Holy Cross Day

14 September
Red
Invitation to Confession

God shows his love for us in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Let us then show our love for him

by confessing our sins in penitence and faith.

Romans 5.8

(or)

Christ himself carried up our sins in his body to the tree,

so that, free from sins,

we might live for righteousness;

by his wounds we have been healed.

Let us confess our sins.

cf 1 Peter 2.24

Kyrie Confession

Lord Jesus,

you came to reconcile us to one another and the Father:

Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Lord Jesus,

you heal the wounds of sin and division:

Christ, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord Jesus,

you intercede for us with your Father:

Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Collect

Almighty God,

who in the passion of your blessed Son

made an instrument of painful death

to be for us the means of life and peace:

grant us so to glory in the cross of Christ

that we may gladly suffer for his sake;

who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

Lectionary

Principal Service

Numbers 21.4-9

Psalm 22.23-28

Philippians 2.6-11

John 3.13-17

Second Service

Isaiah 63.1-16

1 Corinthians 1.18-25

Evening Psalms

Psalms 110, 150

Third Service

Genesis 3.1-15

John 12.27-36a

Morning Psalms

Psalms 2, 8, 146

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia.

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you,

because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Alleluia.

Intercession

Let us pray to the Father through his Son,

who suffered on the cross for the world’s redemption.

Fill with your Spirit Christ’s broken body, the Church …

Give to Christian people everywhere a deep longing

to take up the cross and to understand its mysterious glory.

By the Saviour’s cross and passion,

Lord, save us and help us.

Bless those who lead the Church’s worship …

In the preaching of the word

and the celebration of the sacraments,

draw your people close to you.

By the Saviour’s cross and passion,

Lord, save us and help us.

Give your grace to those who preach your word to the nations …

Help us to witness to the faith we have received

by our words and in our deeds,

and daily conform us more and more to Christ,

that we may glory in his cross.

By the Saviour’s cross and passion,

Lord, save us and help us.

Look in your mercy upon the world you loved so much

that you sent your Son to suffer and to die …

Strengthen those who work to share

the reconciliation won at such a cost upon the cross.

By the Saviour’s cross and passion,

Lord, save us and help us.

Bring healing by the wounds of Christ

to all who are weighed down by pain and injustice …

Help the lonely and the betrayed, the suffering and the dying,

to find strength in the companionship of Jesus,

and in his passion to know their salvation.

By the Saviour’s cross and passion,

Lord, save us and help us.

Welcome into paradise all who have left this world in your friendship …

According to your promises,

bring them with all your saints

to share in the benefits of Christ’s death and resurrection.

By the Saviour’s cross and passion,

Lord, save us and help us.

Holy God, holy and strong,

holy and immortal,

have mercy on us.

Introduction to the Peace

Once we were far off,

but now in union with Christ Jesus we have been brought near

through the shedding of Christ’s blood,

for he is our peace.

Ephesians 2.13

(or)

Christ is our peace.

He has reconciled us to God

in one body by the cross.

We meet in his name and share his peace.

Prayer at the Preparation of the Table

Merciful God,

through the death of your beloved Son

you transformed an instrument of shame

into a sign of hope and glory.

Receive all we bring before you this day,

and renew us in the mystery of his love;

through the same Jesus Christ,

the Lord of glory.

Preface

And now we give you thanks

because, for our salvation,

he was obedient even to death on the cross.

The tree of shame was made the tree of glory;

and where life was lost, there life has been restored.

(or)

And now we give you thanks

because for our sins he was lifted high upon the cross,

that he might draw the whole world to himself;

and, by his suffering and death,

became the source of eternal salvation for all who put their trust in him.

(or)

And now we give you thanks

that through his suffering and death

you have brought life to the whole world

and moved our hearts to praise your glory.

The power of the cross reveals your judgement on this world

and the kingship of Christ crucified.

Extended Preface

It is indeed right and good,

our duty and our joy,

always and everywhere to give you thanks,

holy Father, almighty and eternal God,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Today we celebrate with songs of praise

the cross, the victory-sign of Christ.

Once through the fruit of the forbidden tree we fell,

now through this tree our Saviour cancels all our sin.

An instrument of shameful death

has become for Christ a throne of glory.

The power of the life-giving cross

reveals the judgement that has come upon the world

and the triumph of Christ crucified.

And so, with choirs of angels

and with all the heavenly host,

we proclaim your glory

and join their unending hymn of praise:

Post Communion

Faithful God,

whose Son bore our sins in his body on the tree

and gave us this sacrament to show forth his death until he comes:

give us grace to glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,

for he is our salvation, our life and our hope,

who reigns as Lord, now and for ever.

Blessing

Christ crucified draw you to himself,

to find in him a sure ground for faith,

a firm support for hope,

and the assurance of sins forgiven;

and the blessing of God almighty,

the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

be among you and remain with you always.

Acclamation

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you;

by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.

God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.

We preach Christ crucified,

the power of God and the wisdom of God.

By your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.

God forbid that I should glory,

save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you;

by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.

cf 1 Corinthians 1 and Galatians 6

Short Passages of Scripture

Jesus said,

‘When I am lifted up from the earth,

I will draw all people to myself.’

John 12.32

May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus

Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to

the world.

Galatians 6.14

Through Christ God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things,

whether on earth or in heaven,

by making peace through the blood of his cross.

Colossians 1.20

 

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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