Holy Eucharist, Rite II (Pentecost, Covid-tide)
Holy Eucharist
for a Sunday or other Major Feast after Pentecost during Covid-tide
according to the Book of Common Prayer (p. 355ff.)
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Click here to find the lessons for this liturgy.
At St. Thomas' in 2020, we are using “Track A” or the “Semi-continuous” track of the lectionary.
Preparing for the Liturgy
During this season of coronavirus infections, please demonstrate your love for your friends and neighbors by:
- Wearing a mask (covering both mouth and nose)
- Remaining six feet apart from anyone you don’t live with
- Refraining from touching, hugging and shaking hands – even during the Peace
- There will be no singing
- Service bulletins you have touched must be taken home
- After the service everyone must disperse with no lingering
- No sharing of common objects such as pens, paper, water bottles, etc.
If you are feeling ill or think you may have been exposed to someone ill within the last two weeks, please stay home and participate with us online instead of in person.
We Gather in God’s Name
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.
Officiant:
Holy God,
Holy and Mighty,
Holy Immortal One,
People:
Have mercy upon us.
Salutation and Collect
Officiant:
The Lord be with you.
People:
And also with you.
Officiant:
Let us pray.
The Collect of the Day is used here.
The people are seated.
We Hear God’s Word
The First Lesson
Lector:
A reading from…
…
The word of the Lord.
People:
Thanks be to God.
The Psalm
The Second Lesson
Lector:
A reading from…
…
The word of the Lord.
People:
Thanks be to God.
The people stand as able.
The Holy Gospel
Deacon:
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to…
People:
Glory to you, Lord Christ.
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.
We Respond in Faith
The people stand as able.
The Nicene Creed
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 Prayers of the People is, Lord, have mercy.
Silence
The Celebrant adds a concluding Collect.
Confession of Sin
Officiant:
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. Amen.
A deacon or lay person using the preceding form remains kneeling, and substitutes “us” for “you” and “our” for “your.”
The people stand as able.
Passing the Peace is primarily a liturgical practice, not a social one. While the threat of Covid-19 is prominent, the peace will be brief. Please do not move around or make contact (shaking hands, hugs) with others. Instead you are invited to look to the person on either side of you and wish them peace with a bow or a wave.
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 in silence. Then the people stand as able.
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:
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.
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.
The Breaking of the Bread
Presider:
Alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.
People:
Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.
Presider:
The Gifts of God for the People of God.
We Receive the Gift of God
Receiving Communion during Covid:
Please remain where you are, standing or seated in prayer. After the presider has received the Sacrament in both kinds, donned a mask, and carefully sanitized hands, the presider will bring the sacrament to each person in turn.
If you wish to receive communion physically:
- Hold out your cupped hands to receive the bread. The presider will drop the host into your hands without making contact. (If you prefer to receive gluten-free bread, please tell the presider so.)
- Wait until the presider has moved away to remove your mask, consume the host, and replace you mask.
- Communion will be offered in one kind only (just the bread). This is still full communion.
If you do not wish to receive communion physically:
- Cross your arms over your chest. The presider will offer you a blessing instead, again without touching.
- You are invited to utter the Prayer for Spiritual Communion while communion is being distributed.
Prayer for Spiritual Communion
My Jesus, I believe that you are truly present
in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar.
I love you above all things, and long for you in my soul.
Since I cannot now receive you sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart.
As though you have already come,
I embrace you and unite myself entirely to you;
never permit me to be separated from you. Amen.(Attributed to St. Alphonsus de Liguori, 1696-1787)
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 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
The Dismissal
Deacon:
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
People:
Thanks be to God.
In order to minimize the possibility of infecting others,
please exit the campus immediately.