An Order for Online Worship for Christmas Eve 24th of December
(An abbreviated Eucharist)
Please prepare a sacred space for todays Liturgy.
O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem
O come and behold Him, born the King of Angels
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
Christ the Lord
O come, o come ye to Bethlehem
O Come and behold Him, born the King of Angels
Refrain
Celebrant: Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. People
People: And blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever. Amen.
Christ has brought us out of darkness:
to live in his marvellous light.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, welcome to this Christmas Eve Celebration.
We have come together in the presence of God our Father to rejoice
in the gift of Jesus to us as the light of the world, to hear and receive
the story and message of the coming of Christ, and to offer to God
our thanksgiving in prayer and song.
Let us greet this Christmastide with the Song of the Angels….
Sweetly singing o’er the plains
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains
Sweetly, sweetly through the night
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their brief delight
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be
Which inspire your heavenly song?
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Collect for CHRISTMAS EVE
Almighty God,
you make us glad with the yearly remembrance
of the birth of your Son Jesus Christ:
grant that, as we joyfully receive him as our redeemer,
we may with sure confidence behold him
when he shall come to be our judge;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
All Amen.
Psalm 96
Cantate Domino
1 Sing to the Lord a new song; *
sing to the Lord, all the whole earth.
2 Sing to the Lord and bless his Name; *
proclaim the good news of his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations *
and his wonders among all peoples.
4 For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; *
he is more to be feared than all gods.
5 As for all the gods of the nations, they are but idols; *
but it is the Lord who made the heavens.
6 Oh, the majesty and magnificence of his presence! *
Oh, the power and the splendor of his sanctuary!
7 Ascribe to the Lord, you families of the peoples; *
ascribe to the Lord honor and power.
8 Ascribe to the Lord the honor due his Name; *
bring offerings and come into his courts.
9 Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness; *
let the whole earth tremble before him.
10 Tell it out among the nations: “The Lord is King! *
he has made the world so firm that it cannot be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.”
11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
let the sea thunder and all that is in it; *
let the field be joyful and all that is therein.
12 Then shall all the trees of the wood shout for joy
before the Lord when he comes, *
when he comes to judge the earth.
13 He will judge the world with righteousness *
and the peoples with his truth.
Gospel Acclamation
All Alleluia, alleluia.
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us,
and we have seen his glory.
All Alleluia.
The Holy Gospel
Luke 2:1-14(15-20)
In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see– I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”
Reflexion
Intercession based on Today’s Gospel
Chapman, Raymond. Hear Our Prayer: Gospel-Based Intercessions for Sundays and Holy Days: Years A, B & C . Hymns Ancient and Modern Ltd. Kindle Edition.
CHRISTMAS Luke 2:1–20
Rejoicing in the precious gift of the Son, let us pray to the Lord. Grant to the Church, illumined by the eternal light, the grace to shine as the servant of Incarnate God …
May the simple faith of the shepherds, the adoration of the angels, and the love of the Holy Family be the ground of our worship and witness now and at all times. Son of God, taking our human nature so that all broken humanity might be made new, look with mercy on a world which has not heeded the angelic message of peace …
Bring to the nations knowledge of the love which has been from the beginning and which no sin can extinguish or folly destroy.
May the love that shone from the blessed manger bed be ours today …
In every heart, every home, every place where some must work, may the grace and truth of God dwell with us and draw us into his holiness, and empower us to tell out the tidings of great joy.
Light of God, come into the darkness of pain and suffering …ESPECIALLY THOSE LIVING WITH COVID 19.
In the new day that has dawned, may the sick find healing, the sorrowful comfort, the despairing hope and the dying assurance …
Bring the wanderers and the homeless to shelter …
Shield the newly born and the mothers waiting for the time of birth.
Grant to the departed the peace that unites earth and heaven …
The life that was in Christ, the life of all that was made, be theirs in the greater light of his eternal glory.
We offer our prayers through Christ, the Word made flesh for our salvation. AMEN.
Chapman, Raymond. Hear Our Prayer: Gospel-Based Intercessions for Sundays and Holy Days: Years A, B & C . Hymns Ancient and Modern Ltd. Kindle Edition.
