The Holy Eucharist Fifth Sunday after Pentecost (Canada Day) July 2, 2023 @ 10:00 a.m. St. Paul’s Parish

 
The Holy Eucharist
Fifth Sunday after Pentecost (Canada Day)
July 2, 2023 @ 10:00 a.m.
St. Paul’s Parish
 
The Gathering of the Community
Kwe = Welcome
We are currently residing on the Island of Epekwitk also known as Prince Edward Island. This is part of Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People. We live by the treaties of Peace and Friendship; therefore, we acknowledge, with respect, the history, culture, and spirituality of the Mi’kmaq people and join with them in care for all our relations of earth, sea and air.
 
381: Praise, My Soul
 
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.
 
A Prayer for Canada Day
Let us pray,
Almighty God, whose wisdom and whose love are over all, accept the prayers we offer for our nation. Give integrity to its citizens and wisdom to those in authority, that harmony and justice may be secured in obedience to your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
 
Prayer: O Canada!
O Canada! Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all of us command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The true north strong and free!
From far and wide, O Canada,
we stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
 
The Collect of the Day
Let us pray,
Provoking God, calling us through the face of the Other: free our fickle hearts from our need to divide and exclude both the foreign and the misfit; lead us through the storms of rage to a clear and new beginning; through Jesus Christ, whom hatred cannot touch. Amen.
Prayers for an Inclusive Church (2009) alt.
 
The Proclamation of the Word
First Reading: Psalm 13
¹           How long, O Lord?
                will you forget me for ever? *
                how long will you hide your face from me?
 ²          How long shall I have perplexity in my mind,
                and grief in my heart, day after day? *
                how long shall my enemy triumph over me?
 ³          Look upon me and answer me, O Lord my God; *
                give light to my eyes, lest I sleep in death;
 ⁴          Lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” *
                and my foes rejoice that I have fallen.
 ⁵          But I put my trust in your mercy; *
                my heart is joyful because of your saving help.
 ⁶          I will sing to the Lord, for he has dealt with me richly; *
                I will praise the name of the Lord Most High.
 
The Psalm Prayer
Let us pray
Loving and merciful God, hear the prayers of those who cry to you, and shine with the light of your presence on those who live in the shadow of death. May we rejoice in your saving help and sing you songs of praise in the name of our risen Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.
 
592 Where Cross the Crowded Ways of Life
 
The Gospel: Matthew 10:40-42
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
according to Matthew.
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
A translation from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible:
Jesus said, "Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple - truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward."
A translation from the First Nations Version of the Bible:
“The ones who welcome you welcome me, and the ones who welcome me welcome the one who sent me. If you welcome a prophet for who he is, you will receive the honor he brings. If you welcome a goodhearted person, you will receive the good that he brings. I speak from my heart, even a drink of water given to a small one who follows me will bring great honor to the one who has given it.”
And again, from the Message, a translation in the modern vernacular:
“We are intimately linked in this harvest work. Anyone who accepts what you do, accepts me, the One who sent you. Anyone who accepts what I do accepts my Father, who sent me. Accepting a messenger of God is as good as being God’s messenger. Accepting someone’s help is as good as giving someone help. This is a large work I’ve called you into, but don’t be overwhelmed by it. It’s best to start small. Give a cool cup of water to someone who is thirsty, for instance. The smallest act of giving or receiving makes you a true apprentice. You won’t lose out on a thing.”
The Gospel of Christ.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
 
Sermon: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”
 
Affirmation of Faith: Hear, O Israel
Let us affirm our faith with these words,
Hear, O Israel,
the Lord our God, the Lord is one.
Love the Lord your God
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
This is the first and the great commandment.
The second is like it:
Love your neighbour as yourself.
There is no commandment greater than these.
 
Prayers of the People
Let us offer our prayers for the healing touch of Christ among all peoples, saying: hear our prayer.
 
