| Our forms of worship 'Lex
orandi, lex credendi’: the way we pray is to do with what we
believe, and vice versa. So it is that the liturgy at St
Nicolas’ expresses a vision of Catholic unity. 'Catholic'
means we are aware of our heritage as part of the one Church
of Jesus Christ, and we pray as much as possible in tune with
our brothers and sisters in the historic Church of the West
from whom, because of history, we are partly separated. But we
are also appreciative of our own Anglican spiritual riches.
'Catholic' also means that we open out to the whole world, and
seek to be welcoming, mindful of our Lord opening wide his
arms on the Cross for all people.
Regular worship at
St Nicolas’ is based on the provision of Common Worship;
with Collects from the Book of Common Prayer (when
provided), thus drawing on the richness of our Anglican
Patrimony; and with readings and other prayers from the Roman
Rite (as allowed by Canon B5).
The heart of the Mass
is the Eucharistic Prayer, and we mainly use what is called
Eucharistic Prayer B in Common Worship. This one is based on
ancient Christian words used since the earliest centuries of
the Church. The Roman Rite also
includes a version of this same prayer. Into our Common
Worship version we often insert a short clause taken from Prayer G:
Remember, Lord, your Church in every land;
together with N our bishop, his assistant
bishop N,
and N our provincial,
with
your servant Pope N,
and
all our fellow Christians,
reveal
her unity, guard her faith,
and
preserve her in peace.
We follow the Universal Calendar
of the Catholic Church with our own
Anglican commemorations.
Another traditional
prayer used at the offertory at Mass expresses our hope for
unity with all our fellow Christians – and for faithfulness in
all things to the Lord Jesus Christ:
Pray, beloved, that our sacrifice
may
be acceptable to God,
the
almighty Father.
May the Lord accept the sacrifice at
your hands
for the praise and glory of his name,
for our good, and the good of all his
Church.
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