A Form for
Ordering the Eucharist

This rite requires careful preparation by the presiding priest and participants.

The people and presiding priest

Gather in the Lord’s Name

Proclaim and respond to the Word of God

The proclamation and response may include readings, music, dance and other art forms, comment, discussion and silence.

A reading from the Gospel is always included.

Pray for the world and the church

Exchange the Peace

Prepare the table and set bread and wine on it

Make Eucharist

The presiding priest gives thanks in the name of the assembly.

The presiding priest uses one of The Great Thanksgivings authorised by the General Synod / te Hīnota Whānui, or the following







A list of The Great Thanksgivings authorised by the General Synod / te Hīnota Whānui is available on this supplemental resource page.

The Great Thanksgiving

The following Great Thanksgiving may be used either as a framework within which insertions may be made or as a continuous whole.

The presiding priest says or sings

The Lord is here.
God’s 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 offer thanks and praise.

The presiding priest gives thanks to God for the work of creation and God’s self revelation.

The particular occasion being celebrated may also be recalled.

The following or any other suitable words are used.

It is indeed right, always and everywhere,
to give thanks to you, the true and living God,
through Jesus Christ.
You are the source of life for all creation
and you made us in your own image.

The presiding priest now gives thanks for the salvation of the world through Christ.

The following or any other suitable words are used.

In your love for us
you sent your Son to be our Saviour.
In the fulness of time he became incarnate,
and suffered death on the cross.
You raised him in triumph,
and exalted him in glory.
Through him you send your Holy Spirit
upon your church
and make us your people.

If the Sanctus is to be included, it is introduced with these or similar words.

And so, we proclaim your glory, as we say:

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

Then follows

To you indeed be glory, almighty God,
because on the night before he died,
your Son, Jesus Christ, took bread;
when he had given you thanks,
he broke it, gave it to his disciples, and said:
Take, eat, this is my body
which is given for you;
do this to remember me.

After supper he took the cup;
when he had given you thanks,
he gave it to them and said:
This cup is the new covenant in my blood
poured out for you;
do this as often as you drink it
to remember me.

The people may say this or some other acclamation.

Christ has died,
Christ is risen,
Christ will come in glory.

Then follows

Therefore, loving God,
recalling now Christ’s death and resurrection,
we ask you to accept
this our sacrifice of praise.
Send your Holy Spirit upon us
and our celebration,
that we may be fed with the body and blood of your Son
and be filled with your life and goodness.

Strengthen us to do your work,
and to be your body in the world.
Unite us in Christ
and give us your peace.

The presiding priest may add further prayer that all may receive the benefits of Christ’s work and renewal in the Spirit.

The prayer ends with these or similar words.

All this we ask through your Son
Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom with you and the Holy Spirit
be all honour and glory,
now and for ever. Amen.

The people and presiding priest

Break the bread

Share the gifts of God

The bread and wine of the Eucharist are shared reverently.

When all have received, any of the sacrament remaining is then consumed.

Give thanks

Depart in the name of the Lord

Additional Directions
for the Liturgies of the Eucharist

The celebration of the Eucharist is the work of the whole People of God.

For the community to celebrate as a unity there needs to be a person who focuses and coordinates the community’s action. This normally is a priest or bishop, but for The Ministry of Word and Prayer may be a deacon or duly authorised lay person.

Lay members of the community may be appointed to lead the worship, including reading the Scriptures, leading The Prayers of the People, and where authorised administering the communion. However it is the priest’s task to pronounce The Absolution, lead The Great Thanksgiving, and pronounce The Blessing.

In the absence of a priest, a deacon or a lay person in using the form of Absolution or Blessing says ‘us’ for ‘you’ and makes any consequential changes.

The presiding priest at the Eucharist should wear a cassock and surplice with stole or scarf, or an alb with the customary vestments.

It is appropriate that the holy table or altar be covered with a clean white cloth during the celebration.

The bread for the Eucharist should be a good quality bread (either loaf or wafer) and the wine for the Eucharist should be a good quality wine. At The Preparation of the Gifts water may be added to the wine.

The Scriptures may be read in any of the languages used within the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia.

With the Sentences, Prayers and Readings for the Church’s Year, the readings for Year 1 begin on the First Sunday in Advent in odd-numbered years; in the Three Year Series, the readings for Year A begin on that Sunday in years whose number is divisible by three.

It is appropriate that The Peace be shared liturgically at the beginning of The Ministry of the Sacrament for it constitutes and gathers the eucharistic community for the liturgical action of The Great Thanksgiving.

Care should be taken to ensure that sufficient bread and wine is placed on the holy table for the administration of communion to the people.

If the consecrated bread and/or wine is insufficient for the number of communicants, the presiding priest consecrates more of either or both, saying

Almighty God,
obeying the command of your Son, Jesus Christ,
who took bread/the cup and said:
This is my body/blood,
we also take this bread/wine,
and pray that through your Word and Spirit
it may be for us the sacrament
of the body/blood of Christ.
Amen.

Or

E te Atua kaha rawa,
he whakarite i te whakahau a tāu Tama, a Īhu Karaiti,
i tango ia i te taro/te kapu, ā, ka mea:
Ko tōku tinana tēnei/ōku toto ēnei,
Ka tango anō mātou i tēnei taro/tēnei wāina,
ka īnoi mātou i runga i tāu Kupu, i tōu Wairua,
kia āhei ai tēnei/ēnei ki a mātou ko te hākarameta
o te tinana/ngā toto o te Karaiti.
Āmine.