Offertory Hymn
No crib for a bed
The little Lord Jesus
Laid down His sweet head
Looked down where He lay
The little Lord Jesus
Asleep on the hay
The Baby awakes
But little Lord Jesus
No crying He makes
Look down from the sky
And stay by my side
Until morning is nigh
I ask You to stay
Close by me forever
And love me I pray
No crib for a bed
The little Lord Jesus
Laid down His sweet head
In Your tender care
And fit us for heaven
To live with You there
The Eucharistic Prayer (brief form) Form 1 BCP p. 402
Celebrant The Lord be with you.
People And also with you.
Celebrant Lift up your hearts.
People We lift them to the Lord.
Celebrant Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People It is right to give him thanks and praise.
A Proper Preface for CHRISTMAS follows
All glory and honour be yours always and everywhere,
mighty creator, ever-living God.
We give you thanks and praise for your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ,
who for love of our fallen race humbled himself,
and [on this night] was born of the Virgin Mary
by the power of your Spirit,
and lived as one of us.
In this mystery of the Word made flesh
you have caused his light to shine in our hearts,
to give knowledge of your glory in the face of Jesus Christ.
In him we see our God made visible
and so are caught up in the love of the God we cannot see.
Therefore with all the angels of heaven
we lift our voices to proclaim the glory of your name
and sing our joyful hymn of praise:
Celebrant and People
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest
And so, Father, we bring you these gifts. Sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ our Lord.
At the following words concerning the bread, the Celebrant is to hold it, or lay a hand upon it; and at the words concerning the cup, to hold or place a hand upon the cup and any other vessel containing wine to be consecrated.
On the night he was betrayed he took bread, said the blessing, broke the bread, and gave it to his friends, and said, “Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.”
After supper, he took the cup of wine, gave thanks, and said, “Drink this, all of you. This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.”
Father, we now celebrate the memorial of your Son. By means of this holy bread and cup, we show forth the sacrifice of his death, and proclaim his resurrection, until he comes again. Gather us by this Holy Communion into one body in your Son Jesus Christ.
Make us a living sacrifice of praise.
By him, and with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. AMEN.
The Lord’s Prayer (said by all)
The Breaking of the Bread (antiphon)
We break the bread of life,
and that life is the light of the world.
All God here among us,
light in the midst of us,
bring us to light and life.
The Blessing of the Home Agape (A Franciscan Blessing)
Giving God, bless all who have gathered round our table.
May we know the fullness of your presence
at every meal and in all our sharing. Amen
A Prayer for Spiritual Communion
When people who desire to receive the Holy Communion are unable to do so for any other reason, their desire and such prayers as they are able to offer ensure that they do spiritually receive the body and blood of Christ. (New Zealand Prayerbook)
The Church of which we are members is not defined by the walls of a building but by the Body of Christ of which we are members. In making our communion spiritually, we are joining with Christians everywhere to be nourished by the one who tells us, ‘I am the Bread of Life’. (Church of England)
In union, O Lord with the faithful at every altar of your Church, where the Holy Eucharist is now being celebrated, I desire to offer you praise and thanksgiving. I present to you my soul and body with the earnest wish that may always be united to You. And since I can not now receive you sacramentally, I beseech you to come spiritually into my heart. I unite myself to You, and embrace You with all the affections of my soul. Let nothing ever separate You from me. May I live and die in Your love. Amen.
Armed forces Prayer Book
Final PRAYER Blessing and Dismissal
Celebrant:
God our Father,
whose Word has come among us
in the Holy Child of Bethlehem:
may the light of faith illumine our hearts
and shine in our words and deeds;
through him who is Christ the Lord.
All Amen.
BLESSING
May the Father,
who has loved the eternal Son
from before the foundation of the world,
shed that love upon you his children.
All Amen.
May Christ,
who by his incarnation gathered into one
things earthly and heavenly,
fill you with joy and peace.
All Amen.
May the Holy Spirit,
by whose overshadowing Mary became the God-bearer,
give you grace to carry the good news of Christ.
All Amen.
And the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always.
All Amen.
Celebrant: Go in peace. Proclaim the Word made flesh.
In the Name of Christ. Amen.
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