Second edition 1997

© Liturgical Commission of the Catholic Diocese of the Old Catholics in Germany 1995

The present publication is the official altar book of the Old Catholic diocese in Germany; this church has been in full communion with the Anglican Communion since the 1931 Bonn Agreement. It is therefore fitting that the book which is used in the parishes of this diocese – and in many a Roman Catholic or Lutheran parish in Germany, in convents, and in Old Catholic parishes in other countries – should be made available in an English version to bishops, liturgists, and other interested people in the Anglican Communion and beyond.

The aim of this English version is to allow those who are interested and unable to use the original German book a look into the heart of this part of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. The original intention had been to present a form which would lend itself to being instantly used in a liturgical setting. For reasons quite beyond the justification of anyone involved in this endeavour, a thorough revision of the draft translation has proved not to be possible without a delay which would be intolerable. It is for this motive that this present version is made available.

The texts do not exactly correspond to a Cranmerian style. This is not only due to the virtual impossibility to revise them, as outlined above, but also in order to offer a glimpse into the spirituality and thinking at present alive in this church. It may serve as an invitation to receive some inspiration when it comes to the contents of a particular day or season. This is also the reason why, although the entire book has been copyrighted by the Liturgical Commission, permission has been given freely and officially to use the texts contained in this publication as a resource. After all, official liturgical texts are not the property of any one body or church, let alone any individual, but the vehicle for the entire people of God to worship God. If anyone desires to use a text from this collection, the Liturgical Commission appreciates a reference to the altar book of this diocese, but does not restrict the use otherwise or will make it dependent upon prior inquiry and approval. It is satisfied if any one text should indeed serve its purpose of bringing the voice of the people of God to the One whom to worship is our primary task and glory.

As should be the normal case among sister churches, some Anglican churches, in particular The Anglican Church of Canada, have graciously given permission to use some of their texts in a German translation for being included among the prayers contained in the German altar book. In case an English text has been used as a source in its entirety, the original place has been indicated; in most instances, the original English version appears here, too. In other cases, the version presented here is an English rendering of what the Liturgical Commission has made of the original text. Those reading and using the English version should therefore always consult their Anglican sources for a particular text, should it look even remotely familiar. In case the English version (at least literally) corresponds to the Anglican source, the copyright is still held by the respective authority, and the text re-translated into English is in this case not in the public domain.

A history of the origins of this book and a broad interpretation of its contents can be found in an article by Thaddeus A. Schnitker, "Die Feier der Eucharistie: Das neue alt-katholische Eucharistiebuch", in Liturgisches Jahrbuch, 45 (1995), 238-249.

Inquiries, comments or any correspondence about this book may be addressed to The Chaplain to the Bishop, Catholic Diocese of the Old Catholics in Germany, Gregor-Mendel-Strasse 28, 53115 Bonn, Germany.

God, our Father, whatever we are and have comes from you. Accept our prayers and gifts as signs that we are yours through Christ, our Lord.

Living and life-giving God, you have again fed us at the table of your Son. May we, in the power of this food, go to meet your Son who will lead us to you, Jesus Christ, our brother and Lord.

Good God, we bring our gifts and pray: come and help us in our helplessness and limits through Christ, our Lord.

Father, we thank you for your word and for the meal which me received. Teach us who joined in this celebration to see the world with your eyes and to love what remains more than what passes away

through Christ, our Lord.

God, our Father, it is through your mercy that we have become a new creation in Christ. Do not turn your eyes from us. Heal all the wounds of our guilt by the coming of your Son, who in the unity of the Holy Spirit lives and works with you now and for ever.

Gracious God, may your grace precede our efforts and follow our works, that we may obtain help for our lives and with great desire expect the coming of your Son, who in the unity of the Holy Spirit lives and works with you now and for ever.

God of light, let your glory shine in our hearts and take the shadows of death of our sins away, that we may be revealed as children of light when your Son comes, who in the unity of the Holy Spirit lives and works with you now and for ever.

God of our lives, we come before you with prayers and gifts. Whatever we have comes from you. We ask you to call us to your table in the coming kingdom of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

God, our Father, you have given us new strength by your word and the bread of life. Lead us through this dark age and turn our eyes to the coming of your Son, Jesus Christ, our brother and Lord.

God, giver of all good things, we bring these gifts before you as your Son has commanded us. Give to all the world the salvation which you have promised through Christ, our Lord.

God of mercy, we have experienced in this holy meal how good you are to us. You free us from all guilt. Approaching the coming feast with much joy we thank and praise you through Christ, our Lord.

God, our Father in heaven, what we bring is your gift. Accept these gifts and bless them. We praise you through Christ, our Lord.

God, source of all joy, we thank you for having given us, in this meal, a share in your life now already. Make us expect the coming of your Son in joy and be the more eager in your service the more the feast of his birth is at hand, of Christ, our Lord.

O Father, you alone are God. In Jesus Christ, your Son you come to us helpless and yet, you are stronger than all powers of this world. We ask you in these days: Strengthen us by your Word and Sacrament until he comes again, your Son Jesus Christ, who in the unity of the Holy Spirit lives and works with you now and for ever.

Father in heaven, we pray: In these days prepare our hearts to be a home for your Son that we may receive him with us and praise and magnify you in joy through him who with you and the Holy Spirit lives among us now and for ever.

God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, in joy and thanksgiving we offer our gifts and pray: Let us grow into the likeness of your Son whom you have given us, Christ, our Lord.

God, close to us, we rejoice over the birth of our Saviour. Grant that we follow him in all the ways of our lives und come to your eternal joy through him, Christ, our Lord.

God of peace, fill these gifts of the earth with your blessing. Unite us in this holy meal with your Son and grant us your loving-kindness through him, Christ, our Lord.

Merciful God, we give you thanks. As you have given us your Son and united us with him in this meal, so preserve our joy and our gratitude through him, Christ, our Lord.

Collect BAS *

God, you wonderfully created us in your image and likeness and yet more wonderfully restored us. May we share the divine life of your Son who humbled himself to share our humanity. This we ask you, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and gives life now and for ever.

Good God, accept our prayers and offers and this whole world with its weal and woe for which, out of love, you gave your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

God, our Father in heaven, we thank you that you have made us glad by the birth of your Son and nourished us in this meal. Yours is the glory for ever.

First Sunday after Christmas (Sunday in the Octave)

God, our Father, your Son has become like us in every respect and shown us the way of life. Make us share his mind and pass on his mercy and loving-kindness. We ask you this through him, Jesus Christ, our Lord and brother, who in the unity of the Holy Spirit lives and works with you now and for ever.

Octave Day of Christmas (1 January)

God and creator, you care for the work of your hands and meet us in Jesus Christ, our brother, who brings your salvation to the poor, release to the captives and joy to those who mourn. Open us, we ask you, to the mystery of his birth, give us faith and bless our lives, so that the world may know what you began among us in Jesus Christ, your Son, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and gives life now and for ever.

