Please join in saying the words and singing the hymns printed in bold type.

The church is served by a hearing loop. Users should turn their hearing aid to the setting marked T.

Photography, filming, and sound recording are not allowed in the Abbey during services. Please ensure that mobile telephones and other electronic devices are silent.

Setting: Mass in E flat Op 109 'Cantus missae', Josef Rheinberger (1839–1901)

During the offertory hymn, a collection will be taken; the money from today's services will be divided equally between St Andrew's Youth Club and the work of the Abbey. Established over 150 years ago, St Andrew's provides a sense of belonging, fun, and informal education to over 500 members each year.

Visiting Choirs

When the Abbey Choirs are on holiday, the Abbey welcomes visiting choirs, upholding the Abbey's pattern of choral services. This is an important aspect of worship at Westminster Abbey, and choirs are received both at the invitation of the Minor Canons and Music Departments and via online applications. More information and details on how to apply can be found here. Today, the Abbey is pleased to welcome Exultate who are singing the choral services this weekend.

Order of Service

All stand as the choir and clergy enter, and to sing the Hymn

All my hope on God is founded;
   he doth still my trust renew.
Me through change and chance he guideth,
   only good and only true.
God unknown,
he alone
   calls my heart to be his own.

Pride of man and earthly glory,
   sword and crown betray his trust;
what with care and toil he buildeth,
   tower and temple, fall to dust.
But God's power,
hour by hour,
   is my temple and my tower.

God's great goodness aye endureth,
   deep his wisdom, passing thought:
splendour, light, and life attend him,
   beauty springeth out of naught.
Evermore
from his store
   new-born worlds rise and adore.

Daily doth th'Almighty giver
   bounteous gifts on us bestow;
his desire our soul delighteth,
   pleasure leads us where we go.
Love doth stand
at his hand;
   joy doth wait on his command.

Still from man to God eternal
   sacrifice of praise be done,
high above all praises praising
   for the gift of Christ his Son.
Christ doth call
one and all:
   ye who follow shall not fall.

Words: 'Meine Hoffnung stehet feste' Joachim Neander (1650–80) translated by Robert Bridges (1844–1930)
Tune: 'Michael' 333 NEH, Herbert Howells (1892–1983) 

All remain standing. The president introduces the Prayers of Penitence, after which all say

Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
we have sinned against you
and against our neighbour
in thought and word and deed,
through negligence, through weakness,
through our own deliberate fault.
We are truly sorry
and repent of all our sins.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
who died for us,
forgive us all that is past
and grant that we may serve you in newness of life
to the glory of your name.
Amen.

The president gives the Absolution

Almighty God, who forgives all who truly repent, have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and keep you in life eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The choir sings Gloria in excelsis Deo

Gloria in excelsis Deo,

All sit

et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis.

Laudamus te, benedicimus te, adoramus te, glorificamus te, gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam tuam, Domine Deus, Rex caelestis, Deus Pater omnipotens.

Domine Fili unigenite, Jesu Christe; Domine Deus, Agnus Dei, Filius Patris, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis; qui tollis peccata mundi, suscipe deprecationem nostram; qui sedes ad dexteram Patris, miserere nobis.

Quoniam tu solus Sanctus, tu solus Dominus, tu solus Altissimus, Jesu Christe, cum Sancto Spiritu, in gloria Dei Patris. Amen.

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.

All stand for the Collect

Let us pray.

All sit for the Reading from the Old Testament, Ecclesiastes 1: 2, 12–14; 2: 18–23

Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher,
   vanity of vanities! All is vanity.

I, the Teacher, when king over Israel in Jerusalem, applied my mind to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven; it is an unhappy business that God has given to human beings to be busy with. I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun; and see, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.

I hated all my toil in which I had toiled under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to those who come after me—and who knows whether they will be wise or foolish? Yet they will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. So I turned and gave my heart up to despair concerning all the toil of my labours under the sun, because sometimes one who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave all to be enjoyed by another who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. What do mortals get from all the toil and strain with which they toil under the sun? For all their days are full of pain, and their work is a vexation; even at night their minds do not rest. This also is vanity.

