The Holy Eucharist
Lent 3 – March 12, 2023 – 10:00
St. Paul’s Church, Charlottetown, PEI
Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you
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.
Our Lord Jesus Christ said: The first commandment is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is the only Lord. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’
The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
God so loved the world that he gave his only Son Jesus Christ to save us from our sins, to be our advocate in heaven, and to bring us to eternal life.
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.
Let us pray,
Almighty God, whose Son Jesus Christ gives the water of eternal life, may we always thirst for you, the spring of life and source of goodness; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Psalm 95
Come, let us sing to the Lord; let us shout for joy to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.
Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice: harden not your hearts.
For the Lord is a great God, and a great king above all gods. In his hand are the caverns of the earth, and the heights of the hills are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands have molded the dry land.
Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice: harden not your hearts.
Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, and kneel before the Lord our Maker. For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. Oh, that to-day you would hearken to his voice!
Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice: harden not your hearts.
Harden not your hearts, as your forebears did in the wilderness, at Meribah, and on that day at Massah, when they tempted me. They put me to the test, though they had seen my works.
Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice: harden not your hearts.
Forty years long I detested that generation and said, "This people are wayward in their hearts; they do not know my ways." So I swore in my wrath, "They shall not enter into my rest."
Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice: harden not your hearts.
And also with you.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon. A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?" (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." The woman said to him, "Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?" Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life." The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water." Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come back." The woman answered him, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, 'I have no husband'; for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!" The woman said to him, "Sir, I see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshipped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem." Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ). "When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us." Jesus said to her, "I am he, the one who is speaking to you." Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, "What do you want?" or, "Why are you speaking with her?" Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, "Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?" They left the city and were on their way to him. Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, "Rabbi, eat something." But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you do not know about." So the disciples said to one another, "Surely no one has brought him something to eat?" Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. Do you not say, 'Four months more, then comes the harvest'? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which you did not labour. Others have laboured, and you have entered into their labour." Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I have ever done." So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Saviour of the world."
The Gospel of Christ.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
The Prayers of the Community
With confidence and trust let us pray to the God of all creation, saying: in your mercy hear us.
in your mercy hear us.
For the vision and mission of this Parish, that in faithful witness we may show your love and justice in all that we do. We ask you will give us the nourishment we need to bear the fruit of repentance, so that we too may be a people of forgiveness and mercy. Lord of compassion,
For help to be a people of radical inclusion, that we may honour the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission; help us create equality and safety for visible minorities, women, and for everyone regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity. Lord of compassion,
For peace in the world, that a spirit of respect and reconciliation may grow among nations and peoples. Give all people the courage to give up war, bitterness, hatred, and to seek peace. We pray especially at this time for peace in Ukraine and for all places of violence. Lord of compassion,
in your mercy hear us.
For the poor, the persecuted, the sick, and all who suffer. We give thanks for development and aid agencies and pray for refugees, prisoners, and all in danger; that they may be relieved and protected. Give us the courage to give up quarrels, strife and jealousy in our families, neighbourhoods and communities. In this time of a provincial election, help us elect trustworthy leaders, and contribute to wise decisions for the general welfare. Lord of compassion,
For those we know who are ill at home or in the hospital, especially…
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in your mercy hear us.
For those whom we have injured or offended, for grace to amend our lives and to further your reign of love and mercy. Bless us in our efforts to bring an end to poverty. Lord of compassion,
in your mercy hear us.
In communion with all those who have walked in the way of holiness we pray for those who have died, especially…
in your mercy hear us.
God of infinite goodness, throughout the ages you have persevered in claiming and reclaiming your people. Renew for us your call to repentance, surround us with witnesses to aid us in our journey, and grant us the time to fashion our lives anew, through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray,
Spring of life and Source of goodness, receive all we offer you this day, and bring us to the living water, Jesus Christ, your Son our Lord. Amen.
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 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.
Lord, by your cross and resurrection
You are the Saviour of the world.
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.
Communion in Christ’s body once broken.
Let your Church be the wheat
which bears its fruit in dying.
If we have died with him, we shall live with him;
if we hold firm, we shall reign with him.
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.
The gifts of God for the People of God.
Thanks be to God.
All your works praise you, O Lord.
And your faithful servants bless you.
May the God of mercy transform you by his grace,
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always. Amen.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
