Processional Hymn 321 Nicaea
The Gathering of God’s People ~ 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.
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.
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 have given us your servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity and in the power of the divine majesty to worship the Unity: Keep us steadfast in this faith, that we may evermore be defended from all adversities; for you live and reign, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Proclaiming and Receiving the Word
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah. His vision in the Temple
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said:
‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory.’
The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. And I said: ‘Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!’
Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: ‘Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.’ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I; send me!’
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Isaiah 6.1-8
Psalm Afferte, Domino (29) Hopkins in F (280)
1 Ascribe to the Lord, you powers of heaven, •
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the honour due to his name; •
worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters;
the God of glory thunders; •
the Lord is upon the mighty waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is mighty in operation; •
the voice of the Lord is a glorious voice.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees; •
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon;
6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf •
and Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord splits the flash of lightning;
the voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; •
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
8 The voice of the Lord makes the oak trees writhe
and strips the forests bare; •
in his temple all cry, ‘Glory!’
9 The Lord sits enthroned above the water flood; •
the Lord sits enthroned as king for evermore.
10 The Lord shall give strength to his people; •
the Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.
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 Epistle of St Paul to the Romans.
So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
This is the Word of the Lord.Thanks be to God. Romans 8.12-17
The Gradual Hymn 319 Rievaulx
Hear the Gospel of our Saviour Christ, according to St John. Nicodemus visits Jesus
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, “You must be born from above.” The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can these things be?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?
‘Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. ‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. John 3.1-17
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)
Peace to you from God our heavenly Father. Peace from his Son Jesus Christ who is our peace. Peace from the Holy Spirit the Life-giver.
The peace of the Triune God be always with you!
And also with you.
The Offertory Hymn (and collection) 316 Laus Deo
Celebrating at the Lord’s Table ~ 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; you have revealed your glory as the glory of your Son and of the Holy Spirit: three persons equal in majesty, undivided in splendour, yet one Lord, one God, ever to be worshipped and adored: 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
Almighty God, may we who have received this holy communion, worship you with lips and lives proclaiming your majesty and finally see you in your eternal glory: Holy and Eternal Trinity, 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
God the Holy Trinity make you strong in faith and love,
defend you on every side, and guide you in truth and peace:
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
be with you and remain with you always. Amen.
Dismissal
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord!
In the name of Christ. Amen.
Thanksgiving Hymn 652 Mannheim
St Audoen’s Church Cornmarket
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. The Parish was one of the most prosperous in the city, and the Parish Church was for many years frequented by the Lord Mayor and Corporation.
At the Reformation the Parish Church became Anglican, while most of the inhabitants of the Parish remained Roman Catholic, and were served by priests and friars, often in secret, over the following centuries. The prosperity of 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. 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, though the number of inhabitants amounts to upwards of 5,180 and the number of houses to 468’. 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. It was said to have strange properties, and merchants and traders used to rub it for luck. It was stolen more than once but always found its way back! In 1826 it disappeared for twenty years, until found in front of the newly-erected Catholic Church of St Audoen in High Street.
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. Unringable in a cracked tower by 1898, which was braced in concrete in 1983, they are now rung every week. An early 20th century Bürk electric clock drives a large external face, 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 recently rebuilt Church of St Nicholas without and St Luke now hangs.
