21.05.2020
Ascension Day Service from Christ Church Cathedral and Evening Prayer for Use at Home
Today, May 21, is Ascension Thursday. Archbishop Michael Jackson will celebrate and preach at a special service which will be livestreamed from Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, at 12 noon. There is a link to the cathedral’s webcam at the bottom of this page.
Where there are two or more praying together, it is suggested that before commencing you decide on who will lead which parts of the service. Please note that words in bold indicate the responses and refrains at various parts of the service and words otherwise said together as a group.
In today’s service, the parts to be allocated are: 1. A person to lead the Preparation and the Ending. 2. A person to read or sing the Psalm and Canticles. 3. A person to read the Scriptures. 4. A person to lead the Prayers. Where there are less than four people present, roles may be combined.
THE ASCENSION DAY – EVENING PRAYER
Thursday 21 May 2020
PREPARATION
PENITENCE
All say
Heavenly Father,
we have sinned against you and against our neighbour
in thought and word and deed,
through negligence, through weakness,
through our own deliberate fault;
by what we have done
and by what we have failed to do.
We are truly sorry and repent of all our sins.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ who died for us,
forgive us all that is past;
and grant that we may serve you in newness of life
to the glory of your name. Amen.
Merciful Lord,
grant to your faithful people pardon and peace,
that we may be cleansed from all our sins,
and serve you with a quiet mind;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
VERSICLES AND RESPONSES
O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us.
Your throne has been established from of old;
you are from everlasting. Alleluia.
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
Blessed are you, Lord of heaven and earth,
to you be glory and praise for ever.
From the darkness of death you have raised your Christ
to the right hand of your majesty on high.
The pioneer of our faith, his passion accomplished,
has opened for us the way to heaven
and sends on us the promised Spirit.
May we be ready to follow the Way
and so be brought to the glory of his presence
where songs of triumph for ever sound:
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Blessed be God for ever.
THE WORD OF GOD
A PSALM
Psalm 93
1 The Lord is king, he is robed in majesty;
the Lord is robed, he is girded with strength.
He has established the world; it shall never be moved;
2 your throne is established from of old;
you are from everlasting.
3 The floods have lifted up, O Lord,
the floods have lifted up their voice;
the floods lift up their roaring.
4 More majestic than the thunders of mighty waters,
more majestic than the waves* of the sea,
majestic on high is the Lord!
5 Your decrees are very sure;
holiness befits your house,
O Lord, for evermore.
Glory to the Father, and | to the | Son, ♦
and | to the | Holy | Spirit;
as it was in the be|ginning, is | now, ♦
and shall be for | ever. | A|men.
A CANTICLE
A SONG OF CHRIST’S APPEARING 1 Timothy 3: 16; 6: 5, 16
Refrain: Christ was believed in throughout the world
and taken up in glory.
1 Christ Jesus was revealed in the flesh ♦
and vindicated in the spirit.
2 He was seen by angels ♦
and proclaimed among the nations.
3 Believed in throughout the world, ♦
he was taken up in glory.
4 This will be made manifest at the proper time ♦
by the blessed and only Sovereign,
5 Who alone has immortality, ♦
and dwells in unapproachable light.
To the King of kings and Lord of lords ♦
be honour and eternal dominion. Amen.
Refrain: Christ was believed in throughout the world
and taken up in glory.
A READING
Acts 1: 1–11
1In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over the course of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. ‘This’, he said, ‘is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’
So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’
THE GOSPEL CANTICLE
MAGNIFICAT The Song of the Virgin Mary Luke 1: 46–55
Refrain: I have made your name known to those you have given me;
and now I pray for them, for I am coming to you. Alleluia.
1 My soul proclaims the | greatness · of the | Lord, ♦
my spirit re joices · in | God my | Saviour,
2 who has looked with favour on his | lowly | servant; ♦
from this day all gene|rations · will | call me | blessèd;
3† the Almighty has done | great things | for me ♦
and | holy | is his | name.
4 God has mercy on | those who | fear him, ♦
from gene|ration · to | gene|ration.
5 The Lord has shown | strength · with his | arm ♦
and scattered the | proud in | their con|ceit,
6 casting down the mighty | from their | thrones ♦
and | lifting | up the | lowly.
7 God has filled the hungry with | good | things ♦
and sent the | rich a|way | empty.
8 He has come to the aid of his | servant | Israel ♦
to re|member · the | promise of | mercy,
9 The promise | made to · our | forebears, ♦
to Abraham | and his | children · for | ever.
Glory to the Father, and | to the | Son, ♦
and | to the | Holy | Spirit;
as it was in the be|ginning, is | now, ♦
and shall be for | ever. | A|men.
Refrain: I have made your name known to those you have given me;
and now I pray for them, for I am coming to you. Alleluia.
PRAYER
Kneel
Let us pray.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
INTERCESSIONS AND THANKSGIVINGS
Jesus Christ, mediator and high priest,
we thank you for becoming human and for experiencing
the joys and sorrows of life, which assures us that you are able
to sympathize and rejoice with us.
INTERCESSIONS
As our mediator, you stand before God, petitioning him on our behalf,
so we boldly bring before you our prayers for
creation and its care . . .
the nations of the world . . .
our nation and its leaders . . .
this community and those in authority . . .
the church universal as it works on your behalf . . .
this local church in its ministry . . .
persons with particular needs. . . .
THANKSGIVINGS
We praise you for the many joys of life
for the beauty of creation, especially . . .
for your work in this world . . .
for the growth of your kingdom . . .
for the greatest source of our happiness, the gift of eternal life . . .
CONCLUDING PRAYER
As your living stones
may we become a holy priesthood
offering our worship, praise and thanksgiving
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE COLLECT
The Collect of the Day
Grant, we pray, Almighty God,
that as we believe your only–begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ
to have ascended into the heavens;
so we in heart and mind may also ascend
and with him continually dwell;
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Looking for the coming of his kingdom,
let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us
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, the power, and the glory
for ever and ever. Amen.
THE ENDING
DISMISSAL
May Christ, who has opened the kingdom of heaven,
bring us to reign with him in glory.. Amen.
BLESSING
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.