After the Office
1 THANKSGIVING FOR BAPTISM For use on Sundays and other appropriate occasions.A procession may be made to the font (or to a suitable bowl, placed close to the Paschal Candle) while this, or another canticle, is sung.
I saw water flowing from the threshold of the Temple. Wherever the river flows everything will spring to life. Alleluia.
On the banks of the river grow trees bearing every kind of fruit. Their leaves will not wither nor their fruit fall.
Their fruit will serve for food, their leaves for the healing of the nations. For the river of the water of life flows from the throne of God and of the Lamb. Water is poured into the font or bowl with these words:
God in Christ gives us water welling up for eternal life. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. Lord, give us this water and we shall thirst no more.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God Who is worthy of all thanksgiving and praise. Blessèd are you, Sovereign God of all, to you be glory and praise for ever! You are our light and our salvation. From the deep waters of death you have raised your Son to life in triumph. Accept our sacrifice of praise, we pray, and sanctify these waters of your new creation, that we, with all who have been born anew by water and the Spirit, may be renewed in your image, walk by the light of faith, and serve you in newness of life; through your anointed Son, Jesus Christ, to whom with you and the Holy Spirit we lift our voices of praise, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Blessèd be God for ever! The thanksgiving over the water may be followed by
THE APOSTLES’ CREED
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
Almighty God, in our baptism you have consecrated us to be temples of your Holy Spirit. May we, whom you have counted worthy, nurture this gift of your in-dwelling Spirit with a lively faith, and worship you with upright lives; through Jesus Christ. Amen.
The water may be sprinkled over the people or they may be invited to sign themselves with the cross. THE PEACE
God has made us one in Christ. He has set his seal upon us and, as a pledge of what is to come, has given the Spirit to dwell in our hearts.
The peace of the Lord be always with you And also with you.
THE BLESSING
May God, who in Christ gives us a spring of water welling up to eternal life, perfect in us the image of his glory; and may the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be upon us and remain with us always. Amen.
Let us bless the Lord. (Alleluia! Alleluia!) Thanks be to God! (Alleluia! Alleluia!)
2 A CELEBRATION OF THE WORD
For use on Wednesdays and other appropriate occasions.
A bible may be carried in procession and placed on the altar table. Your word is a lantern to my feet And a light upon our path.
Almighty God, we thank you for the gift of your holy word. May it be a lantern to our feet, a light to our paths, and a strength to our lives. Take us and use us to love and serve all your people in the power of the holy Spirit and in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 3* The Officiant may invite those present to share their testimonies.
After a suitable period, the Officiant says:
The Word of life which was from the beginning We proclaim to you.
The darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. The Word of life which was from the beginning.
That which we heard, which we saw with our eyes, and touched with our own hands, We proclaim to you.
For our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. The Word of life, which was from the beginning, we proclaim to you.
O God, by whose command the order of time runs its course: forgive our restlessness, perfect our faith and, while we await the fulfilment of your promise, grant us to have a good hope through the Word made flesh, even Jesus Christ our Lord . . . 28 ..lh6 ..lh10
May the grace of Christ, the incarnate Word, be with us all. Amen. ..lh6 ..lh10
Let us bless the Lord. Thanks be to God! 3 EUCHARISTIC DEVOTIONS
For use on Thursdays and other appropriate occasions.
The following or some other suitable hymn may be sung.
..lh6 ..lh10 O salutaris O Priest and Victim, Word of Life, Throw wide the gates of Paradise. We face our foes in mortal strife; You are our strength! O heed our cries.
To Father, Son and Spirit blest, One only God, be ceaseless praise. May you in goodness grant us rest In heaven, our home, for endless days. Amen. ..lh6 ..lh10 Here may follow suitable prayers, songs and readings, in honour of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Eucharist. There may be a homily or meditation and a period of silence may be kept. ..lh6 ..lh10 Tantum ergo Come, adore this wondrous presence; Bow to Christ, the source of grace. Here is kept the ancient promise Of God’s earthly dwelling place. Sight is blind before God’s glory, Faith alone may see that face.
Glory be to God the Father, Praise to his co-equal Son, Adoration to the Spirit, Bond of love, in Godhead one. Blest be God by all creation Joyously while ages run. Amen. Your people eat the food of angels. (Alleluia!) You give them bread from heaven. (Alleluia!) ..lh6 ..lh10 The following or some other suitable prayer may be used. ..lh6 ..lh10 Lord Jesus Christ, we thank you that in a wonderful sacrament you have given us the memorial of your passion: grant us so to reverence the sacred mysteries of your body and blood that we may know within ourselves and show forth in our lives the fruits of your redemption; for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. 3* ..lh6 ..lh10 A period of silent prayer may be kept. Either or both of the following, or some other appropriate acclamation, may be used. ..lh6 ..lh10 THE DIVINE PRAISES Blessèd be God. Blessèd be the holy and undivided Trinity. Blessèd be God the Father, maker of heaven and earth. Blessèd be Jesus Christ, truly divine and truly human. Blessèd be the holy Name of Jesus. Blessèd be Jesus Christ in his death and resurrection. Blessèd be Jesus Christ on his throne of glory. Blessèd be Jesus Christ in the Sacrament of his body and blood. Blessèd be God the Holy Spirit, the giver and sustainer of life. Blessèd be God in the Virgin Mary, Mother of our Lord and God. Blessèd be God in the angels and saints. Blessèd be God. ..lh6 ..lh10 PSALM 117 Let us adore Christ the Lord, in the most holy Sacrament.
