Cantor: Speak, Lord, your servant is listening. Speak your words of wisdom, for the words you speak are everlasting life.

Priest: The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John (6: 35, 41-51)

People: Glory to you, Lord Christ.

Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”  Then the Jewish Leaders began to complain about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They were saying, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Jesus answered them, “Do not complain among yourselves. No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

Priest: The Gospel of the Lord.

People: Praise to you, Lord Christ.

The Nicene Creed (all standing)

We believe in one God,

    the Father, the Almighty,

    maker of heaven and earth,

    of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,

    the only Son of God,

    eternally begotten of the Father,

God from God, Light from Light,

    true God from true God, begotten, not made,

    of one Being with the Father.

    Through him all things were made.

    For us and for our salvation

        he came down from heaven:

    by the power of the Holy Spirit

        he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,

        and was made man.

           For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;

        he suffered death and was buried.

           On the third day he rose again

          in accordance with the Scriptures;

                       he ascended into heaven

            and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,

  and his kingdom will have no end.

            We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver  of life,

    who proceeds from the Father and the Son.

    With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.

He has spoken through the Prophets.

    We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

    We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

    We look for the resurrection of the dead,

        and the life of the world to come. Amen.

The Leader and People pray responsively

Father, we pray for your holy Catholic Church;

Grant that every member of the Church may truly and humbly serve you;

We pray for all bishops, priests, and deacons;

We pray for all who govern and hold authority in the nations

of the world;

Give us grace to do your will in all that we undertake;

Have compassion on those who suffer from any grief or trouble;

Give to the departed eternal rest.

We praise you for your saints who have entered into joy;

Let us pray for our own needs and those of others.

Priest and People
Have mercy upon us, most merciful Father;  in your compassion forgive us our sins,  known and unknown,  things done and left undone;  and so uphold us by your Spirit  that we may live and serve you in newness of life,  to the honor and glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer of Absolution
The Priest, stands and says
Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen.

The Peace
Announcements
Birthdays and Anniversaries

The Offertory

Offertory Hymn: Lord make us servants of your peace Hymn 593
Reception of Gifts

Loving God, may this offering honor the work you have given us to do here in this place. Rooted in Abundance, Generosity, and Gratitude we offer these gifts for your honor and glory. Amen

Eucharistic Prayer B
The people remain standing. The Celebrant faces them and says
Celebrant: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Celebrant: Lift up your hearts.
People: We lift them to the Lord.
Celebrant: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People: It is right to give him thanks and praise.

Then, facing the Holy Table, the Celebrant proceeds
It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and every-where to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.

Preface of the Lord’s Day
Through Jesus Christ our Lord; who on the first day of the week overcame death and the grave, and by his glorious resurrection opened to us the way of everylasting life.

Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who for ever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:

Celebrant and People
Sanctus Hymnal S 125
Celebrant and People sing
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

The people stand or kneel.
Then the Celebrant continues
We give thanks to you, O God, for the goodness and love which you have made known to us in creation; in the calling of Israel to be your people; in your Word spoken through the prophets; and above all in the Word made flesh, Jesus, your Son. For in these last days you sent him to be incarnate from the Virgin Mary, to be the Savior and Redeemer of the world. In him, you have delivered us from evil, and made us worthy to stand before you. In him, you have brought us out of error into truth, out of sin into righteousness, out of death into life.

On the night before he died for us, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, “Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.”

After supper he took the cup of wine; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, 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. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.”

Therefore, according to his command, O Father,
Celebrant and People
We remember his death,
We proclaim his resurrection,
We await his coming in glory;

The Celebrant continues
And we offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to you, O Lord of all; presenting to you, from your creation, this bread and this wine.

We pray you, gracious God, to send your Holy Spirit upon these gifts that they may be the Sacrament of the Body of Christ and his Blood of the new Covenant. Unite us to your Son in his sacrifice, that we may be acceptable through him, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In the fullness of time, put all things in subjection under your Christ, and bring us to that heavenly country where, with our Blessed Mother Mary, St. Joseph, St. Matthew and all your saints, we may enter the everlasting heritage of your sons and daughters; through Jesus Christ our Lord, the firstborn of all creation, the head of the Church, and the author of our salvation

By him, and with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. AMEN.

The Great Amen S 146
And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

Fraction Anthem S 154

The Breaking of the Bread

At St. Matthew’s we welcome all persons, regardless of denomination, who have been baptized with water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit to share in the communion at this Altar. Those wishing to receive a blessing only may cross their hands over their heart.

Communion Music: I am the bread of life Hymn 335

Post Communion Prayer
Eternal God, heavenly Father, you have graciously accepted us as living members of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, and you have fed us with spiritual food in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood. Send us now into the world in peace, and grant us strength and courage to love and serve you with gladness and singleness of heart; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Recessional Hymn: Joyful, joyful we adore thee Hymn 376

The Dismissal
Priest: Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.

Wednesday Healing Service
Please join us for an informal short Eucharist on Wednesday evenings at 5 pm.  This Mass includes an option for the reception of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.  All are welcome.

If you would like to make a donation to the church, you may do so through Venmo.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Lunch Bunch
This Tuesday we invite you to gather with Fr. Jim for a fun lunch in the Parish Hall at 12 noon. This Tuesday we will serve spaghetti and meatballs, green beans, and garlic bread. Plates are $7 and all proceeds support our school.

Firm Foundation (Homeless Day Shelter)
Many thanks to all our parishioners and friends that have volunteered to provide a meal.  Marvin Burgess is coordinating this effort and will provide details to all who are scheduled to serve.
August 19—Becky Becnel,
September 9—Linda Greenburg and Debby Fortier,
September 16—Doug Holloway and Joel Poole,
September 30—Emilie Daye

Childcare
Our Church Nursery is open. We will once again open our childcare for children 1 – 3 years old in the 1st floor of Tucker Hall. (the church/school office building), please enter through back door. Children can be registered each Sunday and parents will be texted if needed. Children can be received from 9:45am and will be available for pickup immediately after Sunday Eucharist. Please contact Susan Waldron, for more information susanhoumala@gmail.com

Children’s Sunday School
The Godly Play Sunday School program will not meet during the summer. We thank Karen Barrilleaux for her beautiful leadership this past school year. We encourage parents with small children to grab a “Busy Bag” for the children to enjoy throughout the Sunday Eucharist. The “Busy Bags are located in the vestibule.

Godly Play Sunday School Teachers and Helpers Needed
We are grateful that Karen Barrilleaux will continue to lead this Sunday School Ministry. Karen will teach 2 weeks a month. We need parents and those who enjoy working with children to help. We hope that enough volunteers step forward to teach or to assist the teacher so we can rotate a schedule that will only require volunteers to teach 5/6 times a year. St, Matthew’s needs to continue building an exciting place for our children to worship on Sunday mornings. Please pray about joining this ministry.