Imatges de pàgina
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ready to depart. Then rise if you will, and go out quietly, not disturbing others; or wait to finish your prayers and thanksgivings. Be loth to break off too suddenly the calm communion with God. Seek to keep Him with you consciously. The world is always too ready to come in.

Be not in despair if you have been conscious of little real communion with God; and if you have found difficulties in praying. Only set your heart to seek God, and in His own time the difficulties will by degrees have passed away.

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Use any of these collects, or the following:

Prayer before leaving Church.

GOOD Lord, pardon all that has been amiss in this Service; forgive all inattention, all coldness in devotion, all lack of reverence; and grant that we who have sought Thee in this holy Sacrament with a pure heart and simple faith, may be so filled with Thy grace and blessing above all that we ask or think, that every Communion with our Saviour may bring us nearer to His likeness, and that His beauty may shine forth in our lives to Thy glory and the good of our fellow-men: through the same our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Prayer to be added after Communion to our Evening Prayer.

LORD Jesus Christ, grant me so reverent a sense of Thy blessed gift of Holy Communion, that the fruits of Thy love may abound in my life to the glory of God, the good of Thy people, and the saving of my soul; of Thy mercy, O my God, who with the Father and the Holy Ghost livest and reignest for ever and ever. Amen.

PREVENT us, O Lord, in all our doings with

Thy most gracious favour, and further us with Thy continual help; that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in Thee, we may glorify Thy holy Name, and finally by Thy mercy obtain everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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LMIGHTY God, the fountain of all wisdom,

who knowest our necessities before we ask, and our ignorance in asking; We beseech Thee to have compassion upon our infirmities; and those things, which for our unworthiness we dare not, and for our blindness we cannot ask, vouchsafe to give us, for the worthiness of Thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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LMIGHTY God, who hast promised to hear the petitions of them that ask in Thy Son's Name; We beseech Thee mercifully to incline Thine ears to us that have made now our prayers and supplications unto Thee; and grant, that those things, which we have "faithfully asked according to Thy will, may effectually be obtained, to the relief of our necessity, and to the setting forth of Thy glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Upon the Sundays and other Holy-days (if there be no Communion) shall be said all that is appointed at the Communion until the end of the general Prayer [For the whole state of Christ's Church militant here in earth] together with one or more of these Collects last before rehearsed, concluding with the Blessing.

And there shall be no celebration of the Lord's Supper, except there be a convenient number to communicate with the Priest, according to his discretion.

And if there be not above twenty persons in the Parish of discretion to receive the Communion; yet there shall be no Communion, except four (or three at the least) communicate with the Priest.

And in Cathedral and Collegiate Churches, and Colleges, where there are many Priests and Deacons, they shall all receive the Communion with the Priest every Sunday at the least, except they have a reasonable cause to the contrary.

And to take away all occasion of dissention, and superstition, which any person hath or might have concerning the Bread and Wine, it shall suffice that the Bread be such as is usual to be eaten; but the best and purest Wheat Bread that conveniently may be gotten.

And if any of the Bread and Wine remain unconsecrated, the Curate shall have it to his own use; but if any remain of that which was consecrated, it shall not be carried out of the Church, but the Priest and such other of the Communicants as he shall then call unto him, shall, immediately after the Blessing, reverently eat and drink the

same.

The Bread and Wine for the Communion shall be provided by the Curate and Churchwardens at the charges of the Parish.

And note, that every Parishioner shall communicate at the least three times in the year, of which Easter to be one. And yearly at Easte every Parishioner shall reckon with the Parson, Vicar, or Curate, ot his or their Deputy or Deputies; and pay to them or him all Ecclesiastical Duties, accustomably due, then and at that time to be paid. After the Divine Service ended, the money given at the Offertory shall be disposed of to such pious and charitable uses, as the Minister and Churchwardens shall think fit. Wherein if they disagree, it shall be disposed of as the Ordinary shall appoint.

In these rubrics Christian people are reminded of their duty. Unless by their attendance they show their desire for Holy Communion, God's Minister is unable to celebrate the Lord's Supper every Lord's Day, after the practice of Apostolic times, when "the disciples came together to break bread" on the Lord's Day (Acts xx. 7).

Be prepared at any time to be called to assist the Priest in executing his office according to this rubric. Go up and kneel down again, and reverently receive of that which remains. All worshippers should remain in their places until they see that the Priest's office is completed.

This rubric must not be understood as encouraging such infrequent Communion. The special prominence here given to the Easter Communion may be observed by preparing for it annually with more than usual care.

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