St. Mary the Virgin August 15, 2021, at 10:00 a.m.

 
St. Mary the Virgin
August 15, 2021, at 10:00 a.m.
St. Paul’s Parish, Charlottetown, PEI
 
The Gathering of the Community
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with you all.
And also with you.
 
Almighty God,
to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you 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.
 
Hymn 363: My Soul Proclaims Your Glory, Lord (Mary’s Song)
 
The Collect of the Day
Let us pray,
O God,
you have taken to yourself the blessed Virgin Mary,
mother of your incarnate Son.
May we who have been redeemed by his blood,
share with her the glory of your eternal kingdom;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
 
The Proclamation of the Word – Gospel: Luke 1:46-55
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever."
The Gospel of Christ.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
 
Sermon
 
The Prayers of the Community
We join together to praise God, the creator and maker of all, saying, “We say, ‘Yes!’”
 
We give thanks for the birth of Jesus the Christ-child, born in Bethlehem, the city of David, of the line of David’s family, to be the Saviour of the world. We are grateful, O God, that you have made it possible for your Spirit to be born in each of us; that we may rejoice that you have blessed humanity and all of creation by your presence in the world. God of love.
We say, “Yes!”
 
We give thanks for the Holy Family, for Joseph and Mary, who lived as refugees in a time of great cruelty and hardship, and we ask you to look with mercy on all who are poor, powerless and who suffer. We are grateful, O God, that this extraordinary birth, so long ago, fills us with hope and courage to do your will in this world. God of love.
We say, “Yes!”
 
We give thanks that messengers were sent to the shepherds, with news of great joy and peace for the whole world. We are grateful, O God, that the Good News is a comfort to the weak and a challenge to the strong; that we may embrace and ever hold fast to the Gospel proclaiming your love. God of love.
We say, “Yes!”
 
We give thanks that Magi, wise people from the east, came to worship the One born in time, the timeless Son of God, God with us, God with everyone. We are grateful, O God, that your people everywhere are blessed with the spirit of love; that we may worship fully and without fear. God of love.
We say, “Yes!”
 
O God, grant an abundance of peace to your world; we pray for all your creatures, of land and sea and air; we pray for streams, rivers and oceans; we give thanks for all of creation; we pray for people of every nation, race and language. God of love.
We say, “Yes!”
 
O God, we pray for those who are without a home; without food or water; we pray for refugees and those who are persecuted for their beliefs. We seek your protection, for families and this community; we pray for those who are suffering from Covid-19; for health care providers; for those who work and who are on duty at this hour (for emergency workers, doctors and nurses, ambulance attendants, fire fighters). God of love.
We say, “Yes!”
 
We pray for those in particular need; for the sick and the suffering, especially those who are known to us:
- …
… and others we may name out loud or in our hearts:
- [pause]
… that they may be made strong in your healing love. God of love.
We say, “Yes!”
 
Rejoicing in the fellowship of all the saints – we pray for the faithful departed, (especially for:
-
… we commend ourselves and all people to your unfailing love and your comfort to all who mourn. God of love.
We say, “Yes!”
 
O God, your love was so great for us that you gave us your Son to be born in the world and to shine in our darkness. Help us to make your light and love known in all the world, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
 
Confession and Absolution
Dear friends in Christ,
God is steadfast in love and infinite in mercy;
welcoming sinners and invites us to this table.
Let us confess our sins, confident in God’s forgiveness.
 
Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbours as ourselves. 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 delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your name. Amen.
 
Almighty God have mercy upon 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 Peace
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
Announcements
 
Hymn 155: From East to West, From Shore to Shore (verses 1-5)
 
The Celebration of the Holy Eucharist
Prayer over the Gifts
Let us pray,
God of mercy,
receive all we offer you this day.
May we share with the Virgin Mary
the joys of your eternal kingdom,
and live with you in unending love.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
 
The Great Thanksgiving: EP3
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.
Blessed are you, gracious God, creator of heaven and earth; we give you thanks and praise through Jesus Christ our Lord, who in the mystery of his incarnation was made perfect man of the flesh of the Virgin Mary his mother; in him we have seen a new and radiant vision of your glory. Therefore with all the angels of heaven, we lift our voices and sing our joyful hymn of praise to proclaim the glory of your name.
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.
 
We give thanks to you, Lord our God, for the goodness and love you have made known to us in creation; in calling Israel to be your people; in your Word spoken through the prophets; and above all in the Word made flesh, Jesus your Son. For in these last days you sent him to be incarnate from the Virgin Mary, to be the Saviour and Redeemer of the world. In him, you have delivered us from evil, and made us worthy to stand before you. In him, you have brought us out of error into truth, out of sin into righteousness, out of death into life.
 
On the night he was handed over to suffering and death, a death he freely accepted, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, “Take, eat: this is my body which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.”
 
After supper he took the cup of wine; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and said, “Drink this, all of you: this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.”
 
Therefore, Father, according to his command,
we remember his death,
we proclaim his resurrection,
we await his coming in glory;
 
and we offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to you, Lord of all; presenting to you, from your creation, this bread and this wine.
 
We pray you, gracious God, to send your Holy Spirit upon these gifts, that they may be the sacrament of the body of Christ and his blood of the new covenant. Unite us to your Son in his sacrifice, that we, made acceptable in him, may be sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
 
In the fullness of time, reconcile all things in Christ, and make them new, and bring us to that city of light where you dwell with all your sons and daughters; through Jesus Christ our Lord, the firstborn of all creation, the head of the Church, and the author of our salvation;
 
by whom, and with whom, and in whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honour and glory are yours, almighty Father, now and for ever. Amen.
 
The Lord’s Prayer
As our Saviour taught us, let us pray,
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen.
Silence
 
The Breaking of the Bread
We break the bread of life,
and that life is the light of the world.
God here among us,
light in the midst of us,
bring us to light and life.
The Communion
The gifts of God for the people of God.
Thanks be to God.
 
Hymns-during-communion
48: Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence
123: Once In Royal David’s City
 
The Sending Forth of the Community
Prayer after Communion
Let us pray,
God of grace,
today we raise our voices
to magnify your holy name,
and, in our own generation, to call her blessed
who became the mother of our Saviour Jesus Christ.
May we who have shared this holy food
continue, with her, in your glorious kingdom,
founded and established in Jesus Christ our Lord.
We ask this in his name. Amen.
 
The doxology
Glory to God,
whose power, working in us,
can do infinitely more
than we can ask or imagine.
Glory to God from generation to generation,
in the Church and in Christ Jesus,
for ever and ever. Amen.
 
Blessing
May the God of infinite goodness scatter the darkness of sin and brighten your hearts with holiness; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen.
 
Hymn 140: It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
 
The Scattering
Go forth into the world,
rejoicing in the birth of the Saviour.
Thanks be to God.