The Parish of St Catherine & St James with St Audoen Dublin 11 February 2024 ~ The Sunday before Lent Option A ~ Transfiguration

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.

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.

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.

Almighty God,
our heavenly Father,
we have sinned in thought and word and deed,
and in what we have left undone.
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 walk in newness of life
to the glory of your name. Amen.

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 Father, whose Son was revealed in majesty before he suffered death upon the cross: Give us grace to perceive his glory, that we may be strengthened to suffer with him and be changed into his likeness, from glory to glory; who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Proclaiming and Receiving the Word

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) Soaper in D (131)
The Lord, the most mighty God, has spoken 
and called the world from the rising of the sun to its setting.
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

The Gradual Hymn 566 Duke Street

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

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)
Jesus said, A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another:
even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. John 13: 34

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

The Offertory Hymn (and collection) 695 Heathlands

The Taking of the Bread and Wine
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 to Communion
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 laid out where people can approach and receive them independently. Many people like to dip the wafer in the wine.

The Post Communion Prayer
Holy God we see your glory in the face of Jesus Christ. May we who are partakers at his table so reflect his life in word and deed that all the world may know his power to change and save. This we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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 501 Tune Nun danket 361
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. Another St Audoen ‘within Newgate’ was a medieval Church in the City of London. During the Reformation Henry VIII gave the Church to the City of London Corporation and it was demolished c. 1583.
At the same time St Audoen’s Church Dublin became Anglican, while most of the inhabitants of the Parish remained Roman Catholic. The prosperity of the Parish declined towards the end of the 18th century, when many of the residents moved out, a process hastened by the Act of Union of 1800. In his Historical Guide to the City of Dublin, 1825, GN Wright reported that ‘Divine service is performed here every day at the usual hours. There are very few Protestants in this parish’. One family, now resident in Enniskerry, merchants in the High Street in the 17th century, retains a link with St Audoen’s Church to this day.
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 authorised 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 Church porch is preserved an early Celtic gravestone, kept here or nearby since before 1309, when Jon LeDecer, Mayor of Dublin, erected a marble water cistern in Cornmarket and placed this stone against it.
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 (who 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. The decay of the tower made the bells unringable by 1898, but both were restored and the tower braced with concrete in 1983.
An early 20th century Bürk electric clock and a large external face may be seen, 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.
The First World War Memorial from St Matthias’ Church Adelaide Road (demolished c. 1957) has been brought to St Audoen’s from Christ Church Leeson Park, now used chiefly by the Romanian Orthodox Church.