The Liturgy of Maundy Thursday

28th March 2013 at 7.30 pm

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 Welcome to Coventry Cathedral
Maundy Thursday marks the beginning of the end: a continuous unfolding
of the Church’s worship through the events of Good Friday to the
triumph of Easter.
The mood through most of the service is joyful as well as reflective. We
celebrate Jesus’ institution of the Lord’s Supper – “Do this in
remembrance of me,” – and remember his new commandment (mandatum
in Latin, from which the word Maundy derives) – “Love one another, as I
have loved you.” The most profound sign of this loving is the opportunity
to wash one another’s feet – powerfully counter-cultural, profound and
sacred.
Tonight we are linking these themes in a way that encourages us to focus
on each other as the principal icon of Christ’s presence. St Paul warns of
the importance of “discerning Christ’s Body” as we come to the Eucharist:
this refers not only (or even mainly) to the consecrated bread, but to the
living presence of Christ in his Body, the Church.
After Communion the mood darkens, as we prepare to follow Christ on
the way to Gethsemane and the Cross. The holy table and the sanctuary
are stripped bare. The lights are extinguished and a torch, the last
remaining light, is carried out to the Ruins. After the service a vigil is kept
until midnight in the Chapel of Christ in Gethsemane.
We are delighted to welcome those from Holy Trinity Coventry who are
sharing this service with us.

Material in this service is taken from Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church
of England and Common Worship Times and Seasons. Both are copyright © The Archbishops’
Council of the Church of England 2000, 2006

Other copyright material is CCL 17597

Please do not take photographs in the Cathedral during services

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The Gathering
No organ music is played before the service, and all are asked to keep SILENCE
At 7.30 pm a bell is sounded, and the choir sing the Introit from the North Choir
Aisle
Introit
God is love, and where true love is, God himself is there.
Here in Christ we gather, love of Christ our calling.
Christ, our love, is with us, gladness be his greeting.
Let us all revere and love him, God eternal.
Let each love Christ in sisters and in brothers all.
When we Christians gather, members of one Body,
let there be in us no discord, but one spirit.
Banished now be anger, strife and every quarrel.
Christ, our God, be present always here among us.
Grant us love’s fulfilment, joy with all the blessed,
when we see your face, O Saviour, in its glory.
Shine on us, O purest Light of all creation,
be our bliss while endless ages sing your praises.
words from the Liturgy of Maundy Thursday tr. James Quinn (b. 1919)
Tune CP 441 Ubi Caritas Plainsong melody arr. Allan Wicks (1923-2010)

Everyone STANDS to sing as the choir and ministers enter

Hymn
A bowl of water and a towel
became a sign of grace
when Christ, the Lord, the Teacher, took
the lowest servant’s place:
his work of power and parable
could only be complete
when he had knelt before his friends
and washed their grimy feet.

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 What scandalous humility!
Our hearts recoil in dread:
should we not kneel to worship him?
Can he serve us instead?
Yet answered by his firm rebuke
our protest quickly ends –
unless we let him wash our feet
we cannot be his friends!

And still, across the centuries,

he presses home his claim:
that we who know the things he did
must learn to do the same;
for we have felt love’s gracious touch –
far more than we deserve! –
and with it, heard love’s highest prize:
the call to go and serve.
Martin E. Leckebusch (b. 1962)
Tune CP 469 Kingsfold English folksong from English Country Songs (1893)
harmonised by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)

The Greeting
The Very Reverend John Witcombe, Dean, presiding, greets the people
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
be with you
and also with you.
The Penitential Rite
The Reverend Canon Tim Pullen, Sub Dean & Canon Pastor, deacon, says
Our Lord Jesus Christ says
‘If you love me, keep my commandments.’
‘Unless I wash you, you have no part in me.’
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 Let us confess to almighty God our sins against his love,
and ask him to cleanse us.

Everyone SITS or KNEELS and SILENCE is kept

Have mercy on us, O God,

in your great goodness;
according to the abundance of your compassion
blot out our offences.

Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Against you only have we sinned

and done what is evil in your sight.

Christ, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Purge us from our sin and we shall be clean;

wash us and we shall be whiter than snow.

Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

The president says the absolution

The Lord, who is faithful and just,

forgive you your sins
create and make in you a clean heart
and renew a right spirit within you
through Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Amen.

