If you, therefore, are Christ’s body and members, it is your own mystery that is placed on the Lord’s table! It is your own mystery that you are receiving! You are saying ‘Amen’ to what you are: your response is a personal signature, affirming your faith. When you hear ‘The body of Christ’, you reply ‘Amen.’ Be a member of Christ’s body, then, so that your ‘Amen’ may ring true!
— St. Augustine of Hippo
The night before he died, Jesus took bread and wine and gave them to his disciples saying this is my body given to you, this is my blood poured out for you. He left the disciples with a simple instruction – “do this in remembrance of me”. Throughout the centuries, Christians have gathered, faithful to Jesus’ teaching, to share in the life-giving communion of his body and blood. So the Eucharist – the source and summit of our Christian witness, mission and teaching – is central to our life together at St George’s.
As the House of Bishops of the Church of England have said as Anglicans we share this deep appreciation of the Eucharist and a commitment to its vital and central place in the life and worship of the Church. The Eucharist undergirds the mission of the Church. It unites Creation and Redemption, life and liturgy, porch and altar. It galvanizes Christians for witness and service in the world and strengthens us to go forth for Christ to win others to his cause. There is a real empowering in the Eucharist for all who are brought into communion with Christ and his people here. The Eucharist is central because mission is fundamental and mission cannot be separated from unity. The Eucharist is often called the sacrament of unity: it is equally the sacrament of mission.
[Taken from ‘the Eucharist: sacrament of unity,’ House of Bishops of the Church of England (2001)]
Masses on Sundays and Solemnities
- Our main Sunday Mass is the 10:00 Parish Choral Mass – that celebrates the beauty of holiness in the liturgy with a sermon and congregational singing led by the choir which draws on the rich heritage of the Anglican choral tradition. The service lasts about an hour.
- During term time, alongside the main Sunday service children are welcome to join the J-Team in the church centre for their own liturgy of the word, crafts and activities. There are two separate groups for younger and older children.
- Every third Sunday in term time, we hold a more interactive All Age Eucharist in which all the children stay in church for the main service and take a more active part by reading, leading prayers, taking up the offerings and serving. In this way, the children bring their wonder into the heart of our Eucharistic celebration.
- Masses are usually celebrated for major feasts at 18:30. But please do check our newsletter for full details.
