Article
Opening Responsory
Can: The dancing of the carnival is ending
Res: And the music is fading in the darkness
Can: The time for feasting is over
Res: And the time for fasting is upon us
Can: Our life of carnival has brought great joy
Res: Which we will bring into balance with sorrow
Can: Farewell to the Christ Child
Res: And hail to our Lord and Saviour.
Quasi Psalm
- Lord, you are the source of all goodness:
the source of our joy and the focus of our penitence; - You made us to rejoice in all the things of the earth:
and to acknowledge our imperfection. - For you only are perfect:
you are our God and we rejoice to be your children; - How foolish we are when we forget humility:
and fall into pride and self-regard. - We have rejoiced in your earthly story:
in the humble obedience of Mary and the gratitude of Elizabeth; - We have respected the delicacy of Joseph:
and learned from their love of your laws; - We have knelt at the manger:
and listened in wonder to the angels bringing good news to the shepherds; - We have admired the glorious apparel of the wise men:
and have thought upon the meaning of their gifts; - We have mourned with Rachel at the slaughter of the innocents:
and not forgotten that your son was once an exile; - Our hearts have been pierced by Simeon:
and we have offered thanks in the quietness of Mary. - Our hope has been restored in the darkness:
in the light of your incarnate son among us; - We have brought candles to your altar:
and thanked you for your presence in our history. - And now, as we bring our celebrations to an end:
we prepare to think upon the meaning of suffering; - As our feasting comes to an end:
we turn to think upon the nature of our imperfection. - We pledge ourselves to be honest with ourselves:
to examine our mode of life and make amends for our shortcomings; - We commit ourselves to a more strenuous mission:
to live your kingdom upon earth. - We will walk with your son towards Jerusalem:
submitting ourselves to the hardships of the journey; - We will fast and pray:
and live the truth of your kingdom as your son Jesus has taught us; - We will not judge nor compare:
but set ourselves to foster and encourage; - We will care for the down-hearted and the stragglers:
and raise their eyes to the glory of the Temple. - The exercise of our spirit shall be in quietness:
with noise only sounded in your praise; - We will strive to empathise with suffering:
so that we may know how Jesus suffered. - We will never forget:
that even though we murdered him your love remains unbounded; - And in all the torment of his passion:
we never will relinquish hope. - Glory to you who formed yourself in history in the godhead and personhood of Jesus:
and to the Holy Spirit, through whom we enjoy our incarnational perception.
Hymn (Michael)
- Hail! the heavenly child of glory
Sent to save your treasured race;
Love and infinite affection
Moulded into time and space:
Christ our light
Burning bright
Bring us safely through our soul's night. - Mourn the earthly man of suffering
Murdered by our coarse commands,
Pride and careless introspection
Turned to violence at our hands:
But love's power
Will endure
What we damage God will restore.
Responsory
Can: Let us walk together
Res: From Bethlehem to Jerusalem.
Can: Lord, let your servant now depart in peace
According to your word, such sweet release;
Res: For I have seen salvation in your infant face,
For Israel and all the human race.
Glory of Israel,
Answer to our call;
Light to the gentiles, sent to save us all.
Can: Let us walk together
Res: From the crib to the Cross.
Scripture
Luke: And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcision of the child, his name was called Jesus, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb. And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord.
Matthew: From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised after the third day.
Luke: And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came by The Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God and said: Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to they word: for mine yes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel.
Matthew: Then said Jesus unto his disciples, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Luke: And Joseph and his mother marvelled at these things which were spoken of him. "And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.
Matthew: For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own Soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the son of man shall come in the glory of his father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. Verily I say unto you, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the son of man coming in his kingdom.
Can: Let us walk together
Res: From the manger to the tomb.
Prayers
Can: Loving Father, we thank you for sending your son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to live among us. We thank you for the joy which his birth has brought to us, for the generosity which it has fostered among us and for the hope which it has brought to all humanity.
Can: Loving father, we repent of all our unfaithfulness in what we have done but even more in what we have failed to do. May we walk faithfully with Jesus to Jerusalem and stand at the foot of his cross, neither flinching nor taking flight.
Can: Loving father, keep us close to you through the temptations and troubles of our mortal life so that we neither sink into indifference nor into despair. Help us to learn both from our joy and from our penitence and see them as two necessary aspects of our faithfulness to you. We make these prayers to you through our beloved saviour and in the power of the Holy Spirit.
All: Amen.
Can: Let us walk with our saviour
Res: Through the cheers and the jeers
Can: Let us pray with our saviour
Res: In sorrow and in joy
Can: Let us be silent with our lord
Res: And feel his pain
Can: Let us walk together
Res: From darkness into eternal light.
All: Amen.