Everyone STANDS

The choir sings

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Gloria in excelsis Deo
et in terra pax hominibus,
bonae voluntatis.
Laudamus te, benedicimus te,
adoramus te, glorificamus te,
gratias agimus tibi
propter magnam gloriam tuam.
Domine Deus rex coelestis
Deus Pater omnipotens.
Domine Fili unigenite
Jesu Christe.
Domine Deus, Agnus Dei,
Filius Patris,
Qui tollis peccata mundi
miserere nobis.
Qui tollis peccata mundi,
suscipe deprecationem nostram.
Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris
miserere nobis.
Quoniam tu solus sanctus,
tu solus Dominus,
tu solus altissimus,
Jesu Christe
cum Sancto Spiritu
in gloria Dei Patris. Amen.
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594)
The president introduces a time of silence, and then he prays
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Gloria in Excelsis
Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace,
goodwill to all men.
We praise you, we bless you,
we worship you, we glorify you,
we give you thanks
for your great glory.
O Lord God, heavenly King,
God the Father Almighty.
O Lord, the only-begotten Son,
Jesus Christ.
O Lord God, Lamb of God,
Son of the Father,
who takes away the sins of the world
have mercy upon us.
who takes away the sins of the world
receive our prayer.
You, seated at the right hand of
the Father, have mercy upon us.
For you alone are holy;
you alone are Lord
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Missa Papae Marcelli
The Collect
 God our Father,
your Son Jesus Christ was obedient to the end
and drank the cup prepared for him.
May we who share his table
watch with him through the night of suffering
and be faithful.
Amen.
Everyone SITS

The Liturgy of the Word

The First Reading
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For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that
the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of
bread, 24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This
is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ 25In the
same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is
the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in
remembrance of me.’ 26For as often as you eat this bread and drink
the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
1 Corinthians 11.23-26
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Everyone STANDS
The Gospel
The deacon announces the Gospel
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John
The choir sing this acclamation once, and then it is sung by everyone

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1
Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour
had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having
loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
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The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon
Iscariot to betray him. And during supper 3Jesus, knowing that the
Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come
from God and was going to God, 4got up from the table, took off
his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. 5Then he poured
water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe
them with the towel that was tied around him. 6He came to Simon
Peter, who said to him, ‘Lord, are you going to wash my feet?’
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Jesus answered, ‘You do not know now what I am doing, but later
you will understand.’ 8Peter said to him, ‘You will never wash my
feet.’ Jesus answered, ‘Unless I wash you, you have no share with
me.’ 9Simon Peter said to him, ‘Lord, not my feet only but also my
hands and my head!’ 10Jesus said to him, ‘One who has bathed
does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean.
And you are clean, though not all of you.’ 11For he knew who was
to betray him; for this reason he said, ‘Not all of you are clean.’
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After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had
returned to the table, he said to them, ‘Do you know what I have
done to you? 13You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right,
for that is what I am. 14So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have
washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15For
I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done
to you. 16Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their
master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them.
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If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.
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‘Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been
glorified in him. 32If God has been glorified in him, God will also
glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. 33Little children,
I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I
said to the Jews so now I say to you, “Where I am going, you
cannot come.” 34I give you a new commandment, that you love
one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one
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 another. 35By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if
you have love for one another.’
John 13.1-17, 31b-35
This is the Gospel of the Lord.

The Address
given by the Right Reverend Graham Dow

Please remain STANDING until the preacher has prayed and then SIT. After the
address, silence is kept

The Maundy Washing and the Prayers

The president explains the meaning of the ceremony, and how it is to be performed

The president and the deacons remove their outer vestments as twelve members of the
congregation come forward and sit in the chairs set out around the altar. The president’s
feet are washed and dried before he then washes and dries the feet of those who have come
forward

The choir sings

O sacrum convivium in quo Christus sumitur, recolitur memoria

passionis eius, mens impletur gratia, et futurae gloriae nobis pignus
datur. Alleluia.
O sacred feast in which Christ is taken, the memorial of his passion is made,
our hearts are filled with grace, and the promised future glory is given to us.
Alleluia.
Thomas Tallis (d. 1585)

Then the president prays

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 Almighty Father,
whose Son Jesus Christ has taught us
that what we do for the least of our brothers and sisters
we do also for him;
give us the will to be the servant of others
as he was the servant of all,
who gave up his life and died for us,
but is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

Everyone SITS or KNEELS for the intercessions, introduced by the president and led
by the Reverend Canon David Stone, Precentor

In the power of the Spirit let us pray to the Father

through Christ the saviour of the world.

Father,
on this, the night he was betrayed,
your Son Jesus Christ washed his disciples’ feet.
We commit ourselves to follow his example of love and service.
Lord, hear us
and humble us.

On this night, he prayed for his disciples to be one.

We pray for the unity of your Church.
Lord, hear us
and unite us.

On this night, he prayed for those who were to believe through

his disciples’ message.
We pray for the mission of your Church.
Lord, hear us
and renew our zeal.

