The Greeting

We worship you, O God,

with songs of praise.

We worship you with words of prayer

and with ears that listen for you to speak.

We long for a glimpse of your glory:

the glory that shines in the darkness.

The darkness cannot overcome it;

the glory that touches lives with a beauty so holy

that it heals the wounded soul;

the glory that gives strength to the weary.

Hymn 52 Tune Ratisbon

We say sorry for the things we have done wrong

Loving God, we confess that we are not living in the freedom that you offer us – that we are sometimes overwhelmed by guilt and envy; that we are consumed by anger and greed; that we are inhibited by anxiety and fear; that we are sometimes passive or resentful or unforgiving.  God of justice, hear our prayer for mercy, grant us forgiveness and give us your peace. Amen.

We are forgiven

May the God of love forgive us, lift our burdens from us,

heal and strengthen us by his spirit; that we may journey in love,

to live our lives freely and lightly. Amen.

Collect

Holy God, you have revealed the glory of your love in Jesus Christ,

and have given us a share in your Spirit.

May we who listen to Christ follow faithfully,

and, in the dark places where you send us,

reveal the light of your gospel. Amen.

A reading from the book of the prophet Daniel

As I watched, thrones were set in place,

   and an Ancient One took his throne;

his clothing was white as snow,

   and the hair of his head like pure wool;

his throne was fiery flames,

   and its wheels were burning fire.

A stream of fire issued

   and flowed out from his presence.

A thousand thousand served him,

   and ten thousand times ten thousand stood attending him.

The court sat in judgement,

   and the books were opened. As I watched in the night visions,

I saw one like a human being

   coming with the clouds of heaven.

And he came to the Ancient One

   and was presented before him.

To him was given dominion

   and glory and kingship,

that all peoples, nations, and languages

   should serve him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion

   that shall not pass away,

and his kingship is one

   that shall never be destroyed.

This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Daniel 7. 9-10, 13-14

Psalm 97

1 The Lord is king! Let the earth rejoice;

   let the many coastlands be glad!

2 Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;

   righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

3 Fire goes before him,

   and consumes his adversaries on every side.

4 His lightnings light up the world;

   the earth sees and trembles.

5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,

   before the Lord of all the earth.

6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness;

   and all the peoples behold his glory.

7 All worshippers of images are put to shame,

   those who make their boast in worthless idols;

   all gods bow down before him.

8 Zion hears and is glad,

   and the towns of Judah rejoice,

   because of your judgements, O God.

9 For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth;

   you are exalted far above all gods.

10 The Lord loves those who hate evil;

   he guards the lives of his faithful;

   he rescues them from the hand of the wicked.

11 Light dawns for the righteous,

   and joy for the upright in heart.

12 Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous,

   and give thanks to his holy name!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,

and to the Holy Spirit;

as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be,

world without end. Amen.

A reading from the second Epistle of St Paul to the Corinthians.

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. For it is the God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness’, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

This is the Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

II Corinthians 4: 3-6

Hymn 6 Tune St Denio

Hear the Gospel of our Saviour Christ, according to St Mark.

Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!’ Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.

As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Mark 9: 2-9

What do we believe? (we say together)

We believe in God the Father, the source of all life, by whom every family in heaven and earth has been created.

We believe in God the Son, our friend and brother Jesus, who lives in our hearts through faith and fills us with his love.

We believe in God the Holy Spirit, who strengthens us with his power, and makes Jesus known in the world.

We believe and trust in one God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Hymn 493 Tune Hyfrydol

We say our prayers

“And while he was praying the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white.”  (Luke 9.29)

Lord Jesus, as we pray today, help us to know the glory of your presence among us and to see more clearly the beauty of your holiness.

Lord, in your mercy

hear our prayer

“Suddenly they saw Moses and Elijah, talking to him.” (Luke 9.30)

Lord Jesus, you are the fulfilment of the law and the prophets of Israel and in you the hopes and fears of all people are met.  Give us grace to receive from you all that we need for today and the coming week. Inspire your church today with a renewed vision of your glory so that we and all your people may walk as children of light and, by your grace, reveal your presence in the world.

