palm sunday 2021 - st werburgh

Parish Mass Livestream 10am, Sunday 28th March 2021

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Palm Sunday

St Werburgh’s stands in the catholic tradition of the Church of England. Here we try to practise the generous Gospel of Jesus Christ. Together we

are exploring a way of living which is inspired by joyful, ordered worship and takes seriously the interior life. We embrace the challenges of peace-

making both globally and locally. Welcome to this community of healing. Our celebrant today is Rev. Cath, there is no sermon.

The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ is read by Oliver, Sonya and Rev. Kate.

If you are joining us physically in church please remember to maintain social distancing at all times and to go to your seat. There are named seats for

everyone in church and we ask that you only sit in this seat throughout this week as it will reduces the risk to everyone if we do so.

Those robing may leave their albs on their seat after disrobing.

When you leave church today please do so by the South Doors (opposite the doors you came in by).

Please keep your mask on unless you are reading from the lectern.

When receiving the Sacrament please keep your mask on until the priest has moved on to the next person.

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Rev. Cath blesses the Palm Crosses on the altar. God our Saviour, whose Son Jesus Christ entered Jerusalem as Messiah to suffer and to die, let these palms be for us signs of his victory; and grant that we who bear them in his name may ever hail him as our king, and follow him in the way that leads to eternal life; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God now and for ever. Amen.

A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to John. Glory to you Lord. The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard tha t Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord— the King of Israel!” Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it; as it is wr i t ten: “Do not be afra id, daughter of Zion. Look, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s col t ! ” His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written of him and had been done to him.

This is the Gospel of the Lord Praise to you O Christ

All glory, laud, and honour to thee, Redeemer, King!

to whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring.

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God’s love is shown to us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. Let us then show our love for God by confessing our sins in penitence and faith…

You faced the crowd who shouted for blood; we dared not object. Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy. You stood before the ruer who washed his hands; we accepted his decision. Christ have mercy, Christ have mercy. You were mocked by the faithful who feared for their power; we denied we ever knew you. Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy.

May the God of love bring you home, forgive you your sins and assure you of eternal love in Jesus Christ. Amen.

Thou art the King of Israel,

thou David's royal Son, who in the Lord's Name comest,

the King and Blessed One.



Let us pray: True and humble king, hailed by the crowd as Messiah: Grant us the faith to know you and love you, that we may be found beside you on the way of the cross, which is the path of glory. Amen.

The company of angels are praising thee on high;

and mortal men and all things created make reply.



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A Reading form the Prophet Isaiah. The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning he wakens - wakens my ear to listen to those who are taught. The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I did not turn backwards. I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I did not hide my face from insult and spitting. The Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame; he who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand up together. Who are my adversaries? Let them confront me. It is the Lord God who helps me; who will declare me guilty? This is the word of the Lord Thanks be to God.

To thee before thy passion they sang their hymns of praise;

to thee, now high exalted, our melody we raise.



+ THE PASSION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST ACCORDING

TO ST MARK

At dawn's first light, the high priests, with the religious leaders and scholars, arranged a conference with the entire Jewish Council. After tying Jesus securely, they took him out and presented him to Pilate. Pilate asked him, "Are you the 'King of the Jews'?" The high priests let loose a barrage of accusations. Pilate asked again, "Aren't you going to answer anything? That's quite a list of accusations." Still, he said nothing. Pilate was impressed, really impressed.

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It was a custom at the Feast to release a prisoner, anyone the people asked for. There was one prisoner called Barabbas, locked up with the insurrectionists who had committed murder during the uprising against Rome. As the crowd came up and began to present its petition for him to release a prisoner, Pilate anticipated them: "Do you want me to release the King of the Jews to you?" Pilate knew by this time that it was through sheer spite that the high priests had turned Jesus over to him. But the high priests by then had worked up the crowd to ask for the release of Barabbas. Pilate came back, "So what do I do with this man you call King of the Jews?" They yelled, "Nail him to a cross!" Pilate objected, "But for what crime?" But they yelled all the louder, "Nail him to a cross!" Pilate gave the crowd what it wanted, set Barabbas free and turned Jesus over for whipping and crucifixion. The soldiers took Jesus into the palace (called Praetorium) and called together the entire brigade. They dressed him up in purple and put a crown plaited from a thorn bush on his head. Then they began their mockery: "Bravo, King of the Jews!" They banged on his head with a club, spit on him, and knelt down in mock worship. After they had had their fun, they took off the purple cape and put his own clothes back on him. Then they marched out to nail him to the cross. There was a man walking by, coming from work, Simon from Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. They made him carry Jesus' cross. The soldiers brought Jesus to Golgotha, meaning "Skull Hill." They offered him a mild painkiller (wine mixed with myrrh), but he wouldn't take it. And they nailed him to the cross. They divided up his clothes and threw dice to see who would get them. They nailed him up at nine o'clock in the morning. The charge against him - the king of the jews - was printed on a poster. Along with him, they crucified two criminals, one to his right, the other to his left. People passing along the road jeered, shaking their heads in mock lament: "You bragged that you could tear down the Temple and then rebuild it in three days - so show us your stuff! Save yourself! If you're really God's Son, come down from that cross!" The high priests, along with the religion scholars, were right there mixing it up with the rest of them, having a great time poking fun at him: "He saved others - but he can't save himself! Messiah, is he? King of Israel? Then let him climb down from that cross. We'll all become believers then!" Even the men crucified alongside him joined in the mockery. At noon the sky became extremely dark. The darkness lasted three hours. At three o'clock, Jesus groaned out of the depths, crying loudly, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" Some of the bystanders who heard him said, "Listen, he's calling for

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Elijah." Someone ran off, soaked a sponge in sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, "Let's see if Elijah comes to take him down."

