ST. DAVID’S CHURCH CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS
Fifth Sunday in Lent March 21, 2021 Rector: The Rev’d Canon Noel A. Burke, MA Tel. No. 435-4272 Email stdavidbb@gmail.com Bishop-in-Residence: The Most Rev’d Dr. John W. D. Holder, (Ret.) LLD, Ph.D 1
THE HOLY MASS MINISTRY OF THE WORD THE ENTRANCE RITE Introit 117 Lo! Now is our accepted day Lent Sentence Acclamation Collect for Purity Kyries The Collect:
Page 98 Page 101 Page 101 Page 102 Lent 5 (Page 164)
THE LITURGY OF THE WORD The Lesson: Jeremiah 31:31-34 The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt--a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, "Know the LORD," for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more. Psalm 51: 1 - 13
(BCP page 533)
The Epistle: Hebrews 5:5-10 Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him, "You are my Son, today I have begotten you”; as he says also in another place, "You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.” In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. Gradual Hymn 145 The royal banners forward go THE HOLY GOSPEL: John 3:14-21
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At that time, among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor. "Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say--' Father, save me from this hour'? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, "An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, "This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die. Sermon The Nicene Creed Page 106 Intercession F Page 115 Act of Penitence & Absolution Page 123 The Greeting of Peace Page 124 THE LITURGY OF THE SACRAMENT Offertory Hymn 112 O thou who dost to man accord Presentation of the Offering Page 126 The Sursum Corda Page 126 Lent Preface Page 128 “Therefore we praise you” Page 131 Sanctus et Benedictus Qui Venit Page 131 Consecration Prayer B Page 135 The Lord’s Prayer Page 144 The Breaking of Bread Page 145 The Invitation Page 147 Holy Communion 266 Breathe on me breath of God THE DISMISSAL RITE Post Communion Prayer The Blessing Recessional Hymn
Page 148 Page 151 112 Christian dost thou see them 3
THE RECTOR’S NOTEBOOK The principal thing is to stand with the mind in the heart before God, and to go on standing before Him unceasingly day and night, until the end of life. St Theophan the Recluse (1815–1894) John H. Wright, SJ tells us that prayer occurs when in all sober truth and reality the mind and heart are directed towards God in a personal manner. The word prayer comes from a Latin term which means to entreat. In the Hebrew Old Testament it suggests to intercede or mediate thus implying to pray to God for another. In the New Testament a literal translation would mean to ask. Prayer is connected to spirituality, that is the practical outlook of our own theological understanding of God and the way in which God Almighty works in our lives. For Christians God is benevolent and is concerned with the world and the human creation. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are open to their prayer. 1 Peter 3:12 God is the focus of our attention, in a personalistic relationship, underscoring the biblical notion of God as Father. The outlook of Father is used as metaphor for a caring and loving parent. It was Jesus who gave the authoritative directive that when we pray we can or ought to address God as, “Our Father…” (Luke 11:2) For us prayer makes a difference. This is a matter of faith based on Scripture and personal experience. We believe that God
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always hears our prayer and that he is more ready to hear that we are to pray. (Collect Proper 22. BCP page 179) Prayer then is based on relationship and is not a way of expressing frustration when everything else seems to have gone awry or is out of control. It would be at odds with the biblical outlook to view prayer as some means of dealing psychologically with an issue that we feel is out of our hands. A major source of challenge is growing secularism, which pushes God into the background, and secondly the fundamentalist view that creates an understanding that there is something magical about prayer. While we hear of legendary experiences in the Bible, prayer seems to be an expression of a rational faith that God works in the process. In addition there always seem to be an accompanying disposition on the part of humanity that is vital. This beings sharply into focus the prayer text of Intercession F Comfort and help all persons who are in any trouble, sorrow, need or sickness, or any other adversity, especially ……………………………….. ALL: Help us to help them, O Lord. (BCP page 117) The Christian tradition and practice of prayer clearly comes from our Jewish heritage. Our Lord Jesus Christ was clearly a person of prayer and is often presented at prayer. Contemporary Christianity has inherited the duty of saying the Daily Offices of Morning and Evening Prayer and of course joining in the principal prayer of the Church at least once each week, namely the Eucharistic Prayer. It is out of God’s abundant love always that he hears our prayer. It is not so much a matter as to whether God hears our prayer; bur rather whether we are prepared to bring our lives in alignment with what God demands of us. 5
We are thankful for the grace and spiritual resource of prayer whereby we can commune with our Lord and God but even more so, God Almighty can communicate with us. Your friend and priest Noel A. Burke, MA (The Rev’d Canon) Rector NEWS AND NOTES Easter Services Palm Sunday 7:45am Distribution of Palm Crosses, Holy Mass & Sermon Maundy Thursday 6:00pm Mass of the Lord’s Supper Good Friday 9:00am - 10:00am Morning Devotions Holy Saturday 6:00pm - 7:00pm The Easter Vigil Mass Easter Sunday 7:45am - 8:45am THANKS We express thanks to all who responded to the online form. If you are uncomfortable with online forms you can always give a call 435-4272. SANITISING Our tiny sanitizing team was hard at work on Saturday morning preparing the church for Sunday Mass. Pass by next Saturday morning at 10:30am and lent and hand. CONFIRMATION CLASS Confirmation Class is being conducted every Saturday morning online. the candidates are all very keen. Please uphold them in your prayers. REQUIESCAT IN PACE We pray for the repose of the soul of Karl Willan Cosmo Armstrong, former Church Warden of this parish. We pray for his wife Grace, his children and all family members at this time of loss. We pray for the repose of the soul of Colvin Campbell the late husband of Margaret Campbell.
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