CELEBRATING THE LITURGY
(It is important at the beginning of every celebration to remember all the members of the community, whether they be present with us or not. It is especially important to remember the sick and elderly, and all who serve this community.)
GATHERING IN:
Leader: May God’s grace and peace be with us today as we give thanks for being
God’s people.
All: Glory and praise to our God.
Leader: Let us now pause for a moment to reflect on how our relationship with God influences the way we live. (Pause) Now let us ask forgiveness for any failings.
Confession and Mutual Absolution
Leader: God, you have searched us out and known us, and all that we are is open to you.
We confess that we have sinned: we have used our power to dominate and our weakness to manipulate; we have evaded responsibility and failed to confront evil; we have denied dignity to ourselves and to each other, and fallen into despair.
ALL:We turn to you, O God; we renounce evil; we claim your love;
we choose to be made whole.
Leader: We will now praise our God together:
Glory to God in the highest and peace to God’s people on earth.
Loving God, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for all that you are.
We praise you for Jesus and for the great example he gives us about how to live our lives as human beings. Amen.
OPENING PRAYER
Leader: Let us pray together.
All: God of grace, by the grace of the Holy Spirit cure the frailty of your servant N., heal his/her sickness and expel all affliction of mind and body; mercifully restore N., to full health and enable him/her to resume her former duties.
We make our prayer in Jesus’ name. Amen.
SHARING THE STORY
FIRST READING
A reading from the …
The Word of the Lord. All: Thanks be to God.
THE RESPONSE (or the Psalm of the Day is encouraged…)
Reader: Let us respond in prayer to God’s Word. Psalm 139:13-16 (MsgB) A David psalm
All: Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;you formed me in my mother's womb.
[14] I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation!
[15] You know me inside and out,you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
[16] Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day.
Investigate my life, O God,find out everything about me;
Cross-examine and test me,get a clear picture of what I'm about;
[24] See for yourself whether I've done anything wrong— then guide me on the road to eternal life.
THE GOSPEL
A reading from the Gospel of …
The Gospel of the Lord. All: Thanks be to God.
REFLECTION (After the reading, there could be a time for some private reflection and/orand for sharing thoughts of the Readings and the Reflection.)
LITANY OF ANOINTING
May the Lord bless you;May God turn his face toward you,
Have mercy on you and convert you back to the way of the Lord, and,
give you peace and health…
And the blessing of the Sacred Three, Father, Christ and Holy spirit
Be upon you both now and forever. Amen
LAYING ON OF HANDS
In Silence hands are laid on the head of those seeking healing
Through the laying on of these hands and through our prayer, receive the gift of the healing Spirit of God.
May the Holy Spirit, the giverof all life and healing, flow through you and take away anything that is harming or disturbing you.
May God give you peace and joy and be with you at every change and turn of your way.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the healer. Amen.
PRAYER FOR THE ANOINTED OIL
Leader: With this holy and blessed oil you are outwardly anointed, so may our loving God grant you be inwardly united with the Holy Spirit. Amen
The minister dippers his/her thumb into the holy oil and anoints those seeking healing first on the forehead with the sign of cross:
N., I anoint you with oil in the name of Jesus. May our God make you whole in body, soul and mind and give you strength and joy and a deep peace.Amen.
The minister then anointsthe palms of those seeking noting:
May the Lord who has freed you of all your sins, save you and raise you up. Amen.
PRAYER AFTER ANOINTING:
God of grace, through this holy anointing grant N., comfort in his/her suffering.
When he/she is afraid, give her courage.
When he/she is weighed down by burden, give him/her patience.
When alone afford him/her hope and assure him/her of the support of all holy companions.
We ask this Christ Our Lord. Amen
PRAYER
Leader: And so, today, we are joined with all Christian people in the world,
and we pray to you as brothers and sisters:
All: Our Father, you are in heaven, but you are also here among us.
May your name be praised. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread,
and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who hurt us.
Keep us free from temptation, and deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.
The Leader then places the blessed bread and wine on the table.
The Leader then takes a wafer and cup (if used), raises it and says:
Leader: God’s holy gifts for God’s holy people:
let us receive them with thanksgiving in our heart…
All: Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.
The Minister(s) then distributes Holy Communion, after which there is a pause for reflection
CLOSING PRAYER
Leader: Let us pray together.
All:All powerful and ever-living God, you are a strong tower to all whoplace their trust in you. Be now and evermore our defence as the body and blood of Jesus is for our brother/sister N., a lasting remedyforbody, mind and soul, for all our health and salvation is through Christ Our Lord. Amen
STEPPING OUT WITH GOD
Leader: May the Lord be with you. All: And with your spirit
Go out into the world in peace and love.
Ask and you will receive,seek and you will find, knock and the doors will open.
Ask not for challenges to match your wisdom but for wisdom to match the challenges.
In the name of God, we ask More Divine grace than we can contain, more love than we can measure, more friendship than we can explore, will be with us now and ever more.
Amen!
Patmos Companions
One heart. One soul. Many Companions.
An intentional network of Companions in the Celtic monastic tradition forming the
Order of St Columba within The Australian Church of Antioch (ACOA)
Member: Federation of Old Catholic and Orthodox Independent Churches.