St Catherine & St James’ ChurchService of the Word Sunday 11 February 2024

The Greeting
We worship you, O God,
with songs of praise.

We worship you with words of prayer
and with ears that listen for you to speak.

We long for a glimpse of your glory:
the glory that shines in the darkness.

The darkness cannot overcome it;
the glory that touches lives with a beauty so holy

that it heals the wounded soul;
the glory that gives strength to the weary.

Hymn 52 Tune Ratisbon

We say sorry for the things we have done wrong
Loving God, we confess that we are not living in the freedom that you offer: that we are sometimes overwhelmed by guilt and envy; that we are consumed by anger and greed; that we are inhibited by anxiety and fear; that we are sometimes passive or resentful or unforgiving. God of justice, hear our prayer for mercy, grant us forgiveness and give us your peace. Amen.

We are forgiven
May the God of love forgive us, lift our burdens from us,
heal and strengthen us by his spirit; that we may journey in love,
to live our lives freely and lightly. Amen.

The Collect
Holy God,
you have revealed the glory of your love in Jesus Christ,
and have given us a share in your Spirit.
May we who listen to Christ
follow faithfully,
and, in the dark places where you send us,
reveal the light of your gospel. Amen.

A reading from the Second Book of Kings.
Now when the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Stay here; for the LORD has sent me as far as Bethel.’ But Elisha said, ‘As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.’ So they went down to Bethel. The company of prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, ‘Do you know that today the LORD will take your master away from you?’ And he said, ‘Yes, I know; keep silent.’
Elijah said to him, ‘Elisha, stay here; for the LORD has sent me to Jericho.’ But he said, ‘As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.’ So they came to Jericho. The company of prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha, and said to him, ‘Do you know that today the LORD will take your master away from you?’ And he answered, ‘Yes, I know; be silent.’
Then Elijah said to him, ‘Stay here; for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan.’ But he said, ‘As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.’ So the two of them went on. Fifty men of the company of prophets also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground.
When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you.’ Elisha said, ‘Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.’ He responded, ‘You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not.’ As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha kept watching and crying out, ‘Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!’ But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
II Kings 2.1-12

Psalm Deus deorum (50: 1-6)
1 The Lord, the most mighty God, has spoken
and called the world from the rising of the sun to its setting.
2 Out of Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth;
our God comes and will not keep silence.
3 Consuming fire goes out before him and a mighty tempest stirs about him.
4 He calls the heaven above, and the earth, that he may judge his people:
5 ‘Gather to me my faithful, who have sealed my covenant with sacrifice.’
6 Let the heavens declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge.
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.
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.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
II Corinthians 4.3-6
Hymn 6 Tune St Denio

Hear the Gospel of our Saviour Christ, according to St Mark.
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!’ Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.
As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Mark 9.2-9
What do we believe? (we say together)
We believe in God the Father, the source of all life, by whom every family in heaven and earth has been created.
We believe in God the Son, our friend and brother Jesus, who lives in our hearts through faith and fills us with his love.
We believe in God the Holy Spirit, who strengthens us with his power, and makes Jesus known in the world.
We believe and trust in one God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Hymn 493 Tune Hyfrydol

We say our Prayers
“And while he was praying the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white.” (Luke 9.29)

Lord Jesus, as we pray today, help us to know the glory of your presence among us and to see more clearly the beauty of your holiness.

Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer
“Suddenly they saw Moses and Elijah, talking to him.” (Luke 9.30)

Lord Jesus, you are the fulfilment of the law and the prophets of Israel and in you the hopes and fears of all people are met. Give us grace to receive from you all that we need for today and the coming week. Inspire your church today with a renewed vision of your glory so that we and all your people may walk as children of light and, by your grace, reveal your presence in the world.

Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer

“To Jesus are given dominion and glory and kingship that all peoples, nations and languages should serve him.” (Cf. Daniel 7.14)

Lord Jesus, we pray to you for the life of this nation with its joys, its sorrows and its wrong doing. We pray for all those who are involved in government and in the administration of justice. Give wisdom to all those who are in authority over others especially those who sit in judgment, members of the police force, prison officers, and those who support the victims of crime.

Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer

“They saw his glory and heard a voice that said ‘This is my Son, my chosen, listen to him’” (Cf. Luke 9)

Lord Jesus, as we go about our daily routines help us to see your glory in the people we work with, our neighbours and friends and in those we fear or find it hard to get on with. In all our conversations help us to listen carefully to what others are saying. We pray that you will keep in safety the young people of our community who are on holiday from school or college.

Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer
“They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.” (Luke 9.31)

Lord Jesus, you know what it is to suffer rejection and pain. Help us to know that you are with us when we descend from the mountain top, that although your presence may be hidden from us, you are still there, with power to bring comfort and healing of body, mind and spirit.

Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer

“They appeared in glory” (Luke 9.31a)

Lord Jesus, we pray for those who are now with you in your eternal glory. As we rejoice in the fellowship of those who now see the fullness of your glory, be with us in our journey and transform our lives with the promise that you will grant us, with them, a share in your eternal kingdom.

