A Celtic Liturgy

A CELTIC LITURGY

THE INVOCATION

M:  Grant, O God, Your protection;

       And in protection, strength;

       And in strength, understanding;

       And in understanding, knowledge;

       And in knowledge, the knowledge of justice;

       And in knowledge of justice, the love of it;

       And in that love, the love of all existences;

       And in the love of all existences, the love of God.

       God and all goodness.

Let us remember the commandments of the old covenant,

bestowed by God upon His people of Israel through Moses:

I am the Lord your God; you shall have no other God but

me.

You shall not make to yourself any graven image, nor the

likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth

beneath, or in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them, nor worship them.

You shall not take the name of the Lord in vain.

Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.

Honor your father and your mother.

You shall do no murder.

You shall not commit adultery.

You shall not steal.

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, his property, nor any thing that belongs to him.

R: Lord, we ask You to incline our hearts to keep these laws. (Amen)

THE GREETING

M: The hour is at hand when true worshippers shall glorify the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father seeks them to worship Him.

Hear what our lord, Jesus Christ, said to His followers of the new covenant:

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.

The second is like unto it; you shall love your neighbor as yourself.

On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

R:  Lord, we ask you to incline our hearts to keep these laws. (Amen)

THE GENERAL CONFESSION

M:  The scripture directs us in many places to acknowledge our transgressions and harmful ways.  If we say we are innocent of  wrongdoing, the truth is not in us, for all have strayed and fallen short of the glory of God.  But we have an advocate with the Father, our Saviour, Jesus Christ.  If we confess our shortcomings, He is faithful and just to forgive us, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  Therefore, I pray and urge you to accompany me with a pure heart, to the throne of the heavenly grace, saying:

R:  Almighty Father, Lord of heaven and earth, we confess that we have sinned against you, voluntarily and involuntarily, in thought, word, and deed; known and unknown; by day and by night.  Have benevolence and forgive us all, O God, after Your great goodness, according to the multitude of Your mercies, do away with our offences, and cleanse us from our transgressions, for Jesus Christ’s sake. (Amen)

THE ABSOLUTION

M:  Our Lord Jesus Christ has bestowed power and commandment to his ministers to declare and pronounce to those who are truly repentant, absolution and remission of sin.  Therefore, may Jesus Christ absolve you of your sins  remembering His admonishment, “to go and sin no more“. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. (Amen)

THE LORD’S PRAYER

M:  As our Savior Jesus Christ has taught, let us pray:

R:  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, the power, and the glory forever. (Amen)

THE PROFESSION OF FAITH

M:  Let us acknowledge our faith as firmly established by the creed of the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ:

R:  I believe in God the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, was born of the Virgin Mary.  He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.

On the third day He rose from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and is seated on the right hand of the Father.  He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit; the Holy Universal Church; the Communion of Saints; the forgiveness of sins; the Resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. (Amen)

THE BEATITUDES

M:  My brethren, let us remember the blessings spoken of by our Lord Jesus Christ during His Sermon on the Mount.

M:  Blessed are the poor in spirit;

R:  For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

M:  Blessed are those who mourn;

R:  For they will be comforted.

M:  Blessed are the meek;

R:  For they will inherit the earth.

M:  Blessed are they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness;

R:  For they shall be well filled.

M:  Blessed are the merciful;

R:  For they will be shown mercy.

M:  Blessed are the pure in heart;

R:  For they will see God.

M:  Blessed are the peacemakers;

R:  For they shall be called the children of God.

M:  Blessed are those persecuted for righteousness sake;

R:  For theirs is the kingdom heaven.

M:  Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

R:  As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. (Amen)

THE PRAYERS OF PETITION

M:  In peace, let us pray to the Lord.

For the peace which is from God, and for the salvation of our souls.

For the church, to redeem it from every evil, and to perfect it in Your love, and gather it together from the four winds, even that which has been sanctified for Your kingdom which You have prepared for it;  for Yours is the kingdom and the glory forever.

