The Holy Eucharist
St. Paul’s Parish, Charlottetown, PEI
March 3, 2024
Lent 3
Preludes: Voluntary in A Minor John Robinson; Fond d’Orgue Louis Marchand
 
The Gathering of the Community
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.
 
614 Forgive Our Sins
 
Confession and Absolution
Compassion and forgiveness belong to the Lord our God, though we have rebelled against God. Let us then renounce our wilfulness and ask God’s mercy by confessing our sins in penitence and faith.
 
Most merciful God,
we have not loved you with our whole heart. We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves. In your mercy forgive what we have been, help us to amend what we are, and direct what we shall be; that we may do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you, our God. 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.
 
389 O God of Font and Altar
 
The Collect of the Day
Let us pray.
Father of mercy, alone we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves. When we are discouraged by our weakness, strengthen us to follow Christ, our pattern and our hope; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
 
Karen Armstrong, Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life
“Saint Augustine … insisted that scripture taught nothing but charity. Whatever the biblical author may have intended, any passage that seemed to preach hatred and was not conducive to love must be interpreted allegorically and made to speak of charity.”
 
The Proclamation of the Word
Reading: Exodus 20:1-17
A Reading From The Book Of Exodus
God spoke all these words: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments. You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name. Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. Six days you shall labour and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work - you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it. Honour your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour. You shall not covet your neighbour's house; you shall not covet your neighbour's wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church
Thanks be to God
 
Gospel: John 2:13-22
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
The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. He told those who were selling the doves, "Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father's house a marketplace!" His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for your house will consume me." The Jews then said to him, "What sign can you show us for doing this?" Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews then said, "This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?" But he was speaking of the temple of his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
The Gospel of Christ
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ
 
Sermon
 
476 God, You Have Caused to Be Written
 
An Affirmation of Faith (Colossians 3.10-16)
We affirm our faith in a compassionate God,
We clothe ourselves with the new self, according to the image of God our creator. We clothe ourselves without distinction of race, Creed or colour, we are one humanity; but Christ is all and in all! We clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. 
 
We clothe ourselves with forgiveness; just as the Lord has forgiven us, so we also will forgive. We clothe ourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. We clothe ourselves with the peace of Christ in our hearts. We clothe ourselves with gratitude for all wisdom and praise. Amen.
 
The Prayers of the People
O Lord, our God, help us keep you first in our lives. Help us speak only good things in your name. Help us rest and worship more fully. Help us honor our forebears in faith. Help us safeguard all life. Help us be faithful to those we love. Help us be generous. Help us speak truth. Help us celebrate the gifts of others. Help us to want to share. Lord of compassion,
in your mercy hear us.
For the Church universal, for Linda our Primate, Sandra our Bishop, that you will give us courage to give up our preoccupation with ourselves and to give more of ourselves to your mission in the world. Lord of compassion,
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,
in your mercy hear us.
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. Lord of compassion,
in your mercy hear us.
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 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. Lord of compassion,
in your mercy hear us.
For those we know who are ill at home or in the hospital, especially…
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…and for others, we may name out loud or in our hearts…
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Lord of compassion,
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. 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…
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…and we pray for comfort and peace to all those who mourn. Lord of compassion,
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
Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, who has given us access to God’s grace.
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
 
We Are One in the Spirit
 
The Celebration of the Eucharist
The Prayer over the Gifts
Let us pray.
Gracious God, we know your power to triumph over weakness. May we who ask forgiveness be ready to forgive one another, in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen.
 
The Great Thanksgiving – Eucharistic Prayer 3
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.
 
Blessed are you, gracious God, creator of heaven and earth, because you bid your faithful people to cleanse their hearts and to prepare with joy for the paschal feast; that reborn through the waters of baptism and renewed in the eucharistic mystery, we may be more fervent in prayer and more generous in the works of love.
 
Therefore we raise our voices to you in praise 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.
 
We give thanks to you, Lord our God, for the goodness and love you have made known to us in creation; in calling Israel to be your people; in your Word spoken through the prophets; and above all in the Word made flesh, Jesus your Son. For in these last days you sent him to be incarnate from the Virgin Mary, to be the Saviour and Redeemer of the world. In him, you have delivered us from evil, and made us worthy to stand before you. In him, you have brought us out of error into truth, out of sin into righteousness, out of death into life.
 
On the night he was handed over to suffering and death, a death he freely accepted, 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.”
 
Therefore, Father, according to his command,
we remember his death,
we proclaim his resurrection,
we await his coming in glory;
 
and we offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to you, Lord of all; presenting to you, from your creation, this bread and this wine.
 
We pray you, gracious God, to send your Holy Spirit upon these gifts, that they may be the sacrament of the body of Christ and his blood of the new covenant. Unite us to your Son in his sacrifice, that we, made acceptable in him, may be sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
 
In the fullness of time, reconcile all things in Christ, and make them new, and bring us to that city of light where you dwell with all your sons and daughters; through Jesus Christ our Lord, the firstborn of all creation, the head of the Church, and the author of our salvation;
 
by whom, and with whom, and in whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honour and glory are 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 (Lent and Holy Week)
We break this bread,
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.
 
The Communion
The gifts of God for the People of God.
Thanks be to God.
 
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.
 
HYMNs during communion
56 I Am the Bread, the Bread of Life
PB 68 In His Presence (verses 1, 2 repeated)
 
The Scattering
PB 68 In His Presence (verse 1)
 
The Prayer
All your works praise you, O Lord.
And your faithful servants bless you.
 
Gracious God we thank you for feeding us with the body and blood of your Son Jesus Christ. May we, who share his body, live his risen life; we, who drink his cup, bring life to others; we, whom the Spirit lights, give light to the world. Keep us firm in the hope you have set before us, so that we and all your children shall be free, and the whole earth live to praise your name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
 
Blessing
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.
 
508 I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say
 
Dismissal
Go forth into the world,
remembering that the Lord
is full of compassion and mercy,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
Thanks be to God.