22 March 2020The Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary Sung Mass at 6.30pm with St John’s Singers

Celebrant: The Revd Neil TraynorPreacher for Why Me: Mark Denza

Organist: Mark Denza

Welcome to St John the Baptist, Holland RoadWhether you are a regular, an occasional visitor or new to the Christian faith, we are delighted that you have joined us this morning. If you need any help, please do not hesitate to ask. During our service we join with Christians across time and space as we worship God, asking and receiving forgiveness, hearing from the Bible, praying for the needs of the world and its peoples, and receiving the gift of Christ himself in bread and wine. We bring with us the experience of the past week and find hope, joy and courage to walk in Christ’s path in the coming days.

From The Lady Chapel, St John the Baptist, Holland Road

Mark DenzaMark’s Why Me will take place later in the year..

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about church and other events, please pass you email address to:office@hollandparkbenefice.org

Please join us if you can for drinks after the service.

We have a QR code, for donations. To use, open the camera on your smart phone, and it automatically scans and asks you to open, which then takes you to the app which allows you to donate.

Material from Common Worship is included in this service and is © The Archbishops' Council 2000.Hymns reproduced in accordance with CCLI Licence 307276

When a bell sounds please stand for the introit Tantum ergo (Severac)

1 For Mary, mother of our Lord,God’s holy name be praised,Who first the Son of God adoredas on her child she gazed.2 The Angel Gabriel brought the wordShe should Christ’s mother be;Our Lady, handmaid of the LordMade answer willingly.

3 The heavenly call she thus obeyed,And so, God’s will was doneThe second Eve love’s answer madeAnd our redemption won.4 She gave her body for God’s shrine,Her heart to piercing pain,And knew the cost of love divineWhen Jesus Christ was slain.

5. Hail Mary, you are full of grace,Above all women blest;Blest in your Son, whom you embraceIn birth and death confessed.

Words: J R Peacey (1896-1971) Tune St Botolph

THE GREETING

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

The Lord be with you and also with you.

Words of welcome are said

CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION

The grace of God has dawned upon the world through our Saviour Jesus Christ, who sacrificed himself for us to purify a people as his own.Let us confess our sins.

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, we have sinned against you, through our own fault, in thought, and word, and deed, and in what we have left undone. For your Son our Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, forgive us all that is past; and grant that we may serve you in newness of life to the glory of your name. Amen.

May the God of all healing and forgiveness draw you to himself, that you may behold the glory of his Son, the Word made flesh, and be cleansed from all your sins through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE COLLECTWe beseech you, O Lord, pour your grace into our hearts, that as we have known the incarnation of your Son Jesus Christ by the message of an angel, so by his cross and passion we may be brought to the glory of his resurrection; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

FIRST READING: Isaiah 7.10-14

Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test. Then Isaiah said: ‘Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.

For the truth that enlightens us We praise you, O God.

PSALM 40.5-11We stand

5. Blessed is the man that hath set his | hope in the | Lord; and turned not unto the proud, and to such as | go a | bout with | lies.

6. O Lord my God, great are the wondrous works which thou hast done, like as be also thy thoughts which | are to | us-ward; and yet there is no man that | ordereth them | unto | thee.

7. If I should de | clare them and | speak of them; they should be more than I am | able | to ex | press.

8. Sacrifice and meat-offering thou | wouldest | not; but mine | ears hast | thou | opened.

9. Burnt-offerings and sacrifice for sin hast thou | not re | quired; then | said I | Lo I | come

10.In the volume of the book it is written of me, that I should fulfil thy will | O my | God; I am content to do it, yea thy law | is with | in my | heart.

11.I have declared thy righteousness in the great | congregation;lo I will not refrain my lips O | Lord and | that thou | knowest.

Glory be to the Father, and | to the | Son : and | to the | Holy | Spirit;As it was in the beginning, is now and | ever | shall be : world without | end . | A | men.

SECOND READING: Hebrews 10.4-10

For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, ‘Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me; in burnt-offerings and sin-offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, “See, God, I have come to do your will, O God” (in the scroll of the book it is written of me).’ When he said above, ‘You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt-offerings and sin-offerings’ (these are offered according to the law), then he added, ‘See, I have come to do your will.’ He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. And it is by God’s will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

For the wisdom that guides us Praise to you, O Christ.

GRADUAL HYMN

O Glorious Maid, exalted farBeyond the light of burning starFrom him who made thee thou hast wonGrace to be Mother of his Son.

Thou wast the gate of Heaven’s high Lord,The door through which the light hath pouredChristians rejoice, for through a maidTo all mankind is life conveyed.

O Jesu, Virgin-born, to theeEternal praise and glory be,Whom with the Father we adoreAnd Holy Spirit, evermore.

Latin: Venantius Fortunatus,(530-609); Tr Percy Dearmer (1897-1936) Tune: Rockingham

GOSPEL READING: Luke 1.26-38

Praise to you O Christ, King of Eternal Glory.The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory. John 1.14Praise to you O Christ, King of Eternal Glory

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke. Glory to you, O Lord.

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.’ But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’ The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.

This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.

WHY ME?

THE CREED we stand

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION Kneel or sit

This response may be used:Lord in your mercy hear our prayer.

