SPIRITUAL COMMUNION AND ACT OF REMEMBRANCE
ON REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY, 2020.
✠In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
THE COVENTRY LITANY OF FORGIVENESS
All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. The hatred which divides nation from nation, race from race, class from class: Father, forgive.
The covetous desires of people and nations to possess what is not their own; Father, forgive.
The greed which exploits the work of human hands and lays waste the earth;
Father, forgive.
Our envy of the welfare and happiness of others, Father, forgive.
Our indifference to the plight of the imprisoned, the homeless, the refugee;
Father, forgive.
The lust which dishonours the bodies of men, women and children;
Father, forgive.
The pride which leads us to trust in ourselves and not in God,
Father, forgive.
May almighty God have mercy on us and ✠ forgive us our sins.
May peace calm our fears, justice come to all peoples,
and may there be harmony among the nations,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Coventry Litany of Reconciliation
THE COLLECT
Almighty God, from whom all thoughts of truth and peace proceed,
kindle in the hearts of all men and women the true love of peace.
Guide with Your pure and peaceable wisdom
those who make decisions for the nations of the earth;
that in tranquillity Your kingdom may go forward,
till the earth be filled with the knowledge of Your love
and Your peace which passes all understanding.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
FIRST READING The Prophet Isaiah, chapter 2
‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways
so that we may walk in his paths.’
He will judge between the nations,
and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into ploughshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.
The Word of the Lord
RESPONSORIAL PSALM - Psalm 145
My soul, give praise, give praise to the Lord
It is the Lord who keeps faith for ever,
who is just to those who are oppressed.
It is he who gives bread to the hungry,
the Lord, who sets prisoners free.
My soul, give praise, give praise to the Lord
It is the Lord who gives sight to the blind,
who raises up those who are bowed down.
It is the Lord who loves the just,
the Lord who protects the strangers.
My soul, give praise, give praise to the Lord
The Lord upholds the widow and orphan
but thwarts the path of the wicked.
The Lord will reign for ever,
Zion’s God, from age to age.
My soul, give praise, give praise to the Lord
THE SECOND READING: Revelation chapter 21:
Then I saw ‘a new heaven and a new earth,’
for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
‘Look! God’s dwelling-place is now among the people,
and he will dwell with them. They will be his people,
and God himself will be with them, and he will be their God.
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes.
There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain,
for the old order of things has passed away.’
The Word of the Lord
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Alleluia, alleluia!
He will wipe every tear from their eyes.
There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.
Alleluia!
GOSPEL - Mark chapter 13:
As Jesus came out of the temple, Jesus said,
“Do you see these great buildings?
There will not be left here one stone upon another,
that will not be thrown down. Take heed that no one leads you astray.
When you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed;
this must take place, but the end is not yet.
For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom;
there will be earthquakes in various places, there will be famines;
this is but the beginning of the birth-pangs.
Brother will deliver up brother to death,
and the father his child, and children will rise against parents
and have them put to death; and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake.
But he who endures to the end will be saved.
The Gospel of the Lord.
REMEMBRANCE REFLECTIONS…..
“HIGH FLIGHT” I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings.
Sunward I've climbed and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun split clouds - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of;
wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hovering there
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air;
Up, up the long delirious burning blue
I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace,
Where never lark nor even eagle flew;
And while, with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high, untrespassed sanctity of space
Put out my hand and touched the face of God.
Fl. Officer John Gillespie McGee; 1922-1941
JUST TWENTY-ONE I read one more report today.
Another flag half-mast and gun
salute, coffin draped, bearers done.
Then hear the last post bugle play
as in my mind I see his grave
stone (father, brother, loving son)
for he who was just twenty one
in asymmetric Afghan fray.
Yet did he hear his comrades call
for medic, medivac and aid?
See the Chinook rotors whir - all
dust, din and dread – confusion reign?
Or did he even feel the fall
as daylight, dreams and future fade?
Well read the prose of marching men –
once Mons, Goose Green, El Alamain,
now Helmand, Lashkar Gah, Sangin –
The soldiers’ sacrifice the same
for Queen and Country. All shall yield
in time, to time, both old and young –
except upon the Battlefield
where he remains
just twenty one.
Robert Kiely
PRAYER FOR REMEMBRANCE DAY
For those who were killed in battle,
For those who gave up their lives to save others
For those who fought because they were forced to,
For those who died standing up for a just cause
For those who said war was wrong,
For those who tried to make the peace
For those who prayed when others had no time to pray
For those creatures who needlessly die
For all of us, let us quietly pray:
May God hold them in peace
May Love flow over the Earth and cleanse us all
This day and for always.
