Here you can find resources for our liturgy to pray at home or wherever you are.
The readings for today and some of the prayers of our liturgy are on the downloadable pew sheet.
The beginning of the Easter Triduum:
We recall the Last Supper and the Washing of the Disciples' Feet
and watch with Christ in the Garden
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open,
all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hidden:
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.
O God,
your Son Jesus Christ has left us this meal of bread and wine
in which we share his body and his blood.
May we who celebrate this sign of his great love
show in our lives the fruits of his redemption;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
1 I love the Lord, because he has heard
my voice and my supplications.
2 Because he inclined his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
3 The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.
4 Then I called on the name of the Lord:
‘O Lord, I pray, save my life!’
5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
our God is merciful.
6 The Lord protects the simple;
when I was brought low, he saved me.
7 Return, O my soul, to your rest,
for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.
8 For you have delivered my soul from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling.
9 I walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.
10 I kept my faith, even when I said,
‘I am greatly afflicted’;
11 I said in my consternation,
‘Everyone is a liar.’
12 What shall I return to the Lord
for all his bounty to me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the Lord,
14 I will pay my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people.
15 Precious in the sight of the Lord
is the death of his faithful ones.
16 O Lord, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the child of your serving-maid.
You have loosed my bonds.
17 I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice
and call on the name of the Lord.
18 I will pay my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courts of the house of the Lord,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!
(biblegateway.com)
Almighty God,
whose Son Jesus Christ taught us
that what we do for others we do also for him:
give us the will to be the servant of others
as he was the servant of all,
who gave up his life and died for us;
who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, world without end. Amen.
Let us pray to the Father, as Christ prayed for his disciples.
Holy Father, as you are one, may we who are Christ’s Body also be one.
Let the Church in this place reflect your glory to the world. Silence
May we and all Christian people be united in your love.
Let us recognise in each other, and in all people, your image in which we are made. Silence
May your name be manifested in us. May we be sanctified in your truth.
May your love be in us. Silence
May we be united with those who suffer for their faith in your Son.
Let us be ready to meet the cost of following him. Silence
Bring us all, through the death and burial of your only-begotten Son,
to the joy of his resurrection. Silence
Send us out into the world in Christ’s name.
Let us follow his example, serving others as we would serve you. Silence
Father, accept the prayer of your Church on this day
when Christ, our high priest, gave himself to us (in the Eucharist);
who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, as I have loved you.
We meet in Christ's name.
Let us share his peace.
In church, we continue with the Liturgy of the Sacrament
Let us present our offerings to the Lord.
Yours, Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory,
the splendour and the majesty;
for everything in heaven and on earth is yours.
All things come from you, and of your own we give you.
Please join in the prayer Jesus himself taught us:
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.
Do not bring us to the time of trial
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power
and the glory are yours,
now and for ever.
Amen.
Almighty God, source of all love,
whose only-begotten son, on the night of his betrayal,
gave his disciples a new commandment,
to love one another as he loved them:
write this commandment in our hearts;
and give us the will to serve others as he was the servant of all,
who gave his life and died for us,
yet is alive and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, world without end. Amen.
In church, the remaining communion bread is carried in procession into the memorial chapel, where an altar of repose has been set up to symbolise Christ’s time of prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. The servers return to the sanctuary to remove ornaments and strip the altar while Psalm 22 is read:
Psalm 22
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? *
and are so far from my cry and from the words of my distress?
O my God, I cry in the daytime, but you do not answer; *
by night as well, but I find no rest.
Yet you are the Holy One, *
enthroned upon the praises of Israel.
Our forefathers put their trust in you; *
they trusted, and you delivered them.
They cried out to you and were delivered; *
they trusted in you and were not put to shame.
But as for me, I am a worm and no man, *
scorned by all and despised by the people.
All who see me laugh me to scorn; *
they curl their lips and wag their heads, saying,
‘He trusted in the Lord; let him deliver him; *
let him rescue him, if he delights in him.’
Yet you are he who took me out of the womb, *
and kept me safe upon my mother's breast.
I have been entrusted to you ever since I was born; *
you were my God when I was still in my mother's womb.
Be not far from me, for trouble is near, *
and there is none to help.
Many young bulls encircle me; *
strong bulls of Bashan surround me.
They open wide their jaws at me, *
like a ravening and a roaring lion.
I am poured out like water; all my bones are out of joint; *
my heart within my breast is melting wax.
My mouth is dried out like a pot-sherd; my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; *
and you have laid me in the dust of the grave.
Packs of dogs close me in, and gangs of evildoers circle around me; *
they pierce my hands and my feet; I can count all my bones.
They stare and gloat over me; *
they divide my garments among them; they cast lots for my clothing.
Be not far away, O Lord; *
you are my strength; hasten to help me.
Save me from the sword, *
my life from the power of the dog.
Save me from the lion's mouth, *
my wretched body from the horns of wild bulls.
I will declare your name to my brethren; *
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.
Praise the Lord, you that fear him; *
stand in awe of him, O offspring of Israel; all you of Jacob's line, give glory.
For he does not despise nor abhor the poor in their poverty; neither does he hide his face from them; *
but when they cry to him he hears them.
My praise is of him in the great assembly; *
I will perform my vows in the presence of those who worship him.
The poor shall eat and be satisfied, and those who seek the Lord shall praise him: *
‘May your heart live for ever!’
All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, *
and all the families of the nations shall bow before him .
For kingship belongs to the Lord; *
he rules over the nations.
To him alone all who sleep in the earth bow down in worship; *
all who go down to the dust fall before him.
My soul shall live for him; my descendants shall serve him; *
they shall be known as the Lord's for ever.
They shall come and make known to a people yet unborn *
the saving deeds that he has done.
In church, we assemble near the Memorial Chapel, as the Gospel of the Watch is read near the altar of repose. You are invited to remain praying silently.
Jesus came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him. 40 When he reached the place, he said to them, ‘Pray that you may not come into the time of trial.’ 41 Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, 42 ‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.’ [[43 Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. 44 In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground.]] 45 When he got up from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping because of grief, 46 and he said to them, ‘Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not come into the time of trial.’
The service ends in silence.
Friday 7th April
Good Friday
Saturday 8th April
Holy Saturday
Sunday 9th April
Easter Day
The USPG (United Society Partners in the Gospel), as part of this year’s Lent Appeal, encourages us to acknowledge that our neighbours are not just those in our hometowns. Your neighbour is the person that God calls you to love despite your differences. We pray with our Church partners around the world and stand with their mission to support vulnerable people in their local communities. Please join the global Anglican church in transforming lives.
To find out more about this year’s Lent appeal and make a donation, visit uspg.org.uk/lent
Bishop Ian will be with us at HT on Sunday, 21st May, for a service of Confirmation. Should you have not been confirmed yet and wish to be included, please speak to the Rector or a member of the ministry team.
You might be interested in how best to help people in crisis in Ukraine.
The College of Bishops have highlighted these two organisations:
The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal:
https://donation.dec.org.uk/ukraine-humanitarian-appeal
Among the DEC partners are Christian Aid, the British Red Cross, and Tearfund. The UK Government has pledged to match donations from the public to the DEC fund, pound-for-pound, up to £20 million.
The UK for UNHCR:
https://www.unrefugees.org.uk/where-help-is-needed/ukraine-situation/
