Newton Heath, All Saints’ Parish Church
With St Wilfrid’s, St Ann and St Cuthbert’s
Palm Sunday 29th March 2026,
10.00 am Parish Sung Eucharist
Hosanna. Save us.
The Matthean account of Jesus’s journey to and arrival in Jerusalem indicate this was well organised, and Matthew enriches it with the references to prophecy and psalmody. The excitement is ratchetted up, sentence by sentence, to fever pitch. It is plain to us who know how this week will end that the ‘models’ of ‘Messiahship’ differ between Jesus and his followers. The latter seem to expect some kind of popular revolt, maybe with some violence and fisticuffs.
At the back of our minds may well be the account in John of Jesus before Pilate where Jesus says, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here” (John 18.12). The struggle is moral and existential not physical, let alone para-military.
This is the tension we have to hold for the next week, through prayer and reflection, through the gestures of Maundy Thursday and the bitter pain of Good Friday. Its release, maybe even more so than in recent years, will be an explosion of joy at the end of our ride on the eternal rollercoaster.
Fr A
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, during Lent we have been preparing by works of love and self-sacrifice for the celebration of our Lord’s death and resurrection. Today we come together to begin this solemn celebration in union with the Church throughout the world.
Christ enters his own city to complete his work as our Saviour, to suffer, to die, and to rise again. Let us go with him in faith and love, so that, united with him in his sufferings, we may share his risen life.
The people hold up their palm crosses
God our Saviour, whose Son Jesus Christ entered Jerusalem as the Messiah to suffer and to die, let these palms be for us signs of his victory; and grant that we who bear them in his name may ever hail him as our King and follow him in the way that leads to eternal life; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
according to Luke
Glory to you, O Lord
21When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples,2saying to them, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me.3If anyone says anything to you, just say this, “The Lord needs them.” And he will send them immediately.’4This took place to fulfil what had been spoken through the prophet, saying,
5‘Tell the daughter of Zion,
Look, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’
6The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them;7they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them.8A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.9The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,
‘Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!’
10When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, ‘Who is this?’11The crowds were saying, ‘This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.’
Matthew 21.1-11
at the end of the Gospel reading
This is the Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you, O Christ
Let us go forth, praising Jesus our Messiah
Hymn
All glory, laud and honour
to thee, Redeemer, King,
to whom the lips of children
made sweet hosannas ring.
Thou art the King of Israel,
thou David's royal Son,
who in the Lord's name comest,
the King and blessèd one:
Refrain
The company of angels
are praising thee on high,
and mortal men and all things
created make reply:
Refrain
The people of the Hebrews
with palms before thee went:
our praise and prayer and anthems
before thee we present:
Refrain
To thee before thy passion
they sang their hymns of praise:
to thee now high exalted
our melody we raise:
Refrain
Thou didst accept their praises,
accept the prayers we bring,
who in all good delightest,
thou good and gracious King:
Refrain
Theodulf of Orleans (c.750-821) translated by John M Neale (1818-1866)
Let us pray
Remain standing in the pews
Collect
Almighty and everlasting God,
who in your tender love towards the human race
sent your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ
to take upon him our flesh
and to suffer death upon the cross:
grant that we may follow the example of his patience and humility,
and also be made partakers of his resurrection;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Readings
Isaiah 50. 4-9a
4The Lord God has given me
the tongue of a teacher,
that I may know how to sustain
the weary with a word.
Morning by morning he wakens—
wakens my ear
to listen as those who are taught.
5The Lord God has opened my ear,
and I was not rebellious,
I did not turn backwards.
6I gave my back to those who struck me,
and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard;
I did not hide my face
from insult and spitting.
7The Lord God helps me;
therefore I have not been disgraced;
therefore I have set my face like flint,
and I know that I shall not be put to shame;
8he who vindicates me is near.
Who will contend with me?
Let us stand up together.
Who are my adversaries?
Let them confront me.
9It is the Lord God who helps me;
who will declare me guilty?
All of them will wear out like a garment;
the moth will eat them up.
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Philippians 2.5-11
Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,
but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death—
even death on a cross.
Therefore God also highly exalted him
and gave him the name
that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Gradual hymn
Ride on, ride on, in majesty!
Hark! all the tribes Hosanna cry;
O Saviour meek, pursue Thy road
With palms and scattered garments strowed.
Ride on, ride on, in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die!
O Christ! Thy triumph now begin
Over captive death and conquered sin.
Ride on, ride on, in majesty!
The wingèd squadrons of the sky
Look down with sad and wondering eyes
To see the approaching sacrifice.
Ride on, ride on, in majesty!
Thy last and fiercest strife is nigh;
The Father, on His sapphire throne,
Expects His own anointed Son.
Ride on, ride on, in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die;
Bow Thy meek head to mortal pain,
Then take, O God, Thy power, and reign.
The Passion
The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew
The congregation remaining seated, the Passion Gospel is read in parts, led by a narrator. The congregation plays the ‘group parts’ indicated by All in a loud voice.
NARRATOR: Now Jesus stood before the governor; and the governor asked him,
PILATE: "Are you the King of the Jews?"
NARRATOR: Jesus said, "You say so."
NARRATOR: But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he did not answer. Then Pilate said to him,
PILATE: "Do you not hear how many accusations they make against you?"
NARRATOR: But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.
Now at the festival the governor was accustomed to release a prisoner for the crowd, anyone whom they wanted. At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Jesus Barabbas. So after they had gathered, Pilate said to them,
PILATE: "Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?"
NARRATOR: For he realized that it was out of jealousy that they had handed him over. While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him,
PILATE’S WIFE: "Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for today I have suffered a great deal because of a dream about him."