Second Sunday after Christmas

God of light, you illumine all who believe in you. Reveal yourself to us that we may know you and turn our hearts to you. This we ask you through Jesus Christ, our Lord and brother, who in the unity of the Holy Spirit lives and works with you now and for ever.

God, source of all life, you made your Son take our flesh that he may set the world free from the powers of evil. Give us a share, we ask you, in the freedom of your children through Jesus Christ, your Son and our brother, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives among us now and for ever.

Our God, you sanctify the world by the incarnation of your Son. Accept our gifts and make us perceive what you have prepared for those who love you, through Christ, our Lord.

God and Father, rejoicing over the birth of our Saviour we have celebrated his meal. For his sake give us the power to offer you our whole life through him, Christ, our Lord.

Father of all light, like the wise men we bring our worship and our gifts to you. Accept us, with all we are and have, by him who appeared today, Christ, our Lord.

We thank you, great God, for the gifts of your love. Illumine, we pray, all the ways of our lives with your light which has shone on us in Christ, our Lord.

God, our Father, you show yourself to all who seek you. Give us an experience of the life of your Son in the fellowship and communion of this bread and this cup until you gather us into your kingdom through him, Christ, our Lord.

God of never-ending love, we thank you for the bread of life and the cup of salvation. Strengthen us by this meal on our way to you through Christ, our Lord.

God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, accept our gifts and grant us your Holy Spirit who came down on Jesus at his baptism. We ask this through him, Christ, our Lord.

Proper Preface

Good God, you have given us your word, the bread of life and the cup of salvation. Help us to listen to your Son that we may not only be called your children but are in truth through him, Christ, our Lord. we thank you for the bread of life and the cup of salvation. Strengthen us by this meal on our way to you through Christ, our Lord.

God, our creator, this bread and this wine are tokens of our love to you. Accept them through Christ, our Lord.

Merciful God, your Son has commanded us this celebration as a memorial to him. Preserve in us the longing for this meal and make us live from it, until you bring the world and times to fulfilment through Christ, our Lord.

God of life, the gifts which we have prepared are tokens of our dedication to you. As bread and wine are sanctified in the power of the Spirit, so sanctify us also according to the image of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Proper Preface

Good God, we thank you for your life-giving Word and for the fellowship with your Son. Make us one of heart and soul by your Spirit, and lead us, in the strength of this food, to the marriage banquet of eternal life through Christ, our Lord.

God and Father, the bread and the wine on this altar are tokens of our dedication. Be in our midst when we celebrate the meal of your Son until he comes again, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

God, giver of all good gifts, in the bread which we broke, and in the cup which we shared, you have given us a sign of your coming kingdom. May the gift which we have received bear fruit in our lives through Christ, our Lord.

Faithful God, we begin this period of remembrance and of preparation for Easter, putting our trust in you. We ask you: Be with us and lead us in these forty days, that we turn to you, listen to your word and serve you in our fellow humans through your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord and brother, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives in our midst, now and for ever.

God of mercy and forgiveness, do not leave us in these days of penitence. Assist us with you healing Spirit, that with ready hearts we may walk on the way which your Son has shown us, Jesus Christ, who in the unity of the Holy Spirit lives and works with you now and for ever.

Christ is our saviour and intercedes for us with the Father. Let us pray to him that he may forgive our sins and cleanse us from all that is wrong.

You have been sent to bring the good news to the poor and to lift up those who are bowed down. Christ, hear us.

Christ, graciously hear us.

You have come to call sinners, not the just. Christ, hear us.

Christ, graciously hear us.

You have forgiven the sins of the sinful woman because she has shown great love to you. Christ, hear us.

Christ, graciously hear us.

You did not refrain from sharing with tax collectors and sinners. Christ, hear us.

Christ, graciously hear us.

You carried back the lost sheep to the flock on your shoulders. Christ, hear us.

Christ, graciously hear us.

You did not judge the woman caught in adultery, but made her go her way in peace. Christ, hear us.

Christ, graciously hear us.

You called Zacchaeus the tax collector to penitence and to new life. Christ, hear us.

Christ, graciously hear us.

You promised Paradise to the penitent criminal when you hung on the cross. Christ, hear us.

Christ, graciously hear us.

Litany of Penitence, I (BAS *)

Most holy and merciful Father, we confess to you, to one another, and to the whole communion of saints in heaven and on earth, that we have sinned by our own fault in thought, word, and deed; by what we have done, and by what we have left undone.

Reader:

We have not loved you with our whole heart, and mind, and strength. We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves. We have not forgiven others, as we have been forgiven. Have mercy on us sinners, O God.

Have mercy on us sinners, O God.

We have been deaf to your call to serve as Christ served us. We have not been true to the mind of Christ. We have grieved your Holy Spirit. Have mercy on us sinners, O God.

Have mercy on us sinners, O God.

We confess to you, O God, all our unfaithfulness: the pride, hypocrisy, and impatience of our lives. Have mercy on us sinners, O God.

Have mercy on us sinners, O God.

We confess to you our self-indulgent appetites and ways, and our exploitation of other people. Have mercy on us sinners, O God.

Have mercy on us sinners, O God.

We confess to you our anger at our own frustration, and our envy of those more fortunate than ourselves. Have mercy on us sinners, O God.

Have mercy on us sinners, O God.

We confess to you our intemperate love of worldly goods and comforts, and our dishonesty in daily life and work. Have mercy on us sinners, O God.

Have mercy on us sinners, O God.

We confess to you our negligence in prayer and worship, and our failure to commend the faith that is in us. Have mercy on us sinners, O God.

Have mercy on us sinners, O God.

Accept our repentance for the wrong we have done; for our blindness to human need and suffering, and our indifference to injustice and cruelty. Have mercy on us sinners, O God.

Have mercy on us sinners, O God.

Accept our repentance for all false judgements, for uncharitable thoughts towards our neighbours and for our prejudice and contempt toward those who differ from us. Have mercy on us sinners, O God.

Have mercy on us sinners, O God.

Accept our repentance for our waste and pollution of your creation, and our lack of concern for those who come after us. Have mercy on us sinners, O God.

Have mercy on us sinners, O God.

Restore us, O God of mercy. Have mercy on us sinners, O God.

Have mercy on us sinners, O God.

God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, you are close to the lowly and rejoice over all who turn around. Incline your ears to our prayers and bless all who will carry the sign of + these ashes. Help us to spend the forty days of penitence in the mind of Jesus Christ. Forgive us our sins, renew us in the image of your Son and grant us life eternal through his resurrection. We ask this through Christ, our Lord.

Amen.

The ashes are sprinkled with holy water. Then the priest applies the ashes to all who come forward, speaking to each:

Repent, and believe in the good news. (Cf. Mk 1.15)

Remember that you are dust,

and to dust you shall return. (Cf. Gen 3.19)

God, look upon these gifts, signs of our readiness to turn around. Give us love toward each other without which we cannot exist before you. We ask this through Christ, our Lord.

