8am BCP Communion | St Peter's

8am Traditional Language Communion

Every Sunday at 8am there is a traditional-language communion service using the Book of Common Prayer, which originally began to be used by the Church of England in 1662.

This is a quieter, more reflective service, with a smaller congregation than our main parish communion service, which takes place at 10am.

This is the liturgy we use at St Peter's:

The Parish Church of St Peter, St Albans

The Service of

HOLY COMMUNION

according to the Book of Common Prayer

The Collect for Purity

All: Almighty God,

unto whom all hearts be open,

all desires known, and from whom

no secrets are hid:

Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts

by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit,

that we may perfectly love thee,

and worthily magnify thy holy Name;

through Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Minister reads the Lord’s Summary of the Law:

Our Lord Jesus Christ said:

Hear O Israel, The Lord our God is one Lord;

and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind,

and with all thy strength.

This is the first commandment.

And the second is like, namely this:

Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

There is none other commandment greater than these. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.

All: Lord, have mercy upon us,

and write all these thy laws in our hearts, we beseech thee.

The Collect

The Minister reads the Collect of the Day

The Epistle

The Epistle is written in the ___ Chapter of ___ beginning at verse ___

The Minister reads the Epistle

Minister: Here endeth the Epistle.

The congregation is invited to stand

The Gospel

The holy Gospel is written in the ___ Chapter of ____ beginning at the ___ verse.

All: Glory be to thee, O Lord

The Gospel is read by the Minister

Minister: This is the Gospel of the Lord

All: Praise be to thee, O Christ.

The Creed

All: I believe in one God the Father Almighty,

Maker of heaven and earth,

And of all things visible and invisible:

And in one Lord Jesus Christ,

the only-begotten Son of God, Begotten of his Father before all worlds,

God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God,

Begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father,

by whom all things were made:

Who for us men and for our salvation

came down from heaven,

and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man,

And was crucified also for us

under Pontius Pilate.

He suffered and was buried,

And the third day he rose again

according to the Scriptures,

And ascended into heaven,

And sitteth on the right hand

of the Father.

And he shall come again with glory

to judge both the quick and the dead:

Whose kingdom shall have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and giver of life, Who proceedeth from the Father and the Son,

Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified,

Who spake by the Prophets.

And I believe one catholic

and apostolic Church.

I acknowledge one baptism

for the remission of sins.

And I look for the resurrection

of the dead,

And the life of the world to come. Amen.

A Homily may be offered

The Sentences

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. St. Matthew 5.

The Minister may offer bidding prayers and then says:

Let us pray for the whole state of Christ's Church militant here in earth.

Almighty and everliving God, who by thy holy Apostle hast taught us to make prayers and supplications, and to give thanks, for all men: We humbly beseech thee most mercifully to receive these our prayers, which we offer unto thy Divine Majesty; beseeching thee to inspire

continually the universal Church with the spirit of truth, unity, and concord: And grant, that all they that do confess thy holy Name may agree in the truth of thy holy Word, and live in unity, and godly love.

We beseech thee also to save and defend all Christian Kings, Princes, and Governors; and specially thy servant ELIZABETH our Queen; that under her we may be godly and quietly governed: And grant unto her whole Council, and to all that are put in authority under her, that they may truly and indifferently minister justice, to the punishment of wickedness and vice, and to the maintenance of thy true religion, and virtue.

Give grace, O heavenly Father, to all Bishops and Curates, that they may both by their life and doctrine set forth thy true and lively Word, and rightly and duly administer thy holy Sacraments: And to all thy people give thy heavenly grace; and specially to this

congregation here present; that, with meek heart and due reverence, they may hear, and receive thy holy Word; truly serving thee in holiness and righteousness all the days of their life.

And we most humbly beseech thee of thy goodness, O Lord, to comfort and succour all them, who in this transitory life are in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or any other adversity.

And we also bless thy holy Name for all thy servants departed this life in thy faith and fear; beseeching thee to give us grace so to follow their good examples, that with them we may be partakers of thy heavenly kingdom: Grant this, O Father, for Jesus Christ's sake, our only Mediator and Advocate.

All: Amen.

Ye that do truly and earnestly repent you of your sins, and are in love and charity with your neighbours, and intend to lead a new life, following the commandments of God, and walking from henceforth in his holy ways:

Draw near with faith, and take this holy Sacrament to your comfort; and make your humble confession to

Almighty God, meekly kneeling upon your knees.

The Confession

All: Almighty God,

Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Maker of all things, Judge of all men:

We acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness, which we from time to time most grievously have committed, by thought, word, and deed, against thy Divine Majesty, provoking most justly thy wrath and indignation against us.

We do earnestly repent, and are heartily sorry for these our misdoings;

The remembrance of them

is grievous unto us;

The burden of them is intolerable.