For the Church: we pray for Linda, our Primate, and Sandra, our bishop, that we may always be open to the immense generosity of God’s love and pass it on to others who are searching for healing and peace. God of love,
hear our prayer.
For this parish: we pray that you will draw us into a deeper relationship with you and with one another, help us trust in challenging times, free us from fear, and lead us into reconciliation with the Indigenous people of this land and freedom from discrimination for all people. God of love,
hear our prayer.
For the gift of peace: we pray that in all places of conflict, that you will help open new pathways to ending violence among nations, within our nation, in our communities and in our homes, so that there will be safety, freedom and justice for everyone. We pray for communities around the world who are threatened by the effects of climate change. God of love,
hear our prayer.
For places of inclusion and wholeness: we pray for everyone on PEI as we start Pride month, and for all people who suffer from institutional prejudice and direct bigotry; that everyone will be respected and included. We pray for this country of Canada and for our friends in the USA celebrating Independence Day. God of love,
hear our prayer.
For health and wellbeing: we pray for the healing of minds and hearts, that the healing touch of Jesus will restore us and give us new hope. We are thankful for all healthcare providers who dedicate so much to keeping us safe and healthy. God of love,
hear our prayer.
For those who are in need prayers: we pray for those we know who are in the hospital or ill at home, remembering especially, …
-
and for others we may name out loud or in our prayers, …
-
… that they may know your compassion and love. God of love,
hear our prayer.
For those who have died in your peace, remembering especially, …
-
… that they may sing your praises without ceasing for all eternity. And we pray for those who mourn. God of love,
hear our prayer.
Generous and life-giving God, whose Son became poor for our sake, hear our prayers, and let all who draw near to you be healed and strengthened to serve you in the power of the Spirit that dwells among us, through Jesus Christ our Savior. 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
 
435 Take My Life and Let It Be
 
The Celebration of the Holy Eucharist
Prayer Over the Gifts
Let us pray,
God of wisdom, receive all we offer you this day. Enrich our lives with the gifts of your Spirit, that we may follow the way of our Lord Jesus Christ, and serve one another in freedom. We ask this in his name. Amen.
 
Supplementary Eucharistic Prayer 3 (S3)
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 to thank you and praise you, holy and gracious God, creator of all things, ruler of heaven and earth, sustainer of life, for you are the source of all goodness, rich in mercy and abounding in love; you are faithful to your people in every generation, and your word endures for ever.
 
Therefore with angels and archangels, with the fellowship of saints and the company of heaven, we glorify your holy name, evermore praising you and singing,
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.
 
Betrayed, reviled, and nailed to the cross, he confronted the power of sin and disarmed it for ever. In his offering of himself, he became the perfect and sufficient sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. Redeemed by Christ, we have been adopted as your children; by your pardon you have made us worthy to praise you.
 
On the night he was betrayed, Jesus, at supper with his friends, took bread, gave you thanks, broke the bread, gave it to them, and said, “Take and 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.”
 
In obedience to him and with grateful hearts we approach your holy table, remembering our Saviour’s sacrifice, and rejoicing in his victory. Confident in his sovereign purpose, we declare our faith.
Christ has died,
Christ is risen,
Christ will come again.
 
Send your Holy Spirit on us that as we receive this bread and this cup we may partake of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and feed on him in our hearts by faith with thanksgiving.
 
May we be renewed in his risen life, filled with love, and strengthened in our will to serve others; and make of our lives, we pray, a pure and holy sacrifice, acceptable to you, knitting us together as one in your Son Jesus Christ, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be all honour and glory, now and forever. Amen.
 
The Lord’s Prayer
As our Saviour taught us, let us pray,
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
 
The Breaking of the Bread
“I am the bread of life,” says the Lord.
“Whoever comes to me will never be hungry;
whoever believes in me will never thirst.”
Taste and see that the Lord is good;
happy are they who trust in him!
 
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.
 
The Communion
The gifts of God for the people of God
Thanks be to God.
 
Hymns during Communion:
354 Come Thou Fount
P46 Hear, O Lord
438 O Jesus, I Have Promised
592 Where Cross the Crowded Ways of Life
 
The Sending forth of the Community
Prayer After Communion
Let us pray,
God of power, we are nourished by the riches of your grace. Raise us to new life in your Son Jesus Christ and fit us for his eternal kingdom, that all the world may call him 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
Faithful God,
your abundant love and mercy is ever lasting,
bless us with open and understanding hearts,
that we may seek your presence in all whom we meet.
The blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit
be amongst you and remain with you for ever. Amen.
 
482 Come and Journey
 
The Scattering
Go forth in the name of Christ.
Thanks be to God.