Sunday Service for 17th Sunday of Ordinary Time - July 26th 2020

Welcome to this video of the 9.30am Sunday service and Eucharist on July 26th 2020. It was recorded in St. Georges Anglican Church, Gate Pa, Tauranga, and live-streamed on the parish Facebook page. We used A New Zealand Prayer Book He Karakia Mihinare o Aotearoa (http://anglicanprayerbook.nz/). You can follow along, starting on page 456. Lectionary readings will be those listed as RCL in The Lectionary Te Maramataka The liturgy used is copyright material taken from ‘A New Zealand Prayer Book - He Karakia Mihinare o Aotearoa’ and is used with permission. As this is a communion service, we offer these thoughts about Spiritual Communion for those unable to physically join us. St Thomas Aquinas defined Spiritual Communion as “an ardent desire to receive Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament and lovingly embracing Him as if we had actually received Him.” Our New Zealand Prayer Book puts it this way (p.729): “When people who desire to receive the Holy Communion are unable to do so for any other reason, their desire and such prayers as they are able to offer ensure that they do spiritually receive the body and blood of Christ.” During communion you might like to pray this prayer Lord, you stand at the door of my heart and knock. You wait for me and only I can let you in. I believe and trust in you and ask you now to fill me with presence. Feed me with your body and unite me in your blood, that I may be your blessing to a world in need. Amen.