SPIRITUAL COMMUNION FOR THE SOLEMNITY OF SAINT PETER AND SAINT PAUL
ON THE 28th JUNE 2020 - HOLY TRINITY, WINCHESTER.
✠ In the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Lord Jesus, I come to you in sorrow for my
failings, and confess to you my weakness
and unbelief.
A brief pause for silence follows
I confess to almighty God
that I have greatly sinned,
in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done
and in what I have failed to do,
through my fault, through my fault,
through my most grievous fault;
therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin,
and all the Angels and Saints,
to pray for me to the Lord our God.
May almighty God have mercy on us, ✠
forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting
life. Amen.
THE GLORIA Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to people of good will.
We praise you, we bless you, we adore you,
we glorify you, we give you thanks
for your great glory, Lord God, heavenly King,
O God, almighty Father.
Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son,
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
you take away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us; you take away
the sins of the world, receive our prayer;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father,
have mercy on us.
For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord, you alone are the
Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
THE COLLECT FOR THE DAY
O God, who on the Solemnity of the Apostles Peter and Paul
give us the noble and holy joy of this day,
grant, we pray, that your Church
may in all things follow the teaching
of those through whom she received
the beginnings of right religion.
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.
THE READINGS
Acts of the Apostles chapter 12.
On the very night before Herod was to bring him to trial,Peter, secured by double chains,was sleeping between two soldiers,while outside the door guards kept watch on the prison.
Suddenly the angel of the Lord stood by him and a light shone in the cell.
He tapped Peter on the side and awakened him, saying, “Get up quickly.” The chains fell from his wrists. The angel said to him, “Put on your belt and your sandals.” He did so.
Then he said to him, “Put on your cloak and follow me.”
So he followed him out, not realizing that what was happening through the angel was real; he thought he was seeing a vision.
They emerged and made their way down an alley, and came to the iron gate leading out to the city, which opened for them by itself.
They emerged and made their way down an alley,and suddenly the angel left him. Then Peter recovered his senses and said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord sent his angel
and rescued me from the hand of Herod.”
THE RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 34
The angel of the Lord will rescue
those who fear him. I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the Lord;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
Glorify the Lord with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
The angel of the Lord will rescue
those who fear him.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy. When the poor one called out, the Lord heard,and from all his distress he saved him.
The angel of the Lord will rescue
those who fear him.
The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Taste and see how good the Lord is;
blessed the man who takes refuge in him.
2 Timothy chapter 4, verses 6-8, 17-18
I, Paul, am already being poured out like a libation,and the time of my departure is at hand.I have competed well; I have finished the race;I have kept the faith.From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me,which the Lord, the just judge,will award to me on that day, and not only to me,but to all who have longed for his appearance.
The Lord stood by me
and gave me strength,
so that through me the proclamation might be completed
and all the Gentiles might hear it.
And I was rescued
from the lion’s mouth.
The Lord will rescue me
from every evil threat
and will bring me safe
to his heavenly Kingdom.
To him be glory
Alleluia! Alleluia!
You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail again it.
Alleluia!
THE GOSPEL Mt 16:13-19
When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He said to them,
“But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter said in reply,
“You are the Christ,
the Son of the living God.”
Jesus said to him in reply,
“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades
shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys
to the Kingdom of heaven.
Whatever you bind on earth
shall be bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose on earth
shall be loosed in heaven.”
The photo above is of a chasm at Caesarea Philippi, believed by the worshippers of Pan to be the Gateway to Hades, from which flowed sacred waters in springtime. Jesus, in proclaiming Peter as the rock on which he would build His Church, uses an image that was immediate and relevant to the place of his confession..."The gates of Hades shall not prevail against it....."
HOMILY
Caesarea Philippi was named after two men,
Caesar Augustus, and Philip, the ungodly son of Herod the Great.
Here in this pagan part around Galilee
Jesus and his disciples have a very Jewish conversation.
The names we hear - Elijah, Jeremiah, the Prophets,
look to the glory days of Israel's past,
and express the hopes of many in Israel
that the golden age might be re-established
with the overthrow of the Roman Occupation.
In what is known as his “Confession”,
Saint Peter recognises in Jesus something more than the hope of a return to a golden age. He acclaims him as 'The Christ, the Son of the living God',where he displays particular insight and discernment that, at this moment in history, the Son of God walks among his people as a human, the herald and head of the Kingdom Community.
Paul's life was completely turned around when he encountered the risen Christ on a dusty road towards Damascus. This blinding manifestation of the One whose followers Paul was about to bring to task, and the conversation between Jesus and Peter in a hostile part of Galilee, led these men to take the truth of the Gospel
and passionately live it and proclaim it with courage and firm conviction.
Peter and Paul were men with failings.
Peter was impetuous, acted without thinking, and was good at making promises he couldn’t keep. Paul was, by nature, an arrogant and proud man,
who, as time went on, became physically frail too; and yet these are the two above the rest who were to be chosen foundations of the Church.
Ours is a Church that is built on confession.
The confession of Peter,
his recognition of Christ in the truest light of his nature.
The confession of Paul,
his blinding admission that he had seen Christ in the wrong light,
and his need to turn his life around.
Peter’s confession of faith challenges us to be open in our belief, and to live it.
