Gathering Hymn 145 Day of praise

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

Turn to us again, O God our Saviour, and let your anger cease from us.

          Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Show us your mercy, O Lord, and grant us your salvation.

          Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.

Your salvation is near for those that fear you; may glory dwell in our land!

          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.

The Collect

O Lord Jesus Christ, who at your first coming sent your messenger to prepare your way before you: Grant that the ministers and stewards of your mysteries may likewise so prepare and make ready your way by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, that at your second coming to judge the world we may be found an acceptable people in your sight; for you are alive and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

Proclaiming and Receiving the Word

A reading from the book of the Prophet Zephaniah.       A song of Joy

Sing aloud, O daughter Zion;
   shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
   O daughter Jerusalem!
The Lord has taken away the judgements against you,
   he has turned away your enemies.
The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;
   you shall fear disaster no more.
On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Do not fear, O Zion;
   do not let your hands grow weak.
The Lord, your God, is in your midst,
   a warrior who gives victory;
he will rejoice over you with gladness,
   he will renew you in his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing
   as on a day of festival.
I will remove disaster from you,
   so that you will not bear reproach for it.
I will deal with all your oppressors at that time.
And I will save the lame and gather the outcast,
and I will change their shame into praise
   and renown in all the earth.
At that time I will bring you home,
   at the time when I gather you;
for I will make you renowned and praised
   among all the peoples of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes
   before your eyes, says the Lord.

This is the Word of the Lord.                                  Zephaniah 3: 14-20

Thanks be to God.

Psalm, Lauda, anima mea. (146) Chant, Cross in G (13)

1  Alleluia. Praise the Lord, O my soul:
while I live will I praise the Lord; •

1a  as long as I have any being,
I will sing praises to my God.

2  Put not your trust in princes,
nor in any human power, •
for there is no help in them.

3  When their breath goes forth, they return to the earth; •
on that day all their thoughts perish.

4  Happy are those who have the God of Jacob for their help, •
whose hope is in the Lord their God;

5  Who made heaven and earth,
the sea and all that is in them; •
who keeps his promise for ever;

6† Who gives justice to those that suffer wrong •
and bread to those who hunger.

7  The Lord looses those that are bound; •
the Lord opens the eyes of the blind;

8  The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; •
the Lord loves the righteous;

9  The Lord watches over the stranger in the land;
he upholds the orphan and widow; •
but the way of the wicked he turns upside down.

10 The Lord shall reign for ever, •
your God, O Zion, throughout all generations. Alleluia.

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 letter of St Paul to the Philippians.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near!

Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

This is the Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.                                                      Philippians 4.4-7

The Gradual Hymn 119 Cross of Jesus

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

Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.                               John the Baptist

John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our ancestor”; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.’

And the crowds asked him, ‘What then should we do?’ In reply he said to them, ‘Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.’ Even tax-collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, ‘Teacher, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.’

Soldiers also asked him, ‘And we, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.’ As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, ‘I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’

So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.

This is the Gospel of the Lord.                                            Luke 3.7-18

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)

In the tender mercy of our God, the dayspring from on high shall break upon us, to give light to those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.    Luke 1: 78-79

The peace of the Lord be always with you!

And also with you.

The Offertory Hymn (and collection) 135 Veni Emmanuel omit v. 8

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; salvation is your gift through the coming of your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, and by him you will make all things new when he returns in glory to judge the world: 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

Father, we give you thanks for these heavenly gifts. Kindle us with the fire of your Spirit that when Christ comes again we may shine as lights before his face; who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. 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 & Dismissal

Christ the sun of righteousness shine upon you, gladden your hearts and scatter the darkness from before you: and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be with you and remain with you always. Amen.

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord! In the name of Christ. Amen.

Thanksgiving Hymn 126 Merton

Christmas Day services will be at the usual Sunday times

Saint Audoen’s Church

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 city; erected, in 1190, on the site of an older Church dedicated to St. Columcille. Once one of the most prosperous Parishes within the city, the Church was attended by the Lord Mayor and Corporation. It is said that the last Catholic and the first Protestant Lord Mayors of Dublin are buried under the old stone floor. The last surviving city gate stands close by.

At the Reformation the Parish Church became officially reformed, while most of the people remained Catholic. The Parish declined towards the end of the 18th century, when many of the wealthy residents moved out, a process hastened by the Act of Union of 1800. GN Wright reported in 1825 that much of the Church was in a ruinous state, and “very few Protestants” remained in the Parish.

Towards the end of the 20th century St. Anne’s Chapel was re-roofed as a visitors’ centre in the care of the Office of Public Works (as it is now called), like the unroofed parts of the Church, given into the care of the Board of Works (as it was then called) at the disestablishment of the Church in 1870. The Chapel dates from Henry VI, who in 1430 granted the erection of a Chantry, dedicated to St. Anne. Its founders and their successors formed the Guild of St. Anne which survived the Reformation by many years.

In the Church porch is preserved an early Celtic gravestone which has been kept here or nearby since before 1309. It was first mentioned when Jon LeDecer, Mayor of Dublin, erected a marble cistern for water in Cornmarket and placed this stone against it. In 1826 it disappeared, until found many years later in front of the newly-erected Catholic Church of St Audoen, its noble portico graced with statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary, her mother St Ann and St Audoen, with his Bishop’s crozier.

In the porch below the tower lies the 15th century monument of Sir Roland Fitz-Eustace, Earl Portlester, who died in 1496, and his wife, Margaret, buried at Cotlandstown, County Kildare. A Purbeck marble effigy of an unknown ecclesiastic is preserved close by, one of a number surviving in the vicinity of the city of Dublin.

Among those buried in the church were Sir Thomas Molyneux and his son Capel, and Edward Parry, Bishop of Killaloe (who died of the plague in 1650) and his descendants, and Lady Frances Brudenell. The Parry monument can be seen in the clergy vestry, defaced by the followers of the dictator Oliver Cromwell, with its more recent counterpart. The tower houses six bells, three of which are among the oldest in Ireland, dating from 1423. They were unringable between 1898 and 1983, but after being re-tuned and re-hung are now rung every week. The Bürk electric clock in the Churchwarden’s vestry and some memorial brasses in the Church came from St. Peter’s Church Aungier Street, closed in 1975 and lamentably demolished. On its site stands the YMCA building, in which the east window from St Luke’s Church, the Coombe, now hangs. The First World War Memorial from St Matthias’ Church Adelaide Road, also closed (despite public protest) and then demolished, for many years preserved in Christ Church Leeson Park, by kind permission of its surviving Church of Ireland congregation, has since been erected in St Audoen’s.