God, our salvation, give us an ever deeper experience of what this meal means for our lives, and let the forty days until Easter become for us an acceptable time through Christ, our Lord.

We thank you, our God, for all that you have entrusted to us. Bless these gifts and grant us to serve our sisters and brothers in the power of your love through Christ, our Lord.

God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, in Jesus you have given us the bread that gives life to the world. We thank you for it and ask: Repel self-indulgence and lack of love from our midst and lead us by your love to eternal salvation in him, Christ, our Lord.

Gracious God, for the sake of your Son you forgive the sinners their sins and grant the just their reward. We acknowledge our failure; have pity on us in our weakness and forgive us what we have done wrong. We ask this through him, Jesus Christ, your Son and our brother, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives in our midst now and for ever.

Or:

Lord Jesus Christ, you resisted temptation. Forgive us when we are weak, and send us your Spirit that we may know and overcome what separates us from you, who with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit are with us all the days and for ever.

Good Father and eternal God, you have gathered us at the table of your Son and strengthened us with your gifts. Grant us as everlasting salvation what we have celebrated under this hidden sign, the fellowship in your Spirit with Christ, who is praised now and for ever.

Blessed are you, Lord, creator of the world. Yours is all that we are and have. Accept these signs of our thanks to your honour through Christ, our Lord.

God of light and life, you have given us a share in the glory of your Son. We thank you that we may experience now already what you have prepared for us in the life eternal through Christ, our Lord.

Lord Jesus Christ, you gave your life to death. But we want to stick to our lives and keep them. We ask you: Take us with you on your way that we may find the true life with you. To you be glory for ever.

God, our Father, you have strengthened us at the table of your Son with the word and the bread of life. You have given us a share in his life and in his glory. We thank you and ask: Be with us with your Spirit, and strengthen our hope in the eternal fulfilment with you through Christ, our Lord.

We ask you, O God, to look on our gifts, signs of our devotion. Accept them and give us strength to care for each other in love through Christ, our Lord.

God, Father of the poor and needy, you have strengthened us with the bread of life and the cup of salvation. You want to be with us on all our ways through this time. We thank and praise you through Christ, our Lord.

Lord Jesus Christ, you gave your life for the life of the world. Make us partakers of your mystery that only whose life is given will find life. To you be blessing, praise and glory now and for ever.

God, our Father, as you have given us your word and the bread of life, we thank you for your goodness and pray: be with us throughout these forty days of preparation and help us to live from the gospel through Christ, our Lord.

God, friend of life, we offer you our gifts in joyful expectation of Easter. Grant that this joy may become visible also in our lives through Christ, our Lord.

We thank you, God, our salvation, for this food and for your word, the true light enlightening every human being. Heal the blindness of our hearts that we may know what is right before you, and sincerely love you through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Lord Jesus Christ, you gather your church on earth and have the word of reconciliation proclaimed in it. Send us your Spirit that we may receive the good news in our hearts and live together as children of our Father in heaven. To you be glory for ever.

Good God, your word which we heard and the meal which we celebrated render your mighty acts alive in our midst. We thank you and we ask you to complete what you have begun in us through Christ, our brother and Lord.

God, giver of all good gifts, we offer you bread and wine, the signs of your goodness with which you feed us. We thank and praise you through Christ, our Lord.

Great God, in the celebration of the eucharist you give us communion with you and with each other. Make us living members of the body of your Son who has become one with us in this meal, Christ, our Lord.

Lord Jesus Christ, you gave your life for the life of the world. Make us partakers of your mystery that only whose life is given will find life. To you be blessing, praise and glory now and for ever.

Lord Jesus Christ, you have strengthened us with your word and sacrament. Let your power be strong in us that we may serve you and each other in joy and patience, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit live and work now and for ever.

Opening acclamation

Liturgical Greeting

Prayer over the Congregation and the Branches

God, our Father, we confess our adherence to Jesus, your Son, our only Lord. Bless us and these branches with which we intend to show that we belong to Jesus, and make us ready to follow him with our cross in steadfast faithfulness, today and all days of our lives until the end of eternity.

Gospel of the Entrance of Jesus

Procession

At the procession and the entrance, the traditional anthem Gloria, laus et honor is sung.

God, great and incomprehensible, in obedience to your will your Son, our redeemer, took our flesh. He humbled himself and accepted the shame of the cross. Give us the strength to follow him on the way of passion that we may get a share in his resurrection. We ask this through Jesus Christ, your Son, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and gives life for ever and ever.

God of mercy, through the passion of your Son you grant us the forgiveness which we do not deserve for our deeds. Accept these gifts as signs of our trust in your mercy through Christ, our Lord.

God of heaven and earth, you have strengthened your congregation with your word and sacrament. We ask you: let your power be strong in us that we worthily serve you in our lives and bear fruit in patience. To you be glory for ever.

Lord Jesus Christ, many people acclaimed you when you entered Jerusalem and yet abandoned you afterwards. We ask you: make us stay with you and confess that we are yours when there is protest and temptation. To you be glory for ever.

Holy God, in this meal we have celebrated the memorial of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. Strengthen us through the power of this food in our anxieties and temptations, and lead us through the death to the life that remains, through Christ, our Lord.

Today especially, the Gloria in excelsis should be sung with its full text and not substituted by a paraphrase.

At the washing of the feet, Ubi caritas may be sung.

God of mercy and consolation, on the evening before he suffered your dear Son instituted the meal of his love as the symbol of the new and everlasting covenant with you. Give us the fullness of your compassion and love, and make us extend it to the sisters and brothers through your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord and brother, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives in our midst, now and for ever.

Great God, our Father, we share the bread and receive the body of Jesus Christ, your Son. Make us live in love and peace from its power, for we are his body in this world. To you be glory for ever.

Good Father, on this day your Son gave us an example of his serving love. Let our gifts be a sign of our readiness to accept each other as you have accepted us in Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord and brother.

We thank you, good God, that today we have been strengthened for our own way in the supper of your Son. Continue to gather us for the fellowship with him, until, at the heavenly supper of eternal life, we praise and magnify you for ever.

The passion may be read with several roles. It may be interrupted at suitable places by verses of the hymn O sacred head, sore wounded.

God, our Father, you did not abandon us to the power of darkness but in your mercy redeemed us. Protect, free and sanctify us by your Son who suffered and died for us and whom you drew out of death, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who in the unity of the Holy Sprit lives and works now and for ever.

Lord Jesus Christ, grain of wheat falling into the earth and dying that we might have life, we call upon you.

For all who call themselves Christians, after you, for the churches in their divisions and separation, and for their work for fellowship and unity; for all men and women to whom a special ministry has been given; for our diocese and our parishes.

