Holy Eucharist for The Third Sunday of Advent
The Third Sunday of Advent
15 December 2024
according to the Book of Common Prayer (p. 355ff.)
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We Gather in God’s Name
Lighting the Candles of the Advent Wreath
Today we light the first, second, and third candles of the Advent wreath. Each candle has a meaning. The first candle is HOPE, the second candle is PEACE, and the third candle is JOY.
You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. (Isaiah 55:12)
Gracious God, you came to us in human flesh and you abide with us in the Holy Spirit. Fill us with your joy, and help us shine as a light to the world. Through Jesus Christ, who makes our joy complete. Amen.
Anthem: O come, O come, Emmanuel (vv. 5-6) (Hymnal 56)
O come, thou Key of David, come, and open wide our heavenly home;
make safe the way that leads on high, and close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Day-spring from on high and cheer us by thy drawing nigh;
disperse the gloomy clouds of night, and death’s dark shadow put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
Entrance Hymn: Christ is coming: Prepare the way (LEVAS 6)
BCP 355
The people stand as able.
Greeting
Officiant:
Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
People:
And blessed be God’s kingdom, now and for ever. Amen.
The Collect for Purity
Officiant:
Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: 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.
BCP 356
Kyrie
Officiant:
Kyrie, eleison.
People:
Christe, eleison.
Officiant:
Kyrie, eleison.
(translated: Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.)
The Collect of the Day
Officiant:
The Lord be with you.
People:
And also with you.
Officiant:
Let us pray.
Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever.
People:
Amen.
The people are seated.
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We Hear God’s Word
The First Lesson: Zephaniah 3:14-20
Lector:
A reading from the prophet Zephaniah.
Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!
The LORD has taken away the judgments against you, he has turned away your enemies.
The king of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more.
On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands grow weak.
The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory;
he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing as on a day of festival.
I will remove disaster from you, so that you will not bear reproach for it.
I will deal with all your oppressors at that time.
And I will save the lame and gather the outcast,
and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth.
At that time I will bring you home, at the time when I gather you;
for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes before your eyes, says the LORD.
Lector:
The word of the Lord.
People:
Thanks be to God.
Canticle 9
Surely, it is God who saves me; *
I will trust in him and not be afraid.
For the Lord is my stronghold and my sure defense, *
and he will be my Savior.
Therefore you shall draw water with rejoicing *
from the springs of salvation.
And on that day you shall say, *
Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name;
Make his deeds known among the peoples; *
see that they remember that his Name is exalted.
Sing the praises of the Lord, for he has done great things, *
and this is known in all the world.
Cry aloud, inhabitants of Zion, ring out your joy, *
for the great one in the midst of you is the Holy One of Israel.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
The Second Lesson: Philippians 4:4-7
Lector:
A reading from Paul’s epistle to the church in Phillipi.
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Lector:
The word of the Lord.
People:
Thanks be to God.
Sequence Hymn: Come, we that love the Lord (LEVAS 12)
The people stand as able.
The Holy Gospel: Luke 3:7-18
Deacon:
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
People:
Glory to you, Lord Christ.
Deacon:
John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”
As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.
Deacon:
The Gospel of the Lord.
People:
Praise to you, Lord Christ.
The people are seated.
A brief homily, spiritual conversation, or moment of silence may be placed here.
Silence follows the homily.
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We Respond in Faith
BCP 358
The Nicene Creed
The people stand as able.
Officiant and People:
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God,
Light from Light, true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
The Prayers of the People
Today the response to the prompt, “Let us pray” is, “Come, O Lord, and save us.” The final verse and response, as we “offer ourselves and one another to the living God through Christ,” is “To you, O Lord.”
Silence
The Celebrant adds a concluding Collect.
BCP 360
Confession of Sin
Deacon:
Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
The people kneel or stand as able. Silence may be kept. Officiant and People:
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 neighbors 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.
Priest:
Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life.
People:
Amen.
The Peace
Presider:
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People:
And also with you.
We greet one another in the name of the Lord.
The people are seated.
The Announcements
We Offer Ourselves To God
The altar is prepared
The people stand as able.
Offertory Hymn: In Christ there is no East or West (LEVAS 62)
BCP 361
The Great Thanksgiving: Eucharistic Prayer A
Presider:
The Lord be with you.
People:
And also with you.
Presider:
Lift up your hearts.
People:
We lift them to the Lord.
Presider:
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People:
It is right to give God thanks and praise.
The Presider continues:
It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
A Proper Preface may be used here.
Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who for ever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:
LEVAS 255
Sanctus
Presider and People:
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.
The Presider continues:
Holy and gracious Father: In your infinite love you made us for yourself; and, when we had fallen into sin and become subject to evil and death, you, in your mercy, sent Jesus Christ, your only and eternal Son, 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 stretched out his arms upon the cross, and offered himself in obedience to your will, a perfect sacrifice for the whole world.
On the night he was handed over to suffering and 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.”
Presider:
Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith:
People:
Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.
The Presider continues:
We celebrate the memorial of our redemption, O Father, in this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Recalling his death, resurrection, and ascension, we offer you these gifts.
Sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of your Son, the holy food and drink of new and unending life in him. Sanctify us also that we may faithfully receive this holy Sacrament, and serve you in unity, constancy, and peace; and at the last day bring us with all your saints into the joy of your eternal kingdom.
Presider:
All this we ask through your Son Jesus Christ. By him, and with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever.
People:
AMEN.
LEVAS 264
BCP 364
The Lord’s Prayer
Presider:
And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,
Officiant and People:
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, and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
LEVAS 269
The Breaking of the Bread
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: grant us your peace.
Presider:
The Gifts of God for the People of God. Take them in remembrance that Christ died for you, and feed on him in your hearts by faith, with thanksgiving.
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We Receive the Gift of God
“If a person desires to receive the Sacrament, but, by reason of extreme sickness or physical disability, is unable to eat and drink the Bread and Wine, the Celebrant is to assure that person that all the benefits of Communion are received, even though the Sacrament is not received with the mouth.” (BCP, 457)
The ministers receive the Sacrament in both kinds, and then immediately deliver it to the people. All are welcome to receive at Christ’s table. If you would prefer to receive a verbal blessing instead of communion, cross your arms over your chest to indicate this.
Communion Hymn: Make straight in the desert a highway for our God (LEVAS 11)
BCP 365
The Post-communion Prayer
Presider:
Let us pray.
People:
Eternal God, heavenly Father,
you have graciously accepted us as living members
of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ,
and you have fed us with spiritual food
in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood.
Send us now into the world in peace,
and grant us strength and courage
to love and serve you
with gladness and singleness of heart;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Blessing
Processional Hymn: Soon and very soon we are goin’ to see the King (LEVAS 14)
BCP 366
The Dismissal
Deacon:
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
People:
Thanks be to God.