The Holy Eucharist
Advent I - Hope
Dec. 3, 2023, at 10:00 a.m.
St. Paul’s Parish
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.
O God, we light the first candle of Advent; the candle of hope.
(light one candle)
Kindle in us a living hope. We long for you to come to our world, to break through and reign with compassion, justice, and peace. The prophet Isaiah also cried out to you to tear open heaven and come down. He called your people to righteousness, to be refashioned like clay in the potter’s hands.
Mighty God, creator of the world,
break through all that keeps us from you.
We seek your mercy, that you will reform us in your image.
This Advent, by your justice, love, and peace bring us hope. Amen.
Let us pray,
Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness and put on the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to us in great humility, that on the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
First Reading: Isaiah 64:1-9
O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence - as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil - to make your name known to your adversaries, so that the nations might tremble at your presence! When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who works for those who wait for him. You meet those who gladly do right, those who remember you in your ways. But you were angry, and we sinned; because you hid yourself we transgressed. We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. There is no one who calls on your name, or attempts to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquity. Yet, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. Do not be exceedingly angry, O Lord, and do not remember iniquity forever. Now consider, we are all your people.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church
Thanks be to God.
And also with you.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark.
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus said, "In those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in clouds' with great power and glory. Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Therefore, keep awake - for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake."
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 among the nations your rule of righteousness, come to the world and the church with peace. We pray for Linda our Primate, Sandra our Bishop. We pray for an end to racial discrimination, an end to gender-based violence, and for truth and reconciliation with Indigenous people. God of hope:
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. God of hope:
We pray that all of us know that we are worthy of love and care and 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. God of hope,
Hear our prayer.
We pray for victims and survivors of family violence, for healing and restoration. We strive for justice and peace. We give thanks for the helping professionals, working with victims and survivors; for first responders and shelter workers and counsellors; for doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers; for employees 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. God of hope,
Hear our prayer.
We pray for those in any distress from floods, drought, fire, earthquakes and war. We pray for those in need as we approach the Christmas season, especially for our outreach efforts. God of hope:
We pray that you will bind up the brokenhearted 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 hope:
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 hope:
Almighty God, as your blessed Son Jesus Christ first came to seek and to save the lost; so may he come again to find in us the completion of his redeeming work; for he is now alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.
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.
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 love and power, your word stirs within us the expectation of the coming of your Son. Accept all we offer you this day, and sustain us with your promise of eternal life. We ask this in the name 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.
Blessed are you, gracious God, creator of heaven and earth; we give you thanks and praise through Jesus Christ our Lord, who in the fullness of time came among us in our flesh, and opened to us the way of salvation. Now we watch for the day when he will come again in power and great triumph to judge this world, that we, without shame or fear, may rejoice to behold his appearing.
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 remember his death,
we proclaim his resurrection,
we await his coming in glory;
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.
The gifts of God for the People of God.
Thanks be to 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.
PB Such Love (verses 1, 2)
Let us pray,
God for whom we wait, you have fed us with the bread of eternal life. Keep us ever watchful, that we may be ready to stand before the Son of man. We ask this in the name of Christ the Lord. 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 Hope of God the Creator.
Thanks be to God.
