CHRISTMAS EVE

EUCHARIST SERVICE

Introit : Once in Royal David’s City

Once in royal David’s city
Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her baby
In a manger for his bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little child.
He came down to earth from heaven,
Who is God and Lord of all,
And his shelter was a stable,
And his cradle was a stall;
With the poor, and mean, and lowly,
Lived on earth our Saviour holy.
Not in that poor lowly stable,
With the oxen standing by,
We shall see him; but in heaven,
Set at God's right hand on high;
When like stars his children crowned
All in white shall wait around.
And our eyes
At last shall see Him
Through His own redeeming love
For that child, so dear and gentle
Is our Lord in heaven above
And He leads His children along
To the place where He is gone
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Lighting of Advent Candle – Christ Candle (White)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning
with God. All things came into being through Him.
In Him was life, and the life was the light of all people.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not
overcome it. The true light, which enlightens everyone,
was coming into the world. And the Word became flesh
and lived among us, and we have seen His glory, the glory
as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.
Light the First, Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth
Candle
We light the fifth candle, the Christ Candle, because Jesus
Christ, the true light of the world has come. Jesus said, “I
am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never
walk in darkness, but will have the Light of Life!”

Welcome
The Lord be with you
And also with you
Praise the Lord
Praise Him you servants of the Lord
Blessed be God, Father, Son & Holy Spirit
Blessed be His name now and forever.

THE GLORIA
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to God's people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father,
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we worship you, we give you thanks,
we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father:
receive our prayer.
For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father.
Amen.
Collect for Purity
Let us pray :
Almighty God
to whom all hearts are open
all desires known
and from whom no secrets are hid:
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit
that we may perfectly love you
and worthily magnify your holy Name;
through Christ our Lord.
The Penitence
Jesus said, “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 great commandment. And the second is like
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it, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” On these
two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.
Confession
Let us confess our sins (firmly resolved to keep God’s
commandments and to live in love and peace with our
neighbour). Silence may be kept
Almighty God our heavenly Father in penitence we
confess that we have sinned against you through our
own fault, in thought, word and deed and in what we
have left undone. For the sake of your Son, Christ our
Lord, forgive us all that is past and grant that we may
serve you in newness of life to the glory of your Name.
Absolution
Almighty God, who forgives all who truly repent, have
mercy on us; pardon our sins and set us free from them;
confirm and strengthen us in all goodness and keep us in
eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Collect of the Day
Heavenly Father,
you made this holy night radiant
with the brightness of your Son Jesus Christ;
help us to welcome him as
the world’s true Light
and bring us to eternal joy in his kingdom;
where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God in glory everlasting.
Amen
The Word of God
Old Testament
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th
A reading from Isaiah chapter 62, reading from the 6
verse.
6
I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem; they
will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD,
give yourselves no rest, 7 and give him no rest till he
establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the
earth. 8 The LORD has sworn by his right hand and by his
mighty arm: “Never again will I give your grain as food for
your enemies, and never again will foreigners drink the
new wine for which you have toiled; 9 but those who
harvest it will eat it and praise the LORD, and those who
gather the grapes will drink it in the courts of my
sanctuary.” 10 Pass through, pass through the gates!
Prepare the way for the people. Build up, build up the
highway! Remove the stones. Raise a banner for the
nations. 11 The LORD has made proclamation to the ends
of the earth: “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your Savior
comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense
accompanies him.’” 12 They will be called the Holy People,
the Redeemed of the LORD; and you will be called Sought
After, the City No Longer Deserted.
Hear the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm 97
1
The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad;
let the distant shores rejoice.
2
Clouds and thick darkness surround him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his
throne.
3
Fire goes before him
and consumes his foes on every side.
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4
His lightning lights up the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
5
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the Lord of all the earth.
6
The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
and all peoples see his glory.
7
All who worship images are put to shame,
those who boast in idols—
worship him, all you gods!
8
Zion hears and rejoices
and the villages of Judah are glad
because of your judgments, LORD.
9
For you, LORD, are the Most High over all the earth;
you are exalted far above all gods.
10
Let those who love the LORD hate evil,
for he guards the lives of his faithful ones
and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
11
Light shines on the righteous
and joy on the upright in heart.
12
Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous,
and praise his holy name.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy
Spirit, as it was in the beginning and will be forever
more.
Please stand for the singing of the Gradual and the
reading of the Gospel
Gradual : Away in A Manger
Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
the little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head;
the stars in the heavens looked down where He lay,
the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.
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The cattle are lowing, the Baby awakes,
but little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes.
I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky
and stay by my side until morning is nigh.
Gospel
Listen to the good news proclaimed in the gospel
according to St Luke, reading from the 2nd chapter and
verses 4 - 7
Glory to Christ our Saviour.
4
Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee
to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he
belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to
register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to
him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the
time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to
her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed
him in a manger, because there was no guest room
available for them.
This is the gospel of Christ
Praise to Christ our Lord.
Gradual (Continued)
Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask Thee to stay
close by me forever, and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care,
and fit us for heaven, to live with Thee there.
The Apostle’s Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
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I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day He rose again.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body
and the life everlasting. Amen
Homily :
Prayers :
The Peace: Our Saviour Christ is the Prince of Peace; of
the increase of his government and of peace there shall be
no end.
Peace be with you.
Offertory : While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks
While shepherds watched their flocks by night,
all seated on the ground,
an angel of the Lord came down,
and glory shone around.
"Fear not," said he for mighty dread
had seized their troubled mind
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"glad tidings of great joy I bring
to you and all mankind.
"To you, in David's town, this day
is born of David's line
a Savior, who is Christ the Lord;
and this shall be the sign:
"The heavenly babe you there shall find
to human view displayed,
all simply wrapped in swaddling clothes
and in a manger laid."
Thus spoke the angel. Suddenly
appeared a shining throng
of angels praising God, who thus
addressed their joyful song:
"All glory be to God on high,
and to the earth be peace;
to those on whom his favor rests
goodwill shall never cease."
Presentation of the Gifts
Source of all life, the heaven and earth are yours, yet you
have given us dominion over all things. Receive the fruits
of our labour, offered in love; in the name of Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen
Taking of the Bread & Wine
Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation. Through your
goodness we have this bread and wine to offer, which
earth has given and human hands have made. For us it
becomes the bread of life and the cup of salvation.
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Blessed be God forever.

