¶ The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper shall be administered in every Congregation four times a year, and preferably more often.
Having taken his place at the Lord’s Table, the Congregation standing, the Minister shall say:
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dearly Beloved in the Lord: Our blessed Savior, Jesus Christ, instituted the Holy Communion of his Body and Blood, that it might be the abiding memorial of his atoning death; the seal of his perpetual presence in the Church through the Holy Spirit; the mystical representation of the sacrifice of himself on the cross; the pledge of his undying love for his people; and the bond of his living union and fellowship with them to the end of time.
The celebration of the Lord’s Supper has ever been regarded by the Church as the innermost sanctuary of the whole Christian worship. We have to do here not with signs merely, but with the realities which these signs represent. The Lord’s Table, therefore, can be rightly approached only by those who are of a devout, repentant, and believing mind.
We cordially invite to partake of this Sacrament all who are truly grieved and penitent for their sins, who look to the Lord Jesus Christ for righteousness and salvation, who abide in the fellowship of his Church, and who desire to possess his Spirit and walk in his ways.
To all such the compassionate Redeemer himself says: Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Ye, then, who have earnestly searched your own hearts and desire to forsake all sin and follow after Christian holiness, approach with me now to the throne of grace, and make your humble confession to Almighty God.
¶ The Minister and Congregation shall say:
Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all things, Judge of all men: We acknowledge and confess our manifold sins, which we from time to time have committed, by thought, word, and deed, against thy Divine Majesty. We do earnestly repent, and are heartily sorry for these our misdoings; the remembrance of them is grievous unto us. Have mercy upon us, most merciful Father; for the sake of thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, forgive all our sins; and grant that we may ever hereafter serve and please thee in newness of life, to the honor and glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Or:
Almighty God, Merciful Father: I, a poor sinner, acknowledge and confess my manifold sins, which I from time to time have committed, by thought, word, and deed, against thy Divine Majesty. I do earnestly repent, and am heartily sorry for these my misdoings; the remembrance of them is grievous unto me. I have no other comfort or hope than thy grace which aboundeth above my guilt, and the precious merits of my Lord Jesus Christ. Longing after this grace, I say: Father, I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy child. Grant unto me pardon and peace, and strength to lead a new and righteous life, by the power of thy Holy Spirit; through the same Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
¶ Then shall be sung or said the Kyrie:
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
¶ The Minister shall say:
Upon this humble confession which you have made, and by the authority of the Word of God, as a Minister of the Lord Jesus Christ, I declare unto you, who do truly repent and heartily believe in Jesus Christ, and are sincerely determined to amend your sinful life, the forgiveness of all your sins; in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Or:
Hearken now unto the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the Gospel to all that repent and believe: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Amen.
¶ Then the Introit of the Day may be used.
Minister: O Lord, open thou my lips.
Congregation: And my mouth shall show forth thy praise.
¶ Then shall be sung the Gloria in Excelsis or a Hymn of Praise:
Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace, good will toward 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, Jesus Christ; O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us. Thou that takest away the sin 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.
Minister: Let us pray.
¶ The Minister shall say the Collect for the Day.
¶ The Minister shall read the Epistle for the Day. Then the Gloria Tibi may be sung.
¶ The Minister shall read the Gospel for the Day. Then the Laus Tibi may be sung.
¶ The Congregation may sing a Hymn or a Canticle.
¶ The Congregation standing, the Apostles’ Creed or the Nicene Creed shall be said:
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth: And in Jesus Christ his only begotten Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell;* the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the Holy Catholic Church;** the Communion of Saints; the Forgiveness of sins; the Resurrection of the body; and the Life everlasting. Amen.
Or:
We 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 we 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 we believe in one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. We acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins: and we look for the Resurrection of the dead: and the Life of the world to come. Amen.
*Hades may be used.
**One Holy Universal Christian Church may be used.
¶ The Sermon, Hymn, and Offering may take place according to the accustomed order. An Anthem may be sung.
¶ Then, the vessels containing bread and wine having been made ready, and the Congregation standing, the Service shall proceed as follows:
Minister: The Lord be with you.
Congregation: And with thy spirit.
Minister: Lift up your hearts.
Congregation: We lift them up unto the Lord.
Minister: Let us give thanks unto the Lord our God.
Congregation: It is meet and right so to do.
