely no one has brought him something to eat?’ Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. Do you not say, “Four months more, then comes the harvest”? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, “One sows and another reaps.”

I sent you to reap that for which you did not labour. Others have laboured, and you have entered into their labour.’

This is the Gospel of the Lord.                                                                     John 4.31-38

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

The Nicene Creed

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,

was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of 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 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,

who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified,

who 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.

Prayers of Intercession

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Merciful Father, accept these prayers

for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Peace (please stand)

Peace be to you, and peace to your house, and peace to all who are yours. I Samuel 25.6

The peace of the Lord be always with you! and also with you.

The Offertory Hymn (and collection) 20 (St Columba)

Christ, our Passover has been sacrificed for us; therefore let us celebrate the feast.

The Great Thanksgiving

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 our thanks and praise.

Father, almighty and everliving God, at all times and in all places it is right to give you thanks and praise; to this land you sent the glorious gospel through the preaching of Patrick. You caused it to grow and flourish in the lives of men and women, filled with your Holy Spirit, building up your Church to send forth the good news to other places: and so with all your people, with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we proclaim your great and glorious name, for ever praising you and saying;

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!

Blessed are you, Father, the creator and sustainer of all things; you made us in your own image; male and female you created us; even when we turned away from you, you never ceased to care for us, but in your love and mercy you freed us from the slavery of sin, giving your only begotten Son to become man and suffer death on the cross to redeem us; he made there the one complete and all-sufficient sacrifice for the sins of the whole world: he instituted and in his holy Gospel commanded us to continue, a perpetual memory of his precious death until he comes again.

On the night that he was betrayed he took bread; and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, Take, eat, this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. In the same way, after supper he took the cup; and when he had given thanks to you, he gave it to them, saying, Drink this, all of you, for 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.

Therefore, Father, with this bread and this cup we do as Christ your Son commanded:

we remember his passion and death, we celebrate his resurrection and ascension,

and we look for the coming of his kingdom.

Accept through him, our great high priest, this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving; and as we eat and drink these holy gifts, grant by the power of the life-giving Spirit that we may be made one in your holy Church and partakers of the body and blood of your Son, that he may dwell in us and we in him; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, by whom, and with whom, and in whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

all honour and glory are yours, Almighty Father, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer (sit or kneel to pray)

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, the power, and the glory

for ever and ever. Amen.

The Breaking of the Bread

The bread which we break is a sharing in the body of Christ.

We being many are one body, for we all share in the one bread.

Agnus Dei

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us;
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us;
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, grant us peace.

The Invitation

Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God, who has taken away the sins of the world.

Happy are those who are called to his supper.

Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.

The bread and the wine are administered independently.

Many people like to dip the wafer in the wine.

The Post Communion Prayer

Hear us, most merciful God, for that part of the Church which through your servant Patrick you planted in our land; that it may hold fast the faith entrusted to the saints and in the end bear much fruit to eternal life: through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Prayer of Thanksgiving

Almighty God,

we thank you for feeding us with the spiritual food

of the body and blood of your Son Jesus Christ.

Through him we offer you our souls and bodies

to be a living sacrifice.

Send us out in the power of your Spirit

to live and work to your praise and glory. Amen.

The Blessing

God, who in days of old gave to this land the benediction of his holy Church, fill you with his grace to walk faithfully in the steps of the saints and to bring forth fruit to his glory: and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be with you and remain with you always.

Amen.

The Dismissal

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord!

in the name of Christ. Amen.

Thanksgiving Hymn 643 Slane

St Audoen’s Church

St. Audoen (or Ouen), Bishop of Rouen in Normandy, flourished in the 7th century, and a Church was dedicated to him in Dublin by the Anglo-Normans after they had seized control of the city. A new Church was erected in 1190 on the site of an older Church dedicated to St. Columcille. The Parish was one of the most prosperous in the city, and the Parish Church was for many years frequented by the Lord Mayor and Corporation.

Towards the end of the 20th century an extensive restoration project was carried out. St. Anne’s Chapel was re-roofed and is now a visitors’ centre in the care of the Office of Public Works, as are the unroofed parts of the Church and the grounds to the South of the Church. That Chapel dates from the time of Henry VI, who in 1430 granted the erection of a Chantry here, dedicated to St. Anne. Its founders and their successors formed the Guild or Fraternity of St. Anne which survived the Reformation by many years.

In the porch lies a 15th century monument of Sir Roland Fitz-Eustace, Earl Portlester (died 1496) and his wife Margaret, buried at Cotlandstown, County Kildare. Among those interred in the Church are Sir Thomas Molyneux and his son Capel. The street of that name stretches North from the River Liffey, boasting some of the oldest houses in Dublin. The monument (defaced by the followers of Cromwell) of Bishop Edward Parry (died of the plague in 1650) and his descendants is in the clergy vestry.

The massive tower (one of a group of five medieval survivors in the city) its upper stories rebuilt in the 17th century, houses six bells, three of them among the oldest in Ireland, dating from 1423. Unringable in a cracked tower by 1898, which was braced in concrete in 1983, they are now rung every week. An early 20th century Bürk electric clock drives a large external face, both of them brought here from St. Peter’s Aungier Street, closed in 1975 and lamentably demolished. Memorials from St Peter’s have been restored and re-erected in St Audoen’s. On the site of St Peter’s stands the YMCA building, in which the East window from the ruined Church of St Nicholas without and St Luke now hangs.