The Fourth Sunday of Advent December 18, 2022 9 a.m.
We welcome you to Christ Church Cathedral. Since 1839, this Christian community has gathered for worship. To learn more about the ministries we share in this place, you are invited to fill in one of the welcome cards found in the pew rack. The Cathedral is equipped with a hearing loop for assisted listening via telecoil.
The Holy Eucharist: Rite Two
The Rev. Kathy Rock Pfister, Canon Vicar Celebrant
Welcome to Christ Church Cathedral! Masks are available at all welcome tables, and the south transept (to the right) usually has room for those desiring physical distancing. We are glad you are here!
The Liturgy is found in The Book of Common Prayer (BCP). Hymns and service music (S) are in The Hymnal 1982.
Opening Voluntary
Prelude on Veni, Emmanuel Leo Sowerby (1895-1968) Hymn 56 (verses 1-4) Veni, veni, Emmanuel
The Word of God
Celebrant Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. BCP page 355 People And blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever. Amen.
The Collect for Purity page 355 Trisagion S 102 Alexander Archangelsky (1846–1924)
The Trisagion is sung three times, first by the cantor and then twice by the congregation and choir.
The Collect of the Day
Celebrant The Lord be with you. People And also with you. Celebrant Let us pray.
Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The First Reading Isaiah 7:10–16
Reader The Word of the Lord. People Thanks be to God.
The Holy Gospel Matthew 1:18–25
Deacon The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew. People Glory to you, Lord Christ.
After the Gospel reading, the Deacon says
The Gospel of the Lord. People Praise to you, Lord Christ.
The Sermon
The Very Rev. Gary Jones, Interim Dean
The Nicene Creed page 358
The Prayers of the People Form II, page 385
The General Confession page 360
The Peace
Celebrant The peace of the Lord be always with you. People And also with you.
The People greet one another in the name of the Lord, after which the people are seated for brief announcements.
The Holy Communion
Offerings of alms and bread and wine are received.
At the Offertory
Anthem anon. medieval carol; arr. David Willcocks (1919–2015)
Gabriel to Mary came, and entered at her dwelling, with his salutation glad her maiden fears dispelling.
“All hail, thou queen of virgins bright! God, Lord of earth and heaven’s height, thy very Son, shall soon be born in pureness, the Saviour of mankind. Thou art the gate of heaven bright, the sinners’ healer kind.”
“How could I a mother be that am to man a stranger? How should I my strong resolve, my solemn vows endanger?” “Pow’r from the Holy Ghost on high shall bring to pass this mystery. Then have no fear, be of good cheer,believing that still thy chastity in God’s almighty keeping shall all unsullied be.”
Then to him the maid replied, with noble mien supernal, “Lo! The humble handmaid I of God the Lord eternal! With thee, bright messenger of heav’n by whom this wondrous news is giv’n, I well agree and long to see fulfilled thy gracious prophecy. As God my Lord doth will it, so be it unto me!”
Hail! Thou Mother of the Lord, who bring’st of gifts the rarest, peace to angels and to men, when Christ the Lord thou barest! Do thou, we pray, entreat thy Son for us our long’d redemption Himself to win, and from our sin release us; His succour for to give, that, when we hence are taken, we, too, in heaven may live.
—13th century Franciscan medieval carol; adapt. and trans. Frederick Octavius Pickard-Cambridge (1860-1905)
The Great Thanksgiving
Sanctus and Benedictus S 129
Eucharistic Prayer B, page 367
Robert J. Powell (b.1932)
The Eucharistic Prayer continues page 368
The Breaking of the Bread
Celebrant Alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us; People Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia. The sacrament of Holy Communion has been precious to Christians for 2,000 years. It is a way in which many sense the reality of God’s forgiveness, our union with God and each other, and the eternal life to which we belong. Please know that you do not have to be an Episcopalian to receive Communion. To receive, you may kneel or stand at the altar rail. Receive the Bread in the palm of your hand and the Wine either by drinking from the cup or by intinction, touching the Bread to the Wine. Gluten-free Bread is available; simply ask at the altar rail. If you need Communion brought to you in the pew, please tell an usher.
At the Administration Anthem Basque Carol
The angel Gabriel from heaven came, His wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame; “All hail,” said he, “thou lowly maiden Mary, Most highly favoured lady.” Gloria!
“For known a blessed Mother thou shalt be, All generations laud and honor thee, Thy Son shall be Emmanuel, by seers foretold, most highly favoured lady.” Gloria!
Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head. “To me be as it pleaseth God,” she said. “My soul shall laud and magnify his holy name.” Most highly favoured lady; Gloria!
— The Rev. Sabine Baring-Gould (1834–1924)
Prayer after Communion page 365
The Blessing
Hymn 74 Valet will ich dir geben
The Dismissal
Celebrant Let us bless the Lord. People Thanks be to God.
Closing Voluntary Toccata on Veni, Emmanuel Adolphus Hailstork (b.1941)
Readings this Week from the Revised Common Lectionary
The Old Testament Isaiah 7:10–16
Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test. Then Isaiah said: “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.”
The Epistle Romans 1:1–7 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name, including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, To all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Gospel Matthew 1:18–25
Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.
The Book of Remembrance
This week we remember Clyde Barrington Holloway.
The Beauty of Flowers
The flowers on the Cathedral Altar are given to the glory of God in loving memory of Robert C. and Madie M. Richter by Bob Richter Jr. The flowers on the Cathedral Altar are given to the glory of God in loving memory of Cherry Gulledge by her children and grandchildren.
