December 18, 2022, The Fourth Sunday of Advent, Holy Eucharist

The Fourth Sunday of Advent

THE HOLY EUCHARIST

December 18, 2022

Welcome to the Monastery Chapel. We warmly invite you to participate fully in our worship.

Prelude Veni, veni Emmanuel (four variations) James Woodman

Entrance Hymn How bright appears the Morning Star Next pages (2–3)

Opening Acclamation

Presider Blessed are you, holy and living One. People You come to your people and set them free.

Collect for Purity

Presider Almighty God, People to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

T HE S OCIETY OF S AINT J OHN THE E VANGELIST 980 Memorial Drive  Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138  617.876.3037  www.SSJE.org

Entrance Hymn How bright appears the Morning Star Hymnal

Song of Supplication “Kyrie eleison”

Collect of the Day

Presider 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.

People Amen.

THE LITURGY OF THE WORD

First Reading

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.”

Gradual Psalm Psalm 80

Second Reading

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 Holy 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.

Sermon

The Nicene Creed (Rite II)

Prayers of the People

Confession and Absolution of Sin As announced

Presider When the Lord comes, he will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness, and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Therefore in the light of Christ let us confess our sins.

God of all mercy, People we confess that we have sinned against you, opposing your will in our lives. We have denied your goodness in each other, in ourselves, and in the world you have created. We repent of the evil that enslaves us, the evil we have done, and the evil done on our behalf. Forgive, restore, and strengthen us through our Savior Jesus Christ, that we may abide in your love and serve only your will. Amen.

The Peace We greet one another, sharing the peace of Christ

We are now allowing the option of offering the peace using physical contact. If you choose to do so please graciously observe the preference of those who prefer to offer the peace through a prayerful gesture without contact.

The Collection of Gifts and Offerings

Your financial gifts support the Brothers’ life and ministry to those at our monastery in Cambridge as well as to many others whom we reach with our publications, livestreaming services, online offferings, and in our travels on mission.

Offertory Hymn O come, O come, Emmanuel

The Great Thanksgiving

Sanctus

THE HOLY COMMUNION

“Holy, holy, holy” Hymnal S 130

The Lord’s Prayer Hymnal S 148, alt.

Fraction Anthem “Jesus, Lamb of God”

Invitation

Presider The Gifts of God for the People of God. People Thanks be to God.

Ministration of Communion

We will now administer Holy Communion by both Bread and Wine. If you feel uncomfortable receiving the Wine, please remember that the Church catholic has always taught that the fullness of the Sacrament is received even when only one form is received. For public health reasons, Diocesan policy does not allow for Intinction (dipping the Bread into the Wine). Please refrain from this practice.

Closing Hymn Rejoice! rejoice, believers Hymnal

Prayer after Communion

Presider Let us pray.

Faithful God, People in this sacrament we receive the promise of salvation. May we, like the Virgin Mary, be obedient to your will. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.

Blessing & Dismissal

Postlude Antiphon: Great O James Woodman

The Advent Prose

Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness.

Be not wroth very sore, O Lord, neither remember iniquity for ever: thy holy cities are a wilderness, Sion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation: our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised thee. We have sinned, and are as an unclean thing, and we all do fade as a leaf: and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away; thou hast hid thy face from us: and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.

Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen; that ye may know me and believe me: I, even I, am the Lord, and beside me there is no Savior: and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.

Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people, my salvation shall not tarry: I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions: Fear not, for I will save thee: for I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Redeemer.

This Icon of the Nativity was written by the hand of Rebecca Taylor.

Announcements

Welcome

We are delighted to welcome you to the Monastery today, either in-person or online. If you are a visitor, or new to the Monastery or Community, please take a moment to introduce yourself to one of the Brothers following the Eucharist. If you are joining us online, drop us a note telling us where you are joining us from.