Any remaining consecrated bread and wine, unless required for the communion of persons not present, is consumed at the end of the distribution, or immediately after The Dismissal of the Community.

When kneeling, sitting, or standing is a particularly appropriate posture, it is indicated within the service.

The Great Thanksgiving is a unity, and either standing or kneeling throughout may be chosen by local custom.

Either standing or kneeling is an appropriate posture when receiving communion in church.

The priest or duly authorised minister gives the bread and the cup into the hands of the people with the appropriate words.

Communion may be received by intinction.

In accordance with Anglican tradition there shall be no celebration of the Eucharist unless at least one other person is present to receive communion with the presiding priest.

The choices of variant material either by addition or by omission shall normally be made by the presiding priest.

On an occasion when there is a small group, the presiding priest or minister and congregation may agree that it is appropriate for the communicants to administer the sacrament to one another.

On Principal Feasts and Holy Days it is appropriate to include The Gloria in excelsis and The Nicene Creed at weekday celebrations.

Wherever there is a celebration of the Eucharist on a Sunday, the preaching of the Word is an integral part of The Ministry of the Word.

A Service of the Word with Holy Communion

The bishop may authorise a deacon or a lay person to distribute Holy Communion to a congregation from the Sacrament consecrated elsewhere.

Under such circumstances the duly authorised minister, having placed the consecrated bread and wine on the holy table, shall use the following form.

The Ministry of the Word and Prayer

from any of the Eucharistic Liturgies beginning on pages 404, 456 or 476, up to and including The Affirmation of Faith.

Then follow The Prayers of the People, not including The Lord’s Prayer.

This prayer follows

Let us give glory to God, our Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier.
Glory to God in the highest.
Glory to God in the highest.

God our Creator, we thank you for the world you have made;
we thank you for your loving care watching over all creation;
we thank you for entrusting part of your world to us to tend,
to care for and to develop.
Glory to God in the highest.

You have made us, women and men in your image,
so that in each other we can trace your likeness
and serve you by serving our brothers and sisters.
Glory to God in the highest.

You made us to know you and to be near you,
our hearts are restless until we come to you.
To bring us nearer to you when we were still far off,
you sent your prophets and teachers
to show us the glory of your steadfast love.
Glory to God in the highest.

The wonder of your redeeming love was fully shown
in Jesus the Christ, who walked among us as one of us,
meeting us face to face,
person to person, God in human form.
Glory to God in the highest.

Yet we did not value him and sent him to death,
a death he freely accepted,
stretching out his arms on the cross
to embrace the whole human race
and to bear our sin in himself.

By his death and resurrection,
death is destroyed and we are delivered from sin
to share his risen life.
Glory to God in the highest.

You sent your Holy Spirit upon your Church
so that, in Jesus, we are united to you, Father,
with all the redeemed.
Glory to God in the highest.

We thank you that we can worship you
with prayer and praise as one with all your people.
Above all we thank you for this sacrament
of the body and blood of Christ.
Glory to God in the highest.

The minister then invites the people to share the peace, saying

Let us give one another a sign of peace.

The minister continues

E te whānau, we are the body of Christ.
By one Spirit we were baptised into one body.

The minister may continue

God, creator of time and space,
may the love and faith which makes
this bread the body of Christ
this wine his blood enfold us now.
Make us one with (the people of ...* and)
the whole body of Christ.
May Christ’s Holy Spirit
bring to us in the sacrament
the strength we need,
and an abiding trust
in your gift of eternal life.
Amen.


* The minister refers to the congregation with whom the celebration of the Eucharist took place.



The minister says

Come God’s people,
come to receive Christ’s heavenly food.

The bread and cup are given to each person in the customary manner with the appropriate words.

The service concludes with the section Prayer After Communion from any Liturgy of the Eucharist, including The Lord’s Prayer, but omitting the Blessing.

Any consecrated bread or wine remaining shall be reverently consumed by the minister, and the vessels cleansed, either immediately after the administration of communion, or after The Dismissal of the Community.

The Ten Commandments

Referred to from page 406.

Hear the commandments which God’s people
were given through Moses.
You shall have no other gods but me.
You shall not make yourself idols;
you shall not worship them or serve them.
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
Remember the sabbath day and keep it holy.
Spirit of God, search our hearts.

Honour your father and your mother.
You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness.
You shall not covet anything which belongs to your neighbour.
Spirit of God, search our hearts.

The response may be used after each commandment.

Ngā Ture Kotahi Tekau

Whakarongo ki ngā ture nā te Atua nei i hōmai ki te whānau a Īharaira e tāna pononga e Mohi.

I muri mai i ia ture, i muri mai rānei i te Tuawhā i te Tekau, me whakahoki te Whakaminenga:

Wairua o te Atua, whakamāramatia ō mātou ngākau.

Kaua ētahi atua kē atu mōu i ko atu i ahau
Kei hanga koe i ētahi whakapakoko mōu.
Kei koropiko koe kei mahi rānei ki ēnā mea
Kei whakahuatia noatia e koe te ingoa o Ihowā o tōu Atua.
Kia mahara ki te rā hāpati kia whakatapua.

Whakahōnoretia tōu pāpā me tōu whaea.
Kaua koe e kōhuru.
Kaua koe e pūremu.
Kaua koe e tāhae.
Kaua koe e whakapae teka.
Kaua koe e hiahia apo ki tētahi mea a tōu hoa tata.

A New Zealand Prayer Book | He Karakia Mihinare o Aotearoa

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