UNITED DIOCESES OF DUBLIN & GLENDALOUGH
CONFIRMATION WITH HOLY COMMUNION 2005

Date of service and Name of Church

The Gathering of God's People
FIRST HYMN
The archbishop says:
Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all:
And also with you.

The archbishop introduces the service and then says:
Let us affirm our trust in God's mercy, and confess that we need forgiveness.
A pause for reflection followed by these or similar penitential prayers.

Lord God, you created the world, and made us in your own image.
Forgive us when we turn away from you.

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Lord God, through your Son you overcame evil and death. Rescue us from slavery to sin.

Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.

Lord God, by your Spirit you restore us to fellowship with you and with one another. Breathe your love and freedom into our lives.

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

The Absolution
The Collect

Proclaiming and Receiving the Word
The First Reading.
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

SECOND HYMN
The Holy Gospel. remain standing:
Hear the Gospel of our Saviour Christ, according to _____, chapter ______, beginning at verse ______
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

After the Gospel: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

The Sermon

The Presentation
The archbishop asks the candidates together:
Have you been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit?
I have.
The archbishop asks each candidate individually by name:
________ Are you ready with your own mouth and from your own heart to affirm your faith in Jesus Christ?
I am.
The archbishop asks the clergy who have been responsible for the pastoral care of the candidates.
Have these persons been carefully prepared in their understanding of the Christian faith?
I believe they have.

The Decision (The Candidates respond to these questions together)
In baptism, God calls us from darkness to his marvellous light. To follow Christ means dying to sin and rising to new life with him. Therefore I ask:
Do you reject the devil and all proud rebellion against God? I reject them.
Do you renounce the deceit and corruption of evil? I renounce them.
Do you repent of the sins that separate us from God and neighbour? I repent of them.
Do you turn to Christ as Saviour? I turn to Christ.
Do you submit to Christ as Lord? I submit to Christ.
Do you come to Christ, the Way, the Truth and the Life? I come to Christ.
The archbishop says to the congregation
You have heard these our brothers and sisters respond to Christ.
Will you support them in this calling? We will support them.

The Profession of Faith
The archbishop asks the candidates
Do you believe and accept the Christian faith into which you are baptized? I do.
The archbishop addresses the congregation
Brothers and sisters, I ask you to profess together with these candidates the faith of the Church.

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 power of 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 again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come again 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.

The Confirmation
The archbishop says:
Our help is in the name of the Lord; who made heaven and earth.
Blessed be the name of the Lord: now, and for ever. Amen.
Silence and then the archbishop prays the confirmation prayer

Almighty and everliving God,
whose Son Jesus Christ was crucified and rose again
to break the power of sin and death:
We give you thanks and praise for the gift of your Holy Spirit
by whom your servants have been born again
and made your children.
Grant that in the power of the same Holy Spirit
they may continue to grow in the knowledge and likeness of Christ;
increase in them your gracious gifts,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of right judgment and inward strength,
the spirit of knowledge and godly living;
and fill them, O Lord, with the spirit of reverence for you.

Those who are to be confirmed kneel before the archbishop, who lays a hand upon each saying:

________ God has called you by name and made you his own.
Confirm O Lord your servant ________ with your heavenly grace,
that (s)he may continue to be yours for ever,
and daily increase in your Holy Spirit more and more
until (s)he comes to your eternal kingdom.
And each one of them answers: Amen.

The archbishop continues:

Heavenly Father, we pray for your servants
upon whom we have now laid our hands, after the example of the apostles,
to assure them by this sign of your favour towards them.
May your fatherly hand ever be over them.
Let your Holy Spirit ever be with them.
Lead them to know and obey your word, and keep them in eternal life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Commission

Those who are baptized are called to worship and serve God.
Will you continue in the apostles' teaching and fellowship,
in the breaking of the bread, and in the prayers?
With the help of God I will.

Will you persevere in resisting evil,
and whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?
With the help of God I will.

Will you proclaim by word and example
the good news of God in Christ?
With the help of God I will.

Will you seek and serve Christ in all people,
loving your neighbour as yourself?
With the help of God I will.

The Peace All stand and the archbishop says

God has made us one in Christ.
He has set his seal upon us and, as a pledge of what is to come,
has given the Spirit to dwell in our hearts.

The peace of the Lord be always with you
And also with you.

THIRD HYMN During which the Collection for the Archbishop's Fund for Training for Ministry

Celebrating at the Lord's Table
The Taking of the Bread and Wine
Remain standing

Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us
Therefore let us celebrate the feast.

The Great Thanksgiving
The Lord is here. His Spirit is with us.
Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give our thanks and praise.

Father, Lord of all creation, we praise you for your goodness and your love.
When we turned away you did not reject us. You came to meet us in your Son,
welcomed us as your children and prepared a table where we might feast with you.
In Christ you shared our life that we might live in him and he in us.

He opened wide his arms upon the cross
and, with love stronger than death,
he made the perfect sacrifice for sin.

Lord Jesus Christ, our redeemer,
on the night before you died you came to table with your friends.
Taking bread, you gave thanks, broke it and gave it to them saying,
Take, eat: this is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.

Lord Jesus, we bless you: you are the bread of life.

At the end of supper you took the cup of wine, gave thanks, and said,
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 in remembrance of me.

Lord Jesus, we bless you: you are the true vine.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ:

Dying, you destroyed our death,
Rising, you restored our life;
Lord Jesus, come in glory.

Holy Spirit, giver of life, come upon us now; may this bread and wine be to us
the body and blood of our Saviour Jesus Christ.

As we eat and drink these holy gifts
make us, who know our need of grace,
one in Christ, our risen Lord.

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Blessed Trinity: with your whole Church
throughout the world we offer you this sacrifice of thanks and praise
and lift our voice to join the song of heaven, for ever praising you and saying:

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord
God of power and might.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.

Thanks be to you, our God, for your gift beyond words.

Amen. Amen. Amen.

As our Saviour Christ has taught us, we are bold to say
Our Father, who art in heaven ………..

The Breaking of the Bread
The bread which we break is a sharing in the body of Christ.
We being many are one body, for we all share in the one bread.

The Communion
Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God, who has taken away the sins of the world.
Happy are those who are called to his supper.
Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.
(Communicants of all Christian Churches are welcome to receive the Holy Communion)

The Great Silence after all have received the Holy Communion

Going Out as God's People

Prayers after Communion

The Blessing

FINAL HYMN

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord
In the name of Christ. Amen.

Confirmation Liturgy 2005 (Word file)

COPYRIGHT NOTE

You may download this service, placing within it the readings and hymns or hymn numbers, notices, local arrangements, candidates names etc. and make up to 500 copies but the following legal points must be noted (as required by the Standing Committee of the General Synod):

1. The date and the name of the Church must be clearly shown

2. The following copyright acknowledgement must be printed:
"Material in this service from The Book of Common Prayer copyright ©RCB 2004"