5. Of the Holy Eucharist

Collect:
God our Father, whose Son our Lord Jesus Christ in a wonderful Sacrament hath left unto us a memorial of his passion: Grant us so to venerate the sacred mysteries of his Body and Blood, that we may ever perceive within ourselves the fruit of his redemption; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

First Lesson: Deuteronomy 8:2-3
Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

Second Lesson: Revelation 19:1-2a,4-9
After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting:

"Hallelujah!
Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,
for true and just are his judgments."

4 The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried:

"Amen, Hallelujah!"

Then a voice came from the throne, saying:

"Praise our God,
all you his servants,
you who fear him,
both small and great!"

Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:

"Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.

Fine linen, bright and clean,
was given her to wear."

(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)

Then the angel said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!' " And he added, "These are the true words of God."

or

1 Corinthians 10:1-4, 16-17
For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.

16 Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.

or

1 Corinthians 11:23-29
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.

Psalm: 34

  1. I will bless the LORD at all times; *
    his praise shall ever be in my mouth.
  2. I will glory in the LORD; *
    let the humble hear and rejoice.
  3. Proclaim with me the greatness of the LORD; *
    let us exalt his Name together.
  4. I sought the LORD, and he answered me *
    and delivered me out of all my terror.
  5. Look upon him and be radiant, *
    and let not your faces be ashamed.
  6. I called in my affliction and the LORD heard me *
    and saved me from all my troubles.
  7. The angel of the LORD encompasses those who fear him, *
    and he will deliver them.
  8. Taste and see that the LORD is good; *
    happy are they who trust in him!
  9. Fear the LORD, you that are his saints, *
    for those who fear him lack nothing.
  10. The young lions lack and suffer hunger, *
    but those who seek the LORD lack nothing that is good.
  11. Come, children, and listen to me; *
    I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
  12. Who among you loves life *
    and desires long life to enjoy prosperity?
  13. Keep your tongue from evil-speaking *
    and your lips from lying words.
  14. Turn from evil and do good; *
    seek peace and pursue it.
  15. The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, *
    and his ears are open to their cry.
  16. The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, *
    to root out the remembrance of them from the earth.
  17. The righteous cry, and the LORD hears them *
    and delivers them from all their troubles.
  18. The LORD is near to the brokenhearted *
    and will save those whose spirits are crushed.
  19. Many are the troubles of the righteous, *
    but the LORD will deliver him out of them all.
  20. He will keep safe all his bones; *
    not one of them shall be broken.
  21. Evil shall slay the wicked, *
    and those who hate the righteous will be punished.
  22. The LORD ransoms the life of his servants, *
    and none will be punished who trust in him.

or
116:10-17

  1. How shall I repay the LORD *
          for all the good things he has done for me?
  2. I will lift up the cup of salvation *
          and call upon the Name of the LORD.
  3. I will fulfill my vows to the LORD *
          in the presence of all his people.
  4. Precious in the sight of the LORD *
          is the death of his servants.
  5. O LORD, I am your servant; *
          I am your servant and the child of your handmaid;
          you have freed me from my bonds.
  6. I will offer you the sacrifice of thanksgiving *
          and call upon the Name of the LORD.
  7. I will fulfill my vows to the LORD *
          in the presence of all his people,
  8. In the courts of the LORD'S house, *
          in the midst of you, O Jerusalem.
          Hallelujah!

Gospel: John 6:47-58
"I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."

Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"

Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever."

Collect & Psalm from the Book of Common Prayer
Other excerpts from the New International Bible

Various Occasions