An Order For
The Lord's
Supper OR The Holy Eucharist |
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CSI
LITURGY
Eucharist
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A Hymn may be sung by
choir near the vestry. The minister prays.
Then announces a hymn from Praise & Worship. People stand. The Choir and
people sing. Procession As the
Presbyter (minister) comes to the Lord’s table, the person with the
processional Cross goes first, followed by Choir, then the
person, who carries in both hands the Bible from which the lessons are to
be read, then the presbyter. The minister places
the Bible on the Lord’s table or on a lectern.
THE PREPARATION After Hymn,
The presbyter facing the people says, the people standing:
Let
us Pray 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 the Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and
worthily magnify thy Holy name. Through Christ our Lord.
Amen. Then all sing or say: Glory
to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men in whom he is well pleased.
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 sin of the world, have mercy upon us; thou that takest away the
sin of the world, receive our prayer. Thou that sittest at the the right hand of
God the Father have mercy upon us. For thou only art
holy, thou only art Lord, thou only art most high, O Jesus Christ, with the Holy
Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen. OR This ancient Hymn,
thrice repeated: Holy
God Holy and mighty, holy
and Immortal, have mercy on us. OR This litany Worthy is the Lamb that hath been
slain to receive the power, and riches, and wisdom, and might, and honor, and
glory, and blessing. Unto the Lamb be
glory ! Unto him that sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb, be
the blessing, and the honor, and the glory, and the dominion, for ever and ever. Unto the Lamb be
glory ! Worthy art thou, for thou wast slain, and didst purchase
unto God with thy blood men of every tribe, and tongue, and people and nation. Unto the Lamb be
glory ! Salvation unto our God which sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb.
Blessing, and Glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and
might, be unto our God for ever and ever.
Amen
-Rev. 5 and 7 Then
the presbyter says:
OUR
LORD’S SUMMARY OF THE LAW
AND THE PROPHETS
Our Lord Jesus Christ said: Hear, O
Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord
is one; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all
your soul and with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the great and first commandment.
And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these.
On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.
Mark 12 and Matt. 22 Lord , have mercy
upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law. Then
the presbyter says: Brethren, we have come together to hear God’s most Holy
word, and to receive the body and blood of the Lord. Let us therefore kneel and
examine ourselves in silence, seeking God’s grace that we may draw near to him
with repentance and faith. All kneel and bow heads. After a short silence the
presbyter says: Ye that do truly, and earnestly repent you of your sins and
are in love and charity with your neighbors and intend to live a new life,
following the commandments of God, and walking from hence forth in his holy
ways, make your humble confession to almighty God, that you may be reconciled
anew to him through our Lord Jesus Christ. The presbyter leading,
all say together Heavenly Father, we
confess that we have sinned against thee and our neighbor. We have walked in
darkness, rather than in light; we
have named the name of Christ, but have not departed from iniquity. Have mercy
upon us, we beseech thee; for the sake of Jesus Christ, forgive us all our sins;
cleanse us by the Holy Spirit; quicken our consciences; and enable us to forgive
others; that we may hence forth serve thee in newness of life, to the glory of
thy holy name. Amen. Then the presbyter
stands and says: Hear the gracious word of God to all who truly turn to him,
through Jesus Christ. Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I
will give you rest. Matt.
11:28 God, so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth on him, should not perish,
but have eternal life.
John
3:16 Faithful, is the saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
1
Tim. 1:15 If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus
Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins.