Draw us all to you. Help us to live according to your gospel and to be one in you.

Let us pray to the Lord.

[Lord, have mercy; or Kyrie, eleison]

For the peoples of this earth and their governments, for the Council of Europe, the United Nations and all parliaments, for the authorities in politics, economy and society, for all suffering from war and the consequences of war, for the persecuted and all who live in lack of freedom and in oppression.

Grant to the peoples the spirit of reconciliation and guide their feet into the way of justice and peace.

Let us pray to the Lord.

[Lord, have mercy; or Kyrie, eleison]

For all who have lost their faith, and for all who do not find faith because we are in their way of seeing you.

Make the light of your gospel shine, and make us faithful witnesses of your salvation.

Let us pray to the Lord.

[Lord, have mercy; or Kyrie, eleison]

For the young people in our parish, in the churches and in the world.

Give them confidence. Let us shape our society in a way that they may grow into a world and a church which enable them to have life and a future.

Let us pray to the Lord.

[Lord, have mercy; or Kyrie, eleison]

For all who are in the shadow side of life: for the handicapped and sick, for the elderly and lonely, for the single parents and for the children without families, for the unemployed and for all who are disregarded, marginalised or excluded by us.

Be close to them and lead people to them who have open ears and hearts for their needs.

Let us pray to the Lord.

[Lord, have mercy; or Kyrie, eleison]

For all who do no longer see a road, for the desperate and helpless, for all who have been disappointed, exploited and betrayed by people, who have fled into stubbornness of heart or addiction, who have become caught in guilt, who see themselves abandoned by God.

Take them into your cry on the cross and give them a share in your new life.

Let us pray to the Lord.

[Lord, have mercy; or Kyrie, eleison]

For all who suffer from injustice, for the hungry and exploited people who by the work of their hands and with the fruits of their fields must create our abundance; and for ourselves being prisoners of our thoughtlessness and our claims.

Help us to respect the dignity of humans and their right to live and to share the gifts of the earth with each other.

Let us pray to the Lord.

[Lord, have mercy; or Kyrie, eleison]

For the whole creation groaning in labour pains and hoping for redemption; for all who care for its integrity and for all who suffer from its destruction.

Help us to experience that we are stewards only and that your good gift belongs to all, to the children and the children's children everywhere in the world.

Let us pray to the Lord.

[Lord, have mercy; or Kyrie, eleison]

For the dying and the dead, for all who have given us life and faith, for all in whose death we share in guilt by indifference, hardness of heart and our way of life.

Lead them through your death to unending life.

Let us pray to the Lord.

[Lord, have mercy; or Kyrie, eleison]

Lord Jesus Christ, the Father did not leave you in death. He raised you and exalted you to this right hand. Intercede for us and stay with us on all our ways. To you be glory and honour and praise now and for ever.

Instead of the silence for prayer between the intention and the collect, a sung acclamation may be the answer, e.g. a triple Lord, have mercy or Kyrie, eleison.

Let us pray, brothers and sisters, for the holy Church of God, that our Lord and God grant it peace in all the world, unite and protect it and grant us a life in quietness and safety, to the praise of his name.

Bent your knees.

Rise.

Almighty, eternal God, in Christ you revealed your glory to all peoples. Protect what your mercy has created, that your Church in all the world may persevere in steadfast faith. We ask this through Christ, our Lord.

Let us pray for our Bishop N., the fellowship of bishops, all men and women in the apostolic ministry and for all the people of God.

Bent your knees.

Rise.

Almighty, everliving God, your Spirit sanctifies and governs the whole body of the Church. Hear our prayer for our Bishop and for all who minister in your Church. Give them the grace to serve you faithfully. We ask this through Christ, our Lord.

Let us also pray for all who prepare for baptism: Our God and Father may open their hearts for his word, he grant them the forgiveness of sins in baptism and receive them into his house that they may find life in Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Bent your knees.

Rise.

Almighty, everlasting God, you continue to lead people to your Church. Grant to all who prepare for baptism to grow in faith and in knowledge. Let them be born again from the spring of baptism and accept them as your children. We ask this through Christ, our Lord.

Let us pray for all brothers and sisters who believe in Christ, that our Lord and God may lead them on the way to truth and unity them in the unity of the holy Church.

Bent your knees.

Rise.

Almighty, everliving God, you alone can overcome the division and grant the unity. Have mercy on your Christian people, sanctified by the one baptism. Unite them in the faith in your Son and in the bond of love. We ask this through Christ, our Lord.

Let us pray for all who do not believe in Christ, that the Holy Spirit illumine them and lead them on the way of salvation.

Bent your knees.

Rise.

Almighty, everliving God, assist all who do not confess Christ, that they may live in integrity before you and find the truth. Grant to us that we perceive the mystery of our faith more and more and grow in love towards each other. Make us faithful witnesses of your goodness. We ask this through Christ, our Lord.

Let us also pray for all who do not know God, that, with his help. they may follow their consciences and thereby come to the God and Father of all peoples.

Bent your knees.

Rise.

Almighty, everliving God, you created the human beings that they might seek you and find their rest in you. Be recognised in the many acts of your compassion and in the deeds of your faithful ones that the people, despite all obstacles, may find you and confess you to be the true God and Father. We ask this through Christ, our Lord.

Let us pray for those who govern us: Our Lord and God may direct their minds and their hearts according to his will, that they may seek the true peace and the freedom, to the benefit of all peoples.

Bent your knees.

Rise.

Almighty, everliving God, the hearts of peoples and the rights of nations are in your hand. Graciously look on those who govern us, that in all the world safety and freedom may dwell, welfare of peoples and liberty of worship. We ask this through Christ, our Lord.

Let us pray to God, the almighty Father, for all who are in need of his help: May he purify the world from all error, take away the illnesses, dispel the hunger, solve unjust fetters, give safety to the homeless, a happy return to the pilgrims and travellers, health to the sick and life eternal to the dying.

Bent your knees.

Rise.

Almighty, everliving God, comforter of the sorrowful, strength of those who suffer, hear all who call upon you in their afflictions, and let them experience your mercy in every need. We ask this through Christ, our Lord.

This is the wood of the cross on which hung the Saviour of the world.

Come, let us worship.

Different forms of the veneration of the holy cross by the congregation are possible. The Improperia originating in the Ancient Church are particularly suitable.

Being united by the one baptism in the same Holy Spirit and in the one Body of Christ, we pray as daughters and sons of God:

Our Father in heaven ...

Let us receive the Body of the Lord and call upon his name.

Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say a word, and I shall be healed.

Let us pray. Almighty, everliving God, you have given us the new life by the death and resurrection of your Son. Preserve in us what your compassion has accomplished, and, as we have received this sacrament, give us the strength to serve you. We ask this through Christ, our Lord.

