The Holy Eucharist
St. Paul’s Parish, Charlottetown, PEI
December 11, 2022, at 10:00 a.m.
Advent III - Joy
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.
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.
Let us pray,
Dear God, we pray for the joy that is found in Jesus, that those who seek it may truly find it. May we celebrate the joy found in You and share that joy so all may be guided by the Christ light shining in our hearts and in the world. Amen.
© Catherine MacDonald 2006 (full permission given to use with acknowledgement)
Pastor in United Church of Canada
Halifax, Nova Scotia
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Let us pray,
God of power and mercy, you call us once again to celebrate the coming of your Son. Remove those things which hinder love of you, that when he comes, he may find us waiting in awe and wonder for him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
First Reading: Isaiah 35:1-10
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are of a fearful heart, "Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you." Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God's people; no traveller, not even fools, shall go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church
Thanks be to God.
My Spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.
He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
My Spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.
My Spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel, for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever.
My Spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
And also with you.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?" Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me." As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written, 'See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.' Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."
The Gospel of Christ.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
In this Season of Advent, we pray for ourselves and the world, placing before you our hope, confident in your peace, mindful of your joy, basking in your love, saying, hear our prayer.
We pray that you will establish righteousness, come to the world and bring peace – peace among nations – peace in our homes – and peace in our hearts. We pray for an end to racial discrimination, an end to gender-based violence, and for truth and reconciliation with Indigenous people. We pray for peace in Ukraine and in all places of war and violence. God of love:
We pray that we may seek Christ in holy scriptures, know him in the breaking of bread, and recognize him in one another. Break into our lives, where we struggle with sickness and pain, and set us free to serve you forever. We pray for Linda our Primate, Sandra our Bishop and all who minister in your name. God of love:
We pray for those in any distress from floods, drought, fire and earth-quakes, and we pray for those in need as we approach the Christmas season, especially for our outreach efforts and for the PWRDF World of Gifts campaign. God of love:
We pray that you will bind up the broken-hearted and restore the sick. We pray for those we know who are ill at home or in the hospital, remembering especially…
… and others we may name out loud, or in our hearts…
-
God of love:
Hear our prayer.
We remember those who have died in your peace and whose faith is known to you alone, especially…
…that, with all the saints in light, we may shine forth as lights for the world, God of love:
O God of Isaiah and John the Baptist, through all such faithful ones you proclaim the unfolding of future joy and renewed life. Strengthen our hearts to believe your advent promise that one day we will walk in the holy way of Christ, where sorrow and sighing will be no more and the journey of your people will be joy. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.
Let us confess our sins, confident in God’s forgiveness.
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.
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 of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
The Prayer over the Gifts
Let us pray,
God of hope, renew in us the joy of your salvation and make us a living sacrifice to you, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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.
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 praise you, merciful Father, not as we ought, but as we are able, because in your tender love you gave the world your only Son, in order that the world might be saved through him. He made you known by taking the form of a servant, healing the sick, liberating the oppressed, reaching out to the lost.
Christ has died,
Christ is risen,
Christ will come again.
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.
God of promise,
you prepare a banquet for us in your kingdom.
Happy are those who are called
to the supper of the Lamb.
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 your peace.
Thanks be to God.
102 Prepare the Way, O Zion
114 Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending
94 Wait for the Lord, Whose Day Is Near
Prayer after Communion
Let us pray,
Merciful God, may this eucharist free us from our sins, fill us with unending joy, and prepare us for the birthday of our Saviour. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, who is Lord now and for ever. Amen.
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.
Be steadfast in faith, joyful in hope,
and untiring in love all the days of your life;
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always. Amen.
Go forth into the world,
rejoicing in the Joy of God the Creator.
Thanks be to God.
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