But Jesus, with a loud cry, gave his last breath. At that moment the Temple curtain ripped right down the middle. When the Roman captain standing guard in front of him saw that he had quit breathing, he said, "This has to be the Son of God!”

A time of silence.

After which we remain seated to affirm our faith:Let us now affirm our faith in Jesus Christ. Though he was divine, he did not cling to equality with God, but made himself nothing. Taking the form of a slave, he was obedient to death - even death on the cross. Therefore God has raised him on high, and given him the name above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every voice proclaim that Jesus is Lord to the Glory of God the Father. Amen.

The peace.

We who were enemies of one another, have been reconciled by the free gift of God; for while we were still at war God has made peace by the blood of the cross. The peace of the Lord be always with you. and also with you

We offer each other a sign of peace.

The royal banners forward go; The cross shows forth redemption's flow, Where He, by whom our flesh was made,

Our ransom in His flesh has paid:

Where deep for us the spear was dyed, Life's torrent rushing from His side,

To wash us in the precious flood Where flowed the water and the blood.

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O Tree of beauty, tree most fair, Ordained those holy limbs to bear:

Gone is thy shame, each crimsoned bough Proclaims the King of Glory now. To Thee, eternal Three in One,

Let homage meet by all be done; As by the cross Thou dost restore, So guide and keep us evermore.

Amen.

We are invited to solemn prayer:

The Lord be with you And also with you Lift up your hearts We lift them to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God It is right to give thanks and praise.

Now is the time to give you thanks when rage and spite deface your image. You are the undying one whose gift of life never ceases; you journeyed with your people to break the bonds of slavery; you gave the law of justice to free them from lifeless idols; you called the prophets and judges to speak for the dispossessed. When empires ruled you gave your Beloved to systems which silenced what they could not control and wormed their way into our colluding hearts. In his self-offering love the wound of torment became a healing spring, the place of execution a gateway into life. Therefore we stand with all the victims, the faithless and the treacherous, and the ones who only followed orders, knowing we depend on grace to sing of life renewed:

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of Power and God of might, heav’n and earth, heav’n and earth are full of your glory, your power and your might. Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest heavens. Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest heavens Blessed, blessed is he who comes, blessed, blessed is he who comes. Blessed is he, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest heavens Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest heavens

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We ask that your Holy Spirit will fall upon us and upon these gifts that these fragile, earthly things may be to us the body and blood of our Lord and brother, Jesus Christ; who, on the night that he was betrayed, gathered with his faltering friends for a meal that tasted of freedom. Calling them to his table, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and said: ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.’ + In the same way after supper, he took the cup, saying: ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, whenever you drink it, to remember me.’ As on that night, so here and now he offers himself in touch and taste beyond all words can hold. + Therefore, in our eating and drinking we are filled with the life-giving presence of Christ; we proclaim him as creation’s host, transforming poverty into plenty in the reckless generosity of love. Inspire us with the hope that one day death and greed will be no more and people without number will come from east and west, north and south to share the kingdom meal. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord, by whom and with whom and in whom in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honour and glory be yours, God of all blessing, for ever and ever.

Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest heavens. Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest heavens

All sit or kneel to pray, you may wish to hold hands with those sitting next to you…

As our Saviour taught so we pray:

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 forever and ever. Amen

We break this bread to share in the body of Christ. Though we are many we are one body, because we all share in one bread.

Lamb of God you take away the sin of the world Have mercy on us. Lamb of God you take away the sin of the world Have mercy on us Lamb of God you take away the sin of the word Grant us peace.

Receive what you are, the Body of Christ. 9

The cantor sings:

Ride on! ride on in majesty! Hark! all the tribes hosanna cry;

O Saviour meek, pursue thy road with palms and scattered garments strowed.

Ride on! ride on in majesty! The angel-squadrons of the sky

look down with sad and wondering eyes to see the approaching sacrifice.

Ride on! ride on in majesty! In lowly pomp ride on to die;

bow thy meek head to mortal pain, then take, O God, thy power, and reign.

When all have received Holy Communion we pray together:

Loving God, we thank you that in your passion you offer forgiveness and invite us to be with you where hunger is no more and death has no dominion: may the broken bread of life fracture our stony hearts for the sake of another world. Amen

The blessing.

God be with you. And also with you.

May the cross be the sign in which we begin again to undo the cords of violence, the misery of exclusion, and proclaim the love without conditions. And the blessing of God, Creator Redeemer and Sustainer be among you this day and always. Amen. As you cried Hosanna today, have courage to serve the God of love in the world. In the name of Christ. Amen.

Our service ends with an organ voluntary.

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Holy Week begins.

The Holy Week Retreat begins at 3pm this afternoon.

Daily prayer at 10am & 4.30pm each day.Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday Mass at 7pm online

Maundy Thursday onlineMass of the Last Supper 7.30pm

and online prayer until 9pm

Good FridayChurch open for private prayer 10am-12 noon

Kids’ Zoom service 10amLiturgy of the Cross 2pm online

Holy Saturday Church and gardens open for private prayer 2pm-4pm

End of Holy Week Retreat 4.30pmEASTER VIGIL 8.30pm online

Easter DayFESTIVAL PARISH MASS 10am online

Church and Garden open for private prayer and family bubbles with COVID safe Easter egg hunt.

Words reproduced under CCLA copyright licence number 38765 Texts from Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England (2000) and from Prayers for an Inclusive Church, (Canterbury Press 2000)

Mass Setting: Sanctus - Inwood

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palm sunday 2021 - st werburgh

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