Croeso! Bore da! Welcome to you all
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: I, the Lord of sea and sky
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
The Gloria
Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to people of good will.
We praise you,
we bless you,
we adore you,
we glorify you,
we give you thanks for your great glory,
Lord God, heavenly King,
O God, almighty Father.
Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
Son of the Father,
you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us;
you take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.
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.
(Catholic hymn version)
The Collect for the Seventh Sunday of Easter
Collect for the week
O God the King of glory,you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: we beseech you, leave us not comfortless, but send your Holy Spirit to strengthen us and exalt us to the place where our Saviour Christ is gone before, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
The Word of God
Acts 1. 15-17, 21-26
In those days Peter stood up among the believers (together the crowd numbered about one hundred and twenty people) and said, ‘Friends, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit through David foretold concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus - for he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.’
So one of the men who have accompanied us throughout the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us - one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection.’ So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. Then they prayed and said, ‘Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.’ And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.
Psalm 1
Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers; but their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night.
They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper.
The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,but the way of the wicked will perish.
The Gospel of Christ according to St John
Glory to you. O Lord.
John 17. 6-19
‘I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.
This is the Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you, O Christ.
Homily
Last Thursday saw us at Ascension Day, the 40 days after Easter Day when we remember the Lord ascending, rising up into the Heavens, going from his disciples and returning to the Father. Last Sunday saw an official farewell to Marta, as well as the students at Atlantic College, before going home for the Summer or starting University. However, Marta was a house mother at the College and had cared for the students there for some years. Marta was also a visible link between the college and the Church- St Donat’s. She helped the students to make a living sense of their faith and to express that in the church and college community. She is returning home to Hungary and will be sorely missed both in St Donat’s and in the college community. I do not know her reasons for leaving but coronavirus cannot of helped matters. Now, we cannot compare this to Our Lord’s Ascension, but there are some lesser parallels – Marta will not be visibly present, though feel sure her presence will be still felt for some while and possibly some of the students will remain in touch with her through social media etc.
In the Gospel today Jesus speaks of his departure and keeping the disciples together in unity, except for Judas. Jesus doesn’t know how the disciples will be, but prays for them that they will share Jesus’ own joy personally and further joy in bringing others to known God and his love for them. For me one of the most wonderful things is accompanying people who feel they have a vocation to carry out because God has called them. This is for me a huge privilege whether the calling is to clean the church loos, to be a Reader or priest or someone who feels called by God to pray for the work of the Church and Ministry Area.
God calls everyone to something at all ages and all situations in life. Vocation isn’t limited to 16-60+ age group. The awareness of vocation is absolutely compelling and doesn’t bring with it an easy or comfortable life necessarily. Last Thursday, Ascension day there was an Ordination in the Deanery, Ian Yemm from Cowbridge was ordained to the priesthood and +June spoke about the joys and the hardships of vocation. I have also seen the pain and damage done when people haven’t got through selection and equally know the damage done to individuals who fail to stop and look after themselves when working vocationally.
The disciples we are told in the Gospel are to be sanctified, equipped for their task in the truth, meaning in the message of God’s love and glory as in the whole of Jesus’ life. So, it can be seen that in one sense Jesus himself is sending the disciples out into the world on their mission as God the Father sent Him out in his mission. Jesus wants their mission and prayer to be effective and to ensure this he sanctifies -, consecrate himself.
We too are called and are supported through prayer as we exercise the ministry of Christ – whatever it is, wherever it is and we are equipped for that service, completely and utterly.
Prayers of Intercession and Lord's Prayer
Let us pray for the church and the world and let us thank God for his goodness.
Father God, we thank you for our Gospel reading this morning and its example of how Jesus prayed and talked to you. Help us to follow his example and always be ready and willing to pray for ourselves and others.
Creator God, we thank you for our world, for the beauty all around us, and as the weather warms and our part of the world gets more colourful, help us to see your Glory in all creation.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer
Eternal God, we pray for the nations of the world, we thank you for all who work for peace. We pray for all people in Israel, for the families of those who have died in the conflict, for those in authority on all sides, that a way may be found to bring peace.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer
Gracious God, we thank you for the advances that have been made in science and technology, we thank you for the way this has made communication and working easier during the pandemic. We pray that we will be able to protect the people who make the things we use from being exploited and underpaid for their labour.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer
Loving God, we thank you for our families, our friends and our neighbours.
We pray that as our restrictions on meeting together are lifted, we will continue to be careful and loving to the most venerable, and respect all who are not ready yet to get out and about. Help us to enjoy our greater freedoms in safety.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer
We pray for all who are awaiting treatment of any kind, those who are in our hospitals or at home who are poorly . We pray too, for all who are mourning the death of a family member, loved one or friend either recently or whose anniversary is at this time of year. In a moment of quiet please name before God anyone on your mind this today…………..May they be aware of your presence with them and know that you love and care for them. May they rest in peace and rise in glory.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the lives and witness of those early disciples, and for the generations of your people who believed their testimonies and who believed and trusted in your Son. Send us out from here this morning, to continue their work and fulfil your calling on our lives in the power of your Holy Spirit and to the best of our ability.
Rejoicing in the fellowship of all your saints, we commend ourselves and all Christian people to your unfailing love.
Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Risen Saviour Jesus Christ.
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 hymn: Will you come and follow me
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.
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