The Holy Eucharist: Rite One
The Word of God

The people standing, the Celebrant may say

Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

People And blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever.  Amen.

The Celebrant says

Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy Name; through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Then the following may be said,

Hear what our Lord Jesus Christ saith: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.

Here is said

Glory be to God on high,
  and on earth peace, good will towards men.

We praise thee, we bless thee, we worship thee,
  we glorify thee, we give thanks to thee for thy great glory,

O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty.

O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ;

O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,

  that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.

Thou that takest away the sins of the world, receive our prayer.

Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father,  have mercy upon us.

For thou only art holy; thou only art the Lord;

thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost,

  art most high in the glory of God the Father.  Amen.

The Collect of the Day

The Celebrant says to the people

The Lord be with you.

People And with thy spirit.

Celebrant Let us pray.

The Celebrant says the Collect.

Set us free, O God, from the bondage of our sins and give us, we beseech thee, the liberty of that abundant life which thou hast manifested to us in thy Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

People Amen.

Reading from 2 Kings

When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. The company of prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?” And he said, “Yes, I know; keep silent.”  Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here; for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho. The company of prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?” And he answered, “Yes, I know; be silent.”   Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on. Fifty men of the company of prophets also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground.  When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.” He responded, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not.” As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha kept watching and crying out, “Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.

After the Reading, the Reader may say

The Word of the Lord.

People Thanks be to God

Psalm 50:1-6

The Lord, the God of gods, has spoken; *
he has called the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.

Out of Zion, perfect in its beauty, *
God reveals himself in glory.

Our God will come and will not keep silence; *
before him there is a consuming flame, and round about him a raging storm.

He calls the heavens and the earth from above *
to witness the judgment of his people.

“Gather before me my loyal followers, *
those who have made a covenant with me and sealed it with sacrifice.”

Let the heavens declare the rightness of his cause; *
for God himself is judge.

Silence may follow.

Then, all standing, the Deacon or a Priest reads the Gospel, first saying

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark

People Glory be to thee, O Lord.

Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!” Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.

As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

After the Gospel, the Reader says

The Gospel of the Lord.

People Praise be to thee, O Christ.

The Sermon

The Nicene Creed

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

Presider:  To whom will we compare you, O Holy One, the everlasting God, Creator of the ends of the earth, who stretches out the heavens like a curtain:  Be near to us in our weakness and uphold us with your might, as we pray:  Great is our God and mighty in power; there is no limit to God’s wisdom.

Litanist:  Holy and Eternal One, who never faints or grows weary:  Heal and empower your Church, entrusted with a commission to bear the Good News to all the earth, that we may be all things to all people, serving as slaves to all for the sake of the gospel.  Great is our God and mighty in power; there is no limit to God’s wisdom.

Holy and Eternal One, who brings princes to naught and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing:  Guide our nation and all who lead hold authority in the world, that they may be servants of healing and may cast out all forms of oppression throughout your creation.  Great is our God and mighty in power; there is no limit to God’s wisdom.

Holy and Eternal One, who gives power to the faint and strength to the powerless:  Reach out your hand and lift up all who suffer from illness or fear, violence or threat, that those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, mount up with wings like eagles, run and not be weary, walk and not faint.  Great is our God and mighty in power; there is no limit to God’s wisdom.

Holy and Eternal One, who lifts up the lowly and makes grass to grow upon the mountains and green plants to serve humankind:  Bless this community with compassion and grace, that we may serve one another with deference and respect.  Great is our God and mighty in power; there is no limit to God’s wisdom.

Holy and Eternal One, whose understanding is unsearchable:  Touch with your healing compassion those for whom we pray, especially those we now mention aloud or in the silence of our hearts (pause); all those serving our country at home and abroad; and those on our prayer list.  Hear our gratefulness for all the blessings of our lives, especially for those celebrating birthdays and anniversaries Vanean, Stokley, Lloyd, Vivian, Jackie, Billy, William, Michael & Julie.  Enfold into your eternal love those who have died, especially those we now remember aloud or in the silence of our hearts (pause).  Great is our God and mighty in power; there is no limit to God’s wisdom.

Presider:  We look toward your eternal glory, O Holy and Eternal One, and we raise our voices to you in prayer:  Enter our homes and towns, our solitudes and cities; cast out everything that oppresses and threatens your people, heal all who are weak, and bring peace in our time, that your whole creation may sing out in praise to proclaim your message of love and hope, through Jesus Christ our Savior, who with you and the Holy Spirit, live and love, now and for ever.  Amen. 