Let us pray that God’s kingdom may come, to bring peace to the whole Earth, and in those places where there is war.

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.

Hymn 7 (omit verse 5) Tune Westminster

We pray together
Heavenly Father, as we worship you,
We pray for your light to shine upon us.
Brighten our daily lives with your holy love,
speak to us your transforming truth.
Then, grant us grace
to live every moment
changed by such glory
to live with hope and courage and love
reflecting the life of Jesus,
through whom your glory shines. Amen.

The Blessing
May the Father shine the light of glory into your hearts
may Christ be with you and never leave you
may the Spirit renew the image of God within you
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
be with you and remain with you always. Amen.

The Parish of Saint Catherine & Saint James with Saint Audoen
Canon Mark Gardner Tel: 01 454 2274 Mobile 087 266 0228
Email: markgardner300@gmail.com
Diocesan Lay Reader: James Kilbey
Parish Reader: Cletus Ogbata
Organist: Olesia Borsuk
Review Distribution: Margery Bell Tel: 01 4542067
Website: stcatherineandstjameswithstaudoen.ie

St Audoen’s Cornmarket, 10.00 Eucharist (every Sunday)

St Catherine & St James, Donore Avenue, 11.30 Service of the Word
(Eucharist on the first Sunday of the month)

St Catherine & St James
At time of writing, a meeting of Vestry representatives with the School Board of Management has been arranged, to discuss the use of the Church grounds as a car park for some of the staff, and to consider the motorised gates which are not working. I think the School have had the same difficulty with their own gates! I’m grateful to my friend and neighbour Jonathan (originally from Brazil) for bagging the fallen leaves in the Churchyard. A statutory meeting of the Safeguarding Trust panel will be held on Thursday 25 January, which is the feast of the conversion of St Paul the Apostle, long associated with the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which has as its theme this year ‘You shall love the Lord your God… and your neighbour as yourself’ reflecting on the parable of the Good Samaritan.

St Audoen Cornmarket
Now that works on the exterior fabric of the Church and the tower have been completed, we have turned our attention indoors. At a recent meeting with the Architect Kevin Blackwood, his assistant Chuankun Jiang, Tom Tynan and me, we considered the question of heating the Church to a satisfactory level. I wondered if we could fit solar panels as at St Columba’s Swords, but our Church roof is considerably lower than the roof of the Visitor Centre so the slates are constantly in shadow. Additional heating under the timber floors are being considered.

Tribute Paid
My old friend Maggie Mack lived for many years in the Brabazon and when she died in her nineties donated her remains to medical science. When her son Peter was recently able to travel to Ireland we met with a group of friends at the interment in Glasnevin Cemetery. I officiated and the representative of Trinity College paid a lovely tribute to the value of her donation to the college, calling her a silent teacher of the medical students of the previous two years. Peter’s father the late the Revd Tom Mack was one of the staff in Christ Church Cathedral in the days of the Grammar School and the choir of men and boys.

Holy Trinity CSI Congregation Dublin is with Revd Jenu John and Sherin Jacob Jenu.
Thank God for the blessed and eventful year 2023 ! Arrival of first full-time Vicar Rev. Jenu John & family, Felicitation to Vicar, Welcome service led by The Archbishop of Dublin, Annual Convention, Summer get-together, Onam Sadhya, Dedication of Car for the Vicar & Keyboard , PhD Convocation of our previous Vicar Rev. Dr. Viji Varghese Eapen from Dublin City University, PhD convocation of Dr. Sherin Jacob Kochamma from Madras University, and our Harvest Festival & Auction, Youth Day, Women’s Day, Sunday school Day, Choir Day, Girl-child Day, Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Easter, Sunday school Exam, WF Retreat, Choir retreat, Christmas Carol, Ecumenical Carol, Carol Rounds.
Thanks to all parish members for the active participation & support. Thank you all. Praise be to God. Wish you all a blessed New Year 2024.
Rev. Jenu John (Vicar) & The Church Committee 2023

Conservation works at St Audoen’s Church, Dublin City
Located in a prominent site on Cornmarket, this is a national monument and the only surviving medieval parish church within the city where the Church of Ireland continue to provide services to the community within the nave- although a large part of the rest of the church is roofless.
Most of the north windows of the nave are 19th century inserts, however an additional blocked window was identified during the current phase of works. This was a medieval window and the granite frame had eroded over time and provides good evidence for the use of granite in the construction of one of the early phases of the church. An extensive restoration of the tower and bells was carried out in the 1980’s and a portion of the ruins was reroofed in 1987, open to visitors during the year and managed by the Heritage Ireland Visitor Services of the OPW. –
The conservation works are being carried out by Oldstone Conservation Ltd. to the specifications of DKP Structural Engineers, conservation architect Kevin Blackwood and archaeologist Linzi Simpson. The National Monuments Service is pleased to support this project.
Explore more about St Audoen’s church, and the archaeological monuments of Dublin City on our Historic Environment Viewer.