Paul’s confession, his 'road to Damascus' experience
is the reminder that we have to live lives
of constant conversion and re-conversion.
Our part in the maintenance and growth of Christ’s Church
is summed-up in the prayer of Saint John Henry Newman.
“God has created me to do Him some definite service.
He has committed some work to me
which He has not committed to another.
I have my mission. I may never know it in this life,
but I shall be told it in the next.
I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons.
He has not created me for naught. I shall do good; I shall do His work.
I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place,
while not intending it if I do but keep His commandments.
Therefore, I will trust Him, whatever I am, I can never be thrown away.
If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him,
in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him.
If I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him.
He does nothing in vain. He knows what He is about.
He may take away my friends.
He may throw me among strangers.
He may make me feel desolate,
make my spirits sink, hide my future from me.
Still, He knows what He is about.”
Amen.
THE PROFESSION OF FAITH
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son,
our Lord, who was conceived by the
Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
He ascended into heaven,
He is seated at the right hand of the Father, And he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
THE PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL
We pray to the Lord, to the God who is our
shelter and strength at all times. We pray:
for the elderly, confined to their homes and separated from family and
support; for children, removed from school; for those who have lost their source
of income; for those who fear for their home; for those who have no home; for
those offering extraordinary, everyday kindness;
Lord, you are in the midst of us:
help us in our time of trouble.
We pray for the young and those in education: for those anxious about
examinations, a place at university, or employment; for those worried about
loved ones and friends; for those concerned about their own health;
Lord, you are in the midst of us:
help us in our time of trouble.
We pray for key workers: for all medical staff and hospital workers, who go to
work knowing the risks they face; for medical researchers, seeking ways to
prevent and to cure; for social workers, protecting the vulnerable; for care
workers, providing contact and support to those who have no other help; for
teachers, worrying about their charges; for farmers, delivery and shop
workers, keeping the nation provisioned; for cleaners, fighting the spread of
infection;
Lord, you are in the midst of us:
help us in our time of trouble.
We pray for the Church: for our own Church of Holy Trinity, Winchester, our wardens, PCC members, the clergy and all who maintain the life and worship here. We pray for Norman our Bishop, for Tim Bishop of Winchester, for Justin, Archbishop of Canterbury, for Patriarch Bartholomew, for Pope Francis; for people of faith.
Today is the patronal festival of St.Peter's Roman Catholic Church here in Winchester. We pray for Father Mark and for the clergy and people .
We pray for the world: for the leaders of the nations and their governments;
for areas most besieged by the pandemic; for broken places where healthcare
and resources are scarce, and the pandemic brings further suffering;
Lord, you are in the midst of us:
help us in our time of trouble.
We pray for those who are sick: for those afflicted with coronavirus; for those
with other illnesses and conditions which leave them vulnerable; for those with
poor mental health; for all who suffer;
Lord, you are in the midst of
us: help us in our time of trouble.
We pray for those who have died: for those taken suddenly; for those taken
unexpectedly; for the families they leave behind; for their friends; for those who
have died alone; and for those who have no one to remember them.
Please would you remember Canon Christopher Tuckwell, Administrator of
Westminster Cathedral who died on Friday - close friend of Fr.John, and Curate
with Fr Phil in Clapton, East London, in the 1970s.
✠ Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord,
and let light perpetual shine upon them.
Pray with us, Mary, Mother of God, to the
Father, through your Son, in the Holy Spirit:
Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee;
blessed art thou among 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
Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the
sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ.
SPIRITUAL COMMUNION
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God;
for it is right and just.
It is truly right and just, our duty and our
salvation, always and everywhere to give you
thanks, Father of mercies and faithful God.
For you have given us Jesus Christ, your Son,
as our Lord and Redeemer. He always showed
compassion for children and for the poor,
for the sick and for sinners, and he became a
neighbour to the oppressed and the afflicted.
And so, with all the Angels and Saints, we exalt
and bless your name and sing the hymn of
your glory, as without end we 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 the 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.
In this sound-filled world that we inhabit,
grant us space to rest awhile by the still waters of your peace,
to hear the whisper of your voice,
and feel the warmth of your Presence within
our souls. Grant us space to rest awhile….
Time to receive the Lord’s Presence spiritually.
“My Jesus, I believe that You are present
in the Most Holy Sacrament of the altar.
I love You above all things, and I desire
to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment receive You
sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my
heart … I embrace You as if You were already
there, and unite myself wholly to You.
Never permit me to be separated from You,”
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.
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.
BLESSING May the Lord bless us and keep us; May
the Lord make his face shine on us and be gracious
to us; may the Lord smile upon us and give us
peace, now and for ever. Amen.
Lord,
Make us a blessing.
Those that we meet,
Make us a blessing.
As we walk down the street,
Make us a blessing.
This day, even at this hour,
Make us a blessing.
It lies in your power
Make us a blessing.
At work, and at home
Make us a blessing.
Wherever we roam
Make us a blessing.
People may see that we are a blessing,
for You are with us.
David Adam "The Open Gate"
Go into this week, radiant with the holiness of God, transfigured by the glory of Jesus Christ, glowing with the exuberance of the Holy Spirit;
and may the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
be upon us today, tonight, this week, and for ever.