Confession of Sin

The Deacon or Celebrant says the following, 

Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God.

Silence may be kept.

Minister and People

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against thee in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone.  We have not loved thee with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.  We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of thy Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in thy will, and walk in thy ways, to the glory of thy Name.  Amen.

The Priest stands and says

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who of his great mercy hath promised forgiveness of sins to all those who with hearty repentance and true faith turn unto him, have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and bring you to everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

The Peace

All stand. The Celebrant says to the people

The peace of the Lord be always with you.

People And with thy spirit.

The Great Thanksgiving

The people remain standing. The Celebrant, whether bishop or priest, faces them and sings or says

Celebrant The Lord be with you.

People And with thy spirit.

Celebrant Lift up your hearts.

People We lift them up unto the Lord.

Celebrant Let us give thanks unto our Lord God.

People It is meet and right so to do.

Then, facing the Holy Table, the Celebrant proceeds

It is very meet, right, and our bounden duty, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto thee, O Lord, holy Father, almighty, everlasting God.

Here a Proper Preface is sung or said on all Sundays, and on other occasions as appointed.

Therefore with Angels and Archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious Name; evermore praising thee, and saying,

Celebrant and People

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts:

Heaven and earth are full of thy glory.

Glory be to thee, O Lord Most High.

Here may be added

Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest.

The people kneel or stand.

Then the Celebrant continues

All glory be to thee, O Lord our God, for that thou didst create heaven and earth, and didst make us in thine own image; and, of thy tender mercy, didst give thine only Son Jesus Christ to take our nature upon him, and to suffer death upon the cross for our redemption. He made there a full and perfect sacrifice for the whole world; and did institute, and in his holy Gospel command us to continue, a perpetual memory of that his precious death and sacrifice, until his coming again. For in the night in which he was betrayed, he took bread; and when he had given thanks to thee, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take, eat, this is my Body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

Likewise, after supper, he took the cup; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink this, all of you; for this is my Blood of the New Covenant, which is shed for you, and for many, for the remission of sins. Do this, as oft as ye shall drink it, in remembrance of me.” Wherefore, O Lord and heavenly Father, we thy people do celebrate and make, with these thy holy gifts which we now offer unto thee, the memorial thy Son hath commanded us to make; having in remembrance his blessed passion and precious death, his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension; and looking for his coming again with power and great glory. And we most humbly beseech thee, O merciful Father, to hear us, and, with thy Word and Holy Spirit, to bless and sanctify these gifts of bread and wine, that they may be unto us the Body and Blood of thy dearly-beloved Son Jesus Christ. And we earnestly desire thy fatherly goodness to accept this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, whereby we offer and present unto thee, O Lord, our selves, our souls and bodies. Grant, we beseech thee, that all who partake of this Holy Communion may worthily receive the most precious Body and Blood of thy Son Jesus Christ, and be filled with thy grace and heavenly benediction; and also that we and all thy whole Church may be made one body with him, that he may dwell in us, and we in him; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord; By whom, and with whom, and in whom, in the unity of the Holy Ghost all honor and glory be unto thee, O Father Almighty, world without end.  AMEN.

And now, as our Savior Christ hath taught us, we are bold to say,

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

The Celebrant breaks the consecrated Bread.

A period of silence is kept.

Then may be said

Alleluia.  Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;

Therefore let us keep the feast.  Alleluia.

Facing the people, the Celebrant may say the following Invitation

The Gifts of God for the People of God.

and may add Take them in remembrance that Christ died for you, and feed on him in your hearts by faith, with thanksgiving.

The ministers receive the Sacrament in both kinds, and then immediately deliver it to the people.

The Bread and the Cup are given to the communicants with these words

The Body of Christ, the bread of heaven.  [Amen.]

The Blood of Christ, the cup of salvation.  [Amen.]

After Communion, the Celebrant says

Let us pray.

The People may join in saying this prayer

Almighty and everliving God, we most heartily thank thee for that thou dost feed us, in these holy mysteries, with the spiritual food of the most precious Body and Blood of thy Son our Savior Jesus Christ; and dost assure us thereby of thy favor and goodness towards us; and that we are very members incorporate in the mystical body of thy Son, the blessed company of all faithful people; and are also heirs, through hope, of thy everlasting kingdom. And we humbly beseech thee, O heavenly Father, so to assist us with thy grace, that we may continue in that holy fellowship, and do all such good works as thou hast prepared for us to walk in; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honor and glory, world without end.  Amen.

Blessing

Dismissal