1 Praise the Lord, all you nations;* laud him, all you peoples.
2 For his loving-kindness towards us is great,* and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever. (Alleluia!)
Glory . . .
Let us adore Christ the Lord, in the most holy Sacrament. 4 UNITY IN CHRIST
For use on Thursdays and other appropriate occasions.
If a unity candle burns in the church or chapel on Thursdays, a procession may be made to it.
Christ is our peace, who has made us one, He has broken down the barriers which divided us.
O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Saviour, the Prince of Peace: give us grace seriously to lay to heart the great dangers we are in by our unhappy divisions. Take away all hatred and prejudice, and whatever else may hinder us from godly union and concord; that, as there is but one Body and one Spirit and one hope of our calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, so we may henceforth be all of one heart and of one soul, united in one holy bond of truth and peace, of faith and charity and may with one mind and one mouth glorify you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 2*
I am the vine and you are the branches. Abide in us, that we may abide in you.
This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Abide in us, that we may abide in you.
Greater love has no one than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Abide in us, that we may abide in you.
You are my friends if you do what I command you; love one another as I have loved you. Abide in us, that we may abide in you.
Lord Jesus Christ, who said to your apostles, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you; look not on our sins but on the faith of your Church and grant us the peace and unity of your kingdom, where you live and reign, now and for ever. Amen.
The peace of the Lord be always with you. And also with you.
The kiss of peace may be exchanged. 5 PRAYERS AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS
For use on Fridays and other appropriate occasions (but not used during Christmastide, Epiphanytide or Eastertide).
A procession may be made towards a suitable cross, before which lights may be burning, or a cross may be carried in. It may be mounted or laid on the ground, with lights burning around it. On the cross, our Lord offered himself to the Father for the whole world. So, at the foot of his cross, we join our prayers with his. Either:
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Holy God, Holy and strong, Holy and immortal, have mercy on us.
Or:
We glory in your cross, O Lord, and praise and glorify your holy resurrection; For by virtue of the cross, joy has come to the whole world.
God, be merciful to us and bless us, and show us the light of your countenance and be merciful to us That your ways may be known upon earth, your saving health among all nations.
We glory in your cross, O Lord, and praise and glorify your holy resurrection; For by virtue of the cross, joy has come to the whole world. Whilst silence is kept, or appropriate hymns or chants are sung, anyone may come forward to touch the cross, for example by placing their forehead on it, as a sign of entrusting to God in union with Christ and his suffering their own burdens as well as those of others, especially those who are oppressed or persecuted, prisoners of conscience, the sick or the suffering. Almighty Father, look with mercy on this your family for which our Lord Jesus Christ was content to be betrayed and was given up into the hands of the wicked and to suffer death upon the cross; who is alive and glorified with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. 3/5
THE BLESSING
May the life-giving cross be the source of all our joy and peace. Amen.
Let us bless the Lord. Thanks be to God.
For use on Saturdays and other suitable occasions.
The gospel reading for the following day may be introduced by this acclamation:
We proclaim not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord And ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.
For the God who said, Let light shine out of darkness, Has caused the light to shine within us.
To give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God In the face of Jesus Christ. THE GOSPEL
Hear the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ in the gospel according to . . . Glory to Christ our Saviour. ..lh6 ..lh10 After the gospel reading:
This is the gospel of Christ. Praise to Christ our Lord. Then may be said: THE SONG OF TIMOTHY
Here are words you can trust: Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead. He is our salvation, our eternal glory.
If we have died with him, we shall also live with him; If we endure, we shall also reign with him.
If we are faithless, He keeps faith.
For he has broken the power of death And brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
Or another suitable hymn or canticle. THE COLLECT
This may be either the collect of the following day, or a concluding collect, as appropriate.
THE BLESSING
Let us bless the living God: He was born of the Virgin Mary, Revealed in his glory,
Worshipped by angels, Proclaimed among the nations,
Believed in throughout the world, Exalted to the highest heavens.
Blessèd be God, our strength and our salvation, Now and for ever. Amen.
Let us bless the Lord. (Alleluia! Alleluia!) Thanks be to God. (Alleluia! Alleluia!)