The Parish of St Catherine & St James with St Audoen The Second Sunday of Easter 16 April 2023

Gathering Hymn 286 Tune Vulpius (Gelobt sei Gott) Omit starred verses 4 & 5

The Greeting ~ from Easter Day until Pentecost

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

Christ is risen!

The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!

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

Lord God, you raised your Son from the dead.

Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Lord Jesus, through you we are more than conquerors.

Christ, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Holy Spirit, you help us in our weakness.

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 Father,

you have given your only Son to die for our sins

and to rise again for our justification:

Grant us so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness

that we may always serve you in pureness of living and truth;

through the merits of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Proclaiming and Receiving the Word

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.

But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them. ‘You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know—this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law. But God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power. For David says concerning him,

“I saw the Lord always before me,
   for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken; 
therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
   moreover, my flesh will live in hope. 
For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
   or let your Holy One experience corruption. 
You have made known to me the ways of life;
   you will make me full of gladness with your presence.”

‘Fellow Israelites, I may say to you confidently of our ancestor David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would put one of his descendants on his throne. Foreseeing this, David spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, saying,

“He was not abandoned to Hades,
   nor did his flesh experience corruption.”

This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses.

This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.                                    Acts 2.14a, 22-32

Psalm  Conserva me, Domine (16) Edwards in C (14)

1  Preserve me, O God, for in you have I taken refuge; •
   I have said to the Lord, ‘You are my lord,
      all my good depends on you.’
2  All my delight is upon the godly that are in the land, •
   upon those who are noble in heart.
3  Though the idols are legion
      that many run after, •
   their drink offerings of blood I will not offer,
      neither make mention of their names upon my lips.
4  The Lord himself is my portion and my cup; •
   in your hands alone is my fortune.
5  My share has fallen in a fair land; •
   indeed, I have a goodly heritage.
6  I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel, •
   and in the night watches he instructs my heart.
7  I have set the Lord always before me; •
   he is at my right hand; I shall not fall.
8  Wherefore my heart is glad and my spirit rejoices; •
   my flesh also shall rest secure.
9  For you will not abandon my soul to Death, •
   nor suffer your faithful one to see the Pit.
10  You will show me the path of life;
      in your presence is the fullness of joy •
   and in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.

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 with out end. Amen.

A reading from the First Epistle of St Peter.                                                  A living hope

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed. Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

This is the Word of the Lord.Thanks be to God.                                         1 Peter 1.3-9

The Gradual Hymn 290 Tune Au clair de la lune

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

Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’

But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’

A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’ Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’

 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

This is the Gospel of the Lord.                                                                     John 20.19-31

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

The Sermon

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)

The risen Christ came and stood among his disciples and said, Peace be with you. Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord.                                        John 20: 19,20

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

The Offertory Hymn (and collection) 292 Tune St Fulbert

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;

Above all we praise you for the glorious resurrection

of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord,

the true paschal lamb who was sacrificed for us;

by dying he destroyed our death;

by rising he restored our life:

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 laid out where people can approach

and receive them independently.

Many people like to dip the wafer in the wine.

The Post Communion Prayer

Lord God our Father, through our Saviour Jesus Christ you have assured your children of eternal life and in baptism have made us one with him. Deliver us from the death of sin and raise us to new life in your love, in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. 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 God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the eternal covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight: 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 (from Easter Day to Pentecost)

Go in the peace of the Risen Christ. Alleluia! Alleluia!

Thanks be to God. Alleluia! Alleluia!

Thanksgiving Hymn 399 Tune Folksong