Deacon Daphne Noyes

Today we welcome our longtime friend, and member of the Fellowship of Saint John, Daphne Noyes as the deacon at the liturgy. For many years Daphne was the Episcopal Chaplain at MGH, and the Deacon on staff at the Church of the Advent. Since her retirement from those positions, she has been a regular member of our congregation. We are delighted that she is now available to deacon for us.

No Compline this Week

The Brothers will not be praying Compline publicly this week.

Please Join Us for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day

24 December: Christmas Eve

6:00 PM First Evening Prayer of Christmas

9:30 PM Musical Prelude

10:00 PM Holy Eucharist of Christmas

25 December: Christmas Day

7:30 AM Morning Prayer

9:00 AM Holy Eucharist of Christmas Day

4:00 PM Evening Prayer of Christmas Day

We Brothers also welcome you to enjoy a special gift of audio music sung at the Monastery: www.ssje.org/Christmas-music.

We Count on You

As you make plans for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, please extend our invitation to your family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues to joinus for one of the liturgies of Christmas, and thereby do the work of an evangelist. Over the years Evening Prayer on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day have become popular, especially with many who don’t normally come to services here at the Monastery. For people who don’t want a late night, or are unsure about

attending the Eucharist the two Evening Prayers of Christmas are beautiful way to celebrate the feast and be introduced to the Monastery and the Community.

Reduced Public Worship During Christmastide

There will be no public worship on Monday or Tuesday, 26 or 27 December, and a reduced schedule of public worship until Friday, 6 January the Feast of the Epiphany. Our normal schedule resumes on 6 January. From Wednesday, 28 December until Thursday, 5 January the only public liturgy will be the Eucharist at 12:30 PM each day EXCEPT on Sunday, 1 January when it will be at 9:00 AM; Monday, 2 January when there will be no public Eucharist; and Tuesday, 3 January when the Eucharist will be at 5:30 PM. During this time the Brothers will be having our annual Creativity Week. The reduced schedule of public worship gives us more flexibility, and time to work on a variety of creative projects.

Retreat Day

The community’s monthly retreat day in January is Wednesday, 11 January. We will not pray Compline on Tuesday, 10 January, or Morning Prayer or Compline on Wednesday, 11 January. Our retreat day in February will be on Wednesday, 15 February.

Looking Ahead

The next quarterly Away Week will be 6–13 February. The chapel will close after Evening Prayer on Sunday, 5 February and reopen for Morning Prayer on Tuesday, 14 February. This time away gives the Brothers an opportunity to have some vacation or staycation time before Lent, visit their families, or have their own personal retreat.

Ministry at Emery House

We are excited to announce that, after several years of prayerful discernment, the community has made the decision to revive our ministry at Emery House. As a first step in that process, a small group of brothers will re-establish a residential community there in January. We anticipate opening our guest ministry at Emery House sometime in the spring of 2023. We ask for your patience as more details emerge, and for your prayers and support as we respond to God’s call in West Newbury.

Program Retreats

Previews of the Program Retreats available in 2023 are available now at: www.ssje.org/programs. Registration will begin on January 3, 2023.

Monastery Guesthouse

Dates of availability for self-led retreats in the guesthouse through July 2023 are available online. You can view them and make a request at www.ssje.org/reservation. We look forward to welcoming you for a time of quiet, prayer, and rest. We ask that all guests be fully vaccinated and boosted for Covid and willing to follow our most current health and safety protocols.

Livestreaming

We livestream Evening Prayer and Compline throughout the week, as well as the Sunday and Tuesday Eucharists. If you cannot join us in person, please join us online.

Covid Safety Practices

With the colder weather, we are now closing the Chapel windows for all services. As has been our practice, we continue to fully support those who may choose to wear a mask for any reason. Please remember that since this is our home, and a number of Brothers, as well as members of the congregation fall into the vulnerable persons category, we require everyone who attends chapel services to be fully fascinated and boosted.

