Fast from bitterness; feast on forgiveness.
Leader: Jesus says, ‘I am the Way for you’.
All: And so we come to follow Christ.
Leader: Jesus says, ‘I am the Truth for you’.
All: And so we come to dwell in the light.
Leader: Jesus says, ‘I am the Life for you’.
All: And so we come, leaving behind all else to which we cling.
Please join in the hymn
O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds your hand has made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Your power throughout the universe displayed.
*Then sings my soul, my saviour God to thee:
How great thou art, how great thou art,
Then sings my soul, my saviour God to thee:
How great thou art, how great thou art.
And when I think that God, his son not sparing,
Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled & died to take away my sin.
(Refrain * above)
When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart;
When I shall bow in humble adoration,
And there proclaim, my God, how great thou art.
(Refrain* above)
Please say the psalm 109 & its antiphon as indicated.
All: Lord Almighty King, deliver us for the sake of your
name. Give us the grace to return to you.
Reader: The Lord said to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand, till
I make your enemies your footstool.’ The sceptre of
your power the Lord will stretch forth from Sion:
‘Rule in the midst of your enemies. Yours is the
princely power in the day of your birth, In holy
splendour; before the daystar, like the dew, I
have begotten you.’ The Lord has sworn and he will
not repent; ‘You are a priest forever, according to
the order of Melchizedek.’
All: 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.
All: Lord Almighty King, deliver us for the sake of your name. Give us the grace to return to you.
Please sing the second psalm as indicated.
Cantors: We were ransomed for the precious blood of Christ
Who is the lamb without blemish.
Side 1: I will thank you, Lord, with all my heart
In the meeting of the just & their assembly.
Side 2: Great are your works
To be pondered by all who love them.
Side 1: Glorious & sublime are your works;
Your justice stands firm forever.
Side 2: You help us remember your wonders.
You are compassion & love.
Side 1: You give food to those who fear you,
Keeping your covenant ever in mind.
Side 2: You have shown your might to your people
By giving them the lands of the nations.
Side 1: Your works are justice & truth;
Your precepts are all of them sure.
Side 2: They are steadfast forever & ever,
Made in uprightness & faithfulness.
Side 1: You have sent deliverance to your people
And established your covenant forever.
Side 2: Holy your name, greatly to be feared.
To fear you is the beginning of wisdom.
Side 1: All who do so prove themselves wise,
Your praise shall last forever!
All: 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.
All: We were ransomed for the precious blood of Christ
Who is the lamb without blemish.
Please say the special Lenten canticle as indicated.
All: Ours were the sufferings he bore, ours the sorrows he carried.
Side 1: When we were children, you loved us: yearning for us to grow in freedom, rescuing us from captivity, calling us home from exile.
Side 2: But the more you called us, the more we resisted you. We bowed down to false Gods, we put our trust in idols.
Side 1: Our stony hearts provoked you, but what purpose would our destruction serve? You grew warm in your anger, near neighbour to compassion in your care for us.
Side 2: You cannot let loose with your wrath, your love cannot desert us. Our human failings are not yours, for you are God & not mortal, supreme in the power of your loving kindness.
Side 1: Wash us with the tears of compunction, heal us with the touch that is true, speak to us the word that endures, embrace us round the table of joy.
All: 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.
All: Ours were the sufferings he bore, ours the sorrows he carried.
Reading (1Cor.1.) followed by a period of silence.
Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
Please sing the Magnificat & its antiphon as indicated.
Cantors: Whoever drinks the water that I shall give, says the Lord,
Will never be thirsty again.
Side 1: My soul glorifies the Lord,
My spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.
Side 2: He looks on his servant, in her lowliness:
Henceforth all ages will call me blessed.
Side 1: The almighty works marvels for me:
Holy is his name.
Side 2: His mercy is from age to age
On those who fear him.
Side 1: He puts forth his arm in strength
And scatters the proud-hearted.
Side 2: He casts the mighty from their thrones,
And raises the lowly.
Side 1: He fills the starving with good things,
Sends the rich away empty.
Side 2: He protects Israel, his servant,
Remembering his mercy-
Side 1: The mercy promised to our fathers,
To Abraham & his sons for ever.
All: 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.
All: Whoever drinks the water that I shall give, says the Lord,
Will never be thirsty again.
Intercessions: ad lib concluding with
Reader: We pray for people who have died today, for those who will die tonight; and for those whose anniversaries occur tomorrow, remembering especially:
Leader begins the Our Father….
Leader: God our Father, in your infinite love & goodness you
have shown us that prayer, fasting & almsgiving are
remedies for sin: accept the humble admission of
our guilt, & when our conscience weighs us , let your
unfailing mercy raise us up. We make our prayer
through Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with
you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever.
All: Amen.
All: Preserve us, Lord, while we are awake, and guard us
while we are sleeping, that awake we may watch with
Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace. And may
Almighty God bless us – the Father Son and Holy
Spirit. Amen.