Croeso! Bore da! Welcome to you all as we mark Palm Sunday in the blog..
Please do make yourself known to me if you are popping in or if I can help in any way.
+Yn enw'r Tad, a'r Mab, a'r Ysbryd Glan. Amen
+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. AMEN
Alleluia! Christ is risen.
He is risen indeed. Alleluia!
Our opening Hymn is: Jesus Christ is risen today Alleluia!
Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia,
our triumphant holy day; alleluia,
who did once upon the cross; alleluia,
suffer to redeem our loss; alleluia!
Hymns of praise then let us sing; Alleluia,
unto Christ our heavenly king; alleluia,
who endured the cross and grave; alleluia,
sinners to redeem and save: alleluia!
But the pains which he endured; Alleluia,
our salvation have procured; alleluia,
now above the sky he's King; alleluia,
where the angels ever sing: alleluia!
Heavenly Father, all hearts are open to you.
No secrets are hidden from you.
Purify us with the fire of your Holy Spirit
that we may love and worship you faithfully,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy.
Christ, have mercy. Christ have mercy.
Lord, have mercy. Lord have mercy.
Heavenly Father,
we have sinned in thought, word and deed,
and have failed to do
what we ought to have done.
We are sorry and truly repent.
For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ
who died for us, forgive us all that is past,
and lead us in his way
to walk as children of light. AMEN
May God our Father,
who by the Lord Jesus Christ
has reconciled the world to himself
and forgives the sins of all who truly repent,
pardon and deliver us from all our sins,
and grant us the grace and power of the Holy Spirit. AMEN
Collect
Lord of all life and power,
who through the mighty resurrection of your Son overcame the old order of sin and death to make all things new in him:
grant that we, being dead to sin and alive to you in Jesus Christ, may reign with him in glory;
to whom with you and the Holy Spirit be praise and honour, glory and might, now and in all eternity.
The Word of God.
Acts 10. 34-43
Then Peter began to speak to them: ‘I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ - he is Lord of all. That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.’
This is the word of the Lord
Thanks be to God.
The Gospel of Christ according to St Mark
Glory to you. O Lord.
Mark 16. 1-8
When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, ‘Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?’ When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.’ So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
This is the Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you, O Christ.
Homily
This Easter feels so strange, so difficult, so not what the Church is about. The limiting of numbers to who can attend worship, the not touching, the almost sterile feeling about the way things have to be done. It is alien completely! There is a feeling that things are ok - well sort of - as we have all survived a year and possibly had both or certainly first part of the vaccine. So many people hear Mark Drakeford’s advice and follow rigidly the way through lockdown and the exit into level three and more freedom. But increasing people are doing their own things, mixing more, staying away from home etc. It isn’t what we should be doing yet, but in many ways I cannot blame people either. It has been so long since we could mix properly, gather as we have in the past and we emerge slowly into a different world where things will be different and not the same.
In Mark’s Gospel it is the women – Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome who came to the tomb early. They wondered how they would get the stone rolled from the entrance. They were performing a post death ritual just in the same way as we do today; bodies are washed and prepared for a funeral. The Jewish people did not embalm bodies but tried to mask the odours instead. So the women arrived, with the spices and possibly perfumes, myrrh and aloes to anoint Jesus, to place on and around the body to help control the smells of decomposition. It was a job to do, a normal job.
Here in St Mark there is huge emphasis upon the tomb. Jesus had a borrowed tomb from Joseph of Arimathea and had been placed in it after the crucifixion. It was sealed with a large stone to shut the entrance, to protect the body. It was no wonder the women worried how they might move the stone, but upon arriving there, the stone had already been rolled back and there was man in white with a message for them and the other disciples. St Mark is trying to emphasis the tomb was securely sealed. Mark further emphasises the size of the rock which sealed the tomb. He is keen to point that this removal of the large stone, illustrates the power of the resurrection – the tomb is open and Jesus not there – the tomb is empty! Mark continues the women were frightened, who wouldn’t be! He exclaims, look the body has gone from where it was laid. There is an angel there as well, and they are told Jesus has been raised and has gone ahead to Galilee.
