To know Christ, grow in Christ, and share Christ's love.
INSTRUCTED HOLY EUCHARIST
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Since the Holy Eucharist is so Central & so Important to us -
The Instructed Eucharist is -
To help us to understand the meaning,
the purpose and the rationale for The Holy Eucharist and
its various parts and the various segments of the Service
The Twofold Purpose of The Holy Eucharist:
To Remember the Lord’s Death until he comes again.
Through the means of the Blessed & Consecrated Bread & Wine:
We receive - The Real Presence of Christ – to nourish our Souls & Bodies.
A SACRAMENT: "Is an outward and a visible sign of an inward and spiritual Grace – given unto us through power of Christ Himself – Since as physical beings – the Sacrament is for us - a material & a physical reality – something we can "literally sink our teeth into,"
to assure us - and to be the means by which we receive that Grace."
The Sacrament of Holy Communion has two parts:
1. The Outward & the Visible part: The Bread & Wine
2. The Inward & Spiritual part: The Real Presence of Christ Himself.
Confirmed by the Words of Christ Himself:
"Take eat – this is my Body ….."
"Drink this – this is my blood ,,,,,"
The Priest’s Vestmentsfor the Holy Eucharist: Are those having to do with Christ –
His Ministry & especially His Passion & His Death.
The Alb: A white linen vestment on the order of a Tunic -
Being white & fair, it represents purity and spotlessnes, even Christ Himself.
At present the priest in putting on the alb says this prayer:
"Purify me, O Lord, from all stain, and cleanse my heart, that washed in the
Blood of the Lamb I may enjoy eternal delights".
St. Paul said: "Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ."
On the top Altar: The White Cloth – is called the Fair Linen –
for it represents - Jesus who is fair & clean & pure.
Fair: pleasing to the eye or mind especially because of fresh, charming, or flawless quality.
See: CLEAN, PURE, CLEAR. The Fair Linen has five Crosses on it –
One on each corner & one in the very middle –
Representing the Five Wounds of Christ.
The Girdle: represents the whip – by which Christ was flagelated.
The Stole: represents the "Yoke of Christ"
Jesus said: "Take My Yoke upon you….."
The Priest puts it on – willingly & lovingly –
for it symbolizes the burden and the task of Ministry.
The Chasuble: represents the seamless & one-piece robe that Christ wore –
A common vestment of the day – something like the Mexican Poncho.
(Jesus’ Robe or Cloak - that the Roman Soldiers gambled for).
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The Holy Eucharist:
The Priest’s Salutation: Blessed by God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Or: in Lent Bless the Lord who forgives all our sins.
The Peoples’ Response: And Blessed be His Kingdom now & forever
Or: In Lent His Mercy endures for ever.
The Collect for Purity: "Almighty God unto whom all hearts are open…..
We begin the Service by coming into God’s presence with no pretenses –
For He knows us through & through – there are no secrets or pretenses that we can hold up before Him. This is the note on which we begin.
(With this – there can be no hypocrisy).
The Ten Commandments or the Summary of the Law is read.
The Way of Life & what God expects of His People
The Kyrie: The Lord have mercy – Normally follows - in the Penitential Season
It is our way of falling upon the mercy of the Court –
If this is what is demanded and required of us – What a fix we are in -
Then - this is our plea for clemency: Lord – Have mercy upon us.
However - Instead of the Kyrie: Other than in Pententitial Season:
The Gloria is sung or any other appropriate hymns
The Prelude to the Gloria -
Is the Song of the Angels at the Birth of Jesus:
"Glory be to God on High….."
* * * (Begin the Service) Bless the Lord who forgives all our Sins …..
Through the Cofession & Absolution & Singing)
Then comes the Ministry of The Word: The Collect for the Day –
Iin a very brief way – a prayer that Summarizes the
Scriptural theme for the Day & Each Sunday of the Christian Year
We sit for instruction from the following Lessons:
The Old Testament Lesson
God’s expectations of His People for Righteousness
(That by ourselves & on our own –
Without His Grace – is unatainable)
The Psalm: The Book of Religious Poetry
The Song Book: both of the Hebrews & the Early Church
The Epistle:
Letters to Young Churches:
On Christian Belief & Christian Behavior.