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 On this night, he commanded his disciples to love,
but suffered rejection himself.
We pray for the rejected and unloved.
Lord, hear us
and fill us with your love.

On this night, he reminded his disciples

that if the world hated them it hated him first.
We pray for those who are persecuted for their faith.
Lord, hear us
and give us your peace.

On this night, he accepted the cup of death

and looked forward to the new wine of the kingdom.
We remember those who have died in the peace of Christ.
Lord, hear us
and welcome all your children into paradise.

The president and deacons vest, and then the president invites everyone to STAND

The Liturgy of the Eucharist

The Peace
The president says

Jesus says: ‘Peace I leave with you;

my peace I give to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled,
neither let them be afraid. ‘

The peace of the Lord be always with you

and also with you.

The deacon says

Let us offer one another a sign of peace.

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All greet one another with a sign of peace and then remain STANDING for the
hymn
Hymn
An Upper Room did our Lord prepare
for those he loved until the end:
and his disciples still gather there,
to celebrate their Risen Friend.
A lasting gift Jesus gave his own,
to share his bread, his loving cup.
Whatever burdens may bow us down,
he by his Cross shall lift us up.
And after Supper he washed their feet,
for service, too, is sacrament.
In him our joy shall be made complete
sent out to serve, as he was sent.
No end there is! We depart in peace.
He loves beyond our uttermost:
in every room in our Father’s house
he will be there, as Lord and host.

F. Pratt Green (1903-2000)

Tune CP 157ii O Waly Waly arr. by John Wilson (1905-1992)

Preparation of the Table

The president says

At the Eucharist we are one with our crucified and risen Lord.
We know that it was not only our ancestors, but we,
who were redeemed and brought forth
from bondage to freedom, from mourning to feasting.
We know that, as he was with his disciples in the Upper Room,
so our Lord is with us now.
Until the kingdom of God comes, let us celebrate this feast.

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 The Eucharistic Prayer
The president sings, and the people respond

It is indeed right to give you thanks,

Father most holy, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
For on this night he girded himself with a towel
and, taking the form of a servant, washed the feet of his disciples.
He gave us a new commandment
that we should love one another as he has loved us.
Knowing that his hour had come,
in his great love he gave this supper to his disciples
to be a memorial of his passion,
that we might proclaim his death until he comes again,
and feast with him in his 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:

The choir sings Sanctus and Benedictus

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 Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth.
Pleni sunt cœli et terra gloria tua. Hosanna in excelsis.
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of power and might.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest.
Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini. Hosanna in excelsis.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

The president continues

Lord, 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, on this, the night when 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.
The deacon sings

Everyone replies

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 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 cup
and 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 kingdom
all who share this one bread and one cup,
so that we, in the company of all the saints,
may praise and glorify you for ever,
through Jesus Christ our Lord;

Everyone sings

Everyone SITS or KNEELS and SILENCE is kept

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 The Lord’s Prayer
Trusting in the compassion of God,
as our Saviour taught us, so we pray

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen.

The Breaking of the Bread

Every time we eat this bread
and drink this cup.
We proclaim the Lord’s death
until he comes.

The Invitation to Communion

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

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 Agnus Dei
The ministers receive Communion as the choir sings

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona nobis pacem.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, grant us peace.

The ministers give Communion to the people. Those who do not intend to receive
Communion, but wish to receive a blessing, are asked to carry this booklet as an
indication to the ministers

Ave verum corpus,
natum ex Maria Virgine,
vere passum, immolatum
in cruce pro homine,
cuius latus perforatum
vero fluxit sanguine,
esto nobis praegustatum,
in mortis examine.
O clemens, O piae,
O dulcis Jesu, Fili Mariae.
miserere mei. Amen.
Anthem
Hail true body,
born of the Virgin Mary,
which suffered and was offered truly
on the cross for all men,
whose side, pierced,
flowed with true blood;
for us our food, now
and in the testing time of death.
O compassionate, O holy,
O sweet Jesus, Son of Mary,
have mercy on me. Amen.

Music by E.F. Richter (1808-1879)

The Dismissal
The Prayers after Communion
After Communion, all KNEEL or SIT

The president says

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 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 fruit of your redemption,
for you are alive and reign,
now and for ever.
Amen.

Then everyone says

Almighty God,
we thank you for feeding us
at the supper of your Son.
Sustain us with your Spirit,
that we may serve you here on earth,
until our joy is complete in heaven
and we share the eternal banquet
with Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Everyone SITS

The Stripping of the Sanctuary

Margaret Sedgwick, Cathedral Reader, reads
After supper, Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If you loved me, you
would be glad that I am going to the Father; for the Father is
greater than I am. I shall not talk much longer with you, for the
prince of this world approaches.
He has no rights over me; but the world must be shown that I love
the Father and am doing what he commands. Come, let us go!’

