All Saints’ Church, Matlock Bank and Holy Trinity Church, Tansley

 

Liturgy for Palm Sunday - April 5th 2020

 

If you have a palm cross, or can find a leaf or a small branch of a tree or bush, please hold it as you pray to symbolize your presence with all God’s people as we greet Jesus on his journey to Jerusalem.

(Mark, in his Gospel, is not specific about palm branches, but describes ‘leafy branches they had cut in the fields.’ 11 v 8)

 

 

Commemoration of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem

 

Hosanna to the Son of David, the King of Israel.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest.

 

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, during Lent we have been preparing by works of love and self-sacrifice for the celebration of our Lord’s death and resurrection. Today we come together to begin this solemn celebration in union with the Church throughout the world. Christ enters his own city to complete his work as our Saviour, to suffer, to die, and to rise again. Let us go with him in faith and love, so that, united with him in his sufferings, we may share his risen life.

At this point, you are invited to hold up palms or branches: this prayer is normally spoken by the Priest of Reader:

God our Saviour,

whose Son Jesus Christ entered Jerusalem as Messiah to suffer and to die;

let these palms be for us signs of his victory

and grant that we who bear them in his name

may ever hail him as our King,

and follow him in the way that leads to eternal life;

who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

All   Amen.

The Palm Gospel

Matthew 21. 1-11

Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem

When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, “The Lord needs them.” And he will send them immediately.’ This took place to fulfil what had been spoken through the prophet, saying,
‘Tell the daughter of Zion,
Look, your king is coming to you,
   humble, and mounted on a donkey,
     and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’
The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,
‘Hosanna to the Son of David!
   Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!’
When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, ‘Who is this?’ The crowds were saying, ‘This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.’

If you are able to go outside and the weather is suitable, you may like to take a walk around the garden (a part of you daily exercise) holding or waving your palm or its substitute saying or singing (aloud or to yourself) the processional hymn.

To listen to it sung by King’s College choir, go to

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHN8UAk6Yow


All glory, laud, and honour
to thee, Redeemer, King,
to whom the lips of children
made sweet hosannas ring.
Thou art the King of Israel
thou David's royal Son,
who in the Lord's name comest,
the King and Blessed One.

2 The company of angels
are praising you on high;
and mortals, joined with all things
created make reply.
The people of the Hebrews
with palms before thee went;
our praise and prayer and anthems
before thee we present.

3 To thee before they passion

they sang their hymns of praise;

to thee, now high exalted,

our melody we raise.

Thou didst accept their praises,

accept the prayers we bring,

who in all good delightest,

thou good and gracious King!

 

Psalm for the day, which you may like to use any this point to lead you into prayer:

Psalm 118 verses 1-2, 19, 26-29

O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
   his steadfast love endures for ever!
2 Let Israel say,
   ‘His steadfast love endures for ever.’

19 Open to me the gates of righteousness,

   that I may enter through them

   and give thanks to the Lord.

26 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
   We bless you from the house of the Lord.
27 The Lord is God,
   and he has given us light.
Bind the festal procession with branches,
   up to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
   you are my God, I will extol you.
29 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever.

 

A time of quiet and prayer

 

Let us pray for a closer union with Christ in his suffering and in his glory.

 

Collect

True and humble king,

hailed by the crowd as Messiah:

grant us the faith to know you and love you,

that we may be found beside you

on the way of the cross,

which is the path of glory.

All   Amen.

Intercessions

adapted from the prayers of our sisters and brothers of the Costa Blanca Anglican Chaplaincy of the Church of England in Spain, where Covid 19 has take a severe hold.

Almighty God, as we approach Holy Week may the story of Christ’s passion, help us truly to understand the sacrifice he made for us.

Despite being unable to gather in our churches we give thanks for all those who are putting together and posting worship resources, enabling us to be together in spirit as we relive the Easter story, a story which fills us with hope and confidence that there will be an end to the chaos of the Covid-19 Pandemic. (Short Silence)

Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer

We think of Christ the servant – in the words of St Ignatius.

Holy God, teach us to be generous. Teach us to serve you as you deserve; to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labour and not to ask for reward, save that of knowing that we do your will.   (Short Silence)

Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer

We think of Christ at prayer whilst his disciples sleep.

Gracious God we recognize that sometimes we put off prayer and thanksgiving as we give way to our human frailty.  We thank you for those who pray and intercede on our behalf both in heaven and here on earth especially for our priests and chaplains, our Archbishops, Bishop Libby, our Archdeacon and Rural Dean, who together with all your faithful people throughout the world are joining in prayer with us today in their homes (Short Silence)

Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer

We think of Christ betrayed with a kiss and with denials

Almighty God, please help us never to abandon someone in their time of greatest need. Help us to forgive those who have wounded and abandoned us in times of crisis.  Cleanse our hearts from bitterness and resentment so that we can be more like Jesus, who was abandoned and betrayed by those closest to him.   (Short Silence)

Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer

We think of Christ falsely tried

Merciful God, we pray today for those facing the mockery of a trial, knowing that there is no justice for them and that their sentence might lead to a long term of imprisonment or even death.  We remember too those who languish in jails that are overcrowded or in inhumane conditions and those who await their fate on “death row”. (Short Silence)

Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer

We think of Christ tortured and violently executed

Everlasting God, your son was tortured, beaten and humiliated, and sentenced to an agonizing death though he had done no wrong. We pray for all prisoners throughout the world and ask you to be with them in the darkness of their prison cell, in the loneliness of separation from those they love and in their fear in the face of torture, execution and death. (Short Silence)

Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer

We think of Christ’s compassion despite the way he received none himself.

Loving God we pray for all who bring comfort, care and healing especially our Health Service who are bravely caring for those who are in need in this worldwide crisis.  We pray for the sick, the sorrowful, those who have recently died and those who are bereaved by their passing.

 (add names of those requesting prayer; the recently departed or on Anniversary list) (Short Silence)

Lord, in your Mercy: Hear our Prayer

Father God, as we move into Holy Week we commend ourselves and all those whom we live amongst, for whom Christ suffered, to His mercy and protection.

Merciful Father: accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ.  Amen.


Closing Prayer

May Christ,

who accepted the cup of sacrifice

in obedience to the Father’s will,

keep you steadfast as this week you walk with him the way of his cross.

Amen.