A Sequence Hymn Sung just before the Gospel
The Gospel: The Good News.
We stand when the Gospel of Christ is read –
For when Christ’s Word is Read –
Since Jesus is the Word of God - when His Word is spoken -
We stand - for then - Christ is Sacramentally present.
The Sermon: Speaking in the Name of God.
An exposition of the Scriptures Lessons.
The Unfolding of what God’s Word means for us today.
* * *(Begin the Ministry of the Word) The Collect: The Lord be with you -
Through the Sermon
The Creed:
Is our affirmation of Faith & Also –
affirming what we have just read in the Lessons &
what we have just heard in the Sermon.
The Prayers of The People:
Offering Prayers & Intercessions for our needs and –
what is on our hearts & minds as God’s People.
Praying for all of Christ’s Church throughout the World &
That the Church may be whole, healthy & strong.
The Peace:
We exchange our Lord’s Easter Greeting with one another.
Jesus’ Greeting to the Apostles on Easter -
In the Upper Room - behind closed doors – Jesus said:
"My Peace I give unto You -
My Peace I leave with you."
The Offertory: The Offering of:
Ourselves our Souls & our Bodies -
Our Time, our Talents & our Money and –
The Offering of: Our oblations – Our Gifts of Bread & Wine.
* * * (Begin the Creed - thru the Peace & the Offertory)
* * * The Announcements
After the Offertory)
The Great Thanksgiving & The Sanctus:
The Holy Communion Proper.
Comes from Isaiah’s heavenly vision –
In the Prophet Isaiah - when He saw the throne of God -
And the Angelic Choirs all singing:
Holy, Holy, Holy…..
The Invocation of the Holy Spirit &
The Prayer of Consecration:
At this point we remember & we recall to mind –
The Last Supper & our Lord’s Words –
To: "Do this in remembrance of me….."
And at this point: we "Re-present," - we remember &
we offer to God the Father -
The Holy Sacrifice of Christ for our behalf.
And in so doing this - the common gifts of Bread & Wine -
through the Invocation of the Holy Spirit -
Become for us: The Body & The Blood of Christ -
Received in a Heavenly & in a Spiritual Manner.
* * * (Begin the Great Thanksgiving) through the Great Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
The Perfect Prayer which our Lord has taught us.
Officially – the Lord’s Prayer is to be said –
at all our of Holy Communion Services –
and not all, but - at almost every other service too.
The Breaking of the Bread:
(The Fracture).
This symbolizes the Body of Christ –
Broken for us on the Cross.
The "Receiving" of Blessed Sacrament:
The Bread is received with both hands –
Symbolizing that the Sacrament is too precious a gift –
to be received with just one hand or - just two fingers.
(Normally – the right hand over the left hand).
The Wine may be received – just a tiny sip –
The Wafer may be intincted or - dipped into the Wine.
Please be sure - to be careful not to dip the bread
too deeply into the Chalice and -
Thus dip your fingers into the wine also.
When returning to you seats –
after receiving the Holy Communion -
We kneel & say a brief prayer of Thanksgiving for
The Gift of the Blessed Sacrament &
The Sacrifice of Christ for us & The Blessed Gift of Salvation.
* * * (Begin the Lord’s Prayer) Thru receiving the Holy Communion
Afterward The Communion: The Post Communion Prayer –
Thru the End of The Service
A Prayer of Thanksgiving for Christ feeding us in those
Holy Mysteries - and a prayer for
Christ to send us forth into the World to do His will.
The Blessing
In Medieval times – One of the most important &
one of the most cherished parts of the Service –
Was - when the God’s Blessing was conferred upon the people –
It was considered to be a special tangible blessing &
a special tangible Gift from God –
People waited sometimes all through the Service –
just to receive the Blessing.
The Blessing was: A very special event &
and a very special time for the People.
The Dismissal: "Go in Peace….."
This is the Sending forth the People of God –
Out into the World - Into the Mission Field –
Going forth - on a high note – With commitment & joy to love & to serve the Lord.
* * * (Begin the Post Communion Prayer)
To know Christ, grow in Christ, and share Christ's love.