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 When the disciples had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount
of Olives. Jesus prayed to the Father, ‘If it is possible, let this cup
pass me by. Yet not my will but yours.’
The choir sings Psalm 88, a psalm of lament
The lighting is reduced and the servers strip the holy table of its ornaments and cloth
The candles are extinguished, ending with the choir candles, until only a single torch is
left alight

O Lord, God of my salvation :

I have cried day and night before you.
Let my prayer come into your presence :
incline your ear to my cry.
For my soul is full of troubles :
my life draws near to the land of death.
I am counted as one gone down to the Pit :
I am like one that has no strength,
Lost among the dead :
like the slain who lie in the grave,
Whom you remember no more :
for they are cut off from your hand.
You have laid me in the lowest pit :
in a place of darkness in the abyss.
Your anger lies heavy upon me :
and you have afflicted me with all your waves.
You have put my friends far from me :
and made me to be abhorred by them.
I am so fast in prison that I cannot get free :
my eyes fail from all my trouble.
Lord, I have called daily upon you :
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 I have stretched out my hands to you.
Do you work wonders for the dead :
Will the shades stand up and praise you?
Shall your loving-kindness be declared in the grave :
your faithfulness in the land of destruction?
Shall your wonders be known in the dark :
or your righteous deeds in the land where all is forgotten?
But as for me, O Lord, I will cry to you :
early in the morning my prayer shall come before you.
Lord, why have you rejected my soul :
Why have you hidden your face from me?
I have been wretched and at the point of death from my youth :
I suffer your terrors and am no more seen.
Your wrath sweeps over me :
your horrors are come to destroy me;
All day long they come about me like water :
they close me in on every side.
Lover and friend have you put far from me :
and hid my companions out of my sight.
When the Psalm is finished, everyone STANDS
The choir and ministers remove their surplices, vestments and albs, and the final lights
are extinguished. A server carries the lighted torch through the congregation and out by
the West Screen to the Ruins
The ministers and people turn to watch as the light passes
The choir, the ministers and the people leave at once, without ceremony or order
The vigil will be kept until midnight

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 Please keep

ABSOLUTE
SILENCE
as you leave the Cathedral

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 The Conclusion of the Watch at Midnight
Everyone stands and gathers around the Altar as John Brassington, Cathedral Lector,
begins the Dialogue of Christ in Gethsemane

Pray that you may be spared the hour of testing:

the hour when darkness reigns.
Father, take away this cup of suffering:
Your will be done, not mine.
Do not bring us to the time of trial:
but deliver us from evil.
(from Luke 22)
The Lord be with you:
and also with you.
Lord Jesus Christ,
as you accepted this cup of suffering as the Father’s gift,
so you hold out to us the cup of salvation.
You have overcome our hatred with your love,
shaken our apathy by your passion
and redeemed us from despair by your pain.
Give us such a thirst for what is right
that it will not be quenched
until we share with all creation
the feast you have prepared through your death on the cross.
Amen.

Everyone prepares to leave the Chapel, by turning to face the grille of the crown of thorns

Let us go from this holy place,

where we have stayed to watch and pray:
Let us go in silence. Let us go in peace.

Everyone leaves the Chapel, goes to the West end of the Cathedral and out into the
night

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 Services for Holy Week and Easter
GOOD FRIDAY, 29th March
9.00 am The Liturgy of Good Friday
A short, reflective service to mark the most solemn day of the Christian year, when we
remember the death of Jesus. Led by the Bishop of Coventry

2.00 pm The Stations of the Cross

An hour of meditation led by the Reverend Canon Tim Pullen

6.00 pm The Saint John Passion (Johann Sebastian Bach)

St Michael’s Singers perform Bach’s beautiful meditation on the story of Jesus’ suffering
and death; semi-staged and accompanied by the English Symphony Orchestra
NB THIS IS A TICKETED EVENT

EASTER DAY, 31st March

5.30 am The Easter Liturgy
Since Easter 1941 the Cathedral community has gathered at dawn on Easter Day.
The Easter Fire is lit in the Ruins before we solemnly process to the new Cathedral for
the Liturgy of Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist.
President and Preacher The Bishop of Coventry

10.30 am Festal Eucharist of Easter Day

The Cathedral community celebrates Easter - with glorious music from the Cathedral’s
choirs and organ.
President The Bishop of Coventry
Preacher The Very Reverend John Witcombe, Dean

4.00 pm Festal Evensong

Preacher The Reverend Canon David Stone, Precentor

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