This is the story as told by St Mark and whether it is exactly as it happened, we do not know. Indeed, how do you try and make sense of something which is Godly and not of humans? However, the frightened women and the despairing disciples are now confronted with something different, something transforming. It was not easily understood, something amazing, but beyond them too. But it did change them and so to we are changed by the resurrection of Christ. We may not understand it, we may be afraid, we may doubt it and question accounts of the resurrection, but we too are changed, transformed by it.
We marked the Triduum from Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday not as a re-enactment, but experiencing for ourselves the way of the cross. To be immersed in liturgy and symbolism in our journey and so at Holy Saturday, Easter Eve, the start of the new day in the Jewish world, we come face to face with a Christ who has transformed things, including ourselves – a resurrected Jesus. We are not re enacting events, but allowing ourselves to be open to the reality of Jesus presence in our own lives in a new way.
We will get out of this pandemic and very restricted way of life. There will be a time maybe several years down the line when we not have to wear masks in certain situations, we will at some point maybe two or three years ahead not have to social distance or even count the limited number we can have in church. Things will change and so will be transformed. We will have journeyed the way we have to, but will be enabled to change through the process as we take up the reins again fully. It is a type of new life, a resurrection-type experience, but most of all an opportunity to engage with our risen Lord here and now despite all the restrictions and limitations. It is a message of resurrection and hope.
Baptismal Creed.
We believe and trust in God the father,
who created all that is.
We believe and trust in his Son Jesus Christ,
who redeemed humankind.
We believe and trust in his Holy Spirit,
who gives life to the people of God.
We believe and trust in one God, father Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen
Prayers of Intercession and Lord's Prayer
Christ is Risen, and the power of His resurrection fills the world today with new life, hope and expectation and so we bring him all our needs. Faithful God, we think of your church today celebrating the Resurrection all over the world. Language race and nationalities may be different but our worship and our joy on the Day Of Resurrection make us one in the Gospel
We pray that The Holy Spirit may guide and strengthen us in mission and service praying that day by day we may grow in love for you and for our brothers and sisters in Christ.
We Pray for the Glamorgan Heritage Coast Ministry Area and all the twelve churches.
Lord in your mercy: Hear our Prayer
Creator God, we pray for the leaders of the nations of the world that they may give priority to those with greatest need in the distribution of the world’s basic resources. We especially pray on this special day, for a fair and equitable distribution of the Coronavirus vaccine.
Lord in your mercy: Hear our Prayer
Father God at this joyful Eastertide we pray for our families and friends especially as they are unable this year to join us here at home for the Easter Holidays. We thank you for the joy of sending and receiving Easter cards and messages of love and for modern communication systems which bring our loved ones so close even when we are separated by great distances and by the Pandemic.
Lord in your mercy: Hear our Prayer
Creator God we pray for those who are in need and ask you to look with pity on those who suffer. We especially pray for all those within our Ministry Area who have asked for our prayers. We pray for the broken-hearted , for the sick, for the lonely that your very presence would comfort them in their time of need and give thanks for all who work in the health services. Lord in your mercy: Hear our Prayer
Merciful God, we pray that those who have recently died may one day share in the promise of new life won for us all by the resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ and his triumph over death and the grave. may they with all those who have anniversaries at this time rest in peace and rise in glory. Lord in your mercy: Hear our Prayer Faithful God as we go out into the world we pray that we may reflect your love in our families, our church and our community; so that the world can witness that we are followers of Christ and draw others into his loving care.
Merciful Father: accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Our closing hymn is: Thine be the Glory
The Lord be with you
And also with you.
The Grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all now and ever more. AMEN
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Alleluia! Alleluia!
Ewch mewn tangnefedd i garu a gwasanaethu'r Arglwydd. Alleluia! Alleluia!
If you would like to donate £5 to the overall work of the 12 churches in the parish, please carefully text: GIVE5 to 70970. Thank you, diolch yn fawr.