Almighty God, you hear those who call upon you, and you know the prayers of those who remain silent. We thank you that, by the passion and death of your Son, you have called us from afar to your people. Increase our faith and forgive us our sins. Strengthen us through your Holy Spirit, keep us in the truth, teach what we do not know, fill in what we lack, and strengthen what we have recognised. At the end of our days, unite us with your saints through Christ, our crucified and risen Lord.

In its traditional form, the paschal vigil has the following parts:

The Service of Light

The Vigil with Readings

Holy Baptism or The Renewal of Baptismal Vows

The Celebration of Holy Eucharist

The traditional pattern A is well-known and widespread. Several attempts have been made in ecumenism as well as in our diocese to offer a different composition of the liturgy. The parts marked by an asterisk (*) in pattern A should not be left out of any composition.

Pattern A

The Service of Light

1.1 Prayer at the Fire

1.2 Explanation of the Candle

* 1.3 Entrance with the Light

* 1.4 Exsultet

Readings of the Vigil

* 2.1a Reading (Creation or Noah)

* 2.2a Responsorial Psalm or Hymn

2.3a Prayer

* 2.1b Reading (Exodus)

* 2.2b Responsorial Psalm or Hymn

2.3b Prayer

* 2.1c Reading (Eschatological Outlook)

* 2.2c Responsorial Psalm or Hymn

2.3c Prayer

The Celebration of the Eucharist, first part

3. Gloria

4. Collect

* 5. New Testament Reading

* 6. Alleluia

* 7.1 Gospel

* 7.2 Sermon

* 8. Intercessions

Holy Baptism or The Renewal of Baptismal Vows

* 9.1 Thanksgiving over the Water

* 9.2 Renewal of Baptismal Vows or Holy Baptism

The Celebration of the Eucharist, second part

with the following changing parts:

10.0 Prayer over the Gifts

* 10.1 Preface and (remainder of) the Eucharistic Prayer

Our Father, Anthem at the Breaking, The Peace

* 10.2 Prayer after Communion

* 10.3 Solemn Blessing

Pattern B

The readings of the Vigil are advanced, at some places even read at a different place. The entrance with the light takes place after the readings of the Vigil and figures as the beginning of the proclamation of the resurrection. In this pattern, the collect and Gloria double as hymnic elements to the Exsultet. They may therefore be left out. The Gloria (not a paraphrase) may be sung as a response to the gospel of the resurrection.

Pattern C

Pattern D

The entrance with the burning paschal candle and the Exsultet are the centre of the service of light. The blessing of the fire and the marking of the paschal candle may be left out. At places there has been the tradition of kindling the paschal the fire with the light of the paschal candle at the end of the entire liturgy only.

Two texts are given for the Exsultet. The second text is suitable if there is no one able to sing.

The Old Testament readings of the Vigil are part of the celebration like the water is part of baptism. The Exodus reading must nowhere be left out. At least one more reading from the Prophets should follow. A short introduction (praefamen), a responsorial psalm and a collect are offered for each reading.

The praefamen puts each reading in the total context of the Paschal Vigil and thereby facilitates listening and joining in the celebration. These praefamina should be short and to the point and should not anticipate the sermon. In the Paschal Vigil in particular, the responsorial psalms should have precedence of hymns or chants. If the collects after the readings of the Vigil and the responsorial psalms are left out, the collect of the eucharist should not be left out in patterns A and C.

It is part of the celebration of the Paschal Vigil that the Alleluia which has not been heard since Ash Wednesday, should be intoned in a festive way. According to the pattern followed, this is done either at the fire or, traditionally, before the gospel. Care should be taken when choosing the hymns and responsorial chants that it should not be anticipated there. This is also true for the acclamation of the congregation to the recited Exsultet.

The fire is kindled outside the building. The priest greets the congregation with the liturgical greeting.

Let us pray.

O God, you wrap yourself with light as with a cloak. Through Christ you have given the light of glory to all who believe in you. Bless + this new fire that gives light to the night and inflame in us the longing for you, the unending light, that we may with pure hearts be brought to the eternal Easter. We ask this through Christ, our Lord.

Eternal God, Creator and ruler of the universe, in many ways you have destined your creature, the light, to point to you, to your truth and glory, your love and goodness. You have ordered the darkness, and there was light. As a sign of light of your covenant with Noah you put the rainbow in the clouds; in the burning bush you promised to Moses the road to liberty. In the pillar of fire you went ahead of your people, through darkness and desert. We ask you to bless this new fire at which we kindle the paschal candle. Or, as an alternative ending: We praise you for this new fire, the sign of your closeness, at which we now kindle the paschal candle.

Christ yesterday and today (the vertical arm of the cross)

the beginning and the end (the horizontal arm)

Alpha (above the cross)

and Omega (below the cross)

All time belongs to him (first numeral)

and all the ages (second numeral)

to him belongs glory and power (third numeral)

through every age for ever. Amen (fourth numeral).

By his holy wounds (1)

shining in glory (2)

may Christ the Lord (3)

guard us (4)

and keep us (5).

Christ is risen from the dead.

May his light dispel the darkness of our hearts and the world.

Christ is the light.

All: Thanks be to God.

The traditional Exsultet is sung by the deacon. If there is no deacon, it may be sung by a cantor.

The recited Exsultet is used if there is no one to sing the traditional Exsultet. The text is recited by the priest and livened up by an acclamation of the congregation.

Rejoice now, heavenly hosts and choirs of angels,

and let your trumpets should Salvation

for the victory of our mighty King.

Rejoice and sing now, all the round earth,

bright with a glorious splendour,

for darkness has been vanquished by our eternal King.

Rejoice and be glad now, Mother Church,

and let your holy courts, in radiant light,

resound with the praises of your people.

(The Lord be with you.

And also with you.)

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give him thanks and praise.

It is truly right and good, always and everywhere, with all whole heart and might and voice, to praise you, the invisible, almighty, and eternal God, and your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. To you, eternal Father, he paid for us the debt of Adam's sin, and by his blood, shed for love, delivered your faithful people.

This is the Passover feast in which the true Lamb was slain, whose blood consecrates the homes of all believers and preserves the people from death and destruction.

This is the night when you brought our fathers and all the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt and led them through the Red Sea on dry land.

This is the night when the pillar of fire dispelled the darkness of sin.

This is the night when throughout all the earth all who believe in Christ are separated from the sin of the world, freed from all defilement, restored to the kingdom of grace and inserted in the fellowship of your Church.

This is the blessèd night when Christ broke the chains of death and rose victorious from the grave.

Truly, we would have been born in vain unless the Saviour had redeemed us.

How incomprehensible is your love, O Father: to ransom the slave you gave the Son.

O truly saving sin of Adam, you became a blessing for us as Christ's death has destroyed you.

O happy guilt, how great a redeemer did you find.

O truly blessèd night when Christ rose from the dead. This is the night of which it is written, "The night is as bright as the day, the night will surround me as shining light."