Let us remember before God,
and commend to his safe keeping,
those who have died for their country in war;
and all who have lived and died
in the service of the peoples of the world.
We pray for all who in bereavement, disability and pain
continue to suffer the consequences of fighting and terror.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
we will remember them.
SILENCE – AS WE REMEMBER THOSE
WHOSE LIVES WERE SACRIFICED IN WAR.
THE PRAYERS
Let us pray for all who suffer as a result of conflict,
and ask that God may give us peace:
For the service men and women who have died in the violence of war,
each one remembered by and known to God; May God give peace
For those who love them in death as in life, offering the distress of grief
and the sadness of loss; May God give peace
For all members of the armed forces who are in danger this day,
remembering family, friends and all who pray for their safe return;
May God give peace
For civilians, whose lives are disfigured by war or terror,
calling to mind in penitence the anger and hatreds of humanity;
May God give peace
For peace-makers and peace-keepers, who seek to keep this world secure
and free; May God give peace
For all who bear the burden and privilege of leadership, political, military and religious; asking for gifts of wisdom and resolve in the search
for reconciliation and peace.
May God give peace
O God of truth and justice, we hold before you those whose memory
we cherish, and those whose names we will never know.
✠ Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon them
May they rest in peace and rise in glory.
We ask Mary to pray with us as we offer this broken world
and hope for peace:
Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now,
and at the hour of our death.
Help us to lift our eyes above the torment of this broken world,
and grant us the grace to pray for those who wish us harm.
As we honour the past, may we put our faith in your future;
for you are the source of life and hope, now and for ever. Amen.
SPIRITUAL COMMUNION
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give thanks and praise!
It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,
at all times to acclaim you, O Lord,
but in this time above all to laud you yet more gloriously,
when Christ our Passover has been sacrificed.
For, with the old order destroyed,
a universe cast down is renewed,
and integrity of life is restored to us in Christ.
Therefore, overcome with paschal joy,
every land, every people exults in your praise
and even the heavenly Powers, with the angelic hosts,
sing together the unending hymn of your glory,
as they acclaim:
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts.
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 e highest.
At the Saviour’s command
and formed by divine teaching, we dare to say:
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.
Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil,
graciously grant peace in our days,
that, by the help of your mercy,
we may be always free from sin
and safe from all distress,
as we await the blessed hope
and the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Jesus said, ‘I am the bread of life.
Whoever comes to me will never be hungry,
and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.’ John 6.35
In union, O Lord with the faithful at every altar of your Church
where the Holy Eucharist is now being offered this day,
and remembering the community of my own parish,
I long to give you praise and thanksgiving for creation
and all the blessings of this life,
for the redemption won for us by your life, death, and resurrection,
for the means of grace and the hope of glory.
I present to you my body and soul as a living sacrifice,
with the earnest wish that I may always be united with you.
And since I cannot now receive you sacramentally,
I pray that you will come spiritually into my heart.
I unite myself to you, and embrace you
with all the strength of my soul and the life you have given me.
Let nothing ever separate me from you.
May I live and die in your love. Amen.
Chichester Cathedral – Spiritual Communion.
Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your disciples,
‘I am with you always’.
Be with me today, as I offer myself to you.
Hear my prayers for others and for myself,
and keep me in your care. Amen.
AN ACT OF COMMITMENT
Let us pledge ourselves anew to the service of God
and our fellow men and women:
that we may help, encourage and comfort others,
and support those working for the relief of the needy
and for the peace and welfare of the nations.
Lord God our Father,
we pledge ourselves to serve you and all peoples,
in the cause of peace,
for the relief of want and suffering,
and for the praise of your name.
Guide us by your Spirit;
give us wisdom;
give us courage;
give us hope;
and keep us faithful now and always. Amen.
ASKING GOD’S BLESSING
God grant to the living grace, to the departed rest,
to the Church, the Queen, the Commonwealth and all people,
unity, peace and concord,
and to us and all God’s servants, life everlasting.
And may the blessing of almighty God,
the Father, the Son, ✠ and the Holy Spirit,
come down upon us
and remain with us for ever. Amen.
THE ANGELUS
The angel of the Lord brought tidings unto Mary. And she conceived by the Holy Ghost.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death.
Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it unto me according to thy word. Hail Mary....
And the Word was made flesh. And dwelt amongst us. Hail Mary....
Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray. We beseech thee, O Lord, pour thy grace into our hearts,
that as we have known the Incarnation of thy Son Jesus Christ
by the message of an angel, so by his ✠ Cross and Passion
we may be brought unto the glory of his Resurrection;
through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil,
and keep us in eternal life. Amen.
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