The Twelfth Sunday after Trinity 27 August 2023 Year A Proper 16

Gathering Hymn 358 King of glory, King of peace Tune Gwalchmai

The Greeting
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.

The Collect for Purity
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.

Call to Penitence
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
Father, you come to meet us when we return to you.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you died on the cross for our sins.
Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.
Holy Spirit, you give us life and peace.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Absolution
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.

Gloria in Excelsis
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to God’s people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly King,
almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks,
we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father,
receive our prayer.
For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

The Collect
Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray and to give more than either we desire, or deserve: Pour down upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask save through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.

Proclaiming and Receiving the Word ~ continuous readings
A reading from the book Exodus. The Israelites Are Oppressed

Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. He said to his people, ‘Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and more powerful than we. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase and, in the event of war, join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.’ Therefore they set taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced labour. They built supply cities, Pithom and Rameses, for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread, so that the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites. The Egyptians became ruthless in imposing tasks on the Israelites, and made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and brick and in every kind of field labour. They were ruthless in all the tasks that they imposed on them.
The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, ‘When you act as midwives to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, she shall live.’ But the midwives feared God; they did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but they let the boys live. So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, ‘Why have you done this, and allowed the boys to live?’ The midwives said to Pharaoh, ‘Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.’ So God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and became very strong. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, ‘Every boy that is born to the Hebrews you shall throw into the Nile, but you shall let every girl live.’
Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him for three months. When she could hide him no longer she got a papyrus basket for him, and plastered it with bitumen and pitch; she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the river. His sister stood at a distance, to see what would happen to him.
The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her attendants walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to bring it. When she opened it, she saw the child. He was crying, and she took pity on him. ‘This must be one of the Hebrews’ children,’ she said. Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, ‘Shall I go and get you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?’ Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, ‘Yes.’ So the girl went and called the child’s mother. Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, ‘Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages.’ So the woman took the child and nursed it. When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and she took him as her son. She named him Moses, ‘because’, she said, ‘I drew him out of the water.’
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God. Exodus 1.8-2.10

Psalm Nisi quia Dominus. (124) Wesley in G (122)
1,2  If the Lord himself had not been on our side, 
   now may Israel say; •
  If the Lord had not been on our side,
   when enemies rose up against us;
3  Then would they have swallowed us alive •
   when their anger burned against us;
4  Then would the waters have overwhelmed us
      and the torrent gone over our soul; •
   over our soul would have swept the raging waters.
5  But blessed be the Lord •
   who has not given us over to be a prey for their teeth.
6  Our soul has escaped
      as a bird from the snare of the fowler; •
   the snare is broken and we are delivered.
7  Our help is in the name of the Lord, •
   who has made heaven and earth.
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.

The Epistle
A reading from the Epistle of St Paul to the Romans. The New Life in Christ
I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgement, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God. Romans 12.1-8

The Gradual Hymn 639 O thou who camest from above Tune Hereford

The Gospel
Hear the Gospel of our Saviour Christ, according to St Matthew.
Peter’s Declaration about Jesus
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’ Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. Matthew 16.13-20

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

The Peace (please stand)
Christ is our peace. He has reconciled us to God in one body by the cross. We meet in his name and share his peace. The peace of the Lord be always with you!
and also with you.

The Offertory Hymn 553 Jesu, lover of my soul Tune Aberystwyth

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; 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.

We welcome you to receive the Bread and Wine. If you do not wish to receive, please cross your arms, and receive a blessing. If you do not wish to receive the Wine from the common cup, please cross your arms.

The Post Communion Prayer
God of compassion, in this eucharist we know again your forgiveness and the healing power of your love. Grant that we who are made whole in Christ may bring that forgiveness and healing to this broken world, in the name of 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
The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord; 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 567 Forth, in thy name, O Lord, I go Tune Song 34 (Angel’s Song)

St Audoen’s Cornmarket
St. Audoen (or Ouen), Bishop of Rouen, 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 Scandinavian settlement; erected, in 1190, on the site of an older Church of St. Columba.
In the modern porch is preserved an early Celtic grave marker called the Lucky Stone which has been kept nearby since before 1309. It was first mentioned when Jon LeDecer, Mayor of Dublin, erected a water cistern in Cornmarket and placed this stone against it. At that time, the city had a ‘running’ (though not pumped) supply of ‘living’ water from the distant River Dodder. In 1826 the stone disappeared, until found about twenty years later in front of the newly-erected Catholic Church of St Audoen in High Street, now the centre for the Polish Chaplaincy. Its portico (c. 1900) appears to be crowned with statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary, her mother St Anne, and St Audoen, sometimes mistaken for St Patrick.
The upper parts of the massive medieval tower were rebuilt in the 17th century. Three of the oldest bells in Ireland, dating from 1423, are among six regularly rung for Church service. An early 20th Bürk master clock, to be seen in the churchwardens’ vestry, was brought from St. Peter’s Church in Aungier Street, closed in 1975.
Some of the brass memorials on the south wall also came from there, while the War Memorial came from St Matthias, Adelaide Road. On the site of St Peter’s stands the YMCA building, in which the east window hangs, from the Church of St Nicholas without and St Luke, in the Coombe, close to St Patrick’s Cathedral, now reroofed and given to new use.