1
John 2: 1-2 After a short silence
the presbyter says: Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
who of his great mercy has promised forgiveness of sins to all who forgive their brethren and with hearty repentance, and
true faith turn unto him: Have mercy upon you (us); pardon and deliver you (us)
from all your (our) sins; confirm and strengthen you (us) in all
goodness; and bring you (us) to eternal life; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
Thanks be to God. THE
MINISTRY OF
THE WORD OF
GOD The
Lord be with you: And
with thy Spirit. Let
us Pray The collect of the day
or another short prayer, is said. The people may stand
for the reading of Scripture, or at least for the reading of the Gospel. Before
each lesson, the reader says: Hear the word of God, as it is written in (the
Name of the Book), in the …..chapter, beginning at the…. Verse; and after it
he/she says: Here ends the lesson. The lesson from the Old
Testament is read, and after it the
people say or sing: Thanks be to thee, O
God. A Psalm
may be read responsively or sung The Epistle
is read, and the people say or sing: Thanks be to thee, O
God. The Gospel
is read, and the people say or sing: Praise be to thee, O
Christ. A
Hymn
may be sung by all standing. The Sermon
is preached, the people
sitting. The Nicene Creed is
said or sung by all, standing. I believe in one God
the Father almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and
invisible. And in one Lord Jesus
Christ, the only begotten Son of God, Begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, Begotten, not made, Being of
one substance with the Father, By whom all things were made: Who for us men, and
for our salvation, came down from heaven, And was incarnate by the Holy Spirit
of the Virgin Mary, And was made man, And was crucified also for us under
Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, And the third day he rose again
according to the Scriptures, And
ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of the Father. And he shall
come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead: Whose kingdom shall
have no end. And I believe in the
Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of life, Who proceedeth from the Father and the
Son, Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, Who
spake by the Prophets. And I believe one,
Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
And I look for the Resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to
come. Amen. Announcements
may be made here, People sitting. Biddings for prayer
may be made, and then all kneeling, one of the following Litanies is said. The
presbyter leading or the presbyter offers intercession in his own words for the
Church and the world. LET
US PRAY First Litany ALMIGHTY God, who hast taught us to
make prayers and supplications, and to give thanks, for all men; hear us when we
pray: That it may please thee to inspire continually the universal Church with
the spirit of truth, unity, and accord: Hear us, we beseech
thee, O Lord.
(and so after each bidding) That it may please thee to grant that all they that do
confess thy holy name may agree in the truth of thy holy word, and bear witness
to it with courage and fidelity: That it may please thee to lead the nations in the paths of
righteousness and peace: That it may please thee to guide with thy pure and peaceable
wisdom those who bear authority in the affairs of men, especially the president
of this country and all those who serve in the Government; that we and all
people may be godly and quietly governed: That it may please thee to give grace to all Bishops,
presbyters, and deacons, especially thy servants ………. Our
Moderator, and ………. Our Bishop, that by their life and doctrine
they may set forth thy true and living word, and rightly and duly administer thy
holy sacraments: That it may please thee to bring into one fellowship and union
the churches in our land, that together they may maintain the unity of the
Spirit in the bond of peace and bear witness to the Gospel, especially
the churches with which we are in full communion and to guide their
councils and leaders, especially …………the Moderator of Church of North
India,………….. Metropolitan of the Marthoma Church: That it may please thee to guide and prosper those who are
laboring for the spread of thy gospel among the nations, and to enlighten with
thy Spirit all places of education, learning, and healing: That it may please thee that through thy heavenly
benediction we may saved from
dearth and famine, and may with thankful hearts enjoy the fruits of the earth in
their season: That it may please thee to give
thy heavenly grace to all thy people in their several callings, and
especially to this congregation here present; that with meek heart and due
reverence, they may hear, and receive, thy holy word; truly serving thee in
holiness and righteousness all the days of their life: That it may please thee of
thy goodness, O Lord, to comfort and succour
all them, who in this transitory life are in trouble, sorrow, need,
sickness, or any other adversity: And we praise thee for all thy servants departed this life
in thy faith and fear, beseeching thee to give us grace that we may
follow their good examples, and with them be
made partakers of thy heavenly kingdom: OR Second Litany For the peace that is from above, and
for the salvation of our souls, Let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy
(and so after each
bidding) For the peace of the whole world, for the welfare of God’s
Holy Churches and for the union of all, Let us pray to the Lord. For our Bishops and all other ministers
especially………… the CNI Moderator,………….. Metropolitan of the
Marthoma Church,…………. Our Moderator, and …………..our Bishop, that with a good heart and a pure conscience they may
accomplish their ministry, Let us pray to the Lord. For the rulers of our country and all in authority, Let us
pray to the Lord. For the sick, the suffering, the sorrowful and the dying,
Let us pray to the Lord. For the poor, the Hungry, orphans and widows, and them that
suffer persecution, let us pray to the Lord. For ourselves and all who confess the name of Christ, that
we may show forth the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness into his
marvelous light, Let us pray to the Lord. That, with all his servants who have served him here and are
now at rest, we may enter into the fullness of his unending joy, let us pray to
the Lord. After
Litany, the presbyter says: LET
US PRAY Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom, who knowest our
necessities before we ask, and our ignorance in asking: we beseech thee to have
compassion upon our infirmities; and those things, which for our unworthiness,
we dare not, and for our blindness we cannot ask, vouchsafe to give us, for the
worthiness of thy son Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen. OR ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body
of the Church is governed and sanctified: Receive
our supplications and prayers, which we offer before thee for all estates of men
in thy holy Church, that every member of the same, in his vocation and ministry,
may truly and godly serve thee; through
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. The presbyter then
gives the first Benediction The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Love of God, and
the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you (us) all.