FOURTH 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 him thanks and praise
We give you thanks and praise, Almighty God, through
your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Saviour and
Redeemer. He is your living Word, through whom you
have created all things.
By the power of the Holy Spirit he took flesh and was born
of the Virgin Mary and shared our human nature. He lived
and died as one of us, to reconcile us to you, the God and
Father of all.
In fulfilment of your will he stretched out his hands in
suffering, to bring release to those who place their hope in
you; and so he won for you a holy people.
He chose to bear our griefs and sorrows, and to give up
his life on the cross, that he might shatter the chains of the
evil one, and banish the darkness of sin and death. By his
resurrection he brings us into the light of your presence.
Now with all creation we raise our voices to proclaim the
glory of your name:
Holy, holy, holy Lord
God of power and might
heaven and earth and full of your glory.
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Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes from the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
Holy and gracious God, accept our praise, through your
Son our Saviour Jesus Christ; who on the night that he
was handed over to suffering and death, took bread and
gave you thanks, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body
which is broken for you.
So we proclaim the mystery of faith
Christ has died,
Christ is risen
Christ will come again.
Remembering therefore his death and resurrection, we
offer you this bread, giving thanks that you have made us
worthy to stand in your presence and serve you,
We ask you to send your Holy Spirit upon the offering of
your holy Church. Gather into one all who share in these
scared mysteries, filling us with the Holy Spirit and
confirming our faith in the truth, that together we may
praise you and give your glory through your Servant, Jesus
Christ.
All glory and honour are yours, Father and Son, with the
Holy Spirit in the Holy Church, now and forever.
The Lord’s Prayer
As Christ has taught us we are bold to pray
Our Father in heaven
Hallowed be your Name
Your kingdom come
Your will be done
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On earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
And deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power and glory are yours now
and forever. Amen
The Breaking of the Bread
The bread which we break
is it not a sharing of the body of Christ?
We, who are many, are one body
for we all partake of the one bread.
Prayer of Humble Access
We do not presume
to come to this your table, merciful Lord
trusting in our own righteousness
but in your manifold and great mercies.
We are not worthy so much as to gather up
the crumbs under your table
but you are the same Lord
whose nature is always to have mercy.
Grant us therefore, gracious Lord
so to eat the flesh of your dear Son Jesus Christ
and to drink his blood
that we may evermore dwell in him and he in us.
The Invitation
God’s holy gifts for God’s holy people.
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Draw near and receive the body of our Lord Jesus Christ
which He gave for you and His blood that He shed for you.
Feed on him in your hearts by faith with thanksgiving.
Communion Music: Silent Night
Silent night, holy night!
All is calm, all is bright.
Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child.
Holy infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace
Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia,
Christ the Savior is born!
Christ the Savior is born.
Silent night, holy night!
Son of God love's pure light.
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth,
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth.
The Conclusion
Give thanks to the Lord for he is gracious
His mercy endures for ever
Almighty and eternal God, we thank you for feeding us in
these holy mysteries with the body of your Son, our
Saviour Jesus Christ; and for keeping us by your grace in
the Body of your Son, the company of all faithful people.
Help us to persevere as living members of that holy
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fellowship, and to grow in love and obedience according to
your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and
forever.
Together we pray
Father almighty we offer ourselves to you as a living
sacrifice in Jesus Christ our Lord. Send us out into
the world in the power of the Holy Spirit to live and
work to your praise and glory.
Prayer for Africa
God bless Africa
Guard our children
Guide our leaders
And give us peace
For Jesus Christ sake. Amen
The Blessing
May the humility of the shepherds,
the faith of the wise men,
the joy of the angels
and the peace of the Christ Child
be God’s gift to you this Christmas and always. Amen
Notices
Priestly Blessing
The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face
shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord turn his
face toward you and give you peace.
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Recessional : Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Hark the herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled"
Joyful, all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With the angelic host proclaim:
"Christ is born in Bethlehem"
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"
Christ by highest heav'n adored
Christ the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come
Offspring of a Virgin's womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"
Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Ris'n with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"
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Dismissal
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Christ. Amen.