The splendour of this night dispels all evil, washes guilt away, grants forgiveness to sinners, brings mourners joy. It casts out pride and hatred and brings peace and concord.

In this blessèd night, holy Father, receive our songs of praise and accept this candle as our solemn offering. Even if its light has been distributed, it did not loose the power of its splendour.

The flame is nourished by the wax which the busy bees prepared for this candle.

O truly blessèd night when heaven is wedded to earth and God and people are joined.

Therefore we ask you, O Lord: the candle, sanctified to the praise of your name, may shine continually to dispel the darkness in this night. May it shine until the morning star appears, that true Morning Star who for ever knows no setting, your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ who rose from the dead, who shines in his Easter light to all peoples, and who lives and reigns with you for ever and ever.

Congregation: Amen.

The recited Exsultet, with an acclamation of the congregation to be sung, is a paraphrase of the sung Exsultet. [Therefore it is not reproduced here.]

When this Exsultet is used, the Alleluia is to be announced in a festive way beforehand.

Christ is alive. He is risen from the dead, alleluia.

It is repeated at several places in this text.

1. Creation

Approaching the First Reading

Why is this night so totally different from all the other nights? Why do we hear what we have known for already, and why do we go back to the beginning?

That we might not forget whence we come and where we go. That we might praise the Creator, the source of all life, and see, recognise and believe that we are humans.

Reading: Gen 1.1 - 2.4a or Gen 2.4b-24

From Psalm 104

O Lord, how manifold are your works! *

in wisdom you have made them all;

the earth is full of your creatures.

All of them look to you *

to give them their food in due season.

You give it to them, they gather it; *

you open your hand, and they are filled with good things.

You hide your face, and they are terrified; *

you take away their breath,

and they die and return to their dust.

You send forth your Spirit, and they are created; *

and so you renew the face of the earth.

May the glory of the Lord endure for ever; *

may the Lord rejoice in all his works. (BCP)

Collect

God, Creator of the universe, you have entrusted your creation to us, full of your great goodness. We praise you and thank you for the light breaking upon us in this night, Jesus Christ, your Son, whom you have raised from the death to new life in this time and in your eternity.

2. Noah

Approaching the Second Reading

Why is this night so totally different from all the other nights? Why do we hear from the evil spreading through all humanity?

That we might not forget that the evil is still alive, but also that we receive God's compassion, his mercy and his faithfulness, the reconciliation of heaven and earth.

From Psalm 118

I called to the Lord in my distress; *

the Lord answered by setting me free.

The Lord is at my side, therefore I will not fear; *

what can anyone do to me?

The Lord is at my side to help me; *

I will triumph over those who hate me.

It is better to rely on the Lord *

than to put any trust in flesh. (BCP)

Collect

God of the covenant, you saved Noah and his family from the floods of destruction. Help us to resist the temptations of the evil in the power of your Spirit, that the peace of your covenant may remain alive for us and this earth. We ask this through Christ, our Lord.

3. The Sacrifice of Isaac

Approaching the Third Reading

Why is this night so totally different from all the other nights? Why do we go back to the beginnings of the people of Israel?

That we might not forget that God promised salvation to Abraham and his children, but also to us. That we might thank God because he spared Abraham's son, but gave his own beloved Son for the life of the world.

From Psalm 16

O Lord, you are my portion and my cup; *

it is you who uphold my lot.

I have set the Lord always before me; *

because he is at my right hand I shall not fall.

My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoices; *

my body also shall rest in hope.

For you will not abandon me to the grave, *

nor let you holy one see the Pit. (BCP)

Collect

God, friend of life, you abhor that humans kill each other in your name. Let us live together in concord and peace with all people who call Abraham their father. We ask this through Christ, our Lord.

4. The Exodus through the Red Sea

Approaching the Fourth Reading

Why is this night so totally different from all the other nights? Every night we go our own ways, but in this night we have been assembled at this one place.

Because we were slaves but called to freedom, because we were saved that we might belong together, because we are being called to freedom in this night.

From Exodus 15

I will sing to the Lord, for he is lofty and uplifted; *

the horse and its rider has he hurled into the sea.

The Lord is my strength and my refuge *

and has become my Saviour.

This is my God and I will praise him; *

the God of my people and I will exalt him.

Your right hand, O Lord, is glorious in might; *

your right hand, O Lord, has overthrown the enemy.

With your constant love you lead the people you redeemed; *

with your might you brought them in safety to your holy dwelling.

The Lord shall reign *

for ever and ever. (BCP *)

Collect

God, your wonderful deeds of old shine forth even to our own day. What your mighty arm once did for one people, you now do for all peoples. You once delivered Israel from the slavery under Pharaoh and led them through the floods of the Red Sea; but now you lead us to freedom through the water of baptism. Grant that all the peoples may become children of Abraham and attain to the dignity of your people Israel. We ask this through Christ, our Lord.

5. The Springs of Salvation

Approaching the First Reading

Why is this night so totally different from all the other nights?

We experience meaning and calling: our life is held, loved and redeemed. Whoever listens to the word of God will find life. Meaning is found by the person who is good soil for the word from the mouth of God.

From Isaiah 12

Surely, it is God who saves me; *

I will trust and not be afraid.

The Lord is my stronghold and my sure defence *

and will be my Saviour.

Therefore you shall draw water with rejoicing *

from the springs of salvation.

And on that day you shall say, *

Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his name;

make his deeds known among the peoples.

Sing the praises of the Lord who has done great things, *

and this is known in all the world.

Cry aloud, inhabitants of Zion, ring out your joy, *

for the great one in the midst of you is the Holy One of Israel. (BCP* )

Collect

God, you are rich for all you seek you. You have spoken to us through the word of the prophets, and you have sent your Son, your eternal Word. Make us listen to him and thereby bring fruit for eternal life through him, Christ, our Lord.

6. The New Heart and the New Spirit

Approaching the Sixth Reading

Why is this night so totally different from all the other nights? Why do we hear from people forgetting God and being abandoned by God?

We experience joy and redemption: God will give us a new heart, a heart of flesh and not of stone. He will give us a new spirit, his Spirit who is both gift and task.

From Psalm 42

As the deer longs for the water-brooks, *

so longs my soul for you, O God.

My soul is athirst for God, athirst for the living God; *

when shall I come to appear before the presence of God?

My tears have been my food day and night, *

while all day long they say to me,

"Where now is your God?" (BCP)

Collect

God, full of compassion, smile upon all whom in baptism you have given a new heart and a new spirit. Make them witnesses to your salvation: that things that had grown old are being made new, things that had become dark are being given light, things that had been dead are being raised to life, and that all things are being made whole in him who is the author of all, in Jesus Christ, our Lord.

7. The Dry Bones

Approaching the Seventh Reading

Why is this night so totally different from all the other nights?

