The Day of Thanksgiving for the Institution of Holy Communion (Corpus Christi)

The Thursday after Trinity Sunday may be observed as

The Day of Thanksgiving for the

Institution of Holy Communion
(Corpus Christi)
White
Invitation to Confession

You then, who truly and earnestly repent 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 this day forward in his holy ways:

draw near with faith,

and take this holy sacrament to your comfort;

and make your humble confession to almighty God.

(or)

As we prepare to celebrate the mystery of God’s love,

revealed in Word and Sacrament,

let us call to mind our sins.

(or)

Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord

in an unworthy manner

eats and drinks judgement upon themselves.

Examine yourselves, therefore, and call to mind your sins.

cf 1 Corinthians 11.27-29

Kyrie Confession

Like as the hart longs for flowing streams,

so longs my soul for you, O God:

Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

O send out your light and your truth,

that they may lead me:

Christ, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

May we come to your altar, O God,

the God of our salvation:

Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

(or)

Lord Jesus, you raise us to new life:

Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Lord Jesus, you forgive our sins:

Christ, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord Jesus, you feed us with your body and blood:

Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Collect

Lord Jesus Christ,

we thank you that in this wonderful sacrament

you have given us the memorial of your passion:

grant us so to reverence the sacred mysteries

of your body and blood

that we may know within ourselves

and show forth in our lives

the fruits of your redemption;

for you are alive and reign with the Father

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

Lectionary

Principal Service

Genesis 14.18-20

Psalm 116.10-end

1 Corinthians 11.23-26

John 6.51-58

Second Service

Proverbs 9.1-5

Luke 9.11-17

Evening Psalms

Psalms 23, 42, 43

Third Service

Deuteronomy 8.2-16

1 Corinthians 10.1-17

Morning Psalm

Psalm 147

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia.

I am the living bread that came down from heaven, says the Lord.

Whoever eats of this bread will live for ever.

John 6.51

Alleluia.

Intercession

We pray to the Lord.

Lord, listen to the prayers of your people,

gathered at your table.

In faith we pray:

we pray to you our God.

Here, where we celebrate how Christ gave us his body

to be our spiritual food,

listen as we pray for his body the Church,

spread throughout the world …

In faith we pray:

we pray to you our God.

Here, where we recognize the presence of Christ,

who takes away the sin of the world,

listen as we pray for that world

and for its peoples for whom his blood was shed …

In faith we pray:

we pray to you our God.

Here, where we come together as Christ gathered with his friends

to give us this meal of holy fellowship,

listen as we pray for all whom you have given us,

our friends and all whose lives are joined with ours …

In faith we pray:

we pray to you our God.

Here, where we remember the night of Christ’s agony and trial,

listen as we pray for all who share his sufferings

through fear or pain or distress of many kinds …

In faith we pray:

we pray to you our God.

Here, where we join our praises with the whole company of heaven,

listen as we pray for all who have trusted Christ’s promise

to raise up on the last day those who eat his flesh and drink his blood …

In faith we pray:

we pray to you our God.

Lord, satisfy our hunger with the food that lasts,

the bread of God which comes down from heaven

and gives life to the world,

Jesus Christ your Son our Lord.

Amen.

Introduction to the Peace

We are the body of Christ.

In the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.

Let us then pursue all that makes for peace

and builds up our common life.

(or)

Our Lord Jesus Christ says:

If, when you are bringing your gift to the altar,

you remember your brother or sister has a grievance against you,

leave your gift where it lies before the altar.

Go, make peace;

and only then come and offer your gift.

Prayer at the Preparation of the Table

God our sustainer,

receive the gifts we bring before you,

and feed us continually with that bread which satisfies all hunger,

your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Preface

And now we give you thanks

because, having loved his own who were in the world,

he loved them to the end;

and on the night before he suffered,

sitting at table with his disciples,

he instituted these holy mysteries,

that we, redeemed by his death and restored to life by his resurrection,

might be partakers of his divine nature.

(or)

And now we give you thanks

because when his hour had come,

in his great love he gave this supper to his disciples,

that we might proclaim his death,

and feast with him in his kingdom.

(or)

And now we give you thanks

because by water and the Holy Spirit

you have made us a holy people

in Jesus Christ our Lord;

you renew that mystery in bread and wine

to show forth your glory in all the world.

(or)

And now we give you thanks

because at the last supper,

as he sat at table with his apostles,

he gave us this memorial of his passion

to bring us its saving power until the end of time.

In this sacrament you feed your people

and strengthen them in holiness,

so that the family of humankind

may come to walk in the light of one faith,

in one communion of love.

Extended Preface

It is indeed right and good,

our duty and our salvation

always and everywhere to give you thanks and praise

holy Father, almighty and eternal God,

through Jesus Christ our great high priest.

He offered himself to you as the Lamb without blemish,

the acceptable gift that gives you perfect praise.

At the Last Supper, seated with his apostles,

he left this memorial of his passion

to bring us its saving power until the end of time.

In this great sacrament you feed your people

and strengthen them in holiness,

so that throughout the world the human family

may be enlightened by one faith

and drawn together in one communion of love.

We come to this foretaste of your heavenly banquet

to be transformed by your grace

and restored in the image and likeness of the risen Christ.

Therefore earth unites with heaven

to sing a new song of praise;

we too join with angels and archangels

as they proclaim your glory without end:

Post Communion

All praise to you, our God and Father,

for you have fed us with the bread of heaven

and quenched our thirst from the true vine:

hear our prayer that, being grafted into Christ,

we may grow together in unity

and feast with him in his kingdom;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Blessing

Christ, who has nourished us with himself the living bread,

make you one in praise and love,

and raise you up at the last day;

and the blessing of God almighty,

the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

be among you and remain with you always.

(or)

May the Father,

who fed his children with manna in the wilderness,

strengthen you in your pilgrimage to the Promised Land.

Amen.

May the Son,

who gave his flesh for food and his blood for drink,

keep you in eternal life and raise you up on the last day.

Amen.

May the Holy Spirit,

who leads us into all truth,

help you discern the Lord’s body

and empower you to proclaim his death until he comes.

Amen.

And the blessing of God almighty,

the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

be among you and remain with you always.

Amen.

Acclamation

I am the bread of life,

anyone who comes to me shall not hunger,

anyone who believes in me shall never thirst.

Alleluia. Lord, give us this bread always.

The bread of God comes down from heaven,

and gives life to the world.

Alleluia. Lord, give us this bread always.

Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life

and I will raise them up on the last day.

Alleluia. Lord, give us this bread always.

It is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh is of no avail.

The words I speak, they are spirit and they are life.

Alleluia. Lord, give us this bread always.

Short Passages of Scripture

Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him.

He had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Luke 24.31 a, 35

Jesus said,

‘I am the bread of life.

Whoever comes to me will never be hungry,

and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.’

John 6.35

The cup of blessing that we bless,

is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ?

The bread that we break,

is it not a sharing in the body of Christ?

Because there is one bread,

we who are many are one body,

for we all partake of the one bread.

1 Corinthians 10.16, 17

As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup,

you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

1 Corinthians 11.26

 

Common Worship: Festivals, material from which is included here,
is copyright © The Archbishops' Council 2008 and published by Church House Publishing.

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