Holy Communion

Following Diocesan guidelines, please refrain from Intinction (dipping the Bread into the Chalice). If you wish to abstain from receiving from the chalice, remember that the Church catholic has always taught that the fullness of the Sacrament is received even when only one form is received.

Gluten-Free Wafers at Holy Communion

Please indicate to the Brother administering Bread at Holy Communion if that is your preference.

Evening Prayer

Evening Prayer (Evensong) is one of the glories of Anglicanism. The community sings Evening Prayer at 6:00 PM Wednesday through Saturday, and at 4:00 PM on Sunday. Saturday and Sunday Evening Prayer are especially beautiful. Why not make attending Evening Prayer on Saturday or Sunday, or another evening during the week, part of your regular pattern, especially during Advent.

Advent Observances

Advent marks the beginning of the liturgical new and is a time when we ponder the coming of Christ in time, as the Babe of Bethlehem, and at the end of time as our Judge and Redeemer. The word advent comes to us from the Latin meaning to come.

As way to mark this season of expectation and hope we wear blue vestments. This is a recovery of an ancient English tradition stemming from Salisbury Cathedral, and so is sometimes referred to as Sarum blue. (Sarum being the ancient Latin name for Salisbury.)

While the deep blue conveys a feeling of solemnity, because of its association with the Blessed Virgin Mary, it also conveys the Advent themes of hope and expectation. On the Third Sunday of Advent, we see hints of pink on the vestments, marking that Sunday as Gaudete Sunday, reflecting the opening words of the ancient introit appointed for the day: Rejoice in the Lord, always!

The Advent Wreath, which by its nature is circular in form, reminds us that God’s love is endless, having no beginning or end. The greenery is a sign of hope, renewal, and new life, especially at a time of year when everything seems to be dead and decaying. The four candles, a new one lit each week, marking the four Sundays of Advent, are visible reminders that as the darkness of the world (literally, as well as figuratively) descends upon us, that darkness cannot overcome the light which Christ brought into the world through His incarnation. The Advent Wreath stand, which can be converted into the Paschal Candle stand, was commissioned by the community in memory of our brother, John Goldring SSJE.

The Nicene Creed has been sent to the Missa de Angelis by our organist, James Woodman. For many years it was the version of the Creed we sang each Advent. We have restored that custom this year.

The Eucharistic Prayers we will be using throughout Advent come to us from the Episcopal Church, the Anglican Church of Canada, and the Church of England. The Invitation to Confession comes from the Church of England, and the Prayer after Communion, which changes each week, is from the Anglican Church of Canada.

During Holy Communion on Sundays the Schola or the Cantor will be singing The Advent Prose which is a series of texts taken from Isaiah.

For more information about the Society, stays in the guesthouse, or to subscribe to Brother Give Us A Word, or our occasional news update, please check our website at www.SSJE.org

Br. James Koester, Presider & Preacher

The Rev. Daphne Noyes, Deacon Br. Lain Wilson, Acolyte

Mr. James Woodman, Monastery Organist ❖ Monastery Christmas Schedule

Christmas Eve, Saturday, December 24

7:30 AM Morning Prayer 12:30 PM Noonday Prayer 6:00 PM First Evensong (livestreamed) No Compline 9:30 PM Musical Prelude (livestreamed) 10:00 PM Holy Eucharist (livestreamed)

Christmas Day, Sunday, December 25

7:30 AM Morning Prayer 9:00 AM Holy Eucharist (livestreamed) 12:30 PM Noonday Prayer 4:00 PM Evensong (livestreamed)

No Compline

Monday, December 26 and Tuesday, December 27

Brothers’ Sabbath No Public Worship

Supplementary hymns are used by permission and licensed to be reprinted for this service by OneLicense.Net: #A-725463

THEMONASTERYASSANCTUARY

We want our Monastery to be a sanctuary for our guests and for the Brothers. Please silence your electronic devices. We also ask you not to photograph, video, or record services in the Chapel, or to photograph other guests or Brothers without their express permission.