As humans we are often lost and without hope. But today we sense something of God's life-giving Spirit. In the darkness of death and from the pit of our sins, it is God who saves us. We experience life and home, shelter and protection. Easter is breaking upon us, life that knows no setting.

From Psalm 18

I love you, O Lord, my strength, *

O Lord my stronghold, my crag, and my haven.

My God, my rock in whom I put my trust *

my shield, the horn of my salvation, and my refuge;

you are worthy of praise.

The breakers of death rolled over me, *

and the torrents of oblivion made me afraid.

I called upon the Lord in my distress *

and cried out to my God for help.

He brought me out into an open place; *

he rescued me because he delighted in me.

You, O Lord, are my lamp; *

my God, you make my darkness bright.

You lengthen my stride beneath me, *

and my ankles do not give way.

Therefore will I extol you among the nations, O Lord, *

and sing praises to your name. (BCP)

Collect

Be with us, living God, and raise us from the graves of our hopelessness. Pour out your Spirit who gives life and makes us messengers of your incorruptible life. We ask this through Christ, our Lord.

God of life and Father of light, you make this night bright through raising your Son. The world sees and knows in him what has been your will throughout the ages: that things that had grown old are being made new, things that had become dark are being given light, things that had been dead are being raised to life, and that all things are being made whole in him who is the author of all, Jesus Christ, our brother and Lord, who lives and gives life with you, in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, now and for ever.

Approaching the Epistle

Why is this night so totally different from all the other nights?

At other times we are persons who are often burdened and weary. But today, light is falling into our dark, lost life. Being baptised into Christ, we have been united with him in his death. The self of sin is dying. But the Lord lives. That is why we, too, live through him to God for ever and ever.

Romans 6.3-11

Since Ash Wednesday we have done without the Alleluia. Filled with joy, we now sing this shout of exultation to our risen Lord.

Year A: Mt 28.1-10

Year B: Mk 16.1-8

Year C: Lk 24.1-12

If there is a baptism, a meaningful and sensible selection should be made from the Order of Holy Baptism, and the following Thanksgiving over the Water should be used.

P: We give you thanks, God, almighty Father. Through the gift of water you feed and keep every living creature.

A: Blessed are you for ever.

P: We give you thanks, for through the waters of the Red See you led your people from the slavery to freedom, into the land of promise.

A: Blessed are you for ever.

P: We give you thanks, that you sent Jesus, your Son. He was baptised by John in the Jordan and anointed by the Holy Spirit as the Christ.

A: Blessed are you for ever.

P: Going to the darkness of death and being raised to the light of new life for us, he set us free from the bondage of death and sin and opened for us the gate to eternal joy and freedom.

A: Blessed are you for ever.

P: We give you thanks, that you called N.N. to this new life. May your Spirit sanctify this water so that, through baptism, N.N. be united with Christ in his death and his resurrection and keep free from sin.

A: Blessed are you for ever.

P: Anoint N.N. with your Holy Spirit and bring him/her to a new birth in the fellowship of your Church, so that he/she may share in your promise.

A: We praise and magnify you through your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you, in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

If there is no baptism, the following text is used.

P: Almighty, everlasting God, we bless and praise you. Your invisible power works the salvation of all peoples through visible signs. You wonderfully created and yet more wonderfully restored us.

A: We bless and praise you.

P: In the beginning you created water that it may render the earth fruitful, quench our thirst and refreshen us. You set your people free from the slavery in Egypt, you led them through the Red See and strengthened the thirsting people with water from the rock.

A: We bless and praise you.

P: The prophets and saints saw in the streams of living water the saving power of your creation. Jesus Christ, our Saviour, descended into the water of the Jordan to become in all like us.

A: We bless and praise you.

P: May through him descend into this water the power of the Holy Spirit, so that all who have been buried with Christ through baptism into his death, may also rise to eternal life with him through baptism. Holy, everlasting God, we bless and praise you through him, Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord and brother, in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, now and for ever.

P: Will you overcome the evil by the good, in the power of the risen Christ?

A: We will.

P: Will you resist the power of the evil and care for peace, justice and the integrity of creation?

A: We will.

P: Will you live in the liberty of the children of God?

A: We will.

P: Will you Will you join the way of the community and respect and assist each other in love?

A: We will.

P: Do you believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth?

A: We believe.

P: Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was born of the Virgin Mary, who suffered and was buried, rose from the dead and is seated at the right hand of the Father?

A: We believe.

P: Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the dead and the life everlasting?

A: We believe.

P: The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has given us new life by water and the Holy Spirit and has forgiven us all sins. He keep us through his grace in Christ Jesus, our Lord, to life eternal.

A: Amen.

If (in Southern Germany in particular) food (eggs, meat, bread) are to be blessed, they are brought to the altar at the preparation of the gifts.

God of life, we bring you our gifts in the joy of this paschal vigil. Grant that this joy becomes visible in our lives as well through him, our risen Lord.

God, shepherd of your people, we thank you that you have fed us in this holy meal with the true paschal lamb, Jesus Christ. Let us, in the power of this food, live as risen ones in him, Christ, our Lord.

The solemn blessing may be used.

The Easter dismissal, with "Alleluia" added, is suitable also after the regular blessing.

God, our Father, accept the gifts and prayers which, in the joy of Easter, we bring to the altar as signs that we are yours. Give us your blessing and strength through the death and the resurrection of your Son, Christ, our Lord.

God, giver of all good gifts, we thank you for food and drink at the table of your Son. Fill us with the spirit of love and unite us in the faith, that we may live as witnesses to the resurrection and proclaim your praise in all the world through Christ, our Lord.

God,

accept the gifts and prayers of your congregations. Let us find joy and true life in you through Christ, our risen Lord.

God, giver of all life, in the breaking of the bread we have known Christ, the Risen One. Nourish us always with this food, and enable us to proclaim your goodness and love to the world. We ask this through him, Christ, our Lord.

Good Father, we bring bread and wine for the Easter meal with Jesus. Keep us in the joy of your baptized through him, Christ, our Lord.

Faithful God, in our baptism and in the celebration of the Easter meal you have given us a pledge of our future glory. Keep us in the communion with you until you bring us to completion in your eternity.

God, our salvation, accept the gifts which we offer in the joy of Easter. Let them be signs of our thankfulness and devotion to you through Christ, our Lord.

God, friend of life, you saved Jesus from the death and called him to your glory. He is present among us as often as we celebrate this meal in remembrance of him. For this we thank you through him, Christ, our Lord.

God, we did not see your Son Jesus Christ with our own eyes, and our hands did not touch his body, and yet we dare to believe in him. Make us certain of his presence. Let us believe, though we do not see. To you be glory for ever.

God, author of all life, we believe and proclaim that our Lord Jesus Christ died and rose for us. Raise us also to new life through the power of the Holy Spirit. We ask this of you, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and gives life now and for ever.

