Uniting Heaven and Earth

It is indeed truly just, righteous, and fitting
to praise and to glorify,
to worship and adore,
to give thanks and to magnify thee
the great Maker of all creatures, visible and invisible,
the treasure of all good, temporal and eternal :
The fountain of all life, mortal and immortal :
The Lord and God of all things in Heaven and Earth,
the great Father of his Servants,
and great Master of his Children.

The Heavens and the Heaven of Heavens,
and every power therein;
the Sun and the Moon, and all the stars of the sky;
the sea and the earth,
the heights above and the depths below;
Jerusalem that is from above,
the Congregation celestial,
the Church of the first-born written in the Heavens,
the spirits of the Prophets and of just men made perfect,
the souls of the Apostles and all holy Martyrs,
Angels and Archangels,
Thrones and Dominions,
Principalities and Powers,
the spirits of Understanding
and the spirits of Love,
with never ceasing Hymns and perpetual Anthems
cry out Night and Day,

HOLY, HOLY, HOLY,
Lord God of Hosts :
Heaven and Earth are full of thy glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he that cometh
in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

Let all corruptible flesh be silent,
and stand with fear and trembling,
and think within itself nothing that is earthly,
nothing that is unholy.
The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords,
Christ our God comes down from Heaven unto us,
and gives himself to be meat for the Souls of all faithful People.
All the glorious companies of Angels behold this and wonder,
and love and worship Jesus.
Every Throne and Dominion,
The Cherubim with many Eyes,
and the Seraphim with many Wings
cover their Faces before the Majesty of his Glory,
and sing a perpetual song for ever :
Allelujah, Allelujah.
Glory be to God on high;
and in Earth peace; good will towards men.
Allelujah.

Have mercy upon us, O Heavenly Father,
according to thy glorious mercies and promises,
send thy Holy Ghost upon our hearts,
and let him also descend upon these gifts,
that by his good, his holy, his glorious presence,
he may sanctify and enlighten our hearts,
and he may bless and sanctify these gifts:
that this bread may become the holy Body of Christ. Amen.

And this chalice may become the life-giving Blood of Christ. Amen.

That it may become unto us all that partake of it this day,
a Blessed instrument of Union with Christ,
of pardon and peace,
of health and blessing,
of holiness and life Eternal,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Holy and blessed art thou, O King of Eternal ages,
fountain and giver of all righteousness.

Holy art thou the eternal and only-begotten Son of God,
our Lord Jesus Christ, Redeemer of the World.

Holy art thou, O Blessed Spirit, that searchest all things,
even the depths and hidden things of God.

Thou, O God, art Almighty:
thou art good and gracious,
dreadfull and venerable,
holy and merciful
to the work of thine own hands.

Thou didst make man according to thine Image;
thou gavest him the riches and the rest of Paradise:
When he fell and broke thy easy Commandment
thou didst not despise his folly,
nor leave him in his sin
but didst chastise him with thy rod,
and restrain him by thy Law,
and instruct him by thy Prophets,
and at last didst send thy Holy Son into the World,
that he might renew and repair thy broken Image.

Blessed be God.

He, coming from Heaven, and taking our flesh,
by the power of the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary,
conversed with men,
and taught us the way of God,
and the dispensation of eternal Life.

Holy Jesus! Blessed be God.

But when for the redemption of us sinners
he would suffer death upon the Cross without sin,
for us who were nothing but sin and misery,
in the night in which he was betrayed,
he took bread, he looked up to Heaven,
he gave thanks, he sanctified it,
he brake it, and gave it to his Apostles saying.

Take, eat,
THIS IS MY BODY which is broken for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.

Likewise after Supper he took the Cup,
and when he had given thanks and blessed it
he gave it to them saying,

Drink ye all of this,
for THIS IS MY BLOOD OF THE NEW TESTAMENT,
which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins.
Do this in remembrance of me.

For as often as ye shall eat this Bread, and drink this Cup,
ye shall shew forth the Lord's death till he come.

Amen.
We believe, and we confess.
We declare thy Death, and confess thy Resurrection.

(Then the Presbyter says the Prayer of Oblation)

Jeremy Taylor (1613-1667), taken from the Eucharistic Liturgy Taylor compiled for his community's use when the Book of Common Prayer was banned during the Commonwealth. It draws heavily on both Eastern and early Latin liturgies.