Holy Innocents

28th December 2025

The Parish Eucharist

Welcome to Liverpool Parish Church. There has been Christian worship on this site since the 13th century and today we are still proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ in the centre of Liverpool.

All people are welcome in this place. At the Eucharist if you normally receive Holy Communion in your own church, you are welcome to do so here.

Babies and children are welcome in this church. If you feel they are unsettled, there is a small play area for them at the back of the north aisle. You would still be able to see, hear and participate in the service, but please rejoin the rest of the congregation when you are ready.

Sunday School meets each week. Parents are welcome to stay with their children or to reclaim them at the end of the service.

Donations and Giving. We rely on generous individual giving for much of our income. If you are a UK taxpayer donations can be Gift Aided to provide additional benefit to the Church. If you worship here regularly then please consider joining the Planned Giving Scheme. There is also a contactless donation point in the Narthex.

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Calendar for the Week

Monday 29 December
Church closed

Tuesday 30 December
Church closed

Wednesday 31 December
09.00 Morning Prayer
12.15 Eucharist
15.00 Church closed

Thursday 01 January
09.00 Morning Prayer

Friday 02 January
09.00 Morning Prayer
12.15 Eucharist
13.05 RC Mass
19.30 Bells

Saturday 03 January

Sunday 04 January
09.00 Morning Prayer
10.00 Parish Eucharist
11.30 Fire alarm test
18.00 Choral Evensong

Before the service

Organ: Noel 1- Claude D’Aquin (1694-1772)

Opening Hymn

The bell rings and we stand, as we are able, and sing:

Unto us a boy is born!
King of all creation,
Came he to a world forlorn,
The Lord of every nation.

Cradled in a stall was he
With sleepy cows and asses;
But the very beasts could see
That he all men surpasses.

Herod then with fear was filled:
‘A prince’, he said, ‘in Jewry!’
And all the little boys he killed
At Bethlem in his fury.

Now may Mary’s son, who came
So long ago to love us,
Lead us all with hearts aflame
Unto the joys above us.

Omega and Alpha he!
Let the organ thunder,
While the choir with peals of glee
Doth rend the air asunder.

Words: Latin, 15th century translated by Percy Dearmer (1867-1936)
Music: Puer Nobis Melody from Piae Cantiones (1582)

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Lord be with you. And also with you.

Confession

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, we have sinned against you, through our own fault, in thought, and word, and deed, and in what we have left undone. We are heartily sorry, and repent of all our sins. For your Son our Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, forgive us all that is past; and grant that we may serve you in newness of life to the glory of your name. Amen.

We receive an absolution, assuring us of God’s forgiveness.

When Sunday School is meeting, a prayer is said with our young people at this point before they leave for their session.

The Gloria and Collect

Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth. Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.

Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer.

For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

(Music: Dom Gregory Murray (1905-92))

The Collect is said:

Heavenly Father, whose children suffered at the hands of Herod, though they had done no wrong: by the suffering of your Son and by the innocence of our lives frustrate all evil designs and establish your reign of justice and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Amen.

Readings

(We sit)

First Reading (Jeremiah 31:15-17)

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

‘Glory to God!’ all heav’n with joy is ringing,
Angels proclaim the gospel of Christ’s birth,
‘Glory to God!’, and still their song is bringing
Good news of God incarnate here on earth.

Lowly in wonder shepherds kneel before him,
No gift to bring save love of heart and mind:
Come like those shepherds, sing his praise, adore him,
A babe so weak, yet Saviour of mankind.

Humble, yet regal, wise men kneel before him,
gold, incense, myrrh, their gifts to Christ they bring:
come like those wise men, sing his praise, adore him
a babe so poor and modest, yet a King.

Though now no crib or cradle is concealing
Jesus our Lord in that far-distant shrine,
Christ at each eucharist is still revealing
His very self in forms of bread and wine.

Words: John Edward Bowers (1923-2019)
Music: ‘Highwood’ Richard Runciman Terry (1865-1938)

Second reading (1 Corinthians 1:26-29)

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

(We stand)

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Never despise these little ones; their guardian angels in heaven look Continuously on the face of my heavenly Father.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Please turn to face the Gospel reading (Matthew 2:13-23)

The Lord be with you. And also with you.

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew. Glory to you, O Lord

This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon

Fr Philip Anderson

The Creed

(We stand)

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, was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and 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, who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, who 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 Intercessions

(please kneel or sit)

Any of the following may be used:

Lord hear us Lord graciously hear us
Lord in your mercy hear our prayer.

At the end:
either: … One God, now and forever. Amen
or: Merciful Father, accept these prayers, for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Peace

(We stand)

The Peace is introduced, followed by:

The peace of the Lord be always with you. And also with you.

Let us offer one another a sign of peace.