God and Father, like the communities of the Apostles we want to contribute to joint works of love in different ways. What we offer to you today let be a sign of our love through Christ, our Lord.

God of life, you destined us yourself to be branches at the vine of Jesus Christ. You give us life when we abide in him. We thank and ask you: Let us bear fruits through him, Christ, our Lord.

God of faithfulness, you never abandon humanity. In this paschal meal we have remembered the passion of your Son and celebrated his resurrection. You called him from death to life as the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep. Be with your eternal love with our lives, until we have been completed in you through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Living God, accept what we offer today. In our community and in the poor and tormented, let us experience the presence of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

God of truth, you gave your Son in our hands in the signs of bread and wine. May your Spirit take us that we may be strengthened in faith and grow in love to you and to each other, through him, Christ, your risen Son, our brother and Lord.

God of tender love, you spread the table of life before us and fill us the cup of salvation. Grant us comfort in the fellowship of our saviour and good shepherd, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Lord and Saviour, good shepherd, you lead us to the waters of life. Let us reach your eternal kingdom in the power of this food, where there will be one shepherd and one flock. To you be praise and glory now and for ever.

God,

friend of life and of humans, you raised your Son Jesus from the shadow of death and also called us into a communion which death cannot destroy. Let us live from the confidence that you will fulfil in us what you have begun in Jesus, who in the unity of the Holy Spirit lives and works with you now and for ever.

Holy God, you received our brother Jesus, your beloved Son, into your eternal glory. It is your will that we will also live with him for ever. Guide us to this great goal through the word of your truth and the Spirit whom you have given us through him, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who in the unity of the Holy Spirit lives and works with you now and for ever.

Good God, you entrusted your creation to us and will set it free from its bondage to decay, like us. Make us live in your creation and preserve it as those you have redeemed. We ask this through him, our Lord Jesus Christ, your risen Son, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and works now and for ever.

God, creating and completing this world, in bread and wine we bring your creation before you and ask: Heal its wounds through Christ, our Lord.

God, our salvation, through this paschal food Christ lives in us and we live in him. Let us abide in him and witness to him in word and deed, to Christ, our Lord.

Good God, accept the gifts which your church offers you in the joy of Easter. As you have given it reason for such rejoicing, keep the joy until all has been fulfilled through Christ, our Lord.

God, giver of all good things, we thank you for the bread of life and the wine of gladness which we received from your hand. Guided by you, let us always be grateful in word and deed through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

God, creator of the universe, in this paschal celebration you give us a share in your divine life. Grant that we may recognise the traces of your love in this world and direct our lives on you, through Christ, our Lord.

God, rich for all who call upon you, we thank you that we were guests at the table of your Son whom you saved from death into your incorruptible life. Let us live as people of Easter and always praise your goodness through Christ, our Lord.

God of loving-kindness, you are with us in Jesus Christ, your risen Son. We ask you: Set us free from the power of death, and let us in self-sacrificing love witness to the life which you always give us through Jesus Christ, your Son and our brother, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives in our midst now and for ever.

God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, by raising your Son you have given hope to the world and rescued your faithful from eternal death. Give us always a joyful heart and a firm faith in him, Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and works now and for ever.

Father, our gifts are signs of our openness and our trust. Accept them and all the world with its well and woe, through Christ, our Lord.

God and Father, we thank you for Jesus, the bread for the life of the world. Strengthen us through him on our way through this time to the goal of your eternity.

God, Father of all people, your Son promised to be in our midst when we gather together in his name. May he himself fill our prayer to your glory, who live and give life now and for ever.

Good God, you have given us new life in the resurrection of your Son. We thank you for this paschal meal and praise you with all the church through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit today and for ever.

Good God, accept the gifts and prayers of your congregation. Set us free from all that separates us from you, and let us love you above all else through Christ, our Lord.

Our Father in heaven, you have given us who still live on earth a share in the heavenly banquet of eternal life. Direct our minds and hearts more and more to Christ who lives and works with you now and for ever.

God, friend of life, you have given us Jesus that he may walk with us and guide us on our way to you. We thank you and ask: Strengthen us with your Holy Spirit, and keep in us the joy of Easter through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son and our brother, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and works now and for ever.

Great God, your Son has promised us the Holy Spirit. We ask you: Let us grow in this Spirit in recognising your will, in your truth and your love. We ask you this, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and gives life now and for ever.

God, our salvation, accept the gifts which we offer, and through your Holy Spirit make us a gift which is yours for ever through Christ, our Lord.

God, source of life, you raised Jesus from the dead. He breaks the bread with us and always renews his presence among us. Fill us with your Holy Spirit, that what we speak and do may bear witness to your mighty acts through Christ, our Lord.

God and Father, may our prayers come to you and accept the gifts which we offer in the joy of this Eastertide. Keep us in the joy until everything has been accomplished through Christ, our Lord.

God, source of all life, you created us anew through the resurrection of your Son. In your loving-kindness turn towards us and abide with your compassion always with us until we rise to life incorruptible and may gaze at you as you are. This we ask through Christ, our Lord.

God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, you call your people from among all peoples and gather it together in the Holy Spirit. Grant that your Church remains faithful to its mission, that it may be leaven for humanity which you want to renew and transform into one family in Christ. This we ask through him who in the unity of the Holy Spirit lives and works with you now and for ever.

Great God, you entice us in the signs of storm and fire. Send your Spirit into our lives and break the narrow confines of our thoughts by the fire of your wisdom. This we ask through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and gives life now, always and for ever.

God, you created the world and do not abandon it. Pour out your Spirit and renew the face of the earth. Stir us up that we work for justice and peace and the integrity of your good creation. This we ask through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and gives life, now and for ever.

God, you filled (on this day) the hearts of your faithful with the fire of the Holy Spirit. May we, in this Spirit, know what is right and always perceive his comfort and help. This we ask through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and gives life now, always and for ever.

God and Father, we bring these gifts before you. Sanctify us by the fire of your Spirit who once came down on the community waiting and set their hearts on fire through Christ, our Lord.

Creator of all life, accept what we bring before you today. Let the Spirit whom you gave to your Church be felt in the world through all who believe in you. This we ask through Christ, our Lord.

God, our Father, we thank you that you have united us, at the table of your Son, to a fellowship of love. Keep your Church in your word, renew it in Christ, and unite it in your Spirit through him, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

God, creator of heaven and earth, you have nourished us with the bread of life and the cup of salvation. Fill our hearts with the joy of the Holy Spirit. Grant that what we have received in this celebration will once be ours as the gift that remains through Christ, our Lord.

God, creator of life, the inextinguishable fire of your Holy Spirit always reaches when we celebrate the Eucharist. We thank you for this gift and ask: Let us always perceive the reflection of your future through Christ, your Son, our risen brother and Lord.

At the end of the psalm, the Gloria Patri is sung.

Or: Opening hymn from the hymnal

Or: Kyrie litany or Kyrie hymn

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