At the end the reader may say: : Grant, O Lord, that by the riches of your grace we may grow up into him who unites our life to yours, even he who is the first-born of all creation,your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

THE LITURGY OF THE SACRAMENT Stand

In the tender mercy of our God, the dayspring from on high shall break upon us, to give light to those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death and to guide our feet into the way of peace.. The peace of the Lord be always with you and also with you

We share God's peace with those around us. The collection plate will not be passed around for the time being. If you didn’t place an offering on the plate as you came in, please feel free to do so at the end of the service.

OFFERTORY HYMN

Who is this so weak and helpless,Child of lowly Hebrew maidRudely in a stable shelteredColdly in a manger laid?‘Tis the Lord of all creation,Who this wondrous path hath trod,He is God from everlastingAnd to everlasting God.

Who is this – a Man of Sorrows,Walking sadly life’s hard way,Homeless, weary, sighing, weepingOver sin and Satan’s way?‘Tis our God, our glorious Saviour,Who above the starry skyNow for us a place preparethWhere no tear can dim the eye.

Who is this – behold him rainingDrops of blood upon the ground?Who is this – despised, rejected,Mocked, insulted, beaten, bound?‘Tis our God, who gifts and gracesOn his Church now poureth down;Who shall smite in holy vengeanceAll his foes beneath his throne.

Who is this that hangeth dying,With the thieves on either side?Nails his hands and feet are tearing,And the spear hath pierced his side.‘Tis the God who ever liveth‘Mid the shining ones on high,In the glorious, golden cityReigning everlastingly.

W Walsham How (1823-97) Tune: Ton-y-botel.

THE EUCHARISTIC PRAYER 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 thanks and praise.

It is indeed right and good, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give you thanks, holy Father, almighty and eternal God, through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord.We give you thanks and praise that the Virgin Mary heard with faith the message of the angel, and by the power of your Holy Spirit conceived and bore the Word made flesh.From the warmth of her womb to the stillness of the grave he shared our life in human form. In him new light has dawned upon the world and you have become one with usthat we might become one with you in your glorious kingdom. 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:

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,heaven and earth are full of your glory.Hosanna in the Highest.Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest.

KneelLord, you are holy indeed, the source of all holiness; grant that by the power of your Holy Spirit, and according to your holy will, these gifts of bread and wine may be to us the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ;

who, in the same night that he was betrayed, took bread and gave you thanks;he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.

In the same way, after supper he took the cup and gave you thanks; he gave it to them, saying: Drink this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.

Christ has died:Christ is risen:Christ will come again.

And so, Father, calling to mind his death on the cross, his perfect sacrifice made once for the sins of the whole world; rejoicing in his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension, and looking for his coming in glory, we celebrate this memorial of our redemption. As we offer you this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, we bring before you this bread and this cupand we thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your presence and serve you.

Send the Holy Spirit on your people and gather into one in your kingdomall who share this one bread and one cup, so that we, in the company of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St John the Baptist, St George and all the saints, may praise and glorify you for ever,through Jesus Christ our Lord;

by whom, and with whom, and in whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honour and glory be yours, almighty Father, for ever and ever. Amen.

As our Saviour has taught us, so we pray:

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 trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

We say:Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us.Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us.Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, grant us peace.

Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world,Blessed are those called to his supper.Lord I am not worthy to receive you.But only say the word and I shall be healed.

Communicant members of all Christian churches are welcome to receive the sacrament. If you would like a blessing, please come forward at the same time. Due to Coronavirus restrictions, only the bread will be distributed, in the hand.

Communion will be distributed at the High Altar. Please allow the choir to receive first, and enter through the Chapel of St Peter and Paul and exit through the Lady Chapel.

During Communion the choir sing: Ubi Caritas by Gjelio

GIVING THANKS Kneel or sit for the post-communion prayers

God most high, whose handmaid bore the Word made flesh: we thank you that in this sacrament of our redemption you visit us with your Holy Spirit and overshadow us by your power; strengthen us to walk with Mary the joyful path of obedience and so to bring forth the fruits of holiness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Almighty God, we thank you for feeding us with the body and blood of your Son Jesus Christ. Through him we offer you our souls and bodies to be a living sacrifice. Send us out in the power of your Spirit to live and work to your praise and glory. Amen.

Please sit for the notices

BLESSING

The Lord be with you. And also with you.

Christ the Son of God, born of Mary, fill you with his grace to trust his promises and obey his will; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen.

FINAL HYMN

Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord:Unnumbered blessings give my spirit voice;Tender to me the promise of his word;In God my Saviour shall my heart rejoice.Tell out my soul, the greatness of his name:Make known his might, the deeds his harm has done;His mercy sure, from age to age the same;His holy name, the Lord, the Mighty One.Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his might:Powers and dominions lay their glory by;Proud hearts and stubborn wills are put to flight,The hungry fed, the humble lifted high.Tell out, my soul, the glories of his word:Firm is his promise, and his mercy sure,Tell out my soul, the greatness of the LordTo children’s children and for evermore.

Timothy Dudley Smith b1926; Tune: Woodlands

DISMISSAL before the Statue of our LadyV. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.R. And she conceived of the Holy Ghost.

Hail Mary, full of grace,The Lord is with Thee;Blessed art thou among women,And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.Holy Mary, Mother of God,Pray for us sinners,Now and at the hour of our death. Amen

V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord.R. Be it done to me according to thy word.

Hail Mary. . .V. And the Word was made flesh.R. And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary. . .V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray: Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we to whom the Incarnation of Christ Thy Son was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.

You are warmly encouraged to take this service sheet home with you