Lord, in your mercy

hear our prayer

“To Jesus are given dominion and glory and kingship that all peoples, nations and languages should serve him.”  (Cf. Daniel 7.14)

Lord Jesus, we pray to you for the life of this nation with its joys, its sorrows and its wrong doing. We pray for all those who are involved in government and in the administration of justice.  Give wisdom to all those who are in authority over others especially those who sit in judgment, members of the police force, prison officers, and those who support the victims of crime.

Lord, in your mercy

hear our prayer

“They saw his glory and heard a voice that said ‘This is my Son, my chosen, listen to him’” (Cf. Luke 9)

Lord Jesus, as we go about our daily routines help us to see your glory in the people we work with, our neighbours and friends and in those we fear or find it hard to get on with. In all our conversations help us to listen carefully to what others are saying. We pray that you will keep in safety the young people of our community who are on holiday from school or college.

Lord, in your mercy

hear our prayer

“They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.” (Luke 9.31)

Lord Jesus, you know what it is to suffer rejection and pain. Help us to know that you are with us when we descend from the mountain top, that although your presence may be hidden from us, you are still there, with power to bring comfort and healing of body, mind and spirit.

Lord, in your mercy

hear our prayer

“They appeared in glory” (Luke 9.31a)

Lord Jesus, we pray for those who are now with you in your eternal glory. As we rejoice in the fellowship of those who now see the fullness of your glory, be with us in our journey and transform our lives with the promise that you will grant us, with them, a share in your eternal kingdom.

Merciful Father, accept these our prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.

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, the power, and the glory

for ever and ever. Amen.

Hymn 7 (omit verse 5) Tune Westminster

We pray together

Heavenly Father, as we worship you,

We pray for your light to shine upon us.

Brighten our daily lives with your holy love,

speak to us your transforming truth.

Then, grant us grace

to live every moment

changed by such glory

to live with hope and courage and love

reflecting the life of Jesus,

through whom your glory shines. Amen.

The Blessing

May the Father shine the light of glory into your hearts

may Christ be with you and never leave you

may the Spirit renew the image of God within you

and the blessing of God almighty,

the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,

be with you and remain with you always. Amen.

St Audoen’s Church

St. Audoen (or Ouen), Bishop of Rouen, flourished in the 7th century, and a Church was dedicated to him in Dublin by the Anglo-Normans after they had seized control of the Scandinavian settlement; erected, in 1190, perhaps on the site of an older Church of St. Columba. St. Audoen’s was once one of the most prosperous Parishes within the city, and the Church was for many years frequented by the Lord Mayor and Corporation.

Towards the end of the 20th century an extensive restoration project was carried out. St. Anne’s Chapel was re-roofed and is now the Visitor Centre in the care of the Office of Public Works, as are the unroofed parts of the Church and the grounds. In 1430 Henry VI granted the erection of a Chantry here, which survived the Reformation by many years.

In the modern porch is preserved an early Celtic grave marker called the Lucky Stone which has been kept nearby since before 1309. It was first mentioned when Jon LeDecer, Mayor of Dublin, erected a water cistern in Cornmarket and placed this stone against it. At that time, the city had a ‘running’ (though not pumped) supply of ‘living’ water from the distant River Dodder. In 1826 the stone disappeared, until found about twenty years later in front of the newly-erected Catholic Church of St Audoen in High Street, now the centre for the Polish Chaplaincy. Its portico (c. 1900) appears to be crowned with statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary, her mother St Anne, and St Audoen, sometimes mistaken for St Patrick.

In the shelter of the porch rests the fifteenth-century monument of Sir Roland Fitz-Eustace, Earl Portlester, who died in 1496, and his wife, Margaret. It was originally in the Portlester Chapel which he founded, to the East of the Chapel of St Ann. They lie buried at Kilcullen Abbey, County Kildare, which he had founded in 1460.

The upper parts of the massive medieval tower were rebuilt in the 17th century. Three of the oldest bells in Ireland, dating from 1423, are among six regularly rung for Church service. An early 20th Bürk master clock, to be seen in the churchwardens’ vestry, was brought from St. Peter’s Church in Aungier Street, closed in 1975. Some of the brass memorials on the south wall also came from there, while the War Memorial came from St Matthias, Adelaide Road. On the site of St Peter’s stands the YMCA building, in which the east window hangs, from the Church of St Nicholas without and St Luke, in the Coombe, close to St Patrick’s Cathedral, now reroofed and given to new use.