This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

The choir sings Psalm 49: 1–9

Hear this, all you peoples;
   listen, all you that dwell in the world,
you of low or high degree,
   both rich and poor together.
My mouth shall speak of wisdom,
   and my heart shall meditate on understanding.
I will incline my ear to a parable;
   I will unfold my riddle with the lyre.

Why should I fear in evil days,
   when the malice of my foes surrounds me,
such as trust in their goods
   and glory in the abundance of their riches?
For no one can indeed ransom another
   or pay to God the price of deliverance.
To ransom a soul is too costly;
   there is no price one could pay for it,
so that they might live for ever,
   and never see the grave.

The Epistle, Colossians 3: 1–11

If you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.

Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). On account of these the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient. These are the ways you also once followed, when you were living that life. But now you must get rid of all such things—anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator. In that renewal there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all!

All stand for the Procession of the Gospel. The choir sings

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

and all repeat

I am the way, the truth, and the life, says the Lord. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

The reader announces the Gospel, Luke 12: 13–21

Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, 'Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.' But he said to him, 'Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?' And he said to them, 'Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.' Then he told them a parable: 'The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, "What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?" Then he said, "I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry." But God said to him, "You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?" So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich towards God.'

The Sermon by The Reverend Helena Bickley-Percival, Sacrist

All stand to say the Creed

We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is,
seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven,
was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come.
Amen.

All remain standing for the Prayers of Intercession. At the end of each petition there is said

The intercession ends

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

The president introduces the Peace

Blessed are the peacemakers: they shall be called children of God. We meet in the name of Christ and share his peace.

All may greet one another with the words Peace be with you.

All remain standing to sing the Hymn during the Preparation of the Altar. A collection will be taken. Alternatively, cash and contactless donations may be given as you leave via the Great West Door

Let all mortal flesh keep silence
   and with fear and trembling stand;
ponder nothing earthly-minded,
   for with blessing in his hand
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
   our full homage to demand.

King of kings, yet born of Mary,
   as of old on earth he stood,
Lord of lords, in human vesture,
   in the body and the blood:
he will give to all the faithful
   his own self for heav'nly food.

Rank on rank the host of heaven
   spreads its vanguard on the way,
as the Light of light descendeth
   from the realms of endless day,
that the powers of hell may vanish
   as the darkness clears away.

At his feet the six-winged seraph;
   cherubim with sleepless eye
veil their faces to the Presence,
   as with ceaseless voice they cry,
Alleluia, alleluia,
   alleluia, Lord most high!

Words: from the 'Liturgy of St James' translated by Gerard Moultrie (1829–85)
Tune: 'Picardy' 295 NEH, traditional French carol

All remain standing for the Eucharistic Prayer. The president says

Father, we give you thanks and praise through your beloved Son Jesus Christ, your living Word, through whom you have created all things; who was sent by you in your great goodness to be our Saviour. By the power of the Holy Spirit he took flesh; as your Son, born of the blessed Virgin, he lived on earth and went about among us; he opened wide his arms for us on the cross; he put an end to death by dying for us; and revealed the resurrection by rising to new life; so he fulfilled your will and won for you a holy people. Therefore with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we proclaim your great and glorious name, for ever praising you and saying:

The choir sings Sanctus

Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth, pleni sunt caeli et terra gloria tua. Hosanna in excelsis. Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini. Hosanna in excelsis.

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

The president continues the Eucharistic Prayer

Lord, you are holy indeed, the source of all holiness; grant that by the power of your Holy Spirit, and according to your holy will, these gifts of bread and wine may be to us the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ;

who, in the same night that he was betrayed, took bread and gave you thanks; he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.

In the same way, after supper he took the cup and gave you thanks; he gave it to them, saying: Drink this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.

Great is the mystery of faith:
Christ has died: Christ is risen: Christ will come again.