¶ The Minister, proceeding, shall say:
It is very meet, right, and our bounden duty, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks unto thee, O Holy Lord, Father Almighty, Everlasting God, who didst create the heavens and the earth and all that in them is, who didst make man in thine own image, and whose tender mercies are over all thy works.
For all thy mercies and favors, known to us and unknown, we give thee thanks. But most of all we praise thee, the Father everlasting, for the gift of thine adorable, true, and only Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, who by his appearing hath abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel. We bless thee for his holy incarnation; for his life on earth; for his precious sufferings and death upon the cross; for his resurrection from the dead; and for his glorious ascension to thy right hand. We bless thee for the giving of the Holy Spirit; for the institution of the Church; for the means of grace; for the hope of everlasting life; and for the glory which shall be brought unto us at the coming, and in the kingdom, of thy dear Son.
Thee, mighty God, heavenly King, we magnify and praise. With patriarchs and prophets, apostles and martyrs; with the Holy Church throughout all the world; with the heavenly Jerusalem, the joyful assembly and congregation of the firstborn on high; with the innumerable company of angels round about thy throne, the heaven of heavens, and all the powers therein; we worship and adore thy glorious Name, joining in the song of the Cherubim and Seraphim:
¶ Here the Minister and Congregation shall say or sing the Seraphic Hymn or the Sanctus:
Seraphic Hymn
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabaoth,
Heaven and earth are full of the majesty of thy glory;
Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord;
Hosanna in the highest!
Sanctus
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts,
Heaven and earth are full of thy glory;
Glory be to thee, O Lord Most High.
¶ The Minister shall continue:
The Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread; (Here the Minister shall take the bread into his hands) and when he had given thanks, he brake it, (Here the Minister shall break the bread) and said, Take, eat; this is my Body which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also, he took the cup, (Here the Minister shall take the cup into his hands) when he had supped, saying, This cup is the New Testament in my Blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
Wherefore, we beseech thee, O merciful Father, to send thy Holy Spirit upon us, and upon these elements of bread and wine, that the bread which we break may be to us the Communion of the Body of Christ, and the cup of blessing which we bless, the Communion of the Blood of Christ. And be pleased now, O most merciful Father, graciously to receive this memorial of the blessed sacrifice of thy Son which we here offer unto thee, in union with the sacrifice of our thanksgiving and praise, consecrating ourselves in soul and body, property and life, to thy most blessed service. Look upon us through the mediation of our great High Priest. Make us accepted in the Beloved; and let his Name be as a pure and holy incense, through which all our worship may come up before thee, a sacrifice acceptable and well pleasing in thy sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee, and the Holy Spirit, be all honor and glory, world without end. Amen.
¶ Then may be said any or all of the following prayers:
O God, the Creator and Preserver of all mankind, we humbly beseech thee for all sorts and conditions of men; that thou wouldest be pleased to make thy ways known unto them, and to grant them life everlasting; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Remember in mercy thy Church militant throughout the whole earth. Let her ministers be clothed with righteousness, and her priests with salvation. Build up her desolations; restore her disorders; heal her divisions, and grant unto her prosperity, safety, unity, and peace. Amen.
We commend unto thee this particular church and congregation, pastor and people; beseeching thee to accept their piety and faith, and to increase toward them thy heavenly grace, so that they abound more and more in knowledge and love, unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
We pray for the rulers in all lands, and for the people committed to their charge. Look with favor upon thy servants, the President of the United States, the Governor of this Commonwealth, and all others in authority; and so enrich them with wisdom and grace, that under their government we may lead quiet and peaceable lives, in all godliness and honesty; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Send forth thy light and thy truth unto the ends of the earth; cause the glorious gospel of thy grace to be proclaimed among all nations; and powerfully incline the hearts of men everywhere, that they may hear and obey the joyful sound. Amen.
¶ Here special intercessions may be made.
Regard in tender compassion those among thy people who are called to suffer heavy affliction, or sore temptation and trial of any kind; and be thou graciously nigh unto them with thy divine help, according to all their need. Amen.
Especially do we commend unto thee those departing this life. Let the arms of thy love be round about them in their last hour; enable them joyfully to commit their spirits into thy hands, and so receive them to thy rest. Amen.