Have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us, most merciful Father;

for thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ's sake, forgive us all that is past; And grant that we may ever hereafter serve and please thee in newness of life,

To the honour and glory of thy Name;

Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Minister says

Absolution

Almighty God, our heavenly Father,

who of his great mercy hath promised forgiveness of sins to all them that with hearty

repentance and true faith turn unto him;

Have mercy upon you; pardon and deliver you from all your sins;

confirm and strengthen you in all goodness;

and bring you to everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

The Comfortable words

Hear what comfortable words our Saviour Christ saith unto all that truly turn to him:

Come unto me all that travail and are heavy

laden, and I will refresh you. St. Matthew 11.28

So God loved the world, that he gave his

only-begotten Son, to the end that all that

believe in him should not perish, but have

everlasting life. St. John 3.16

Hear also what Saint Paul saith:

This is a true saying, and worthy of all men to be received, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. 1St.Timothy 1.15

Hear also what Saint John saith:

If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the propitiation for our sins. 1 St. John 2.1

The Minister says

Lift up your hearts.

All: We lift them up unto the Lord.

Let us give thanks unto our Lord God.

All: It is meet and right so to do.

It is very meet, right, and our bounden duty,

that we should at all times, and in all places,

give thanks unto thee, O Lord, [Holy Father], Almighty, Everlasting God.

The words [Holy Father] are omitted on Trinity Sunday.

***The proper Seasonal Preface (set out at the end of this page to be used if appropriate, following which:***

Therefore with Angels and Archangels,

and with all the company of heaven,

we laud and magnify thy glorious Name;

evermore praising thee, and saying:

All: Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts,

heaven and earth are full of thy glory:

Glory be to thee, O Lord most High. Amen.

The Prayer of Humble Access

All: We do not presume to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord,

trusting in our own righteousness,

but in thy manifold and great mercies.

We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy Table.

But thou art the same Lord,

whose property is always to have mercy:

Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and to drink his blood, that our sinful

bodies may be made clean by his body,

and our souls washed through his most precious blood, and that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us. Amen.

Prayer of Consecration

Almighty God, our heavenly Father,

who of thy tender mercy didst give thine only Son Jesus Christ to suffer death upon the Cross for our redemption;

who made there by his one oblation of himself once offered a full, perfect, and sufficient

sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction,

for the sins of the whole world;

and did institute, and in his holy Gospel

command us to continue, a perpetual memory of that his precious death, until his coming again:

Hear us, O merciful Father,

we most humbly beseech thee;

and grant that we receiving these thy creatures of bread and wine, according to thy Son

our Saviour Jesus Christ's holy institution,

in remembrance of his death and passion,

may be partakers of his most

blessed Body and Blood:

who, in the same night that he was betrayed, took Bread;

and, when he had given thanks, he brake it,

and gave it to his disciples, saying,

Take, eat; this is my Body which is given for you:

Do this in remembrance of me.

Likewise after supper he took the Cup; and, when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying,

Drink ye all of this;

for this is my Blood of the New Testament,

which is shed for you and for many for

the remission of sins:

Do this, as oft as ye shall drink it, in remembrance of me.

All: Amen.

The administration of Communion

After Communion

The Minister leads:

The Lord’s Prayer

All: Our Father, who art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy Name,

Thy kingdom come,

Thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread;

And forgive us our trespasses,

As we forgive those who trespass

against us;

And lead us not into temptation,

But deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,

the power, and the glory,

For ever and ever. Amen.

Prayer after Communion

Almighty and everliving God,

we most heartily thank thee, for that thou dost vouchsafe to feed us,

who have duly received these holy mysteries, with the spiritual food of the most precious Body and Blood of thy Son

our Saviour Jesus Christ;

and dost assure us thereby of thy favour and goodness towards us;

and that we are very members incorporate

in the mystical body of thy Son,

which is the blessed company

of all faithful people;

and are also heirs through hope of thy everlasting kingdom, by the merits of the most precious death and passion of thy dear Son.

And we most humbly beseech thee,

O heavenly Father,

so to assist us with thy grace,

that we may continue in that holy fellowship,

and do all such good works

as thou hast prepared for us to walk in;

through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom,

with thee and the Holy Ghost,

be all honour and glory, world without end.

All: Amen.

The Gloria (Not said during Advent and Lent)

All: GLORY be to God on high,

and in earth peace, good will towards men.

We praise thee, we bless thee,

we worship thee, we glorify thee,

we give thanks to thee for thy great glory,

O Lord God, heavenly King,

God the Father Almighty.

O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesu Christ;

O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, that takest away the sins of the world,

have mercy upon us.

Thou that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.

Thou that takest away the sins of the world,

receive our prayer.

Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us.

For thou only art holy; thou only art the Lord;

thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost, art most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

The Blessing

The Minister says this or an alternative blessing:

The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord;

and the blessing of God Almighty,

the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost

be amongst you and remain with you always.

All: Amen

Proper Seasonal Prefaces

Upon Christmas Day, and seven days after.

Because thou didst give Jesus Christ thine only Son to be born as at this time for us; who, by the operation of the Holy Ghost, was made very man of the substance of the Virgin Mary his mother; and that without spot of sin, to make us clean from all sin.