St. Peter's By-the-Sea Episcopal Church
Gulfport, Mississippi

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.

Grant us, O Lord, not to mind earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to cleave to those that shall abide; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

People Amen.

The Lessons

First Reading from Exodus 

The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The Israelites said to them, ‘If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.’  Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days.’ So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, ‘In the evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your complaining against the Lord. For what are we, that you complain against us?’ And Moses said, ‘When the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning, because the Lord has heard the complaining that you utter against him—what are we? Your complaining is not against us but against the Lord.’  Then Moses said to Aaron, ‘Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites, “Draw near to the Lord, for he has heard your complaining.” ’ And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked towards the wilderness, and the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. The Lord spoke to Moses and said, ‘I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, “At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.” ’  In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, ‘What is it?’ For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, ‘It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.

After each Reading, the Reader may say

The Word of the Lord.

People Thanks be to God

Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45

~ Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name; *
  make known his deeds among the peoples.

~ Sing to him, sing praises to him, *
  and speak of all his marvelous works.

~ Glory in his holy Name; *
  let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.

~ Search for the Lord and his strength; *
  continually seek his face.

~ Remember the marvels he has done, *
  his wonders and the judgments of his mouth,

~ O offspring of Abraham his servant, *
  O children of Jacob his chosen.

~ He led out his people with silver and gold; * 
  in all their tribes there was not one that stumbled.

~ Egypt was glad of their going, *
  because they were afraid of them.

~ He spread out a cloud for a covering *
  and a fire to give light in the night season.

~ They asked, and quails appeared, *
  and he satisfied them with bread from heaven.

~ He opened the rock, and water flowed, *
  so the river ran in the dry places.

~ For God remembered his holy word *
  and Abraham his servant.

~ So he led forth his people with gladness, *
  his chosen with shouts of joy.

~ He gave his people the lands of the nations, *
  and they took the fruit of others’ toil,

~ That they might keep his statutes *
  and observe his laws. Hallelujah!

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 Matthew

People Glory be to thee, O Lord.

Jesus said, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the labourers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the market-place; and he said to them, “You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.” So they went. When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same. And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, “Why are you standing here idle all day?” They said to him, “Because no one has hired us.” He said to them, “You also go into the vineyard.” When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, “Call the labourers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.” When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, saying, “These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.” But he replied to one of them, “Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?” So the last will be first, and the first will be last.’ 

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

The Deacon or other person appointed says

Presider:  Generous and loving God, your providence surrounds us with all things necessary for our common life:  Grant to your people such fulfillment in our life and work, that we may reach out in service and compassion toward others, as we pray for the needs of the world, saying:  We search for you and your strength; we continually seek your face.

Litanist:  Bless your Church and her members as we labor in your vineyard, O Gracious One, that we may be fruitful, as we live our lives in a manner worthy of the gospel, and live faithfully in your loving presence.  We search for you and your strength; we continually seek your face.

Inspire our nation with honorable industry and a just economy, that every person may find meaningful work and a proper return for their labor. We search for you and your strength; we continually seek your face.

Give the bread from heaven to all who yearn and the bread from earth to all in need, that every person on your earth may have all things necessary for their wholeness and health.  We search for you and your strength; we continually seek your face.

Inspire this community that all may live together in a worthy manner, standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side for goodness.  We search for you and your strength; we continually seek your face.

God of compassion, hear the complaints of all who suffer and give your generous attention to those for whom we offer our prayer in intercession, 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 gladness and joy as we offer our thanksgivings, especially for those celebrating birthdays and anniversaries Michael, Mellody JT, Bill, Claire, Cameron & Hannah. Embrace with your eternal life those who have died, especially those we now remember aloud or in the silence of our hearts (pause).  We search for you and your strength; we continually seek your face.

Presider:  You call your children at every hour into your divine work of reconciliation, O Holy One:  Strengthen us by your Spirit, that we may be fruitful servants throughout our time in your vineyard, through Jesus Christ our Savior.  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 Bishop when present, or 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.

        Then the Ministers and People may greet one another in the name of the Lord.

The Holy Communion

The Great Thanksgiving

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

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