And so, Father, calling to mind his death on the cross, his perfect sacrifice made once for the sins of the whole world; rejoicing in his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension, and looking for his coming in glory, we celebrate this memorial of our redemption. As we offer you this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, we bring before you this bread and this cup and we thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your presence and serve you.

Send the Holy Spirit on your people and gather into one in your kingdom all who share this one bread and one cup, so that we, in the company of [N and] all the saints, may praise and glorify you for ever, through Jesus Christ our Lord; by whom, and with whom, and in whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honour and glory be yours, almighty Father, for ever and ever. Amen.

All remain standing. The president introduces the Lord's Prayer

As we join our prayers with those of the Church Universal, so we say, each in our own language, the prayer that Jesus Christ has taught us,

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.

All remain standing for the Breaking of the Bread

The congregation is invited to sit as the president and other ministers begin the distribution of Holy Communion. Those wishing to receive come forward as directed by the Stewards. If you receive communion in your own church you are welcome to do so here. Gluten-free wafers are available. Please refrain from dipping the wafer in the chalice. Those who do not wish to receive communion are invited to come for a blessing; please bow your head as you approach. The minister says to each communicant

The body of Christ. Amen.

The blood of Christ. Amen.

During the giving of communion, the choir sings Agnus Dei and the Motet

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona nobis pacem.

Laß dich nur nichts nicht dauern mit Trauern, sei stille,
Wie Gott es fügt, so sei vergnügt mein Wille!

Was willst du heute sorgen auf Morgen? Der Eine
Steht allem für, der gibt auch dir das Deine.

Sei nur in allem Handel ohn' Wandel, steh' feste,
Was Gott beschleußt, das ist und heißt das Beste.
   Amen.

Do not be sorrowful or regretful, be calm, as God has ordained, so my will shall be content!

What do you want to worry about from day to day? There is One who stands above all, who gives you too what is yours.

Only be steadfast in all you do, stand firm, what God has decided, that is and must be the best. Amen.

Words: Paul Flemming (1609–40)
Music: 'Geistliches Lied' Op 30, Johannes Brahms (1833–97)

All stand to sing the Hymn

Sweet Sacrament divine,
   hid in thine earthly home,
lo, round thy lowly shrine,
   with suppliant hearts we come;
Jesu, to thee our voice we raise
in songs of love and heartfelt praise:
   sweet Sacrament divine.

Sweet Sacrament of peace,
   dear home for every heart,
where restless yearnings cease
   and sorrows all depart;
there in thine ear all trustfully
we tell our tale of misery:
   sweet sacrament of peace.

Sweet Sacrament of rest,
   ark from the ocean's roar,
within thy shelter blest
   soon may we reach the shore;
save us, for still the tempest raves,
save, lest we sink beneath the waves:
   sweet Sacrament of rest.

Sweet Sacrament divine,
   earth's light and jubilee,
in thy far depths doth shine
   the Godhead's majesty;
sweet light, so shine on us, we pray
that earthly joys may fade away:
   sweet sacrament divine.

Words: Francis Stanfield (1835–1914)
Tune: 'Divine mysteries' 307 NEH, Francis Stanfield

Let us pray.

All remain standing. The president says the Prayer after Communion

The president pronounces the Blessing

The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen.

Music after the service

Alla breve in D BWV 589, Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)

Sunday Lunch

Come and enjoy Sunday lunch at the Cellarium

The Cellarium Café and Terrace serves a traditional roast lunch, with a selection of starters and desserts. From £20.00 per person. Open from noon.

If you attend worship at the Abbey regularly, you may like to add this page to your home screen for easy access to our orders of service.

Hymns covered by Christian Copyright Licensing (International) Ltd are reproduced under CCL no 1040271 and MRL no 1040288. Common Worship (Church House Publishing, 2000), material from which is included in this service, is copyright © The Archbishops' Council. Scripture Readings are from the New Revised Standard Version.