St Paul’s Cathedral Together transforming our City and Diocese Choral Evening Prayer from A Prayer Book for Australia (1996) The Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary • Lady Day Celebrating Mothers Union Victoria In person 5.10pm • Thursday 25 March 2021 Channel 31 2.30pm • Monday 29 March 2021 Livestreams 5.10pm • Tuesday 30 March 2021 WELCOME Welcome to St Paul’s Cathedral, the home for worshippers from more than two dozen nations, the home church for Anglicans in Melbourne and Victoria. We are delighted that you have joined us for our service: come and worship with us again. St Paul’s Cathedral is situated on the traditional lands of the Kulin nation and we acknowledge and pay our respect to their elders past, present and emerging, and commit ourselves to the ongoing work of reconciliation in our nation. Offerings We rely entirely on your gift. During the Covid-19 pandemic, overall giving has dropped significantly. Please be generous. You can also donate online via our website www.cathedral.org.au/donate or by EFT BSB: 083-088, Account: 53-728-8315. Safeguarding We strongly condemn any form of abuse and are committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable people, and to speaking out against violence against women. All our staff and volunteers complete training and relevant checks. If you would like to raise any concerns, please contact the independent Professional Standards Body, Kooyoora. Tel. 1800 135 246. For advice in the case of family violence, ring 1800 737 732. Please note that this service is being recorded for broadcast. Please keep extraneous noise to a minimum. Thank you for your cooperation. LEADING TODAY’S SERVICE The Very Revd Dr Andreas Loewe, Dean of Melbourne Musicians: Lay Clerks of the Cathedral Choir, directed by Mr Philip Nicholls, Director of Music. Organ: Mr Siegfried Franke, Cathedral Organist. www.cathedral.org.au • [email protected] • 03 9653 4220 ORDER OF SERVICE WELCOME The Officiant welcomes the people RESPONSES The Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give God the glory. Glory to God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit: as in the beginning, so now, and for ever. Amen. CANTICLE 2 4 The Lord, ye know, is God indeed, For why? The Lord our God is good; without our aid he did us make; his mercy is for ever sure; we are his folk, he doth us feed, his truth at all times firmly stood, and for his sheep he doth us take. and shall from age to age endure. 3 5 O enter then his gates with praise, To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, approach with joy his courts unto; the God whom heaven praise, laud, and earth adore, and bless his name always, from earth and from the angel host for it is seemly so to do. be praise and glory evermore. Amen. Psalm 100, vd. William Kethe (d.1594) arr. Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) OPENING PRAYER The day is now past and the night is at hand. Let us pray with one heart and mind. Father of lights, receive the prayer and praise we offer you as our evening sacrifice; make us a light for all the world, delivered by your goodness from all the works of darkness; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen. 2 PSALM 85.1-2, 8-13 1O Lord, you were gracious to your land: you restored the fortunes of Jacob. 2You forgave the iniquity of your people: and covered all their sin. 8I will hear what the Lord God will speak: for he will speak peace to his people, to his faithful ones, whose hearts are turned to him. 9Truly his salvation is near to those that fear him: and his glory shall dwell in our land. 10Mercy and truth are met together: righteousness and peace have kissed each other; 11Truth shall flourish out of the earth: and righteousness shall look down from heaven. 12The Lord will also give us all that is good: and our land shall yield its plenty. 13For righteousness shall go before him: and tread the path before his feet. Glory to God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit; as in the beginning, so now, and for ever. Amen. Chant: F. A. G. Ouseley (1825–89) THE READING Luke 1.26-46a Read by Elaine Longford, Mothers Union Melbourne President. A reading from the Gospel of St Luke 26In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.’29But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. 31And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ 34Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’ 35The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. 36And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37For nothing will be impossible with God.’ 38Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her. 39In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leapt for 3 joy. 45And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.’ 46And Mary said, MAGNIFICAT Sung by the Choir The Song of Mary, St Luke 1.46b-55 My soul doth magnify the Lord: and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded: the lowliness of his handmaiden. For behold, from henceforth: all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath magnified me: and holy is his Name. And his mercy is on them that fear him: throughout all generations. He hath shewed strength with his arm: he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seat: and hath exalted the humble and meek. He hath filled the hungry with good things: and the rich he hath sent empty away. He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel: as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed forever. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen. Music: Evening Service in G – Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924) APOSTLES’ CREED I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. LESSER LITANY The Lord be with you. And also with you. Let us pray. Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. 4 LORD’S PRAYER Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen. COLLECT OF THE DAY Loving God, who chose the blessed virgin Mary to be the mother of your incarnate Son: grant that we, who are redeemed by his blood, may share with her in the glory of your eternal kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. ANTHEM Ave Maria gratia plena, Hail Mary, full of grace, Dominus tecum, the Lord is with you; benedicta tu in mulieribus Blessed are you among women, et benedictus fructus and blessed is the fruit ventris tui Jesus.