Fifth Sunday of Easter Sunday, May 15, 2022, at 10:00 a.m.

 
Fifth Sunday of Easter
Sunday, May 15, 2022, at 10:00 a.m.
St. Paul’s Parish, Charlottetown, PEI
 
The Gathering of the Community
Alleluia! Christ is risen.
The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!
May his grace and peace be with you.
May he fill our hearts with joy.
 
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.
 
391 Sing Ye Praises to the Father
 
The Collect
Let us pray,
Almighty God, your Son Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. Give us grace to love one another and walk in the way of his commandments, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
 
The Proclamation of the Word
First Reading: Acts 11:1-18
A Reading from The Book of Acts
Now the apostles and the believers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also accepted the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him, saying, "Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?" Then Peter began to explain it to them, step by step, saying, "I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. There was something like a large sheet coming down from heaven, being lowered by its four corners; and it came close to me. As I looked at it closely I saw four-footed animals, beasts of prey, reptiles, and birds of the air. I also heard a voice saying to me, 'Get up, Peter; kill and eat.' But I replied, 'By no means, Lord; for nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.' But a second time the voice answered from heaven, 'What God has made clean, you must not call profane.' This happened three times; then everything was pulled up again to heaven. At that very moment three men, sent to me from Caesarea, arrived at the house where we were. The Spirit told me to go with them and not to make a distinction between them and us. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man's house. He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, 'Send to Joppa and bring Simon, who is called Peter; he will give you a message by which you and your entire household will be saved.' And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as it had upon us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?" When they heard this, they were silenced. And they praised God, saying, "Then God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life."
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church
Thanks be to God.
 
The Holy Gospel: John 13:31-35
The Lord be with you.
               And also with you.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
               Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, 'Where I am going, you cannot come.' I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
The Gospel of Christ.
               Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
 
Sermon
 
The Prayers of the Community
Today, at the conclusion of Family Violence Prevention Week we pray that we will continue to learn to connect in ways that are caring, patient and kind, as we pray saying, hear our prayer.
 
May we reach out to each other – keeping in mind the children and now-grown children who have experienced and witnessed abuse and violence. May we offer children and youth kindness, gentleness, and compassion; and be models of respect, equity, and inclusion. May peace begin at home and radiate through our relationships to our communities and the wider world. God of love,
Hear our prayer.
 
May each of us and all our neighbours, friends, family, and familiar strangers, know that we are all worthy of love and care. May we understand deeply that no one deserves to live in fear or violence. May we work to dismantle the systems of power, control, and oppression that teach that some are worth less because of gender, race, age, or ability. May all people live with dignity, with equity. God of love,
Hear our prayer.
 
We pray for victims and survivors of family violence, for healing within themselves and restoration with their communities. We strive for justice. We act for peace. We invest in systems that believe and build and strengthen. May we listen without judgement and support all who have experienced harm from abuse and violence – not only to survive but to thrive. We also pray for those living with the dangers of war, especially the people of Ukraine. God of love,
Hear our prayer.
 
We pray for the helping professionals, working with victims and survivors; for first responders and shelter workers and counsellors; for doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers; for workers in the justice system; and for faith leaders and others, that they will be nurtured in their communities and that they will be kept well and safe. We pray that they will feel our gratitude for their essential work as witnesses and people who care, helping to heal our broken world with their work and attention. God of love,
Hear our prayer.
 
May those who use or have used violence in their relationships and inflected harm turn their hearts and change. May they recognize the harm they have caused and desire to be accountable, repair harm where it is possible, and prevent future harm to others. May they find the strength to be gentle, letting go of power and control. God of love,
Hear our prayer.
 
We ask for awareness among ourselves – as neighbours, friends, families, and co-workers – to notice signs of family violence; for the courage to check in and to take action to help. We are committed to learning the signs and risk factors for family violence and to support those who educate and raise awareness of how we can safely and effectively intervene and offer help. God of love,
Hear our prayer.
 
We also pray this day for all who are ill, that you will raise up the sick and return them to wholeness, free the human family from the coronavirus and speed the distribution of the vaccines. We pray for those we know who are ill at home or in the hospital, especially:
-        …
And for others we may name out loud or in our hearts…
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that they may experience the healing and renewing touch of Jesus. 

We pray for those who have died in your peace, remembering especially:

-
that they may see your glory, and we ask you to comfort those who mourn. God of love,
Hear our prayer.
 
For the absolution and remission of our sins and offences; for the fire of the Holy Spirit upon us, that we may bear faithful witness to the resurrection. God of love,
Hear our prayer.
 
God of the wilderness, your Son battled with the powers of darkness and grew closer to you in the desert: help us to use these forty days to grow in wisdom and prayer, so that we may witness to your saving love in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
 
 
The Peace
Alleluia! The peace of the risen Christ
be always with you
               and also with you. Alleluia!
 
Announcements
 
368 He Came Down
 
 
Prayer Over the Gifts
Let us pray,
Gracious God, you show us your way and give us your divine life. May everything we do be directed by the knowledge of your truth. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ the risen Lord. Amen.
 
Eucharistic Prayer 1
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.
 
It is indeed right that we should praise you, gracious God, for you created all things. You formed us in your own image: as your children you created us. When we turned away from you in sin, you did not cease to care for us, but opened a path of salvation for all people. You made a covenant with Israel, and through your servants Abraham and Sarah gave the promise of a blessing to all nations. Through Moses you led your people from bondage into freedom; through the prophets you renewed your promise of salvation. Therefore, with them, and with all your saints who have served you in every age, we give thanks and raise our voices 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.
 
Holy God, source of life and goodness, all creation rightly gives you praise. In the fullness of time, you sent your Son Jesus Christ, to share our human nature, to live and die as one of us, to reconcile us to you, the God and Father of all. He healed the sick and ate and drank with outcasts and sinners; he opened the eyes of the blind and proclaimed the good news of your kingdom to the poor and to those in need. In all things he fulfilled your gracious will.
 
On the night he freely gave himself to death, 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.”
 
Gracious God, his perfect sacrifice destroys the power of sin and death; by raising him to life you give us life for evermore.
 
 
Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith.
Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.
 
Recalling his death, proclaiming his resurrection, and looking for his coming again in glory, we offer you, Father, this bread and this cup. Send your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these gifts, that all who eat and drink at this table may be one body and one holy people, a living sacrifice in Jesus Christ, our Lord.
 
Through Christ, with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory is 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.
 
The Breaking of the Bread (Easter Season)
Lord, we died with you on the cross.
               Now we are raised to new life.
We were buried in your tomb.
               Now we share in your resurrection.
               Live in us, that we may live in you.
 
Lamb of God
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 your peace.
 
Giving of Communion
The gifts of God for the people of God.
               Thanks be to God.
 
Hymn-during-communion:
610 Before I Take the Body of My Lord
73 One Bread, One Body
504 Jesu, Jesu
P73 Bind Us Together
 
The Sending Forth of the Community
Prayer after Communion
Let us pray,
God of love, in this eucharist we have heard your truth and shared in your life. May we always walk in your way, in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord. 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
God the Father, by whose glory Christ was raised from the dead, strengthen you to walk with him in his risen life; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always. Amen.
 
484 In Christ There Is No East or West (St. Peter’s 620)
 
The Scattering (Mark 4:20)
Alleluia! Go forth into the world
rejoicing in the power of the risen Lord
Thanks be to God. Alleluia!