NARRATOR: Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed. The governor again said to them,
PILATE: "Which of the two do you want me to release for you?"
NARRATOR: And they said,
ALL: "Barabbas."
NARRATOR: Pilate said to them,
PILATE: "Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?"
NARRATOR: All of them said,
ALL: "Let him be crucified!"
NARRATOR: Then he asked,
PILATE: "Why, what evil has he done?"
NARRATOR: But they shouted all the more,
ALL: "Let him be crucified!"
NARRATOR: So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying,
PILATE: "I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves."
NARRATOR: Then the people as a whole answered,
ALL: "His blood be on us and on our children!"
NARRATOR: So he released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor's headquarters, and they gathered the whole cohort around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying,
ALL: "Hail, King of the Jews!"
NARRATOR: They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head. After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
As they went out, they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon; they compelled this man to carry his cross. And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. And when they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots; then they sat down there and kept watch over him. Over his head they put the charge against him, which read, "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews."
Then two bandits were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying,
ALL: "You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross."
NARRATOR: In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking him, saying,
ALL: "He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he wants to; for he said, `I am God's Son.'"
NARRATOR: The bandits who were crucified with him also taunted him in the same way.
From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And about three o'clock Jesus cried with a loud voice,
Jesus "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?"
NARRATOR: that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" When some of the bystanders heard it, they said,
ALL: "This man is calling for Elijah."
NARRATOR: At once one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink. But the others said,
ALL: "Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him."
NARRATOR: Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. After his resurrection they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many. Now when the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were terrified and said,
CENTURION: "Truly this man was God's Son!
No response is made
Intercessions
Cycle of Prayer
Our bishops: David, Mark and Matthew
The Anglican Communion
The Anglican Church of Melanesia
Porvoo Communion
Church of Ireland: Diocese of Armagh
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Denmark: Diocese of Funen
Church of England: Diocese of Sodor and Man
Schools and Colleges
All Saints; St Wilfrid’s; Briscoe Lane Academy; Christ the King; Co-op Academy Broadhurst;
Oldham Blue Coat; Trinity High School; Bowdoin College, Maine; Churchill College, Cambridge; University of Coventry; Edge Hill University; University of Leeds; Loretto Sixth Form College; Oldham Sixth Form College.
Parish
Edmonton Road, Elbain Walk, Eldridge Drive, Elmsa Road, Elstree Avenue, Elvey Street.
Book of Remembrance
Thomas Moran; Joe Chippendale; Margaret Hamnet; Joseph Howarth; Ronald Hobson; George Millen; Rhuberta Pritchard; Edith Woodcock; George Wain; Ellen Proudman; Lily Wilkinson.
The prayers end with these words
Holy God
Holy and strong
Holy and immortal
have mercy upon us.
The Liturgy of the Sacrament
Once we were far off, but now in union with Christ Jesus we have been brought near through the shedding of Christ’s blood, for he is our peace.
The peace of the Lord be always with you
and also with you
Let us offer one another a sign of peace
The Eucharistic Prayer
The Lord is here
His 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 give thanks and praise
The Celebrant then says/sings the Preface ending with the words
for ever praising you and saying
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 celebrant then continues with the institution narrative until the words
Christ is the bread of life
to which the people respond
When we eat this bread and drink this cup,
we proclaim your death Lord Jesus,
until you come in glory
The celebrant continues. ending with the Doxology
Through Christ and with Christ and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honour and glory are yours, O loving Father, for ever and ever.
Amen
The Lord’s Prayer
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.
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.
The Agnus Dei
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.
Giving of Communion
Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world
Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed
We join in Communion.
Please join in the singing of the hymns or say your prayers during the Communion. Please respect the needs of others and do not chat at this most holy time.
Communicant members of other Christian Churches are welcome to join us for Communion or if you wish to come forward for a Blessing please bring this booklet with you or keep your arms folded.
Music after Communion
Pueri Hebraeorum
Pueri Hebraeorum vestimenta
prosternebant in via
et clamabant dicentes:
Hosanna Filio David,
benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini.
The Hebrew children
spread their garments in the way,
and cried out, saying:
Hosanna to the Son of David:
blessed is He that cometh
in the Name of the Lord.
Sung by the Gregorian Choir of Paris
Prayers after Communion
Silence is kept
Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.
Almighty God,
we thank you for feeding us
with the body and blood of your Son
Jesus Christ.
Through him we offer you our souls
and bodies to be a living sacrifice.
Send us out in the power of your Spirit
to live and work to your praise and glory. Amen.
Church news may be shared, banns may be read
Hymn
The royal banners forward go;
the cross shines forth in mystic glow;
where He in flesh, our flesh who made,
our sentence bore, our ransom paid:
Where deep for us the spear was dyed,
life's torrent rushing from His side,
to wash us in that precious flood
where mingled water flowed and blood.
Fulfilled is all that David told
In true prophetic song of old.
The universal Lord is He,
who reigns and triumphs from the tree.
On whose dear arms, so widely flung,
the weight of this world's ransom hung,
the price of humankind to pay
and spoil the spoiler of his prey.
To Thee, eternal Three in One,
let homage meet by all be done;
whom by Thy cross Thou dost restore,
preserve and govern evermore.
Amen.
Percy Dearmer (1867-1936)
Venantius Fortunatus (530-609)
Blessing
Christ give you grace to grow in holiness, to deny yourselves, take up your cross and follow him; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be with you always.
Amen
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
In the name of Christ. Amen
Voluntary
Processional William Mathias (1934-1992)