Amen. THE
BREAKING OF
THE BREAD All stand and the
presbyter says: Behold, how good and joyful a thing it is,
brethren, to dwell together in Unity.
-Psalms 133:1 We, who are many, are one bread, one body, for we all
partake of the one bread. -1Cor.
10:17 I will offer in his
dwelling an oblation with great gladness. I will sing and speak praises unto the
Lord.
-Psalms 27:6 The kiss of peace is
given here. A
hymn is sung and offertory taken. The bread and wine for
the communion, together with the alms of the people, are brought forward and
placed on the communion table. Those who bear all these stand before the table
during the following prayer. All people standing,
the presbyter says: Holy Father, who through the blood of thy dear Son hast
consecrated for us a new and living way to thy throne of grace, we come to thee
through him, unworthy as we are, and we humbly beseech thee to accept and use us
and these our gifts for thy glory. All that is in heaven and earth is thine, and
of thine own do we give to thee.
Amen. The
presbyter and people kneel and say together:
Be present, be
present, O Jesus, thou good High Priest, as thou wast in the midst of thy
disciples, and make thyself known to us in the breaking of the bread, who livest
and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God,
world without end. Amen Presbyter stands and
says: The Lord be with you: And with thy spirit. Lift up your hearts: We lift them up onto
the Lord. Let us give thanks unto our Lord God: It is meet and right
so to do. It is verily 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 and Everlasting God; Through Jesus Christ thy son our Lord, through whom thou
didst create the heavens and the earth and all that in them is, and didst make
man in thine own image, and when he had fallen into sin didst redeem him to be
the first fruits of a new creation. Therefore with angels
and archangels and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify thy
glorious name; evermore praising, thee , and saying,
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts heaven and earth are full of thy
glory. Glory be to thee, O Lord
Most High. Blessed be he that
hath come and is to come in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the Highest. Truly Holy, truly blessed art thou, O heavenly Father, who
of thy tender love towards mankind didst give thine only Son Jesus Christ to
take our nature upon him and to suffer death upon the cross for our redemption;
who made there, by his one oblation of himself once offered, a full, perfect,
and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction, for the sins of the whole
world; and did institute, and in his holy gospel command as to continue, a
perpetual memory of that his precious death, until his coming again:
Who, in the same night that
he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he brake 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 ye all of this; 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. Amen. Thy death, O
Lord we commemorate, thy resurrection we confess, and thy second coming we
await. Glory be to thee, O
Christ. Wherefore, O Father, having in remembrance the precious
death and passion, and glorious resurrection and ascension, of thy Son our Lord,
we thy servants do this in remembrance of him, as he hath commanded,
until his coming again, giving thanks to thee for the perfect redemption which
thou hast wrought for us in him. We give thanks to
thee, we praise thee, we glorify
thee, O Lord our God. And we most humbly beseech thee, O merciful Father, to
sanctify with thy Holy Spirit us and these thine own gifts on bread and wine,
that the bread which we break may be the communion of the body of Christ, and
the cup which we bless, the communion of the blood of Christ. Grant that, being
joined together in him, we may all attain to the unity of the faith, and may
grow up in all things unto him who is the Head, even Christ, our Lord, by whom
and with whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honor and glory be unto
thee, O Father Almighty, world without end.
Amen Here the Presbyter may
kneel also As our Savior Christ hath commanded and taught us, we are
bold to say: Our Father, who art
in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done; In earth as
it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our
trespasses, As we forgive them that 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. Silence is kept for a
space, all kneeling. We do not presume to
come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but
in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the
crumbs under thy Table. But thou art the same Lord, whose property is always to
have mercy: Grant us therefore,
graciuos Lord, so to eat the Flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and to
drink his Blood, that our sinful bodies and souls may be made clean by his most
precious Body and Blood, and that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us. Amen. The presbyter rises,
and breaks the bread, saying: The bread which we break, is it not a communion in the body
of Christ? -1 Cor. 10:16 OR The things of God for the people of God. During this time these
words may be said or sung: ·
O Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon
us. ·
O Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon
us. ·
O Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world, grant us thy
peace. The ministers and
people receive the bread and wine. A Hymn maybe sung during this time.