For this assembly and for those who have entered here with faith, reverence, and love of God.

For the peace of the whole world, and our nation, the President of the United States and all those in authority, and for those who for us, must be forever vigilant and stand in harms way, for our Armed Forces everywhere, and those involved in National Security, Public Health and Safety.

For those in sickness and distress, the suffering, the lost and displaced, and those afflicted everywhere.  (And let us remember in our prayers____________) and ask the Lord to comfort and heal them, relieving them of all suffering, afflictions, and adversity.

For those imprisoned and the accused, and that they be afforded tolerance, mercy, and justice.

For the Saints and Martyr’s of the Church, for all those who have gone before us and have departed this life, and let us remember in our prayers_____________, asking God to keep them in His loving mercy.

For our own deliverance from all affliction, evil, danger, and need, and may we live as Saints before God.

Let us be able to accept the things we cannot change, have the courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

We ask for Your guidance in the exercise of our free will, a most precious gift, and that we properly use our free will, which in Your wisdom, You bestowed upon us in the beginning, and that we use this free will in righteous and proper manner that pleases You and is in harmony with Your will.

M:  We ask You, Lord, to hear our prayers.

R:  We humbly request our prayers to be answered by our Savior, and mediator, Jesus Christ our Lord (Amen)

M:  In every person there is a soul;

In every soul there is intelligence;

In every thought there is either good or evil;

In every evil there is death;

In every good there is life;

In every life there is God.

THE PREPARATION OF THE ELEMENTS

M:  We thank You, Father, for the life and knowledge which You have made known to us through Jesus, Your son; to You be glory forever.

Heavenly Father, we invite Your angels to come among us with Your almighty goodness and bless and consecrate with Your word and Holy Spirit, these, Your gifts we offer of bread and wine, receiving them according to the Holy Institution established by Your son, Jesus Christ.

We acknowledge that these elements symbolize the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ given for us in securing our salvation.  As He instructed His followers during the Last Supper, we offer them in remembrance of Him and as a memorial of His death and sacrifice.

(Cleric elevates the Bread)

Even as this broken bread was once scattered over the hills and mountains, and when gathered together, became one, so may Your Church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into Your kingdom.  For Yours is the glory and the power through Jesus Christ forever. (Amen)

(Cleric elevates the wine)

Blessed are You, Lord, God of all creation.  Through Your goodness we have this wine to offer, fruit of the vine and work of human hands.  It will become our spiritual drink.

We thank You, Our Father, for the Holy vine of David, Your servant, which You made known to us through Jesus, Your servant.  To You be the glory forever. (Amen)

Let no one eat or drink of the Eucharist but they who have been baptized into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and have accepted their salvation through Jesus Christ, for concerning this saying of the Lord, give not that which is Holy to the dogs.

THE COMMUNION 

M:  Those with a true reverence of God,  possessing love and faith who are baptized Christians, and truly accept Jesus Christ as their Savior are invited to come forth.

( The congregation comes forward and stands at the altar to receive communion and then return to their seats.)

M:  The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ which was shed for you, may they preserve your soul unto everlasting life.             

(After all  those receiving the communion have been served the cleric consumes the remaining  sacrament)

M:  Lord let Your benediction and grace descend upon all who have received this memorial to Your sacrifice for each of us .

THE DISMISSAL

M:  God guide us with Your wisdom,

God, chaste us with Your justice,

God, help us with Your strength,

God, fill us with Your fullness,

God, shield us with Your shade,

God, fill us with Your grace.

For the sake of Your anointed Son who died for us, let us depart in peace and love.

THE FINAL BENEDICTION

M:  May the strength of God pilot us.

May the power of God preserve us.

May the wisdom of God instruct us.

May the hand of God protect us.

May the way of God direct us.

May the shield of God defend us.

May the host of God guard us against the snares of evil and the temptations of the world.

May Christ be with us.

Christ be above us.

Christ be in us.

Christ be before us.

May our salvation O Lord, be always ours this day and for evermore. (Amen)