O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named; we rejoice before thee in the blessed communion of all thy saints, wherein thou givest us also to have part. We praise thee for the holy fellowship of patriarchs and prophets, apostles and martyrs, and the whole glorious company of the redeemed of all ages, who have died in the Lord, and now live with him forevermore. We give thanks unto thee for thy grace and gifts bestowed on those who have thus gone before us in the way of salvation, and by whom we are now compassed about in our Christian course, as a cloud of witnesses looking down upon us from the heavenly world. Enable us to follow their faith, that we may enter at death into their joy; and so abide with them in rest and peace, till both they and we shall reach our common consummation of redemption and bliss in the glorious resurrection of the last day. Amen.
¶ Minister and Congregation:
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 debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
¶ The Agnus Dei may be sung or said:
Minister: O Christ, thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world,
Congregation: Have mercy upon us.
Minister: O Christ, thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world,
Congregation: Have mercy upon us.
Minister: O Christ, thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world,
Congregation: Grant us thy peace. Amen.
¶ Then the Minister may say:
The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
¶ Here the Holy Communion shall take place. The Communicants shall present themselves before the Lord’s Table. The officiating Minister shall first receive the Communion in both kinds, and administer the same to his Assistants, and he shall then proceed with their help to administer it to the Communicants. But if the Communicants remain in the pews, the following order shall be observed: The Minister shall first receive the Communion in both kinds, and administer the same to his Assistants. Then he shall give the Bread to his Assistants, who shall administer it to the People. When all have received the Bread, the Assistants shall return to the Table, and the Minister shall, in like manner, deliver the Cup to them.
¶ When all have communicated, the Minister shall pronounce the Blessing, and the Assistants shall return to the Table, after which the Service shall proceed according to the prescribed order.
¶ The Minister, giving the Bread, shall say:
Take and eat: This is the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was broken for you. Do this in remembrance of him.
Or:
The Bread which we break, is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ?
¶ The Minister, giving the Cup, shall say:
Take and drink: This Cup is the New Testament in the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was shed for you for the remission of sins. Do this in remembrance of him.
Or:
The Cup of Blessing which we bless, is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ?
¶ After the People have communicated, the Minister shall say:
May the Holy Communion of the Body and Blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ keep and preserve you, each one, in body, soul, and spirit, unto everlasting life. Amen. Depart in peace.
Or:
May the Holy Communion strengthen and preserve you unto everlasting life. Be it unto you according to your faith. Amen. Depart in peace.
¶ When all have communicated, the elements shall be placed upon the Lord’s Table, and covered with a fair linen cloth.
¶ Then, the Congregation standing, the Minister shall say:
Let us give thanks.
Almighty and everlasting God, we give thee most hearty thanks for the great goodness thou hast shown toward us at this time in vouchsafing to feed us, through these holy mysteries, with the spiritual food of the most precious Body and Blood of thy Son our Savior Jesus Christ; assuring us thereby, that we are very members incorporate in the mystical Body of thy Son, and heirs through hope of thine everlasting kingdom. 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 shall please thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom with thee and the Holy Spirit, be all honor and glory, world without end. Amen.
¶ A Doxology or the Nunc Dimittis or the Te Deum shall be sung; or said by Minister and Congregation alternating:
Nunc Dimittis
Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy Word.
For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
To be a light to lighten the Gentiles, and to be the glory of thy people Israel.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Te Deum Laudamus
We praise thee, O God; we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.
All the earth doth worship thee, the Father everlasting.
To thee all angels cry aloud; the heavens and all the powers therein;
To thee cherubim and seraphim continually do cry,
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabaoth;
Heaven and earth are full of the majesty of thy glory.
The glorious company of the apostles praise thee.
The goodly fellowship of the prophets praise thee.
The noble army of martyrs praise thee.
The Holy Church, throughout all the world, doth acknowledge thee;
The Father, of an infinite majesty;
Thine adorable, true, and only Son;
Also the Holy Ghost, the Comforter.
Thou art the King of Glory, O Christ.
Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.
When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man, thou didst humble thyself to be born of a Virgin.
When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death, thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
Thou sittest at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father.
We believe that thou shalt come to be our judge.
We therefore pray thee, help thy servants, whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.
Make them to be numbered with thy saints, in glory everlasting.
O Lord, save thy people, and bless thine heritage.
Govern them, and lift them up forever.
Day by day we magnify thee;
And we worship thy Name ever, world without end.
Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this day without sin.
O Lord, have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us.
O Lord, let thy mercy be upon us, as our trust is in thee.
O Lord, in thee have I trusted; let me never be confounded.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen.
Or:
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 Spirit, be amongst you and remain with you always. Amen.