The following words of
administration may be used: The body of our Lord Jesus Christ, the bread of life. The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, the true Vine. When all have
partaken, the presbyter says: Having now by faith received the sacrament of the Body and
Blood of Christ, let us give thanks. One of the following
prayers is said by the presbyter
alone or by all together. O Almighty God,
our heavenly Father, who hast accepted us as thy children in thy beloved Son
Jesus Christ our Lord, and hast fed us with the spiritual food of his most
precious Body and Blood, giving us the forgiveness of our sins and the promise
of everlasting life: We thank and
praise thee for these inestimable benefits, and we offer and present unto thee
ourselves, our souls and bodies, to be a holy and living sacrifice, which is our
reasonable service. Grant us grace
not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our
minds, that we may learn what is thy good and perfect will, and so obey thee
here on earth, that we may at the last rejoice with all thy saints in the
heavenly kingdom; through Jesus
Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the Holy Spirit, one God,
forever. OR Almighty and everlasting God, we most heartily thank thee,
for that thou dost vouchsafe to feed us, who have duly received 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, which is the blessed company of all faithful people; and are
also heirs through hope of thine everlasting kingdom, by the merits of the most
precious death and passion of thy dear Son.
And we most 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. And here we offer and present
unto thee ourselves, our souls and bodies, to be a reasonable holy, and living
sacrifice unto thee, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, to whom with thee and the
Holy Spirit be all honor and glory, world without end. Amen.
Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power,
and might, be unto our God for ever and ever.
Amen. The presbyter gives
the Second Benediction. The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your
(our) hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus
Christ our Lord: and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the
Holy Spirit, be amongst you (us) and remain with you (us) always.
Amen. Closing hymn
& Recession The person carrying
the cross, the choir and the ministers go out carrying with them the Bible, the
gifts of the people, and the vessels used for the communion. The Presbyter prays,
people standing. Then says: Minister:
The Lord be with you People:
And also with you Minister:
Let us depart in peace People:
In the name of Christ. Amen People may kneel, have silent prayer and quietly go out. ------------
End -------------- A DEVOTION BEFORE THE LORD’S SUPPER As
often as possible, a special service is held the night before the celebration of
the Lord’s Supper, or at some other convenient time.
OR it may be held before the celebration on the same day, with an
interval for silent common prayer. Such
a service may include, besides the praise of God and the confession of sin and
the reading and preaching of God’s word: 1.
The reading of 1 Corinthians 11:23-29 2.
The reading, with responses, of the Ten Commandments or of our Lord’s
Summary of the Prophets; 3.
An Exhortation. THE TEN COMMANDMENTS God
Spoke all these words, saying: I.
I am the Lord you God. You
shall have no other gods before me. After
each commandment except the last the people say: Lord,
have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law. II.
You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of
anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in
the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them. III.
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. IV.
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; but the seventh day is a
sabbath to the Lord your God. V.
Honor your father and your mother. VI.
You shall not kill VII. You
shall not commit adultery. VIII. You shall not steal. IX.
You shall not bear false witness. X.
You shall not covet. Lord,
have mercy upon us, and write all these thy laws in our hearts, we beseech thee. OUR LORD’S SUMMARY OF THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS Our
Lord Jesus Christ said: Hear, O
Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord
is one; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all
your soul and with all your mind, and with all your strength.
This is the great and first commandment.
And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these.
On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.
Mark 12 and Matt. 22 Lord
, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law. AN EXHORTATION Dearly
beloved, it is right that we who would come to the Lord’s Table should take to
heart the mystery of this sacrament. The
mystery is this: that Christ truly
gives unto us his body and blood as food and drink of everlasting life.
The Good Shepherd has laid down his life for the sheep; he who was
without guile has died for sinners, the Head for his members, the Bridegroom for
his bride the Church; in obedience to the Father’s will and in infinite love
to us, the High Priest has offered himself as the perfect sacrifice.
By his death he has done away with all that stood in the way of our
fellowship with God the Father, that we may assuredly be his children, be upheld
by his love, be guided by him all the days of our life, and rejoice in the hope
of his glory. In the fellowship of
his sufferings he calls us to crucify the old man with his lusts, and to bear
trials and tribulations patiently, to the glory of his name. In the power of his
resurrection, he calls us to newness of life. In the fellowship of his spirit he
joins us together, and seeks to change us into his image. By the same spirit he
pours his love into our hearts, so that we may love one another. And our enemies
for his sake. If
any man will not lay this to heart, but is minded to continue in sin and
unrighteousness, let him not approach
the table of the Lord. Let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that
bread and drink of that cup. The worthiness which the Lord requires from us is
that we be truly sorry for our sins and find our joy and salvation in him. For
we come to this supper not as righteous in ourselves, but trusting in the
righteousness of Christ our Savior. He invites us to partake of this holy meal. Any bread or wine set
apart for the service which remains over is carried out to the vestry, and there
is reverently consumed.
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