Offertory Hymn

Of the Father’s heart begotten, ere the world from chaos rose,
He is Alpha: from that Fountain all that is and hath been flows;
He is Omega, of all things yet to come the mystic Close,

Evermore and evermore.

O how blest that wondrous birthday, when the Maid the curse retrieved,
Brought to birth mankind’s salvation, by the Holy Ghost conceived;
And the Babe, the world’s Redeemer, in her loving arms received,

Refrain

This is he, whom seer and sibyl sang in ages long gone by;
This is he of old revealèd in the page of prophecy;
Lo! He comes, the promised Saviour; let the world his praises cry!

Refrain

Let the storm and summer sunshine, gliding stream and sounding shore,
Sea and forest, frost and zephyr, day and night their Lord adore;
Let creation join to laud thee through the ages evermore,

Refrain

Sing, ye heights of heaven, his praises; angels and Archangels, sing!
Wheresoe’er ye be, ye faithful, let your joyous anthems ring,
Every tongue his name confessing, countless voices answering,

Refrain

Words: Latin Prusdentius (348-413) translated Roby Furley Davis (1866-1937)
Music: ‘Divinum Mysterium’ Melody from Piae Cantiones (1582)

The Eucharistic Prayer

A prayer is said over the gifts on the altar, to which we respond Amen.

The Lord be with you
and also with you.

Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give thanks and praise.

The seasonal part of the prayer follows and at the end we all 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.

(Addington Service – Richard Shephard (1949-2021))

We pray for the Holy Spirit to transform us and the gifts, and then the words of Jesus at the Last Supper are recalled:

The following acclamation is then used:

Great is the mystery of faith:
Christ has died:
Christ is risen:
Christ will come again.

The prayer continues with oblation and intercession, ending:

…we worship you, Father almighty, in songs of everlasting praise:
Blessing and honour and glory and power be yours for ever and ever. Amen.

Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us:

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.

We break this bread to share in the body of Christ.
Though we are many, we are one body, because we all share in one bread.

We all sing:

Jesus, Lamb of God: have mercy on us.
Jesus, bearer of our sins: have mercy on us.
Jesus, redeemer of the world: give us your peace.

Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Blessed are those who are called to his supper.
Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word, and I shall be healed.

If you normally receive Communion in your own church then you are welcome to do so here, or you may prefer the priest to pray for God’s blessing on you. There are two standing stations for Communion in the centre but if you would prefer to kneel to receive Communion then please use the rail in the south aisle on the congregation’s left side.

Please indicate if you would rather receive a blessing. Gluten-free hosts are available.

During Communion

Good Christians all, rejoice with heart and soul and voice!
Listen now to what I say, Jesus Christ is born today;
Ox and ass before him bow, and he is in the manger now!
Christ is born today; Christ is born today!

Good Christians all, rejoice with heart and soul and voice!
Hear the news of endless bliss, Jesus Christ was born for this:
He has opened heaven’s door, and we are blessed for evermore!
Christ was born for this; Christ was born for this!

Good Christians all, rejoice with heart and soul and voice!
Now you need not fear the grave: Jesus Christ was born to save:
Come at his most gracious call to find salvation one and all!
Christ was born to save; Christ was born to save.

Words: Latin and German 14th century adapted by John Mason Neale (1818-66)
Music: ‘In Dulci Jubilo’ later form of 14thc German melody based on an arrangement by Robert Pearsall (1795-1856)

Post-Communion Prayers

(We stand at ‘Let us pray’)

After the post-communion prayer we say together

We thank you, Lord, that you have fed us in this sacrament, united us with Christ, and given us a foretaste of the heavenly banquet prepared for all peoples. Amen.

Notices (please sit)

Please join us for refreshments after the service.

A collection is taken during the final hymn. Those preferring to donate online are invited to use the Donate button above, or our contactless donation point.

Final Hymn

In the bleak mid-winter frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.

Our God, Heaven cannot hold him nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign:
In the bleak mid-winter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty Jesus Christ.

Enough for him, whom cherubim worship night and day,
A breastful of milk, and a mangerful of hay;
Enough for him, whom angels fall down before,
The ox and ass and camel which adore.

Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
Cherubim and Seraphim thronged the air;
But only his mother in her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the beloved with a kiss.

What can I give him poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd I would bring a lamb;
If I were a wise man I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give him: Give my heart.

Words: Christina Rossetti (1830-94)
Music: ‘Cranham’ Gustav Holst (1874-1934)

Blessing and Dismissal

(please stand)

The Lord be with you. And also with you.

…and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen.

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
In the name of Christ. Amen.

Organ: Carillon Sortie - Henri Mulet (1867-1967).

Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England, material from which is included in this service, is copyright © The Archbishops’ Council 2000. Hymns and other texts are reproduced under CCL licence number 556443 or One License licence number A-632593.